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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;RedTiger, post: 638600, member: 19098&quot;]A lot does depend on the specifics of series, grade, price that you are mostly interested in. There isn&#039;t a one-size fits all answer.</p><p><br /></p><p>For expensive certified coins, research prices on the various auction sites (Ebay, Heritage, Teletrade) before spending the big money. For raw coins, I&#039;d steer clear of Ebay until a person learns the basics of grading, and even then, I&#039;d say go real slow. The auction sites can be okay for a novice to purchase the more common certified material, though quality and price can be all over the place.</p><p><br /></p><p>One of the forum members, Mark Feld carries a small inventory of high quality certified coins. I would certainly recommend him, if he has any coins that you are looking for.</p><p><br /></p><p>Post some specifics in terms of series, grade, price, and better answers will come along. Quality and price sometimes go hand in hand. However, a few dealers charge a high price and deliver average quality. Quite a few more charge a low price and deliver low quality or even problem coins, especially major magazine advertisers and some auction coins.</p><p><br /></p><p>Coin shows can be a good place to shop. Having dealer referrals before going to the show, can be a big help because a few dealers may try to take advantage of a novice. </p><p><br /></p><p>If you are in Southern California, the summer ANA is going to be at the Los Angeles convention center, August 5 to 9. Florida (FUN), Baltimore, and Long Beach, CA host the other big national shows. Smaller shows can also be a good place. Do a google search and it will turn up coin shows in your area.</p><p><br /></p><p>As for Excel, I keep one large, relatively simple spreadsheet. I record all the coin&#039;s info in one field, price paid, source, estimated current value (or price sold for), and notes. Some folks now like to archive images of their better coins and that is an excellent idea for insurance purposes.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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