Where Do People Buy Their Coins?

Most of my purchases are from coin shops or coin shows. I would much rather be able to examine the coin in hand versus a picture on the computer.

Well, it's different for me because I collect English coins that are no longer in circulation. But as my coins also "are extremely unlikely to show up in pocket change" I thought I'd chip in.

The ideal for me is to swap or part-exchange with other collectors. You get coins that have been identified properly, from a trustworthy source and inspecting the coin before committing is part of the deal. But I've also bought from fellow collectors too.

Other purchases, well, in addition to ebay and the very few shops near me, I've also bought from online coin dealers (people don't seem to mention them much here - are they not common in the US?) and auction houses. All of the larger auctioneers list online, where you can also bid. I've bought within the UK, but also from Australia, Germany and the US. All successful purchases of what are, in some cases, quite rare English coins.

OK, the disadvantages are that you can rarely inspect purchases before hand. So you have to rely on photos. I have asked friends who are attending an auction preview, or who see something in a dealer's tray at a show for their opinions on a coin, but it's not always possible.

With dealers, all those I've dealt with offer a no-quibble returns policy if you change your mind after buying.

Auction houses, well, they're slightly different so there might be a degree of risk. Below a pic I've posted before of a coin I bought from Stacks Bowers. Top is their image, bottom is mine. Quite a difference, but fortunately I like the coin 'in the hand' better than the one in their pic! However if I hadn't been happy I wouldn't have had any hesitation complaining and would have expected to be taken seriously. Nobody wants unhappy customers, after all.



Obviously with both online dealers and auction you need to factor shipping costs into your purchases (though that's no different from ebay). And auction commission on the final 'hammer' price too. But so long as you know your budget, I've found it's a way to pick up coins you'd never otherwise see.

Just an idea you could try for scarcer coins Bababooey?

Local coin club auctions:

-pros: can see coins in hand before you bid, low prices, fun, educational
-cons: people often unload their junk here, limited selection

Alaska Coin Exchange seems quite fair. IMO
http://alaskacoinexchange.com/

I buy sometimes from ebay from a coin store in texas who I have had no issues with and gotten good deals. I also buy/trade with a good friend of mine since he too has a decent collection, and we give each other fair deals. I also buy from a jeweler friend who has a big collection he bought years ago (He sold me two excellent Morgan dollars, 3 Barber dimes, and 5 Buffalo nickels for 60 bucks!) Another spot is a local precious metals dealer I have gotten to know the general manager and I sometimes call tuesdays and thursdays when they are breaking down their purchases; every once in a while they have a ton of silver coins that I cherrypick for what I need for silver price.....Hell I managed to get a good condition rare 1897-O Barber half dollar for 6 bucks,,,pcgs values it near $170!!

Well just my 2c. San Fernando valley not many dealers. There is one on Ventura Blvd that offered me $30. for a 1880 Morgan unc. and the price in the display case was $60.00 ( it been a while back)IMO these and other dealers in my area are not looking to keep a good customer base.

Usually Stacks Bowers auctions. But... I only collect Vermont Coppers. Surprising how many auction house coins turn up on ebay marked way up. If you buy through major auctions you're shopping where the dealers buy.