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 Replies: 23 / Views: 4,286 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3843 Posts |
Playing off the economic geography term "Food Desert" which is an area where affordable and nutritious food is difficult to obtain, particularly for those without access to an automobile or who have to travel for long distances to access a supermarket. So how many of the members here live in a numismatic desert where there isn't a good local coin dealer? How do you cope; do you make most of your purchases online or do you scour pawn shops, jewelry stores, and cash for gold places to get your numismatic fix?  Are there area collectors groups or coin shows where you can converse with fellow collectors and coin dealers? A lot of this hobby is camaraderie with fellow coin nuts ...... of course we can get a lot of that here on CCF, a 24/7 coin club where there are always fellow collectors willing to discuss numismatic topics. Personally I don't live in a numismatic desert since there are a half dozen coin dealers within a 30 mile radius of my home. Not all of them are decent or are a good value but they are there. There is also a coin club, which unfortunately I cannot attend due to my working hours and its location across town, and there is a small monthly coin show as well that I've never personally attended but have heard isn't bad but isn't great either. And I have all of you guys and gals on CCF so I'm never truly alone in my coin-nutty-ness!  Looking forward to your comments.  Joe2007 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
814 Posts |
I used to, in rural south central Wisconsin. But that was before I got back into the hobby.
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
I live in a multi millions big city, with easy access to leading coin dealers with an international reputation to maintain. There are also a number of local coin shops. Both type of businesses have their advantages. Nevertheless, almost all of my most valuable coins have come from international standing public auctions, where excellent on line auction catalogs are also available. Thank goodness for the keyboard !This is also where ebay comes in, although I am not active in this area. Nevertheless, about 80% of my collection has been built up with lesser valued coins, scrounged from dealers' junk boxes, mainly in the $5 to $15 value range. No shipping, ebay or Paypal fees. In this aspect, I am fortunate. I can think of one or two other CCF mebmers who live very remote from a city that has no physical numismatic business at all. In these sorts of cases, you have to travel long distances to buy anything.Edited by sel_69l
01/09/2016 12:19 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
606 Posts |
The closes stores to me are in Seville which is a day trip from here. LOL
I make it up there every few months. Otherwise I spend my time trading here or perusing various websites but not risking the heavy purchases.
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
@ Half:
For a person who lives in an isolated place, your way of buying coins is the most common, and the best.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
650 Posts |
Not sure I truly live in a "numismatic desert" or not, but it's mighty arid. I'm in the middle of nowhere (rural Kansas). Topeka had a nice little coin shop that was only 45 minutes away. Alas, they're out of business now, so I have to drive 1.5 hours one way to Wichita every once in a while. I like going to coin shows. I take a road trip a couple times a year and go to Kansas City. There are a few other smaller coin shows scattered around between 1 to 2 hours away. I buy a lot of stuff online and also here on the forum sometimes. So for me, it's a combination of different things to get my fix.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
Closest dealer is 60 miles away, closest coin club is 40 miles away and coin turnover in the area is so slow that during the 10 years of the State Quarters we only got one of new quarters, the P mint Massachusetts. I've seen a few 2015 cents and one 2015 dime so far. No 2014 dimes yet.. Seen two 2005 Buffalo nickels. One thing I watch for is 1997 nickels In 19 years I've seen 16 of them evenly split between P and D. Yeah it's a desert. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
898 Posts |
No honest dealer near me really. I go to a wonderful coin show once a year and it's awesome (except on the wallet!).
It's nice to have it in person and be able to haggle a bit. Otherwise online purchases suffice.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
573 Posts |
I have one local shop that has a few cases of coins but is really a junk / pawn shop. They are way overpriced and the owners are very cranky and not interested in discussing anything other than their listed price. There are 2 shops about 45 minutes away. One is run by a guy who has been arrested numerous times for various fencing issues, although somehow he's avoided jail. His shop is more like a shady pawn shop with coins. The other dealer is way overpriced. The closest shows I've found are about an hour away.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
606 Posts |
@Sel,
I have good mentors here!
It is very difficult to resist the urge to buy the super cool coin on E-Bay! LOL
It sounds like some of you guys have it way worse than I do.
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
I'm in South East Washington state, there is one coin shop in the area but they only specialize in US coins and not in ancients which is my area of collecting. I would have to go to either Seattle or Portland a five hour drive either way to find any shop that has what I collect. So I do all my buying from V-coins or other on line sources. |
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Moderator
United States
16679 Posts |
I live in a suburb of Los Angeles County and my closest B & M shop is about 10 miles away. I rarely go to B & M stores to buy coins anymore..only to sell my bullion when the time comes. Majority of my buying and selling is done at shows or ebay. swcoin.ecrater.com
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
1682 Posts |
As an American living in England, I have to obtain my US coins from folks from CCF and the US Mint. Nearest place that has some UK coins for sale are in one of antique shops which are 7 miles away. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
We have about 3 to 4 coin shows a Month within about 15 miles of me. More coin stores than I could imagine. Also, Pawn shops that deal with coins and many flea markets where coins are sold too.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
606 Posts |
So, Carl, that means you live in the numismatic equivalent of the Amazon river basin?  |
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
7096 Posts |
My nearest coin shop is over 300 miles away.
Except for a mere hand full I buy ALL of my coins online.
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Replies: 23 / Views: 4,286 |
Posted 01/08/2016 11:06 pm
