How Do I "Flip" Coins At Coin Shows?

Look for bargains, sell them for higher. If a seller has a 'half off' bin, that's a great place to start. If not, maybe consider (if you have one) bringing a device to look up true values of a coin.

You can't get in the game if you don't play. Buy everything!


Remember to bring a bottle of mild acid and a rough polishing rag to all of your coin shows! Nobody wants an ugly, old coin. People want shine! If you can fit a portable generator into your vehicle, bring a buffing wheel!


Now, remember, all you need to do is find three people to teach nss-52's patented secret techniques to. And when they each recruit three people, you have twelve people(!) to sell to!

Make a fist with your fingers but place your thumb under your index finger in the crest of the second joint. Place any coin on top of thumb. Push thumb up until it releases from under your index finger. Congratulations you will have flipped a coin!

Knowledge is power. Start with a series or segment of numismatics that you know a lot about. Use what you know to spot under-priced coins. A coin may be an unattributed die variety, have upgrade potential or underappreciated eye-appeal, etc. These are all opportunities for you.

And remember that all channels are open for buying and selling - CCF, ebay, craigslist, coinshows, coin stores, direct to/from collectors, coin club events, auctions, etc. You'll find buyers and sellers in all of these channels.

Anyone can do it. Start small and work your way up. Have fun.

I had some older friends that would go into a coin show with 250$ and see what they could come out with 8 hours later. All they did for 8 hours was buy and try to flip coins. It was like a friendly game to them. The one rule is you could only use the 250$ that you had come to the show with.

At the end of the show they would compare notes and see how much money they "made" by showing cash and coins to each other.

My bourse table was in view of the ATM at the show. On more than one occasion I caught each one of my friends using the ATM .... and it darn sure wasn't for making deposits either!

I never called them out on it. I just let them lie to each other. They all thought they were pulling the wool over each other.

I'm sure that kinda stuff still goes on today.

About the only way to buy, flip and make a profit is to cherry pick a variety or buy a coin that is grossly under graded or just outright labeled or priced wrong.

regardless of what some may say, almost all the dealers at a coin show know what they are doing. Seldom do they sell an item for so much less than it's worth that someone could resell it at the same show. I've been going to coin shows for a long, long time. I've met many, many dealers and collectors. Reselling a coin at a show that was purchased there for a profit is seldom and possibly so few of such happenings that it is not done much at all.

Flipping coins isn't like flipping clothes, books, or other items from thrift shops online for a quick buck. It takes a lot of hard earned experience to be really knowledgeable in coins. There are no apps or barcodes to check prices and condition is everything in coins.

I know a few "vest pocket dealers" who travel to coin shows regularly to buy and sell coins.

My question was purely about how such people do it, things like where to look for deals, etc.

I have tried flipping coins a few times with limited success, but I know it does happen frequently and people do make money off of it.

Is a better way to approach this maybe to specialize in a particular type of coin (i.e. large cents) and spend your time at shows looking for certain varieties that have not been identified by the seller?