So I went to a local flea market and a guy had these coins in what seems to mint packaging. I say seems to be because I did a little bit of looking online at the website for the us mint and the sets of current year coins are available for purchase there. They come in seal sectioned plastic with a red or blue stripe on either end and come with a coin that states what mint they are for. Anyhow this guy had a few with no certificate of any kind for two dollars. I figured from just a "oo pretty" perspective that was a decent deal. It's only 14 cents above face value. What do you guys think?
The entire set? I have seen them seperately in a dollar bin. Last time I went to an antique flea market I kind of got jipped on world coins. I thought they might be silver but he knew they weren't. I guess it can go both ways. You can get a really good deal but if you don't know about something you can grossly overpay. When I was looking at the wheat cent the dealer said "I know they are only worth 3 cents a piece but they are not for a numismatic". Who are they for?
You can put together "Year Sets" from circulating coins. Many vendors sell holders similar to what the mint uses to put these together. Did the $60 blow your budget (ie- kids still eat, lights still on)? Are you happy with the sets and their condition? "No" + :Yes: = good deal. $6 a set isn't bad, depending on the years in question. Remember, you're buying to collect, not invest. There will never be much money to be made in this fashion, especially on a small scale. I often will buy mint sets to remove only the specific coin I need, and either hang onto the rest of the set or trade them off. I'm sure some of those ended up in a similar situation. I find the trick to flea market shopping is to get to know the vendors who have the stuff you're interested in buying. Don't spend a ton of money at first. The guy I've been dealing with for the past few years actually spent the better part of 30 minutes just chatting with me, asking about my interests, offering the loan of books, and provided me with his phone number. If you're new to this, take your time and get your feet wet first. This really isn't his fault, unless he specifically told you there was silver, or said "No" to a specific question. Again, my caveats when buying at a flea market. They are not the deal providers they were years ago, with the advent of the internet and reality TV shows these people believe they can get top dollar for their merchandise. Deals can be had, but do the research (most of them have) and don't be afraid to walk away from a potential buy.
You should be leary of flea markets. He never told me they were silver but I took a chance thinking they might be. Now that I think of it, he would not have let this happen. He knew those coins were worth far less than what he was charging. I don't know world coins and shouldn't have bothered just by looking at the things I do know. He was selling a 1930 standing liberty quarter in the same condition for $15 dollars that I paid $7 for. He was selling a few common date wheat cents for a dollar I find in circulation all the time. He gave me a "deal" and gave me 7 coins for $5, not including his dateless buffalo nickels. He knew he was overcharging for everything and stated that the coins he sold were not for collectors so he was basically only looking to overcharge the knowledgeable, which is fault. The coins I bought were worth $2. I never mentioned if they were silver or not. I thought I was going to get a deal but should have taken in consideration his other prices. You know what they say "fool me once, shame on you--fool me twice shame on me". I don't think that you should have to be so leery when buying coins. If a seller is honest and wants to give a fair deal, they will be rewarded with repeat costumers. You can be in a tourist trap overcharging people for junk but with the Internet people will find out what you are selling is worth and won't be back. I certainly don't hold sellers blameless for overcharging the unknowing but don't blame people for never returning. I don't understand this attitude that it is customer's privilege to buy what they are selling.
Those are the Philadelphia and Denver uncirculated Mint sets, and getting them for $6 a set is a good deal.
How much do these clad sets typically cost? Of course if they are pre-1965 they have silver in them. You can get circulated coins from the bank but these are uncirculated sets sold by the mint that people do buy and want. Just because they are not my thing doesn't mean that these don't have value to someone. My experience was only one experience with one dealer at an antique flea market in an area that is a tourist trap. I am sure that there are flea market deals out there but there are also people looking to swindle some extra money out of people.
According to the RedBook the mint issue prices for 1973 to 1998 ranged between $6 & $8 per P & D set. 1959 to 1964 (Silver coins) mint issue price was $2.40 :yes:
I have looked at those silver sets and they are close to $30 now. She paid the low end price and didn't overpay. Unless of course these were during the silver coin years.
the years i was able to get was 75, 79, 79 dollar, 80 dollar, 86, 92, 2001 state quarter proof set, 2005 state quarter proof set, and 2009 full set including presidential dollars.
Those earlier mint sets were retailing for between $6 and $10, so not a bad buy if in uncirculated or near uncirculated condition. Not sure about the quarter sets, but again, probably not a bad buy. I paid about $30 for the 2007 mint set I purchased for my granddaughter two years ago.
