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 Replies: 26 / Views: 4,575 |
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Valued Member
 United States
62 Posts |
Thanks for the tips everyone. I didn't think about the differentiation in purpose between the folders and the albums. Based on your advice, I'll try to focus a little less on filling and a little more on grade. Sometimes, I see all the empty spots, and I want to at least get a few going on each page!
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Quote: I got a good deal on a handful of old Whitman folders, and I decided I'd start working on the Barber halves and a few others. Folders are not the same as Albums. Quote:
How do you fill an album? Not sure if you mean you have Folders or Albums. Makes a big difference. Whitman Folders are notorious for messing up coins if left in them to long and any moisture gets to them. Even moist air. Espeically the older ones. A Folder you only see the front of the coin. An Album allows you to see the front and back. IF at all possible, don't use the Folders. IF necessary and only thing available, guess you should use what you have. always remember though not to put valuaable coins in Folders. As to a method of how to fill, eveyone is different. If you have access to valuable coins, then of course start with them. IF not, put whatever you can in whatever you have. |
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Valued Member
United States
293 Posts |
On Barber halves focus on primarily on the better dates. Dates that are common you should be looking at a grade of a minimum of VG and no problems (cleaned, rim dings, off color etc). Why? Most of the common dates in G-VG are junk plus silver in that trade a premium to the spot price. You don't have to worry about the spot price affecting the value of your Barber halves on any that grade at least F-12 or are a scarce to rare date. |
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Valued Member
United States
62 Posts |
Quote:On Barber halves focus on primarily on the better dates. Dates that are common you should be looking at a grade of a minimum of VG and no problems (cleaned, rim dings, off color etc). Why? Most of the common dates in G-VG are junk plus silver in that trade a premium to the spot price. You don't have to worry about the spot price affecting the value of your Barber halves on any that grade at least F-12 or are a scarce to rare date. Thanks for the advice. So many of the Barber halves seem to be junk quality. I know this is a rather vague question, but how much would you spend on a common date Barber half that grades F-12? |
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Valued Member
United States
374 Posts |
I don't get it. Either a folder or an album is the fraction of the cost of the coins to fill them, especially with silver. Set of Barber halves will be $100s to $1000s, why is relevant that you got the folder cheep? If you re going to spend over a thousand on coins, what not get the the nicest new album? |
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Valued Member
United States
62 Posts |
Quote:I don't get it. Either a folder or an album is the fraction of the cost of the coins to fill them, especially with silver. Set of Barber halves will be $100s to $1000s, why is relevant that you got the folder cheep? If you re going to spend over a thousand on coins, what not get the the nicest new album? I was asking about coin values, not folder/album prices  I'm pretty sure I can a decent album  |
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Valued Member
United States
374 Posts |
"I got a good deal on a handful of old Whitman folders, and I decided I'd start working on the Barber halves and a few others." Isos: so do you mean the folders were partially filled? Maybe I miss understood. Barber halves are are about $25 wholesale in fine and ~$40 retail. What kind of budget do you have? |
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Valued Member
United States
62 Posts |
Someone gave me about 10 empty folders for a few dollars. Really, the folders just got me interested in starting a new set. I've been putting low-grade coins in there now (the $10 per Barber Half on ebay kind, haha), but I would certainly upgrade to an album if I started going for more quality. I've still got a lot to learn, but I understand your points of going for quality over quantity. It's a little expensive, but I could probably do 25-40 per coin if I really paced myself. I'm still in school, so I have to take it easy on the budget. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
814 Posts |
I do 2x2s inpages in a binder. Not sure how that is classified, but it allows melong term preservation whilelettin me and/or others ti handle them, evenkeys, not that I have many.
As said, buy coins you like, never settle.
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Valued Member
United States
374 Posts |
Isos: I'm sure there is someone on here that knows more than me, but I would first invest in a price guide or two and take a look at the prices of the Barber Half series. It is quite expensive. Sound like you got interested from having all those empty albums. I'd like to save the Barber halves, but it is past my budget, and I'm not is school any more! There are the Red (high retail) and Blue (lower, like wholesale) Books. There is a dealer newspaper that gives the current wholesale price, which you can down load for $5. There is also an inexpensive but good price guide that you can download to an iPhone, it's like 3 or 4 dollars. There are about 69 or 70 coins in the series. It looks like 7 of them go for well over $100 in Good condition. Even if if you can get the others for $12 each that is 60x12 plus say another $800+, so your looking at $1500 to $2000. And that is for a set in only Good conditions, which is not much fun! If you like the Barbers the other thing you can do is get a dozen Air Tite holders for half dollars, and then fill them up with a sequence of the less expensive dates. That would be a nice way to collect some, without having to look at all the empty holes in the folder. Are the folders the kind where you can't see the back of the coin? It can see why you got a good deal on them. Not sure if anyone is filing them up with such as expensive coins. The other options I thought of is collecting either the State Quarters or the Presidential dollars. There are quite nice albums for these for ~$20 and you can get most of the coins from your change. Much easier on the budget! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7193 Posts |
With decades of collecting coins I have weathered lean times and had times of plenty both effected my purchasing decisions. Key thing for me at first was about filling as many holes as possible regardless of condition. Now after over 40 years I have found dissatisfaction with many of my hole fillers and have spent additional funds replacing them with better examples.
My advise is to acquire better grade examples, with good eye appeal and avoid the replacement later. You will be glad you did as you mature through your collecting years.
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Valued Member
United States
331 Posts |
I have to totally agree with muddler. I did the same thing. Wish I would have started with quality instead of quanity.
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Valued Member
United States
62 Posts |
I suppose you're right. Thanks for the experience and insights. I may keep picking up the occasional Barber, but I should probably focus my efforts on something more achievable for now. I went through $100 in Kennedy halves from the bank to work on that folder (face value, no harm done ). Found a proof, a 40% silver, and quite a few BU ones. Not sure if I'll stick with that series, but there are enough varieties to add a little intrigue. I guess I have a thing for half dollars. |
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Valued Member
United States
286 Posts |
1) Buy from individuals; 2) Buy from local business, 3) Buy from US Coin Book or ebay in that order. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1109 Posts |
Like I said before, for me it depends on the set I am collecting. For my Lincoln cents BU set, obviously I spend the cash to get good ones. For my Shield, Liberty and Buffalo nickel sets, I just want examples to fill the holes. I am really not interested in these sets as much so condition is not as important, though I do still want something you can recognize as a nickel. My focus is on cents, half dollars and dollar coins though, so that's where my bigger chunks of change are spent. One day I may decide to make the older nickels look better, but I really doubt it. |
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Replies: 26 / Views: 4,575 |
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Posted 07/31/2013 5:42 pm
