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 Replies: 17 / Views: 3,236 |
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Valued Member
United States
71 Posts |
Going to my first coin show tomorrow as a buyer for coins. I have attended a couple to look at gold and silver but never paid any attention to the coins. I have a plan as to what I am looking for but would like some advice on those and also anything else I should be looking for. My want list for this show is: 1927 Peace dollar, nothing fancy I just want one as a pocket piece. A coin from the 1800's A gold coin for as close to melt as possible, such as a $5 Liberty,20 Franc, 10 Peso or 20 Mark. Thanks for any info |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3486 Posts |
Besides comfortable shoes? Notice if there are any dealers there whom you have seen before. If you feel comfortable with them ask for advice. For the Peace dollar look through bulk lots of dollars. However, with the price of silver so low some dealers do not even bother to bring them. For the 1800s coin, let your eyes wander. If something stands out to you and is within your price range consider it. I have found a Shield nickel and a Half Dime that way. Some dealers have boxes of coins in 2X2s. Arranged by denomination. Also worth a look. I have found a few Barber dimes that fit into my set that way. As for a gold coin, do you want slabbed or no slab? That will narrow down the search. Sometimes the dealers with a wide selection of slabbed gold are not the best choice for a common date. I'll let others guide you further. Happy hunting! Edited by matthewvincent
02/07/2015 3:20 pm
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
2805 Posts |
If you look through foreign coins you'll be able to score a coin from the 1800s for less than a dollar. French and British coppers are almost universally available.
Look for whatever you like, I like to buy lots of low-priced stuff so I never go into a coin show with a dedicated list. My local coin show is just large enough that you can spend all day there if you take it slowly, so that's my preferred strategy.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
8516 Posts |
Don't be afraid to make a lower offer !
Oregon coin geek.....*** GO BEAVS ! ! ! ***
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Rest in Peace
United States
4078 Posts |
Quote:
Besides comfortable shoes? You got that right! Matt.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4692 Posts |
Be aware that if you buy a raw gold coin you risk getting a counterfeit.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5825 Posts |
Browse the show before you settle down to buy.
And keep notes about the dealers that you want to revisit after your first walk-around.
I missed getting a coin once I REALLY wanted because I couldn't find the dealer later.
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Rest in Peace
United States
18456 Posts |
Besides all of the above tips , make the dealer feel comfortable with you. if you pick up coins from his table don't be reaching into your pockets for anything. as he might think your trying to steal from him. make conversation with the dealer. feel free to bargain with them. they are there to sell coins , they don't really want to lug them all back home.
oh yea; if there is a bunch of people at the table your looking at; don't interrupt the dealer if he's in the middle of a transaction. have fun and don't rush. take your time and buy what you really like. one more thing ; take a magnifying glass with you, if you don't have one ,feel free to ask the dealer if you can use his.
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Moderator
 United States
56855 Posts |
Do a walk through first and take note of what catches your eye.Bring along notes such as what your looking for and the going price,loupe and be friendly to the dealers even if they are not.Good luck and post when you get back. John1  |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1018 Posts |
I usually try to have an idea of what I want to find/buy and I have some notes and homework done as to what the coin is worth and what I am willing to pay. I always like rooting around in the bargain boxes. Try and group a few coins together and make a group offer for the lot. Make fair offers and most dealers will give a you a break, remember they aren't there to give their coins away. I have gone to shows and returned with nothing , I have gone to shows and thought I made off like a bandit. Most of all have fun!
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Valued Member
United States
212 Posts |
Take a brief tour of the show before you decide to start buying. Do not instantly jump to buying a coin becuase you think it's inexpensive. There could be more dealers with even lower prices.
Look through half price bins. Those things have some great deals.
Don't carry thousands of dollars on hand unless you hope to buy a higher price piece of currency, such as older currency, or gold coins (which in this situation you are)
Have a positive attitude, be nice to the people there. Many dealers will be at the same shows, and they might have different things at those different shows.
Some dealers are better than others.
Don't buy proof 70 graded coins unless you want to pay a premium.
Happy Hunting!
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Valued Member
 United States
71 Posts |
Thanks for all the input, I have made my notes and studied my Red Book. It will be a fun day! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5854 Posts |
Don't forget to bring a magnifying glass and any reference materials or price guides that you might need. If a dealer is busy, it's best to wait your turn. Usually I visit a few other dealers and come back when they are less busy. Browsing around the show before buying is a good idea as there may be a better deal out there but if you do come across the right coin and at the right price, it may be a good idea to pull the trigger even though you might not have visited the other dealers. If you have found the right coin and decide to browse, you run the risk that the coin will be sold when return and/or the dealer will have already left. Most importantly, learn all you can and have a good time. Good luck!
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Moderator
United States
56855 Posts |
FYI,red book values are high. John1 |
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Valued Member
United States
71 Posts |
I survived the show! It was a very well run show in my opinion, at least 15 different dealers with a pretty nice selection of coins, paper money, stamps and supplies. All the dealers I talked to were very friendly. I had a few discussions about Iowa State hoops, Tubby Smiths coaching ability, world travel, the icy roads we had to drive on to get to the show and of course coins. I found out about a coin club near enough to me that I will be going to the next meeting so I am looking forward to that. That was probably the thing that I liked the best out of the show because it will help me learn more about this hobby. As far as purchases, I was able to get a 1927 Peace dollar. I was not able to get a gold coin near melt, the show was light on fractional gold. One dealer told me he was hoping to be buying gold as the recent dip has made his a bit pricey to me. The best I could come up with was a 2010 1/4 AGE for $350 but I passed on that. I also did not buy a coin from the 1800's but not from lack of availability. There were a lot of very nice coins that fit my criteria and I decided I needed to narrow my focus a bit before I started buying. I am going to try to come up with a group or type to begin that part of my collection, I really did like the large cents and had never really considered them before. I did find something of interest that I had not thought of. One dealer had a tub of world coins, 4 for a $1 so I dug through that and I now have a beginners collection of 1960 world coins. I found 3 different ones in his stash and it was fun digging through them all and visiting with the dealer as I did it. I also bought a tube of Peace dollars and my wife bought 1 Australian Kookaburra. All in all a fun morning spent and could have spent more time there but life moves on. I will post pictures of my items later today. |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
3049 Posts |
When you spend more time.. you inevitably will spend more money!
It sounds like you had a really good time which is awesome. While writing this gold spot is at 1235 per oz. So that makes it 617 for a 1/2 oz and 308 for 1/4 oz.. The price of 350 for a 1/4 AGE is pretty good. There are premiums associated with fractional gold. To minimize on the premiums buy 1 oz or greater.
It's great to hear how your first show went.. and looks like you may come back for a few more... GREAT NEWS..
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Replies: 17 / Views: 3,236 |
Posted 02/07/2015 3:20 pm
