| Author |
 Replies: 19 / Views: 4,259 |
|
New Member
Canada
8 Posts |
I inherited my mother's old coin collection and for the most part, they are in these old Whitman Publishing Company albums.  I want to sell the coins, as mom wanted us to take the money from them and get a renovation done on our aging house, but I don't know if it would increase the value to keep them in these albums, or to move them to individual wrappers like these:  If anyone can help, I'd greatly appreciate it... Thanks! |
|
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
711 Posts |
No real impact on value unless you damage the coins before the sale is final. As for how I'd package them, it depends how and who you are selling them too. If you are going to a local coin store, I'd just go with the album. Maybe go with a manilla envelope to transport all the coins to the store in case any shake loose. Some people have used tape. Don't do that. If I were buying them on ebay or the like, I wouldn't expect the coins to come in an album or the 2x2 packaging you show. I'd expect a blank album and then all the coins in a hard plastic roll or loose in a sealed plastic baggy. If you do staple them up, make sure the staples are flat so they don't scratch other coins up. They sell special flat cinch staplers for coin collectors but a normal stapler and some needle nose pliers work just as well. |
|
Rest in Peace
United States
18456 Posts |
If your going to sell them then take them all out of those Whitman folders . put individual coins in what we call 2x2 cardboard holders, the ones like your 1928 quarter is in . do not sell to a coin dealer or pawn shop. Try e-bay or put them up for sale here when you have enough posts .  To CCF |
|
Moderator
 United States
56855 Posts |
 John1  |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
6130 Posts |
How urgently do you need the money? Silver has been bouncing unpredictably this year, but seems to be on a generally upward trend. If you hold out for a few more months, you might get a good bit more money for your grandmother's coins. Easy mnemonic--if gas prices are going up, silver is usually going up as well. The Barber dimes are worth about $1-1.50 each, but would have gone for 2-3 times that much a few years ago. Also, double check your grandmother's attribution, especially on the lower grade coins. I took a look at a collection a little while ago, and many of the Barber dimes were not properly attributed, some in a way that would have negatively affected the value (e.g. a scarce 1900-S in a 2x2 labeled just 1900). 2x2 flips can be bought on Amazon for really cheap--maybe $3 for a 100 pack? I would advise against putting any circulated wheat cents newer than 1935 in 2x2s--might as well just spend them at that point. |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
4469 Posts |
If you are going to sell the coins, the value of 2x2 flips lets you sell the coins as individuals or smaller lots. If you are going to sell the entire collection as a group. there is no need to put the coins in flips.
If you have coins valued over $200, you may want to consider sending the coin into PCGS or NGC for grading as this will maximize your return on those coins.
Do not clean any coins as the coin will lose value.
Edited by Slider23
03/24/2016 12:04 pm
|
|
Rest in Peace
United States
17900 Posts |
Welcome. Offering them to a local coin shop will give you a good base value for the collection. Using the Barber dimes as examples, there are 40 some in that album and most appear to be low grade. It is quite possible you might only get an offer of $50-60 for the album since most of the dates you display are common. You could end up spending dozens or more hours of labor trying to make $20 more. Get an opinion in person first. |
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Take coins out of those Folders. Place in 2x2 flips. Maytake longer to sell all but you'll get more for those loose.
|
|
New Member
 Canada
8 Posts |
Thanks everyone, there's some great advice here all around...
One last thing, I saw in another thread that you shouldn't 'clean' your coins and the rule of thumb was:
Rule #1: never clean your coins.
Rule #2: If you aren't sure what to do, see rule #1.
But some people suggest using acetone - so if I'm to put them in the individual 2x2 wrappers, should I first put them in an acetone bath, or just leave them as is?
|
|
Moderator
United States
34398 Posts |
Quote:
Rule #1: never clean your coins.
Rule #2: If you aren't sure what to do, see rule #1. That was me and I stand by those rules. There are certain exemptions for specialized coins and some advanced collectors, but for the overwhelming majority of coins and virtually all novice collectors, the rules stand. The coins may "look" better, but almost always the value is lower. "If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
|
|
New Member
Canada
8 Posts |
Thanks spence, I think I'll pass on cleaning and just go with putting what I can in the 2x2 wrappers... ShinyCat mentioned in another thread about selling coins: Quote:
Selling lots worth about $100 works pretty well for those I talk to. If you need to sell all at once, you will be taken to the cleaners. So I guess I'll put together bundles as opposed to selling the whole lot... Or would you recommend selling auctioning it to a local coin club? Just wondering what might fetch a decent price and everyone win's... |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
6326 Posts |
Are these all the coins that you pictured ?
Or was that just an example of the many coin folders that you have ?
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
IF you went to buy a car you would find one price for the entire car. Now if you decided to build one yourself, you'ld find buying all the parts would cost you a lot more. In other words, each part has a price which adds up to a lot more than the entire car. Same with your coins. Selling separately gets you the prices of each one.
|
|
Moderator
United States
188167 Posts |
It is true. The albums are worth less than the sum of their parts.
|
|
New Member
Canada
8 Posts |
Quote:
Are these all the coins that you pictured ?
Or was that just an example of the many coin folders that you have ? Oh no, I've got a "pile" of coins, literally, along with all sorts of paper money and even some special German "notes" used as currency during the wars... The paper money is in mint condition and likely would fetch more than the coins actually... So it sounds like selling it all individually on ebay is the thing to do then... Thanks everyone for your help! |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
6130 Posts |
Mind sharing what you have? We have a lot of knowledgeable members on here who would be happy to give pointers.
|
| |
Replies: 19 / Views: 4,259 |
Posted 03/23/2016 11:31 pm
