We see this term bandied about so often and it's hard to know what it really means. Most of the time, it is indeed meaningless; what it's supposed to mean is that the dealer has no idea what is in a batch of coins and you might get lucky.
But of course that's silly, no dealer would chance giving someone a 1922 Plain or a 1931-S Lincoln in a batch of "unsearched" wheat cents.
So my question is this: is there a possible secondary meaning to "unsearched," where the dealer is being truly honest? Is there a way to have the word mean precisely that, but with the dealer knowing that they're not at risk of giving away a key coin?
One dealer said that it means "unsearched by me". Nobody can vouch for the past history of a lot before it gets to their hands. They can make educated guesses, of course.
In my mind, the possibility of a rare date in theory gives a premium to an unsearched lot. How much premium is a matter of debate. I do not see how "unsearched", stated honestly, can mean that the dealer knows that a key date is not there. The big issue is how trustworthy the dealer is.
Quote: But of course that's silly, no dealer would chance giving someone a 1922 Plain or a 1931-S Lincoln in a batch of "unsearched" wheat cents.
Some actually won't search large lots like that as they just don't think it's worth their time. A lot will at least go through it for keys, but even if that dealer didn't search it it doesn't mean the person before them didn't.
Yea, the term "unsearched" holds a lot of ambiguity and falsehoods and much misgivings when it come to coins. Generally, any offered batch of coins has indeed been searched for something, whether key dates, specific date or mintmark, errors or varieties. This has been done by at least one if not two people prior to the one selling the batch of coins. Most often a person has dumped them to a deal, who gathered them and sold to a buyer(you, #3) who in turn "passes them on". Now, I will contend, that if the seller does disclose within his discourse statements of exactly what has been looked for by him, and is passing these coins along "as is" then that seller is being quite truthful and upfront to a prospective buyer, wouldn't you agree? The seller can't vouch for previous "ownership", only his.
Therefore, are any of you going to call ME a LIAR for the way I have disclosed "unsearched" coins being sold here on CCF previously as well as other venues? Some of you have indeed alluded to just that...now don't you think it may be a good practice to read the discourse before rushing to the automatic judgment of guilty for saying "unsearched". It really was too bad that because the water became muddied these offers never were taken up.
Now, if you took the time to really read what was described and the provenience given (backstory), do you not agree that in this case, these are(were) truly an "unsearched" category? Or am I a big fat liar?
I no longer deal in this type of sale for the reason being the apparent inability of potential buyers to read the description sections, their assumptions are rock solid and of course, the price is always too much. Not worth the headaches anymore.
So to the naysayers that scream never, what say ye? Or do you need to go pound some sand?
Unsearched cent hoards are like Mermaids, Tasmanian Tigers, Passenger pigeons, and DODOs existing - we all hope their is a chance BUT that is it - just a hope!
When a dealer or e-bay seller offers unsearched lots for sale they are targeting mostly newbies just coming into the hobby . So it is our job to keep posting about these so-called lots and educating our new collectors .
The large print giveth and the small print taketh away.
If you have to rely on the small print to qualify a word normally used in a nearly fraudulent way? I'm sure it helps you sleep at night and more power to you. But well over 90% of the uses of that word... "Run Forest, Run".
-----Burton
50+ year / Life / Emeritus ANA member (joined 12/1/1973)
Life member: Numismatics International, CONECA
Member: TNA, FtWCC, NETCC, EveryCountry (online) coin club
Owned by three cats and a wife of 40+ years (joined 1983)
Quote: What is the purpose of ANY seller for including the term "unsearched"?
To drive interest.
Look at it this way which would you rather buy. Lot A of 5k Lincolns that was searched for key dates only or Lot B of 5K Lincolns where the seller says they searched it for everything and there is no chance you will find anything but culls
I remain convinced that everyone using the phrase "unsearched" to sell bulk coins is being slippery with the truth. There are, quite probably, genuine "unsearched" coin lots for sale out there. But the people selling them are not going to be aware that they should call them "unsearched", since using that word means there is an awareness of the benefits of searching through coins, which in turn means it is likely that a search of some kind has, indeed, taken place.
Consider the phrase, "unsearched roll of wheat pennies". If it's truly "unsearched", how could they possibly know that the roll contains wheat pennies? The only way they could possibly know that is either (a) they busted the roll open, checked through them to make sure they're all wheat pennies, and re-rolled it up again, or (b) they have x-ray vision and can see through the wrapper.
How, exactly, would you prepare an "unsearched roll of wheat pennies"? Put on some some wrong-prescription glasses, so everything is blurry and you can't see the dates and mintmarks?
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Posted 08/09/2018 5:43 pm
