Uncleaned Lots

Theres many things to look for and it all depends what you want from the lot. Unfortunately, its very difficult to tell a good lot from a bad lot (unless your pockets are bottomless) until you've cleaned a batch. I got lucky with my first lots - lots of good coins which I wasnt expecting. But I now know how to tell a lot that I want (its probably not what a new cleaner wants).

For your first lot, you want a desert dug lot - these have stronger patinas and show detail sooner. It also allows you to experiment on the slugs which will be more hardy. They arent cheap because of the suppliers and the current political climate out there (you'll only get israeli coins) at about £1.50 or something per coin and you arent guaranteed a good lot because you cant see a picture, but western europe has acidic soil and its not easy for a beginner to clean fragile coins. Of course, I have almost exclusively british dug coins, so I'm missing all the coins which only the eastern mints issued (which tend to be worth a whole load more than the rare western stuff like SAMARIA DEVICTA).

For those lots go to ebay and go Buy-it-now uncleaned coins, a batch of 10. Then, we'll help you clean them and give helpful tips for it - once you've cleaned the batch you'll know a lot more about fake detection and what you're looking for (and also how a coin looks from the ground until clean).

If you're looking for rare stuff and you're willing to be very patient with cleaning (that means cleaning only the culls from the lotuntily ou've mastered the art and then cleaning the rest, leaving the rare stuff well alone until you're confident) then you need to look for unsearched lots. Theres seeded lots, which arent what you want - telling an unresearched lot is difficult and I rely on my knowledge of types to be able to spot a rare one which has been left in and is worth taking another look at (another thing: a rare coin slightly encrusted is hard to spot at first but the guys selling the coins will know and take them out...if there are certain coins left in, it means the seller doesn't know to remove them and probably isn't knowledgable enough to spot the really rare stuff).

TL;DR: Its dependent on what you want to get out of the endevour - an uncleaned lot rarely gives both high grade and rare stuff (and hardly ever a rare high grade coin).

ALSO, PM me! I can send you good UK lots I'm not interested in (a good one went today at under £1 per coin, had maybe 5 really good coins).

I would ask for the average size as well just so you don't end up with a tonne of tiny culls, like I have done a few times.
Ben knows his coins and can probably i.d some by bits of detail showing through but for me and other noobs it's a bit of a tricky road. I tend to buy most of mine in person now.
The point about the stuff issued by the Eastern mints is a really good one, not thought about that before, might have to expand my own buying scope a little.