My father in law passed recently leaving us with a lot of coins. Most are Bradford Exchange collections. Some are foreign, some have been graded, some are from Littleton river or whatever the place is. We are not collector's nor are we interested in collecting. I've tried to research to get an idea of value on any of them. But honestly that rabbit hole gives me a headache. We're not looking to get rich, we're hoping to cover his final expenses. But if there is anything that might be worth holding onto we'd like to know. We have a daughter, she's not a collector either but something of value to hold for a rainy day might be nice. Unsure if the Bradford Exchange ones are better to get rid of as a set or are just face value and used as cash. We don't want to go into a pawn shop without a clue on value or what we have. However I'm unsure of how to obtain any information on what we have either. From my research I know the Bradford Exchange sets are the worst to invest in, but he did and now we're stuck with the consequences. I've watched u tube videos and looked for answers, but I just do not have the interest to learn about coins enough to really analyze them. Hoping to find someone or some where to take them to give us an overall idea of what's worth keeping vs selling and where that will be honest.
Coin collecting (and their value) is a very specific field with extremely detailed knowledge and experience required for most appraisals. There are vast amounts of knowledge and specialties even within specialties: One collector might only be aware of the PM (precious metals like silver, gold, platinum) content of each coin, and as such many non-PM coins will be worthless to them. Another collector might understand that there are certain coins (key dates) with additional value due to scarcity/demand. Another collector might know how to correctly judge the condition and eye appeal of certain coins, and will find another level of value, and yet another collector might be aware of certain varieties or mint errors that would add further value still. Now, add foreign (non-US) coins to the mix, and you've just multiplied that amount of knowledge almost exponentially. It will take a non-experienced person forever to figure out what they have and what it's worth, and most of the information they find (in places like YouTube) will be incorrect or misleading at best. It will take someone with both honesty, experience, and knowledge to correctly ascertain what a collection is truly worth. IN PERSON: If you are able to find a trustworthy local coin shop or local coin club, that would be a good place to start. It might be worth your time to bring the collection in to have someone take a look at what you have. If you ask for a written, detailed appraisal, they will most likely charge you for their time. Keep in mind that you are not required to sell anything to anybody. ONLINE: If you are willing to put in some work, you can absolutely start taking pictures (well lit and in focus is important) of small batches of the collection and posting them here. There are many people who find it exciting to pore through someone else's collection and can give you a general idea of what you have and what it's worth. Keep in mind that you are not required to sell anything to anybody. As far as selling goes, there will always be a relationship between the amount of time you are willing to invest in the process (educating yourself to what you have, potentially selling the coins yourself vs. selling them to a coin dealer and letting them do most of the work) and how much money you will get for your coins. If I took my collection into a typical coin dealer, I might completely overwhelm them with what I have, so they might offer me pennies on the dollar (just because of the amount of work and knowledge that is required.) However, if I do what I've been doing - selling it off in manageable chunks, paring it down to a much smaller volume - I'm going to get a LOT more money for what I have, but it's going to be an insane amount of work. In summary: You can post some pictures here of what you have. Make sure we can see what you have (well lit and in focus, crop your images to not waste any space with carpeting or desks) and people will help you. Or, you can find a local coin shop or coin club to have someone look at the collection in person. Hope this helps, and I hope poring through the collection gives you some sort of connection/happy memories of your father in law. Good luck!
I get regular mailings from Heritage Auctions asking me if I have coins to sell. I believe they will offer a fair "no obligation" estimate of value...since it's in their interest to do so. I've never done this, but I'm sure some here have. It may be a good place to start.
If you were to mention the general ( no addresses) area of the state where you live like southern California, or Upper New York, south Florida, etc. members may be able to give advice of fair dealers they know , who you can contact for estimates. Unsurprisingly, many collectors are hoarders and have huge amounts of coins, even fairly worthless, so some will not amount to large amounts, but one can always be surprised. I am sorry for your loss, so be sure to save some nice ones for possible grandchildren, family members or good friends to treasure his memory. Jim
Jessica, I think @stldanceartist has given your the best answer. I suggest finding a local coin club and/or a coin shop in your area and ask if they would give you an appraisal. It may cost a few bucks, but it should give you peace of mind that you are getting the best amount for your collection. Bradford Exchange probably won't bring much more than metal values, but Littleton might get you a "break even" amount. I wish you the best and hope you will post your decision here for us to know the outcome. Good luck.
Take photos of your coins in focus both sides of the coins for us to look at. Hold coins by the edge not touching the coins surface. Do not clean any of these coins because it will kill their value.
Sorry to hear about your loss. I understand your problem and that you are not a collector. If anyone in your family collects you should contact and off the collection to them. They should mean more to you or your family as your father in law owned them over what you can get for them. It is always best to wait at least a year before doing anything. You may regret your decision later and then it’s too late. If you have a local coin shop in your area you can always have them look at it. As for the Bradford coins, they are probably not worth very much. The Littleton coins would be closer to their value. You mentioned graded coins. If any of them are worth anything, the graded coins will be the ones that provide the money. If you take a photo of both sides and post them to theirs own thread you may get more assistance. I do not collect foreign coins but we have many members that do and you can post them in the Foreign Forum. Best wishes and welcome to CT.
