I'm new to this so bear with me. I live in Dallas, TX and need to find if a coin I have is authentic and then get it certified. I called Heritage Auctions and wasn't really impressed with who I spoke with. He did tell me that I would have to mail it to California to get it certified. Do people actually feel comfortable enough to mail a coin somewhere?? I wouldn't. Anyway I just wanted to see if anyone on here lived in Dallas also and could point me in the right direction or give me any advice. Thanks ya'll Also didn't mean to post the first one.
yea people feel comfortable doing it because chances are they are not going to risk there great name on your coin. Im in michigan but I beleive that the shows in texas have on the site graders. im sure a texan can chime in on that
All coins do not need to be certified, as it costs a good little piece of change to get it done, especially in lots of less than 100. There are many people who unwittingly spend more on the certification itself than the coin will ever be worth. Take your coin to a large coin show in the area and show it to a couple dealers .... Jeff Zarit from Dallas is one possible that I would recommend in your area. Certification is not for everyone. Unless the price for the worst grade you think that you will receive is 10X the price that they can be bought for at auction or wholesale (not book-price retail), it's not worth the $$, trouble and effort to get it graded. The same 10X rule should apply to how much you have into it vs what you can actually sell it for. If you luck into a deal and buy a $100 book-value coin for $20 at an ill-attended auction or store, here is a scenario. You mail the coin to a TPG for $15 for a single coin (many are higher), paying postage and any taxes/fees ($5). You get it back wrapped in its plastic coat and shop it around to dealers, and your top offer for it is $35 (most dealers or educated buyers will pay about 30-50% of published retail (book) price, unless they are scarce and it might go to 60%. You have $40 tied up in a coin worth only $35 that you'll have to wait at least 10 years just to break even. Keep your $20 coin and learn how to grade yourself. Spend your next $100 on the start of a reference library so that you can become the expert. Reference books with benefit you more financially and numismatically in the long run than any Certified coin or Grading company will ever be. A certified coin is worth no more than a raw one to a dealer or educated buyer, unless your collecting area is extremely high-end stuff or you are selling coins that are not in-hand for the buyer to see.
You are welcome. Just remember that if you buy a "book-priced" $500 coin on Ebay for $100, all you have is a $100 coin. Krause, Yoeman or Charlton never bought a single coin to justify what they have in their price guides. A coin is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it. If you take that $100 coin to a TPG and have it graded, you now have a $100 coin that you have $120 invested in, but it has a slip of paper on it with someone's opinion of what you knew you already had. Unless you are a high-ender or someone with e-sales, certification is not for everyone.
You could always go to a reputable coin shop/dealer in you area and ask them. Most good dealers will ship and get it certified for you.
Hello Paterson84, If you can post a photo or describe your coin, then we can possibly recommend how you might proceed with your coin. Very best regards, collect89
If its a valuable coin just send it registered mail, It includes insurance and Its under lock and key all the way
