General Online Coin Buying Issues

Only once have I had a problem. I purchased an Ike from a now defunct online dealer for $1 W/free shipping. The dude just dropped a loose Ike in an envelope and put it in the mail.

I have had experience with a dealer on ebay. I bought a coin from him and received it coming out of the cardboard 2 X 2, using two staples instead of three. Emailed him and told him what happen, bought from him again and the same thing happen again. This time damaging the coin. Contacted him a second time. Didn't hear from him. Left negative feedback to get his attention. Responded with "why didn't you contact me". Just say I'm done with that seller.

I use three, mainly because of the time it takes to put in the fourth staple and flatten it with pliers. I know, I know... it's like an extra 2 or 3 seconds. But when you do a couple hundred coins at a time it gets very, very, very tedious. (Like busting open twenty mint sets, or putting a full set of State Quarters in 2x2s, etc.)

edit: That being said, I put a fourth staple in before shipping anything I sell.

This is just my own experience, but I do not use them because removing the coins proved to be very difficult. I was thinking that I would never remove the coin, but things do happen. It is my opinion that cracking slabs is probably an easier process.

It might have been easier if I had up-sized the 2x2 (example, put a nickel in a quarter size) then I could have used a utility knife to carefully cut around the Mylar.

I upsize. I don't really like the way the coins fit in the 2x2s that were designed for them. Half dollar 2x2s especially seem to not even fit properly. Oh well.

Maybe because they're way more expensive.
Having said that I should admit I prefer self-adhesive for my collection(s). They look much neater in transparent pages.



I never had problems removing coins from self-adhesives. They pop out easily through the mylar.

I used to use staples on 2x2's but one day said to myself, SELF, what are you doing? Why waste time and money with staples that could damage a coin? Why use something that when removing could fly all over the place, land on the floor, end up in my foot?
So I switched to that stuff called clear tape. I tape the edges of a 2x2. Then to open all you need is a knife, one little slit and POOF, they are open. And a roll of that stuff is really cheap and lasts for a long time. No damage to coins either.
The main reason I do this is at a coin show a long time ago I purchased a 1921S Lincoln Cent, MS-64 in a 2x2. At home I used a screw driver to pry open the staples and it slid accross Lincoln's face. No more staples for me.
As to buying coins from the web. Tried it once and realized no one could ever beat the prices from a coin show. And no lost in the mail, no postage, no insurance and you get what you see.