Certain I Over Paid, but I Have Wanted One for a Long Time

This here is my first commemorative half, the Columbian Exposition from 1893. I've been fascinated with the series, though due to the limited selection of places for me to get coins, I haven't been able to get my hand on one. Took a trip to Faribault because there is a coin shop up there, and although the antique store here is fine, I wanted to check it out. Had many questionable prices, there were quite a few (to my knowledge) common IHCs priced at 5.50 on the low end and 7.50 USD at the high end for one example. However, there was a greater selection than there is here, and I even picked up a couple coin folders. I saw this commemorative that the owner had designated "XF" and priced at 30 dollars, in a flip. He gives the coins designations and prices them on his own in the store. I bought it, because I was thrilled to have even seen one. Got home, excited to learn more about my new coin, and my mood was dampened when I saw a slabbed example of one not dissimilar to mine, for less than half price. Still happy to have this coin, but I'm not sure I'll be buying coins from there again so I don't get overcharged like this again. I would have been okay paying a couple dollars above market price, but more than doubling it seems excessive. The place here is more in line with the actual value of the coins. Lesson learned: Research the coin before you buy, not after. Either way, I am happy with the coin, and here it is:

 

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Lesson learned do your research . I paid like $30 slabbed for mine .

 

Paid $0.50 for mine

 

Purchased at the Exposition?

 

CRH there actually quite common to find from time to time.

 

Many dealers built nice lives for themselves while "educating" collectors. BTW, there is nothing wrong with over paying for the "right" coin. What's the "right" coin you ask? The coin that a knowledgeable collector HAS TO OVER PAY FOR from a knowledgeable dealer. It makes the other knowledgeable collectors furious because they didn't get the chance to over pay and add it to their collection. This is not the same as "cherry picking." Another thing knowledgeable collectors do.

 

I'm not NEARLY that old
Found it CRHing a few years back.

 

Over time the "pain" of overpaying will be forgotten but you will still have the coin!

 

Yep, after this I will certainly be brushing up on coin values before I buy. Maybe I'll have to buy a red book and a blue book from him in order to better educate myself. Will definitely be checking online prices before hand though in order to avoid making the same mistake.

 

Very true, and the price in the corner will always remind me to know the value of what I'm buying before I spend that much on it. His store is the only place I can reliably get folders, and he charges 5 dollars for the old Whitman folders, though I don't mind because I like that style.

 

Publius2 beat me to it @furryfrog02 lol. If i remember right I paid about $15 earlier this year for mine...I liked the blue album toning on it lol

 

If you have a cellphone, you can always open up an internet browser and do a quick search. I love these too. Now I want the "companion" piece, an Isabella Quarter!

 

A person can eat out and drop the same amount of money they wanted to buy a coin with. Relatively speaking. Thing is that after you digest your dinner you only left with s**t. But if you “over spent” on a coin that you couldn’t hunt down for the price you wanted, you have that coin and the pleasure it gives you for life.

 

I got one in change back in the 50's when I was very busy with searching. But, $30 isn't bad if you like the coin.

 

I doubt that you could get one for 50 Cents at the convention. I'm sure there would have been a markup. But, I wasn't there.

 

Let me know if you find a source of those for 3-4 times melt...!

 

I paid $50.00 for this beauty. I think it’s worth every Penny of that. Yes, do your research before hand, not after. I’m an antique dealer and I sell some coins in my shop. As such, I list nothing on the flip or my price tag. Never to I write a grade. In an antique shop, grades are subject to options and everyone has one. Only the date, name of the coin (it’s type) and the price are labeled. I sell them and no complaints from my customers. Don’t trust someone else’s opinion of the grade. Be prepared!

 

LOL, I get them in the change all the time along with Trade Dollars

 

har de har har...

 

I believe the were sold for a $1 at the original.