Top 10 by Original U.S. Coins & Collectibles
10 Ten Ways to Collect Coins:
If you are a coin collector or would like to get started collecting coins, this Blog has some useful tips on getting started, adding to or selling your collection. We’ve prepared the following list of the Top 10 ways to give you some ideas:
- Go to a Coin show
- Contact a reputable Coin dealer
- Visit reputable Coin websites (like www.originaluscoins.com)
- Sign up for an Online auction (see list below)
- Purchase and use metal detection equipment
- Roll hunt with the local bank (buy rolls and search through them)
- Pay for purchases in cash and search your change
- Dust off that collection you started as a kid
- Be gifted or inherit a coin collection
- Scout yard sales, garage sales or second-hand stores
In today’s Blog, we are going to concentrate on the Top 4 in the list above.
Coin Shows – ask your local coin shop or google “Coin shows in “your town and state””. Check out the 2023 Coin Shows Michael of Original US Coins will be at by clicking on this link and scrolling to the bottom:
Coin shows are great ways to meet new people and make lasting relationships. Some of the bigger shows will have exhibits and offer coin supplies. This is a great place to get your questions answered and see some really nice coins, bullion and currency or Exonumia like Silver Strike Casino Tokens.
Reputable Coin Dealers – Coin shows are also a great way to introduce yourself to coin dealers. You may want to work with more than one if you specialize in different collections. It’s also a place where you can get “references” from dealers to check out a prospective coin dealer you may want to work with. It’s a fairly small community and so many people know each other.
Visit reputable Coin websites – many coin dealers and companies have a website. Some of these websites offer:
- Gold & Silver Spot Prices
- Coins and merchandise for Sale
- Educational Information
Our www.originaluscoins.com website has all of this and a Coin Dog page like this one:
Online Auctions – online auctions can be a great place to purchase coins. Below is a list of some of the Top Auction sites. Before you bid, here are some things to consider:
- How easy is the site to access and to sign up to bid.
- What is the customer service like – can you get a response if you email or call the company?
- Buyer’s Premium – some auction sites add on a fee that the buyer is responsible to pay.
- Shipping & Handling – charges may vary and many sites aren’t able to combine shipping for multiple purchases.
- Reserve – some lots will have a minimum purchase price that will need to be met. For example, if the reserve is $25 and the bidding only goes up to $20, the auction will close without a winner.
- Minimum Bid – Some auctions start at a minimum set price – say $5 and the bidding starts from there.
- Terms & Conditions – return policy, shipping time and method – worth reading before you bid or buy!
We have close to 50 auctions a day on PropertyRoom.com with no Buyer’s Premium. 95% of our auctions start at $1. We do charge for shipping & handling and usually ship items the same day or day after payment is made.
Here is a list of 10 of the Top Players in the Online Auctions Market:
- eBay
- Christie’s
- PropertyRoom.com
- Paddle8
- Heritage Auctions
- Amazon
- Auction Zip
- Auction Mobility
- GovDeals
- Invaluable
However you go about adding to your collection or selling, make sure to learn as much as you can to avoid paying too much, not getting enough for your sale, buying cleaned or damaged coins or getting scammed. There are a lot of resources out there and if you need some direction or are looking to buy or sell, please feel free to give Michael a call at 206-931-4639. He’s always happy to talk coins!