Hi Forum Experts, So I am curious... I was looking on eBay, contemplating on buying some coin rolls. A few questions I had - What is the least likely type of rolls to be "home made" regardless of the method? Should I be looking for "shotgun rolls"? Others say "tightly crimped on both ends" or "machine rolled". It's super confusing or I'm just paranoid. LOL. Is it normal that some of these "unsearched, crimped" rolls have an odd coin at the end? For example, I see a lot that says 1909 - 1958 wheat rolls with a dime on the end or such. I'd figure that that would be an oddity but it seems (if true) that back in the day, rolls came with an extra 9 cents LOL.
My honest opinion: save your money. There are no unsearched rolls. You answered your own question about dimes and such on the end of Cent rolls. It's beyond an oddity, it's a sales gimmick, don't buy in!!!
If you saw the saloon scene in Stars Wars- that is what buying rolls on EB. Rolling machines are common and doubt and value each one as if all coins in it were checked. Any end coins are to be considered only face value. Phony and cheating sellers. Shipping will make them worth less than getting rolls at the bank. Jim
Truly hard to find original unsearched rolls anymore. I especially like the ads that say unsearched, from a 50 year old hoard, random samplings show key and semi key dates and occasional Indian Head Cents. A lot of misleading, gray area stuff being sold. And any roll that shows a Liberty Seated Dime on one end, you know is not original. I even suspect "Original Mint sealed bags" as anyone with a sewing machine can reseal a bag to look fairly original.
That is what I figured. The issue is my bank apparently has brand new 2018 pennies so it limits my options. Nevertheless... on the up side, I LOVE every bit of Star Wars!
Here's my take. I helped with a transaction of almost 20,000 unsearched wheat cents when a friend of mine father passed away. The man just kept all his cents in that giant jar. A dealer friend of mine purchased them. Now that dealer has no interest in selling coins individually that he may make .02 cents each on and he has no interest in searching 20,000 cents for a handful of possible key date cents. He put them in bags of 500 and 1000 and selling them at $20.00 and $40.00 respectively. They are truly bags of unsearched wheats....... I would bet that is the case more often than not. Dealers aren't in business to make .02 cents per coin. That won't keep the lights on. On the other hand, Ebay dealers tend to be a younger crowd with more to gain by searching these things before they market them. See your local dealers. They will be a better chance at getting what you want and have everything to gain by making sure you are a happy and satisfied customer.
@Randy Abercrombie Don't get me wrong Randy. There are always possibilities. I am a baby boomer and many my age have hoarded coins in different ways. So, as soon as it's time for us to seed the ground six feet down, more will surface for sure. How, where and when is really the key factor if and when we will stumble across them.
What are your takes on sealed $25 boxes of cents? I did purchase one, and the box was sealed and didn't seem to have been tampered with. They were also in Loomis rolls.
Loomis and NF String are just wrapping companies so it's going to be hit or miss as to what you will receive. Just ordinary everyday coins meant for commerce. Sometimes you will get a nice mix, but few wheat cents, unless you get lucky. I get mine like this a couple times a month, but I am searching for doubled dies, die clashes and other errors. The occasional what cent is always welcome but not always possible. And of course, you are also liable to get a full box of new coins. My last box was all primarily 2017P.
So because my bank seems to carry 2017 and 2018 rolls and boxes, I looked at getting them through eBay to get variety in the circulated rolls. My first try seemed legitimate, but again, I wasn't sure if I should be scrutinizing this? I figure for these type of cents, it wouldn't really be worth an elaborate scheme unless people have A LOT of time on their hands.
There are people on ebay selling Loomis bank sealed boxes that they get from their local bank the same as I get mine from my local bank but you will pay a premium and likely shipping also. And your chances are not any better than doing this at your own local bank. It's just hit and miss. And I have also seen Loomis boxes on ebay that claim they are sealed and full of wheats. It's not to hard to get a Loomis box, open it carefully and reseal it with wheats enclosed. That is a risk you are taking. And it's also possible that all of the wheats have already been gone through and you might receive a box full of culls (damaged) cents. Lot's of gray areas on dealing on ebay.
Ugh, probably the question now is how to find banks that have Loomis boxes. Maybe I'm just not asking for the right thing or using the correct verbiage. One day, I'll figure it out!
It really does not matter if it's Loomis, N.F. String or Wells Fargo. All coins are rolled the same way, just by different companies and sometimes depending upon your location. It's also always a good idea to ask any of or all of the tellers at any bank if they have any rolled customer returns. It's just another way to acquire rolls and you might find a pleasant surprise now and then. Plus they love to unload these before the end of the day so they do not have to count them. You might also try local credit unions as they would also love to get rid of their rolls.
When I was CRH I hit all the convenience stores in my area I love when the customers are bring them in and pay for stuff those were my favorites.IMO Dave
@WannieA Just give your bank some time to get through those boxes. They probably got full boxes of brand new stuff from their supplier. Just need to work through them before they get a new box that will most likely be mixed. That's just part of the deal when you CRH. I used to search $100-$200 of cents a week and would end up with solid boxes fairly often in the earlier part of the year. Better yet, buy what they have so they resupply quicker
BY YOU! I hope you will pardon a pragmatist, who knows what to expect, but somehow is surprised when "it" happens. I know that when someone advertises on this site that they're selling 90% @ a fair "market price" with "culls", etc. removed, "drop your drawers". Even when an image is posted , as there's virtually no enforcement in todays world. There's a good chance that you'll receive something less than promised. An exception is when that individual has reported "feedback" on the site. If an individual want a payment which can't be reversed, or won't supply contact information other than through this site which seemingly deletes even relatively recent BST posts. I'm suggesting that whether cents or other, if you can't determine what you'll receive in advance, you maybe rewarded with simply "an experience". "Caveat Emptor", both here and on the majority of sites. This is just a practical suggestion, read comments/feedback. Don't be indignant when you're "surprised". Unsearched/inspected by whom? Surely You! I've had a relatively successful collecting career by generally just purchasing what I want from individuals who've paid the price of appreciable time/efforts in searching, and want a relatively miniscule premium for their efforts. You may spend some time searching auction sites for your bargain, but probably less than "roll searchers". JMHO
