im starting a type set and i want coins that are in preety good condition but i want the cheapest dates do you guys got any tips like should i buy them on ebay or the coin store thank you in advance
Yup. You might also try any coin shows in your area. Basically, for what you require your choice of sources is virtually unlimited. Dealers' junk boxes should be checked out every chance you get, although you probably want VF or better, and most junk box coins will be no better than F.
First of all, have FUN building your type set. I completed one by myself, and I'm working on my second one with my son. I've really enjoyed both. I have several suggestions for you: 1. You mentioned that you want coins in pretty good condition. Stick with that thought. As you begin to build your set, it will be tempting to just buy the cheapest possible coin to fill a hole, but later on you may wish you had held out for a better example. It will be more costly in the long run to buy "fillers" and then replace them with better coins later. Get the best ones you can afford the first time through. Trust me, you'll be glad you did. 2. Take your time...don't feel like you have to fill all the empty slots NOW or you'll end up forgetting rule number 1. 3. Ebay, coin stores, coin shows, flea markets...they're ALL good places to look for coins for your type set. I've bought from all of the above, and have found good deals on all three. But remember, every coin for sale is NOT necessarily a good deal, which leads to suggestion 4... 4. Get a Red Book, or other equivalent price guide. You may already have this, but it's invaluable for training yourself in ADVANCE of the value of any specific coin you're looking for. It will also clue you in on which dates of any type will be the least costly based on mintages, rarity, etc. Whenever I hit a coin store, flea market, or ANYWHERE that I'm shopping for coins, I always know BEFORE I walk in the door which type and which dates I'm looking for, as well as how much I should expect to pay. 5. I know I already said this, but HAVE FUN. Coin collecting is a great hobby that you can make better by doing it YOUR way. I haven't met two people who go about it exactly the same, but as long as you're getting pieces that you're happy with for fair prices, you should be happy in the end. Enjoy your type set and keep us posted on your progress. BTW...how are you storing them? Do you have an album? pCG
thank you maetro for the tips and i know whitmen and dansco are the best but o they have folders for all the different size coins? ALso santooko you quoted both of the things i stated and then said yup dont really under stand that. ALso unless its a expensive type i would never get ea filler but thanks for backing me up on tat maestro. Do you think i should go in any order in buying them like buy gold first cause gold gunna go up or something like that. ALso were could i locate an type set album. DO ou think i should only buy certiefied cause i am not a great grader. Also should i collect the subtypes to ( for example getting a memoril backed penny and a wheat back). shouldve out of subject but since im 13 should i get into the ANA's YN program. I love collecting and i love this site probly to much and thanks again for the tips maestro sorry if i spelled your name wrong sorry for the long post edit: shoud i get he bluesheet and/or the greysheet and whats the difference between them again and what one should i expect to pay thanks
Jako, Not sure about the Whitman album, but yes, Dansco has a US Type album that already has slots for all the coins you'll be trying to get in your type set. You should be able to find one of these in any local coin shop, some book stores, or at any online dealer. I've seen them on ebay, too. Expect to pay around $20-$25 or so for the Dansco type album. I think you should get them in the order that they interest you. It's really impossible to tell for sure what's going to happen with Gold & Silver, so I would just start buying the pieces you like. As far as grading goes, i've found it's very subjective. You need to have a dealer you trust, or learn enough to make you comfortable with what you're buying. I don't buy certified coins for my type set, but that's a decision you'll have to make. It will likely be much more expensive to complete a certified type set if that's the route you go. Good luck!
I don't know about the album, but the Whitman folder (which my daughter uses) has the basic non-gold coins including the Bicentennials and the silver, silver clad and copper-nickel Kennedy Halves; also the war nickels and the steel cent. I have a dealer I trust that I have been using to "upgrade" my 20th Century Type Set (no gold in that one yet either!) and I just show him what coin I do have and get a sense of what better example I can afford. He's been very honest with me, for example, telling me that my Morgan is nice, just a weak strike, and to do better I'd have to get something "really nice" (read: outside of budgetary restrictions right now). So I'll work on the other coins.
The Dansco #7070 Coin Album For U.S. Type Coins is a really nice album. You can also get the album with the slip case to protect the coins. You can get an idea of what slots are in the Dansco by looking at the link if you have good eyesight, heh. Here's a few things to understand about the Dansco... It has types that you may not care to collect (no one says you have to fill every slot, but it's hard not to), plus it has types missing that you may feel should have been included. Some of the earlier coins are not included (so some of my most favorite, older coins sit in flips while I decide what to do with them). There's also a gold page which I didn't get, but you may want to. Some of the gold coins are in slabs though, and I was pretty sure I wouldn't crack the coins out of the slabs to put them in the album. In fact, that's an issue for all of the coins. I've only cracked open *one* slab (harder than you'd think) for the album. Point is, if you're going to be buyed slabbed coins, it would probably be better to develop a system to display slabbed coins rather than crack them all out, but that's just me. Lastly, I've spent over $1,200 on mostly lower grade (some nice ones, but some with holes, etc.) coins for the Dansco and I still have these slots open: Large Cents Classic Head 1808-14 Small Cents Indian Head (Cu/Ni Oak Wreath) 1860-64 Small Cents Lincoln 1909 VDB 1909 Nickels Shield (Rays) 1866-67 Nickels Liberty Head (Cents) 1883-1912 Nickels Buffalo (Variety I) 1913 Quarters Capped Bust 1831-38 Quarters Liberty Seated (Motto) 1866-91 Half Dollars Capped Bust (Reeded Edge) 1836-39 Half Dollars Liberty Seated (Motto) 1866-91 Comm. Half Dollars Comm. Half Dollars Comm. Half Dollars Silver Dollars Liberty Seated (No Motto) 1840-65 Silver Dollars Trade 1873-83 Modern Coins Commemorative 1983-Date
Sam...your points are all valid, and worth consideration especially for someone who's just starting their endeavor to build a type set. The great thing about this hobby is that you can literally build your collection any way you want. I happen to love the way the Dansco album is laid out, but it IS missing a few coins that I wish were in there. I also understand why they chose the coins they did. Some of the omissions are simply financially out of reach for most of us, and it would be frustrating to have holes in there that you're unable to fill. But, even though I love my albums, I'm equally proud of my 2x2's displayed in nice little glass covered display cases that I found at a local flea market. The interior velvet-like holder with the glass lid enables me to create a display that resembles a dealer case. Very cool, and it looks impressive. pCG
heh is there somthing like a type set album that like fits the certified coin things thanks guys so much for the tips and so you think my local dealer will have a type set album? ok thanks guys again
If your local dealer doesn't have it he should be able to order one straight away. Speaking of arrangement of Dansco albums, their Lincoln Cent album has the "1922 Plain"?!? Come on, there are probably more albums out there than there are coins to fill that hole!
