So I took my first ever trip to a coin store. Here is what I bought: 1938-d Mercury Dime (pretty good detail, date is clear) $2.00 1945 Mercury Dime (Graded "F" <not by a company, by the owner>) $2.00 1936-d Buffalo Nickel (Graded "Good" same as above) $1.50 1930-S Buffalo Nickel (Graded "VF") $4.25 1926-S Standing Liberty Qtr (Graded VG) $5.50 1935 Standing Liberty Half (Graded "VG") $7.00 1897 V Cent (Graded VG) $4.25 Anything remotely stupid that I bought???? I'm learning and was a bit overwhelmed. The people were really nice. Any tips for a complete newbie??? Thanks!!! BD
Sounds like you did good. Thats the nice thing about a coin shop...the prices are usually good and you get to interact with live people. Glad it was a nice experience for you. Guy~
Another must have is a good grading book , ANACs Grading Standards is one of the best , others like Photograde , but I don't think they grade MS coins . rzage
Glad you enjoyed your experience. Sounds like a nice shop. It's very important to be treated good by the people. It's also to their advantage in the long run if they know you're new. They can teach you a lot and gain a valuable customer. I wait on the "newbies" personally a lot at the shop I work at. The boss can concentrate on the big stuff while I'm selling $20 worth of stuff. Thing is, if treated right, they come back. Keep going and they'll get to know you too. Deals tend to get better after a while clembo
Sounds like you did an excellent job. Getting to know the owner and your likes and wants is crucial. Find a gentleman you like and build a relationship with. Sometimes he won't always be the cheapest, but he will look for your coins, in your grade and price range. Eventually, you will look forward to you trips and increase the frequency. Vegas Vic
Cool! No collector ever forgets their first time in a coinshop. It's so exciting seeing all those shiny coins on display in one relatively small space. I hope you remembered to bring your book with you.
p.s. my tip for a newbie is: for every coin you buy, try and see at least one hundred examples (preferably in-hand) before you purchase one.
p.p.p.s. my third tip for a newbie is: read as much as you can and see as many coins as you can in-hand.
glad you had a nice trip.....echo all of the above sentiment. Merc dimes are a great set to learn the ins and outs IMHO. The 16 D may be a bit of a stumbling block and the 21's will cost a bit. But, you can learn grading of silver coinage from g-MS65 and not have a great deal of money tied up. There are varieties if you choose to go that direction, as well as conditional scarcities (25-d and 26-s in XF for instance).
My first trip to the coin store is kind of fuzzy. I was around six and grew up in a small town in SD. The local coin store was in a bar. I used to stop with my father after school and work Friday afternoons. I would drool over the coins, knowing nothing other than they were old, strange looking and worth a lot of money. I'll never forget when the owner took pity on me, pulled out an Indian Head Cent and gave it to me. I started collecting in earnest on August 9, 1966. The date is etched in my mind as my grandfather who collected coins, brought me home a Whitman Folder and a handful of Wheat Cents. We dated the folder together. It took me until I was in my early 20's to complete it. With the other folders I was able to complete the set. Each year it is brought up to date. I think that is still why the Lincolns are my favorite set. By the way, I still have the folders, kept in the safe deposit box. It is my most prized numismatic possession as it's irreplaceable. I've had some of the coins 42 years. My grandfather died in 1972 and my father in 1975. So although I've completed two other Lincoln sets, including one with all the Proofs back to 1936, I would fight to the death over that one. Vegas Vic
It sounds like you had a good first trip to a coin shop. I think you did quite well with what you picked out. You got a nice little start to a collection there. Remember to read as much as you can and study the coins you now have. Try and learn how to grade them...and don't forget to ask questions. You have started down a long and unending road from which there is a ton of joy (and no escape).
I also ordered some proof sets from the mint. I looked up some of the old sets from like 20 years ago, they are worth a lot more money than they cost back then. Part of me says that "finding" old coins is better than, "buying" new mint sets. I think what I want to accomplish is a good mix of old and new, and hold on to them for a long long time. I'm not interested in making a bunch of money. I want to collect, and not spend a fortune on doing it. Banks don't hold squat around here, I already called. Flea market may have some. Pawn shops are real iffy around here. My trusty coinstar at work keeps me entertained lol. For the last 2 weeks I've looked at every amount of change I've gotten. It's been a lot of fun. I'm extremely interested in learning how to grade, and I will study that for the time being. I'm thinking the quarter is gonna be my coin of choice, as this is what started it all! Thanks a lot for all the input, I am really glad I found this site. BD
