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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;stldanceartist, post: 7768663, member: 13307&quot;]Coin collecting (and their value) is a very specific field with extremely detailed knowledge and experience required for most appraisals.&nbsp; There are vast amounts of knowledge and specialties even within specialties: </p><p><br /></p><p>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.&nbsp; Another collector might understand that there are certain coins (key dates) with additional value due to scarcity/demand.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Now, add foreign (non-US) coins to the mix, and you&#039;ve just multiplied that amount of knowledge almost exponentially.</p><p><br /></p><p>It will take a non-experienced person forever to figure out what they have and what it&#039;s worth, and most of the information they find (in places like YouTube) will be incorrect or misleading at best.</p><p><br /></p><p>It will take someone with both honesty, experience, and knowledge to correctly ascertain what a collection is truly worth.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>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.&nbsp; It might be worth your time to bring the collection in to have someone take a look at what you have.&nbsp; If you ask for a written, detailed appraisal, they will most likely charge you for their time.&nbsp; <b>Keep in mind that you are not required to sell anything to anybody.</b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p>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.&nbsp; There are many people who find it exciting to pore through someone else&#039;s collection and can give you a general idea of what you have and what it&#039;s worth.&nbsp; <b>Keep in mind that you are not required to sell anything to anybody.</b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p>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.&nbsp; 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.)&nbsp; However, if I do what I&#039;ve been doing - selling it off in manageable chunks, paring it down to a much smaller volume - I&#039;m going to get a LOT more money for what I have, but it&#039;s going to be an insane amount of work.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>In summary: You can post some pictures here of what you have.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; Or, you can find a local coin shop or coin club to have someone look at the collection in person.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Hope this helps, and I hope poring through the collection gives you some sort of connection/happy memories of your father in law.&nbsp; Good luck![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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