First Trip To Coin Show. Help Me Understand My Purchases

Assuming you said half of list, it's okay.

But I agree with you to choose quality over quantity.

Use your budget to buy the coin you love the best in your price range.

Many newcomers are drawn to the bargain bins. Well, the risk of paying too much is low but those coins in there are there for a reason.
These are all nice coins to get started out with, and I can't knock them at all, but if you stay with the hobby, I suggest you pick a niche and learn as much as you can in that area on grading and pricing and what makes one coin better than the next.
I would rather come home with one coin that makes me giddy than 5 or 10 that I later wonder why I bought them.
You did come here to get some feedback, which is a good thing and I doubt you are financially in trouble after the day at the show.
I hope you spent a lot of time studying other coins at the show that you didn't buy. A coin show is an excellent resource, being right there in person to look at them. Most dealers are fair and will help you with questions but not all are.

If it makes you feel any better, many of us have made much more expensive mistakes, even though we should have known better. I bought this coin a few years ago when there was a lot of hype over toned coins. It's probably worth about 1/3 of what I paid for it (on a good day).

Nonna,
Always best to go in prepared. Make a list of what you want or need including current values. Use ebay sold values and http://www.numismedia.com/rarecoinprices/fmv.shtml
Bring a 16x or less loupe with a built in light, is even better for errors and varieties and a 10x for everthing else.
Make a walk through the whole show before buying.
John1

Here is a good source for learning to grade https://www.PCGS.com/Photograde/
John1

Nonna ,I agree with most comments above . I know it's hard for a newbie to stay away from those bargain bins that say 1/2 off . But if you must look through them have your pocket mag ready and scrutinize the coins you like . If you look hard enough you could find some decent coins in those bins . Right now we can see your just picking apples off a cherry tree . Time to get your priorities straight .Pick a favorite coin or two and just buy those to start a set. Try to obtain the best grades that you can afford .
No need to get all your coins fast ; I've been coin collecting for 50+ years and I'm still adding coins to some of my sets .

To answer your questions in a little more detail:




I don't think so. Its probably a little dirt which I happen to like around the devices of the coin because it makes the details stand out and looks more natural to me for an old coin.




Unless you buy a coin with absolute pristine surfaces that you intend to get graded by a 3rd party grading company then the scratch probably does not effect value much. This is a learning experierence so next time you'll know what to look for and avoid. Still has silver in it and is worth the cost of silver.




Yes these cuts will effect the value. But if you purchased it for $7 then just realize it's another learning opportunity. Not the worst mistake I ever made. Haha




Just a toning streak. Common on Buffaloes and not a big deal. I disagree with jimbucks and don't think acetone will remove it.

Overall, you were smart to start out with bargain bin coins to learn. As stated I probably made much more expensive mistakes when I started out. Plus Coin Shows are not always the friendliest places for newbies. Dealers can sniff them out and you end up purchasing a much more expensive problem. Start out small, learn, ask questions and then you'll be a much more educated collector with a discriminating eye like chesterb