My single purchasing experience with Thomas Bush Numismatics (TBN) has shown me that he is a first-rate coin dealer. His website is found here: http://www.tbnumismatics.com/ . I consider the Thomas Bush Numismatics site to be quite nice, although it lacks advanced filtering, sorting, searching features of larger dealers. Tom specializes in premium, all original Type coins, having only 30-40 coins on his site at any given time. For this reason, advanced searching and filtering are not needed. Tom's numismatic photography is exceptional and it is quite a delight to simply browse through his current offerings, spread over two pages. I recommend you read the descriptions of each coin, as it highlights what makes that coin special. Tom also offers coin photography as a paid service for his customers, as well as consulting if you are looking for information and opinions on coins in your collection, see his site for details. Tom is an active member of CoinTalk and uses the handle: @Tom B To date, I have purchased only a single coin from his dealer website, as we came to terms via PM on CT. I have never personally met Tom, but I have had many conversations with him through posts, threads, and private messages. I believe he is also active on the PCGS forum. I consider Tom to be of the highest character. His expertise and participation on CoinTalk over the years has clearly demonstrated to me his professionalism, honesty, and sincerity as a Coin Dealer. 1832 HALF CENT - CLASSIC HEAD NGC AU55 BROWN CAC I paid via PayPal and this worked easily with no payment issues to report. I believe he prefers a check, and I initially was going to pay via snail-mail. I got nervous after agreeing to buy the coin, (that I would spend the money on yet another coin), so I contacted Tom and made arrangements to use PayPal. This is something you can inquire about at time of purchase, as his site does NOT have an online shopping cart. I love the coin I have received from Thomas Bush Numismatics, and consider it one of my best looking coins. I have never seen manipulated photos on his site, and was not disappointed when the coin arrived. Whereas some other dealers “juice” their photos, I consider TBN to have some of the best, and most consistent coin photography in the business, easily in the top 5 out of dealers AND collectors that I am aware of. My coin was well packaged and shipped quickly, and I was emailed tracking info. Tom later emailed me several photographs of the coin I purchased. As a collector who enjoys purchasing CAC coins, I appreciate that Tom sends so much of his inventory for CAC review, so there are always affordable and expensive CAC inventory to choose from. Tom is also a big proponent of CAC, and what they do. You can PM for details about his thoughts on CAC. I have no complaints to write about, and I plan to purchase additional coins from Thomas Bush Numismatics in the future as soon as both his specialized inventory and my funds accommodate. I highly recommend you check his site and make sure to email him questions and ordering details about specific coins. Here are his photos of the same coin:
I am a U.S. type collector and have purchased three coins from Tom, two from his website and one in person at the 2014 winter FUN show. They can be seen in this thread here: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/introducing-my-3-coin-barber-type-set.249676/ I've also received coins "on approval" (an opportunity to see a coin in hand before committing funds to buy) and have, on a couple of occasions, determined they weren't right for me. As you can imagine, this is a privilege that is built upon mutual trust between both parties and should be respected as such. The collector should have a serious interest in the coin (meaning willing to buy if satisfactory), will take great care with the coin and slab when it is in the collector's possession while under review, and will promptly return the coin in careful packaging if the coin needs to be returned. Tom has been extremely professional during these interactions. I believe that one aspect to building a high quality collection is for the collector to develop a small network of ethical dealers who offer excellent material and are willing to provide expertise as needed to guide the collector. Before I got to know Tom, I bought several coins from Mark Feld who's reputation for honesty, quality material, and technical knowledge was well known (and unsurpassed IMHO) before he decided to leave coin dealing and join Heritage. I think that Tom has an equal reputation in all of those areas and has earned a spot in being one of the best dealers in U.S. type in the business. On the knowledge sharing front, I remember at the FUN show asking his opinion of a reeded edge half (another series in which he is well versed) that had some attractive blue rim toning. He gave me an honest opinion that it was cleaned and offered his opinion that it was not of the calibre I was seeking for my collection. Tom is quite receptive to providing his knowledge and perspective should you wish to seek his insights. I find Tom to be a valuable resource in this regard. I have such confidence in Tom that I have listed him as a preferred dealer option for my heirs should they wish to sell my collection via dealer consignment. He is a great person to know and one of the select dealers where I can say without hesitation or reservation that he will interact with you in a highly trustworthy manner.
