I have something to admit to you all……..

Discussion in 'US Coins Forum' started by Eric Babula, Feb 20, 2020.

  1. Eric Babula

    Eric Babula Active Member

    I have a problem! I've been a coin hoarder for most of my life. There! I said it! (First step to recovery, right?)


    I’ve hoarded coins all my life. I’ve kept most every Wheatie I’ve ever come across. I’ve purchased coin “lots” and “unsearched rolls” (yeah, that was stoopid, I know!), assuming I’d keep one or two and sell the rest back – but I’ve never sold the others. I’ve bought coins for no real reason other than because the price was “right” and/or I didn’t want them to get away from me! I have a problem!


    Now that I’ve admitted my problem, I’m on the road to recovery. I think. I’ve decided at some point I'm going to try to get rid of most of the coins that I really do not want/need in my collection. Stuff that I collected, or hoarded, for the last 40 years. Stuff that I don’t care about, or don’t ever look at. “Junk”.


    Have any of you purged your “junk” coins, in bulk? How did you tackle this kind of project?


    For instance, I have probably 20+ lbs of Wheaties/Steelies that I’ve collected since I was a kid, in the 70s. Basically, most every time I found a Wheatie, I threw it in a jar. Every now and then, I emptied that jar into a big bag. I now have multiple bags, and a bunch of rolls of Wheaties. I always intended on going through them to check for good Dates/MMs/DDs, whatever. But, there they sit, with no one to love them. “Junk”.


    Similarly, I have lots of other coins – low grade Jeffs, Roosies, Mercs, Walkers, Franklins, Morgans, etc. that I picked up along the way, that are sitting in cardboard 2x2s, loaded in 2x2 boxes. I never look at them – they’re in a box. Don’t plan on displaying them in any way. “Junk”.


    So, I thought I could get rid of all these. Sell them. Use the money for coin-related things I do want!


    The big question is: What’s the best way to get rid of these kinds of things? Do I roll up the Wheaties and sell them as “unsearched rolls”, or roll them by decade (20’s, 30’s, 40’s)? Do I sell the 2x2s in “Lots”? Do I bring it all to a local dealer and just dump it on them (though, I’m guessing I’ll get pennies on the dollar if I do that!)?


    Any tips on how to best get rid of loads of unwanted coins? Did you ever worry that you might be giving up a key date coin, in your bulk sales? Does it matter, if you never really cared about them in the first place? Would love to hear your ideas! Thx for helping my recovery!!!
     
    Tuco and ripple like this.
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  3. okbustchaser

    okbustchaser I may be old but I still appreciate a pretty bust Supporter

    Spend them. Who knows how many new collectors may benefit?
     
  4. J.T. Parker

    J.T. Parker Well-Known Member

    OUCH!
    If you have the time I'd roll the Wheat Cent mixed & make no claim, but sell them
    as rolls of mixed cents all dates guaranteed before 1959.
    I know there are still people trying to fill their 'Dansco' Wheat Cent books.
    The 'Junk' silver should sell well to people who are 'silver-bugs'. As I know there are some awaiting dooms day. (When you will only be able to buy a loaf of bread for silver coinage.) ???
    Personally, I am still an optimist.
    Good Luck,
    J.T.
     
    imrich and Penna_Boy like this.
  5. Inspector43

    Inspector43 Celebrating 75 Years Active Collecting Supporter

    I had a similar issue with 70 year accumulation. See my link https://www.cointalk.com/threads/sorting-my-70-year-accumulation.330231/
     
    Randy Abercrombie likes this.
  6. Randy Abercrombie

    Randy Abercrombie Supporter! Supporter

    Similarly, I been hoarding coins since I was a kid. A very large portion of my collection is still the "kid coins" that I bought with my lunch money... You know the ones. The worn slick IHC's and V-nickels..... A couple years back, I bore my soul the very same way figuring it would free me to empty out twenty pounds of "kid coins". I did manage to find a couple of new collectors to gift several batches to. Yet here I am two years later still with probably ten pounds of "kid coins" left. I wish you luck. If it works for you, maybe you will inspire me to continue with my purge......... Hello, my name is Randy and I am a coin hoarder.....
     
  7. John Anthony

    John Anthony Ultracrepidarian

    I hoarded for a few years also. I took all of my junk silver, wheaties, Indians, a bunch of worn large cents, etc., and put them all in a big fancy glass bowl. It sat on my living room coffee table - like a bowl of fruit - but coins. It was remarkably satisfying to run my hands though it.
     
  8. Collecting Nut

    Collecting Nut Borderline Hoarder

    Eric, you have just described most coin collectors, including me.

    With my antique shop I now sell coins but it's very limited. I still have everything that I have collected for too many years to think about.

    If I am forced to admit it I'll admit being a hoarder with a smile. You are not alone in this disease. :)
     
  9. Inspector43

    Inspector43 Celebrating 75 Years Active Collecting Supporter

    I have another link if anyone is interested. After I got into the middle of my "hoard" I realized what I had and wondered what to do with it. Then, I thought about keeping it in the family and encouraging the youngsters to collect. With 13 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren (#20 due in July) I would split it up with them. You can see the process at https://www.cointalk.com/threads/what-to-do-with-my-accumulation.341614/ I have all but 2 finished.
     
  10. Inspector43

    Inspector43 Celebrating 75 Years Active Collecting Supporter

    @Randy Abercrombie you may have a good idea there. A thread for "coinaholics" or "hoardaholics".
     
  11. Mr. Flute

    Mr. Flute Well-Known Member

    Wheaties - if you have the time, separate all the pre-1930s out from the rest as you may get a slightly better rate per coin that way. My experience is the pre-1930s may get you $0.05-0.07 per coin and the rest you should be happy with $0.02-0.03 per coin.

    Junk silver - do a semi-key/key date sweep through them and separate those from the rest. The semi-keys/keys will get you more than silver value. The rest, at this moment, should give you $10-11 per $1 face value and you should be happy to get that from a dealer.
     
  12. sambyrd44

    sambyrd44 Well-Known Member

    Maybe post lots here on the buy sell forum. The wheat's maybe pile them up and see if they fit into a flatrate priority box in an inner box. If they do list it with the weight of the total coins and fix the shipping cost as flat rate. The rest maybe do lots you should have no trouble selling them.
     
    Eric Babula and slackaction1 like this.
  13. Collecting Nut

    Collecting Nut Borderline Hoarder

    Two down, 31 to go. Time to get busy. Lol
     
    Inspector43 likes this.
  14. Inspector43

    Inspector43 Celebrating 75 Years Active Collecting Supporter

    Whoops! 31 down and 2 to go. And I still have a bizzilion coins left. I need more grandkids. I do have an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of them.
     
    Collecting Nut likes this.
  15. Collecting Nut

    Collecting Nut Borderline Hoarder

    Well I sure read that wrong. Lol. Sounds like you got it under control.
     
    Inspector43 and Danomite like this.
  16. Rushmore

    Rushmore Coin Addict

    Send the coins my way lol.
     
    Eric Babula and Inspector43 like this.
  17. green18

    green18 Unknown member Sweet on Commemorative Coins Supporter

    Come to Jesus.........

    And sin no more..............











    NOT. devil.gif
     
  18. Pickin and Grinin

    Pickin and Grinin Well-Known Member

    If I had the money to spend. I would buy those un searched wheats in a heart beat.
    I am sure that others here feel the same way.
    Use the for Sale section. Just guarantee a return on anything that is not as described. Your collection sounds like fun.
     
  19. bradgator2

    bradgator2 Well-Known Member

    Heck yeah... I’d buy one of those boxes!
     
  20. Eric Babula

    Eric Babula Active Member

    Hi Randy! Welcome to the hoarder's anonymous group!
     
    Randy Abercrombie likes this.
  21. Eric Babula

    Eric Babula Active Member

    And your hands smell like copper after that! LOL!
     
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