Best Deal You Ever Got?

Best deals:

Complete set of Lincolns 1909-1938, 22 plain was a weak D, for $800. S-VDB a woodie that graded at F12. Most of the rest were VF-XF, including 14-D and 31-S.

Picked this off ebay a couple days ago for $130. Notice anything?

Oh, and my first bust half I got for $30 that pushes XF40.

Patient, picky, and knowledgeable collectors can be investors.

We do this topic often here, which is cool because I'm always happy to brag. I bought this one in a lot of three from ebay, for ~$50 for the lot:





It's a VAM-47, the business strike of the same dies used to mint the Zerbe Proofs. It came back NGC MS-63PL, and I got $550 for it on the flip.

Another? OK.





This one was the single largest sale I've ever had on ebay, which is the only place I sell. The percentage of profit was less than the coin above, but the dollar amount of profit exceeded it. Serendipity. A serious cherrypick (yay me) followed by resale to a smart collector who understood precisely the value of what he was getting, and was unafraid to pay it. He paid an appropriate (for both of us) price for this coin, and the sheer increase in melt value since has provided him a pretty significant profit potential. If he sells this today, he'll make more than I did. This, in retrospect, was the most satisfying sale I've ever made.

1916 satnding quarter for $2.83 (melt at the time). Now in ANACS AG3 holder.

I won an auction for a rare swiss medal that I had been wanting and not finding for some time. It should have sold in the $4-500 range. I stretched my budget and set a snipe for $210. I about fell out of my seat when I found that there was only one other bidder and the only bid the opening price of $99 which means I won the auction for half of what I was able to pay and for less than a quarter of what it was probably really worth. Being in Mexico I was super cautious about how it was transported down here. (I use couriers.) That was several month ago and I still haven't seen it yet since it is still with a trustworthy friend. I am hoping to see it here in another week!

Out of all the coins I have, it's difficult to choose the best deal of one single coin.
One of the top contenders would have to be when Coin World published a article on Type 2 (proof hub) reverse on 1998-2000 LMC business strike cents ( Wide AM), and after checking my error cents, found type 2's ( Wide AM) on a 1998 40% die struck double struck and two 10% off center 2000 dated cents. The coins now reside in ANACS holders, the 1998 double strike is graded MS64 Red, the 2 2000 off centers graded MS65 Red.
These three coins were my first to have both a Error and Variety on each coin.

As for as the most I have spent for a non-gold coin, it would have to be the 2003D quad strike (all strikes die struck, with no 2nd coin involved)and hope it brings a decent profit when it gets sold. Since there is no other 2003D quad strike to establish a current retail value, I have no idea what it would bring, but to me it's priceless just to hold it in hand.

Is that the score you got off that poor old widow you were telling me about ?

I am a pawnbroker a little wet behind the ear's but I'm comming along. One day it was getting close to closing time and I get phone call from a regular customer. He wanted to see when we close, which was in 10 minutes, and said he was about 15 minutes away and "had something nice to show me". He is a regular customer and usually tries to sell me nothing but junk, hes a drunk and runs the streets so I planned on closing at regular time.

I got held up doing paper work, and he strolled in through the door. I wasnt happy staying late and I wasnt happy to see him but to my surprise he pulled out a 1984 1oz Krugerrand. I let out an uncontrollable chuckle and checked the coin out. I was ready to "get him" and offer $1000 cash. I said to him "Tim, how much do you want for this coin?" (old trick to ask someone what they want before I make an offer) He said "I dont know, how about $100?". I said "Oh man, its worth more than that". He gave a little shrug and we ended up agreeing on $200.

Felt terrible for the poor fella and I am still ashamed of it. However, knowledge is power and I am the one who possessed the knowledge and I worked hard gaining it. Guy had no idea what he had, and would have traded it for a bottle had I not been there. Needless to say the coin is now CURSED!!