Coins & Collecting Tutorial
Do you have coins that look like the ones below?
If you do, you may have a valuable coin. These coins are earlier versions of U.S. Dollars, Halfs, Quarters, etc. These coins are highly collectible. Their values can range from a few dollars each (if badly worn) to several thousand each.
Grading your coins:
Here are some examples of Lincoln Cents in different grades. If you are curious about the grade of your coin just send us a clear picture of both sides and we will grade it for you. If you want to have your coins certified we can send them to PCGS or NGC on your behalf.
What condition are your coins in?
Investing in Coins:
If you stop by our shop on any given day, you are likely to find us engaged with a customer talking about investing in coins. Many of our customers have been collecting coins since they were very young and have put together the typical colleciton of wheat cents, proof sets, and some modern commemorative coins. Their interests often lead them to more valuable numismatic (collectible) coins. Buying a valuable collectible coin for the first time can be intimidating and scary. Our customers want to know ...
WHAT IF I BUY A COUNTERFEIT?
HAS THE COIN BE DAMAGED OR ALTERED?
HOW DO I KNOW IF THE PRICE IS TOO HIGH OR CLOSE TO THE AVERAGE?
SHOULD I BUY A CERTIFIED COIN AND IF I DO WHICH CERTIFICATION COMPANY IS BEST?
When a customer is considering investing, we suggest that we have at least one discussion before buying. We suggest that they go home and think about our advice before they buy anything from anyone. We prefer that you have a well-though strategy before you start spending money. We have been in the business over a decade and we expect to be around for several more, so there is not rush to sell you anything. We want you to be educated before buying. If you have ever sold to us, you know that we are very willing to educate you on the identification and value of your items before you sell. We use the same philosophy when we sell.
Here is some of the guidance that we typically give to new investors:
1. TAKE THE TIME TO READ
There are dozens of great books out there that can teach you just about everything that you need to know about investing in coins. If you find reading to be torture and something that you ahve never enjoyed, you might want to rethink this whole coin investing thing. You will need to read and you will need to do research regularly.
2. NARROW YOUR FOCUS.
At the highest level you need to decide if you want to buy U.S. or foreigh coins. Do you want to buy gold, silver, or copper coins? Would you like to own early Colonial coins or modern commemorative coins? One fo the greatest features of this hobby is that you can make money on just about any types of coins at any price point. The more you are willing to learn, the more you are able to earn. You will find that you can get very deep very fast if you narrow your search. If you decide to collect U.S. Half Dollars, you have already focused from dozens of coin types to just eight. If you narrow your investing adn research to capped bust halves, then you have a manageable task. You can get close to becomeing an expert on capped bust half dollars by reading just two or three books.
3. LEARN TO GRADE.
We often hear that grading is an "art" and that it can take years to learn to grade coins. We disagree. We have taught hundreds of collectors how to grade and we can get you to our level of expertise on any coin issues with just a few minutes of training, a few simple and inexpensive tools, and a few hours of practice. I like to tell people that every coin wants to be graded. Coins do not hide ther condition from you -- it's right there in front of you. Once you are in the mindset to grade, it comes very easy to everyone.
4. LEARN HOW TO USE UNBIASED SOURCES FOR DETERMINING VALUE.
For the first 30 years of my coin collecting life, this was a difficult task. Coin dealers used proprietary price guides like th now obsolete "Grey Sheet" to determine and fix prices. Today, we have active live, up-to-the-minute price guides that show actual coins sold in teh past few days and weeks to support their valuations. The old ways of pricing coins and the stores that still use them are dying off rapidly, as they should. Information about the coins you ahve or are thinking aobut buying should be available to you just as it is to the ocin store owners. You should expect to have any buy or sell prices justified and demonstrated. Don't let anyone be dismissive about your concerns over price. If you get a working knowledge of eBay, PCGS, and NGC, you can have all the resources necessary to price out 90% of the coins on the market.
In the near future, I will be adding articles to further address each of the four points above. I will provide links to resources and examples of coins that we think are good investments. We challenge you to challenge us. We love the fact that so many of our customers trust us to provide fair and accurate values when they are buying and selling from us. We like it better however, when their research matches what we are telling them. If you expect to work with us more than once or twice, you owe it to yourself to learn what we know and make your own judgements about what coins are best for you.
DAVID MC, May 2017
Collectible Silver Bars & Rounds
Recently we have had lots of requests for collectible silver rounds and bars. We will do our best to keep this page up to date with the latest interesting silver bars and rounds that we have for sale. The buy prices on listed below each item. Shipping for most pieces is $3.50 if you intend to buy more than one piece send us a message and we can provide you with a.combined shipping discount.
Others available from this series include Robert Louis Stevenson & John Paul Jones. 7.7 oz total weight - 12 bars .999 Silver - $160 including shipping in the U.S.
We are coin experts or “Numismatists”. I have been an avid coin/currency collector for over 30 years. During my years of collecting I have heard many horror stories about people selling their coins for much less than they were worth.
