[CLOSED] Expat's Holiday & New Year Giveaway, 2024/5

I made an offer on one on eBay this morning, but it was declined. If I remember correctly, I was offering only four or five bucks below the seller’s ask price. Which begs the question: if you list an item on eBay with a Best Offer option, but are going to decline offers that are that close, then why put the offer option in your listing at all? Then again, I think the seller might have found a Buy-It-Now customer at full price at the last minute, and that’s why my offer was declined.

It looked decent. Original cellophane but no outer envelope. No Cameo proof Franklin half, of course- you wouldn’t get one of those in a sight-seen listing for less than fifty bucks.

I could have originally gone with the Buy It Now option myself, and still remained within our budget here, but frankly, I just looked at my bank and credit card statements and have begun to feel the sting from this recent buying spree. It’s time to cool my jets a bit.

 

I’m still working on this request, Sal. I thought it was a good suggestion. This morning I was shopping 1917 Type 1 SLQs (just because Type 1s are cool). But in our $50 budget here, those tend to come with flat dates. Like all early SLQs with the date being so high on the coin, it was one of the first things to wear off (same issue that plagued Buffalo nickels). So then I shopped some later date ones (from the era after they recessed the dates to deal with that issue). I’ve watchlisted a nice looking XF-ish example, if I recall. Whether or not I will go back and pull the trigger on it remains to be seen. As mentioned above, my bank account is beginning to complain.

PS- as to the error coin request, note the clipped 1964 Kennedy I previously posted. That’ll be an option here, maybe.

Good on you for doing that! I’ve now decided against shopping for a bulk lot for this contest. I do, however, have such a lot listed in my regular giveaway inventory- so be sure to speak up for it in one of my other contests.

I’m still working on this. In a $50 budget, it’s inevitable that a Barber quarter will be worn. But a nicer circulated example with original toning and perhaps up into the middle grades, should be doable for fifty bucks or less. I just haven’t had time to look yet.

I bought one- and a very nice one indeed- just prior to the start of this contest. As of this typing, it is still in my temporary holding folder awaiting completion of its writeup, and hasn’t yet made its way into the giveaway store. But it will be listed there soon. So it is available not only as a potential prize for this contest, but also for my own future contests later, if it doesn’t end up being the prize here first.

 

Here's an 1888 Morgan dollar for consideration as a prize in this contest. It is certified by ANACS as MS61 and is a lustrous white Mint State example. It has typical bagmarks on the obverse which are consistent with the MS61 grade.

I don't recall what I paid for this offhand (left the invoice at home), but I know it was under $50 and I think it was $45.

 

Mission accomplished- and with an earlier date, too.

After my Best Offer was accepted, this one cost me $23.95 after shipping. So it is unlikely to be @expat 's selection for the final prize in this contest, but it will be headed for my own giveaway inventory soon.

It's not super high grade- I'd place it as a VG10 or thereabouts, personally- but I thought it had a nice original look with no distractions and some of LIBERTY visible on the headband. It looks pretty close to F12, actually.

United States: 1895 silver Barber quarter

 

That must have been the experience of a lifetime.

PS- if you join one of my regular “pick your prize” contests (the current Giveaway #120 is one), I’ve got a nice 4th century Roman coin in the prize options at the moment.

 

Announcement:

So, @expat and I were discussing what the final prize would be for this contest.

In the end, he decided it would be best if the winner got their own choice. He wants that person to get something they will enjoy.

So what we've decided to do is to let the winner of the drawing choose their own prize, from my giveaway inventory, just as we would with one of my own monthly "pick your prize" contests.

The only difference here is that though the prize will be drawn from my inventory and I will be the one shipping it, this contest was entirely underwritten by @expat, who paid for the prize. So you will have him to thank.

So have a look at the prize options in the link above, and think about what you might want to choose for your prize when we do the drawing on or shortly after New Year's Day. You will see a lot of the things I purchased and posted in this thread earlier, based on the suggestions here. And as of this typing, I am still adding some new prizes.

Thanks for all the suggestions, by the way. Many of them influenced my purchases.

~RWS/"LM"

On behalf of @expat

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I’ve set the poll to close soon. It appears that ancient coin was the most popular item on the wish list. But every category in the poll except exonumia (token or medal) got at least one vote.

It will be interesting what the winner of the drawing will select when that time comes.

I think @expat will agree with me that it’s been fun to read what everyone was most interested in.

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I just put that clipped Kennedy half in my safe deposit box. It looks great. Nicer than the pics.

 

I assembled a fun three-piece coin lot with this contest in mind. It covers the medieval, World, US, and silver categories, all in the same lot! And with some judicious shopping, I managed to acquire all three of these coins for a total of only $42.13, which fits within the $50 target we had here- and still allows me some in the budget to ship it to the winner, if that's the prize they pick.

If this lot does not get selected by our winner in this contest, it will be in my own giveaway inventory as a prize option for my own present or future "pick your prize" contests.

While shopping for this contest, I sort of had in mind the fact that @expat is in Spain while most of the rest of us are in the New World. So it just seemed like a fun theme.

(3 coins) 1479-1992 Spain & USA: trio of Christopher Columbus-related coins

 

Happy New Year, everyone!

It is time for the drawing!

Our lucky number was... 47!



And Post #47 was by... @meandyou4ever0 !

Coingratulations, @meandyou4ever0 !

You have won @expat 's contest.

That means you get your choice of prizes from my inventory, since he deputized me to provide the prize here. Have another look at the prizes there and let me know which one appeals to you the most. I will message y'all shortly.

~RWS/"LM