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<p>[QUOTE="ToughCOINS, post: 3056113, member: 20480"]Title of this post? Fill in the blanks . . . " _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ "</p><p><br /></p><p>As a regular coin buyer on the floor of a local flea market some 30 years ago, I was approached by an old codger who seemed to know lots about watches, clocks and firearms, and just enough about coins to buy and flip them profitably. He probably worked coin transactions with a newsstand magazine. We had rubbed elbows several times at the same tables in the past, and he asked if I'd be interested in a large collection of coins. Naturally, I replied in the affirmative.</p><p><br /></p><p>After digging into his coat, he handed me a type-written list of coins that must have been 8-10 pages long. It took me several minutes to scan it. I felt pretty comfortable that the listed coins were well-catalogued, as there were numerous notations on it for pieces which were cleaned, scratched, spotted, bent, holed, etc, so I was sure the list had been created by a collector who sold sold the coins to this man (or whose family did).</p><p><br /></p><p>Of the several hundred coins listed, there were perhaps a dozen coins that I really thought I wanted, if they were as described . . . but of particular note was one very rare coin, described as being in VF condition. More on that coin later. The kicker? I had to buy the whole deal intact . . . no cherry-picking.</p><p><br /></p><p>I told him I could bring together the funds for most of the coins, but that I might need to buy all but a few of the coins in one purchase, and the final few after that. He said that would be okay, as long as the most desirable coins were in the second purchase. We agreed to meet several days later.</p><p><br /></p><p>I scrambled furiously for the next few days, raising cash everywhere I had money I didn't mind parting with, and even some places I'd forgotten. I was in a better position than I thought I'd be, but still short of what I'd need to buy that one piece with everything else. Still, I knew I would be able to buy it in the second purchase, or at least I was sure I would be. I was not yet experienced enough to know that I could bring a bigger dealer in on the deal to make it work in one purchase.</p><p><br /></p><p>I showed up at his home and, as I went through the coins I found them to be graded a little charitably, but not outrageously so. No surprise there . . . I was pretty used to that. I was hoping that one piece was not a problem coin.</p><p><br /></p><p>By the time I got halfway through the list, I was getting the feeling some coins were missing, as I'd not yet run across the ones I really wanted. Not wanting to offend him, I said nothing, and continued to wade through the entire collection. There were many good saleable coins in the deal, and I would make a decent profit, but I didn't see about a half dozen coins I was fixated on, and most particularly the rarity that I'd been obsessing over for nearly a week.</p><p><br /></p><p>After I finished going through all of the coins, I pointed out that several were missing. His response? Some other guy bought those . . . I had to commit to buy the whole deal, but he let someone else cherry-pick? I was upset, but not visibly so. That transaction always rubbed me the wrong way, but I never let on.</p><p><br /></p><p>Oh, and the blank title above? . . . <b>"THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY</b>"</p><p><br /></p><p>And the coin? . . . Scroll down a little further . . .</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>An 1802 Half Dime grading VF!</b> I've never seen or even heard of that coin since, so I don't know if it was a problem-free coin, or even if it was graded properly, but for such a rare coin, it almost doesn't make a difference. I can only hope it resides in a local collection someplace, and that I'll get another crack at it. Of course, in those days, it was <i>only</i> about $25 - $30K in the catalogues, and now it's more like the cost of a house . . . ughh.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="ToughCOINS, post: 3056113, member: 20480"]Title of this post? Fill in the blanks . . . " _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ " As a regular coin buyer on the floor of a local flea market some 30 years ago, I was approached by an old codger who seemed to know lots about watches, clocks and firearms, and just enough about coins to buy and flip them profitably. He probably worked coin transactions with a newsstand magazine. We had rubbed elbows several times at the same tables in the past, and he asked if I'd be interested in a large collection of coins. Naturally, I replied in the affirmative. After digging into his coat, he handed me a type-written list of coins that must have been 8-10 pages long. It took me several minutes to scan it. I felt pretty comfortable that the listed coins were well-catalogued, as there were numerous notations on it for pieces which were cleaned, scratched, spotted, bent, holed, etc, so I was sure the list had been created by a collector who sold sold the coins to this man (or whose family did). Of the several hundred coins listed, there were perhaps a dozen coins that I really thought I wanted, if they were as described . . . but of particular note was one very rare coin, described as being in VF condition. More on that coin later. The kicker? I had to buy the whole deal intact . . . no cherry-picking. I told him I could bring together the funds for most of the coins, but that I might need to buy all but a few of the coins in one purchase, and the final few after that. He said that would be okay, as long as the most desirable coins were in the second purchase. We agreed to meet several days later. I scrambled furiously for the next few days, raising cash everywhere I had money I didn't mind parting with, and even some places I'd forgotten. I was in a better position than I thought I'd be, but still short of what I'd need to buy that one piece with everything else. Still, I knew I would be able to buy it in the second purchase, or at least I was sure I would be. I was not yet experienced enough to know that I could bring a bigger dealer in on the deal to make it work in one purchase. I showed up at his home and, as I went through the coins I found them to be graded a little charitably, but not outrageously so. No surprise there . . . I was pretty used to that. I was hoping that one piece was not a problem coin. By the time I got halfway through the list, I was getting the feeling some coins were missing, as I'd not yet run across the ones I really wanted. Not wanting to offend him, I said nothing, and continued to wade through the entire collection. There were many good saleable coins in the deal, and I would make a decent profit, but I didn't see about a half dozen coins I was fixated on, and most particularly the rarity that I'd been obsessing over for nearly a week. After I finished going through all of the coins, I pointed out that several were missing. His response? Some other guy bought those . . . I had to commit to buy the whole deal, but he let someone else cherry-pick? I was upset, but not visibly so. That transaction always rubbed me the wrong way, but I never let on. Oh, and the blank title above? . . . [B]"THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY[/B]" And the coin? . . . Scroll down a little further . . . [B]An 1802 Half Dime grading VF![/B] I've never seen or even heard of that coin since, so I don't know if it was a problem-free coin, or even if it was graded properly, but for such a rare coin, it almost doesn't make a difference. I can only hope it resides in a local collection someplace, and that I'll get another crack at it. Of course, in those days, it was [I]only[/I] about $25 - $30K in the catalogues, and now it's more like the cost of a house . . . ughh.[/QUOTE]
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