Finding Estate Sales And Auctions

Keep away from estate auctions. Most are rip offs. My experience is pre setup with ringers in the area to increase bidding.
Not really an easy question. Lot depends on where you live. In some areas there are laws stating only limited amounts of garage/yard/estate sales per family per year. Due to this, many are not advertised. My area is an example. In this instance you have to drive around on a weekend looking for signs posted on poles.
In some areas you just look in the community newspapers. Some areas in larger city areas have local newspapers. Finding them is also not easy. We have a few of them and although I've lived here for over 30 years I have no idea how to get one. My neighbors get them so I jsut borrow theirs.
If and when you find a garage/yard/estate sale there is one thing you should know. They normally will not put out coins or anything of any substantial value. This is due to theft. So you have to ask. At all such sales always ASK. I can not stress this enough since I've found many, many things by just asking. This is also true of guns, knives or other potential theft items or items of possible crimes.
Example is at one such sale I asked and was shown a jar of cents. The bottom was full of Indian cents. I estamated about $30 face value so I offered $50 and got it. NEWEST cent turned out to be about 1950. Almost all in fantastically new condition.
Someone I know also asked about guns. Walked away with a fortune in old guns.
You have to ask.

There are a couple of auction companies here in town that advertise in the Sunday classifieds and also have websites. One of them has a great website with fairly detailed lists and/or even pictures of the items. It makes it easy to do some homework before you go.

First, I have had much better luck at auctions than Carl, but heed his advise. You better know what you are looking at because they will run prices up. Still, get there early, study the coins and set your limits. Generally, the better buys are at the end of the auction when most have given up and left. I personally love estate auction. You sill se many coins coming to market that have been in someone's collection for a long time and there will be some great coins. the biggest mistake is allowing yourself to get caught up in the auction hysteria.

My local paper has a section every Friday for auctions and anyone with coins will list it. Most of these auctions go off on Friday evening and Saturday. Once you find them get on there mailing list.

Jim

From my experience, estate auctions are common in some areas and not common in others. I lived in Colorado Springs, Seattle, and Denver. I never saw a single one. I'm sure they were there, but not very many. I moved to Kansas City - they are practically a way of life. In the summer, the newspaper here has a huge section of auctions in the classifieds next to Garage Sale announcmenets. On any given weekend you have your pick of 10 - 15 auctions with in an hour drive you could go to.

I've always been surprised at how popular auctions are in some areas and how unpopular they are in other areas.

If you go to one that has coins, you can get some pretty decent deals. Not steals, but okay deals. If they advertise coins then coin dealers, coin collectors, and silver buyers will show up. If you're building your personal collection, you are willing to pay a little more than the dealers. But you can get coins for less than a dealer does. It all depends on the crowd there. If you have a crowd of people buying silver, you can pick up any foreign coins or wheat pennies for a good deal.

The best way I've found to buy things at auctions - it works for coins, tools, and electronics, etc - look in the paper for a "HUGE Auction! Hundreds of lots! Great selection of Silver! Early Morgans! Blah, Blah, Blah! Once in a lifetime chance! Come one Come all!"
You find an ad that lists something like that. You circle the ad. You write down the address. And then stay away from there. That's where all the people are going. Look through the rest of the ads until you find one that lists all of the woodworking tools but has a little note of "a box of old coins, wheat pennies." No coin people go there. Everybody else is bidding up the lots at the huge coin auction. You head to the tool auction and you can pick up some coins at a good price.

I love auctions! Just be careful and look at the lots before they are open to bid. Take a notebook and write down how much you are willing to pay for the lot. Once the bidding starts, DO NOT go over your predetermined bid amount. If you get caught up in the bidding frenzy, you'll get hosed.

I agree 1000% with Karrlot and of course with Just carl too. Find some coins you want .......but don't go over the price you are willing to pay ! The "auction hysteria" can/will get you the first few times. But no "ringer" or nefarious "plants" by the family can affect you ........if you have a limit you're willing to pay and don't go beyond it. There's plenty of time to study the coin, look up the values of each one, decide for yourself what you want, and just stay within that guideline.
Some auctions you'll never purchase ONE SINGLE COIN ! It's because they go WAY over what somethings worth. You have to have self control and you may leave disappointed with nothing, but it's smart.

Thank you all for replying. I have gotten a few good ideas that I am going to try.