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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;desertgem, post: 538430, member: 15199&quot;]The coins in the hard plastic holders are probably acrylic (plexiglass) and are as inert as mylar flips. If they are secured by screws or welded together they are probably just fine in those holders. I would leave them there unless other reasons come up. Soft plastic holders are more questionable. They could be low plasticizer plastic, or inert plastic like polyethylene or polypropylene, or unfortunately they could be pvc plasticizer rich which would be detrimental. If there is no apparent gunk or hazing on the coins, they are probably ok for the moment. After a few weeks, you may have the knowledge to handle them, and transfer to safer holders and they should be ok for that long .</p><p><br /></p><p>The coins on TV are usually special considerations between large distributors and the mint. People usually pay terribly for these in the long run. Hold off in my opinion.</p><p><br /></p><p>Grading is expensive, and if you keep the coins that might be worth it, they will be worth it later. Put the best aside until you familiarize yourself with the different grading companies and also being able to grade coins yourself. </p><p><br /></p><p>In the early stages collect every coin that interests you, just don&#039;t pay much! Look at each coin in your change and try to grade it. A roll or 2 of nickles from the bank should give you a wide range to look at~ find date, mintmark, and arrange in a sequence of worse to best. Then later you can assign grades and have a nice reference and study guide. Same can be done for cents, quarters, etc.</p><p><br /></p><p>To be successful as a collector grading should be studied before you buy better (and more expensive) coins.</p><p><br /></p><p>I used to buy bags and bags of coins to go through and study and look for varieties. I still do, just not very many. It does sharpen the eye and allows you to spot better coins when shopping, often even the dealer might not notice them. I need good light and magnification with my eyes! </p><p><br /></p><p>The red book is excellent for the new collector. It is the basic reference, but the prices are determined well in advance and tend to be high estimates. For general use try this site</p><p><a href="http://www.numismedia.com/" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.numismedia.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.numismedia.com/</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; the collector price guide on the left is closer.</p><p><br /></p><p>but don&#039;t feel it is in stone, prices do vary constantly.</p><p><br /></p><p>You will need a good magnifier ( loupe) to see the details, most common is 10X .</p><p><br /></p><p>The internet has guides on almost every series of coins. Google is your friend.</p><p>The forum loves to see new coins and can help your grading efforts if you have a</p><p>digital camera with a macro ( the little flower) function.</p><p><br /></p><p>Hope this helps. Others may have differing opinions!!</p><p><br /></p><p>Jim[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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