A question about how you buy your coins..

Coin Finder

Where would you buy your coins if all the sudden, like a virus..Ebay and/or the internet disappeared for 1 year?

Abuelo

Now and with no internet? Nowhere...
During regular times, in shows.

50cCOMMEMGUY

@Abuelo said:
Now and with no internet? Nowhere...
During regular times, in shows.

Ditto. Also I’d likely save funds with an eye to hit the FUN show 2X a year. That’s because I only live an hour from the site. 😛

TurtleCat

I’d go to my local show and see what they have. Although prices would likely have climbed to ridiculous heights so I would probably sell more than buy.

Namvet69

I'll continue to dig them up, thank you very much. And it's spring to boot! Peace Roy

ricko

With no internet, then I am sure there would be coin shows even in my little town.... so shows or antique shops for sure....well... also yard sales...they do show up at yard sales now and then. Cheers, RickO

Smudge

Give my phone number to dealers I know and ask them to call me when something I may be interested in comes in.

lkenefic

The same way I buy most of my coins... in person at a show...

isaiah58

By appointment with local coin dealers

Sonorandesertrat

Shows within driving distance, in AZ and CA.

Tom147

shows and LCS's

Tom147

Kind of makes me wonder " if no internet how active would the market be ? " I think the hobby would tend to eventually die off. Sure, there would be a few of us diehard collectors ( 56 years here ) still active. But for the most part I don't think the hobby could survive with very few " new " collectors taking up the hobby.
Also brings up another thought, " what would the lack of internet do to prices ? " THOUGHTS ?

jdimmick

For the coin business: Walkin #1, other dealers #2, local shows and such #3. Now with the virus issue, #1 has been dead, very little coming in the door. (I expect that to change in a few weeks, when cash gets tight. #2 not as much, they haven't really got anything new in as well(local dealers), and there silver prices are way too high for me to resell. I did have two other dealers from out of this area send me a box of coins each that I bought, (they needed to raise some cash) Thank fully it made the week ok. #3 of course all shows cancelled (so that's zero)

Ebay sales have been fairly decent the past few weeks, problem is , I am on the last few items currently and with nothing new. That will cease. I don't buy coins from ebay to try to resell on ebay(never had much luck there.)
got some stuck at the grading service momentarily.

For my personal collection: Only added 1 coin since virus disruption, saw a national dealer Ive known for years get a nice 13-s ty 2 Buff in 66cac that I bought cause I liked it. In fact , it wasn't much higher than what I sold a non cac 65 for 3 years ago.

shorecoll

I'm with @Smudge dealing by phone.

johnny9434

Shows and lcs's

vplite99

No purchases.

skier07

I buy most of my coins from a small network of dealers and an occasional auction coin. I go to Long Beach 3 times a year and I think I’ve bought one coin in 5 years.

09sVDB

Shows or pick up the phone and call like wr used to do.

Cougar1978

No purchases.

3stars

So the same as 25 years ago?

BJandTundra

Sounds like a trip back in time. Dealers, shows, and perhaps mail order. How in the world did we exist without the internet? Practically a caveman existence. BJ&T go catch Mammoth for supper now.

savitale

Auctions and shows. 1 year is not enough time for local coin stores to reappear.

isaiah58

@Tom147 said:
Kind of makes me wonder " if no internet how active would the market be ? " I think the hobby would tend to eventually die off. Sure, there would be a few of us diehard collectors ( 56 years here ) still active. But for the most part I don't think the hobby could survive with very few " new " collectors taking up the hobby.
Also brings up another thought, " what would the lack of internet do to prices ? " THOUGHTS ?

Are you saying that before the internet this hobby was dying and had no future?

1630Boston

jmlanzaf

@isaiah58 said:

@Tom147 said:
Kind of makes me wonder " if no internet how active would the market be ? " I think the hobby would tend to eventually die off. Sure, there would be a few of us diehard collectors ( 56 years here ) still active. But for the most part I don't think the hobby could survive with very few " new " collectors taking up the hobby.
Also brings up another thought, " what would the lack of internet do to prices ? " THOUGHTS ?

Are you saying that before the internet this hobby was dying and had no future?

It was definitely sliding.

ctf_error_coins

The Internet is essential today.

Are you saying my power and water will be off for a year as well?

No way the internet goes away for a year.

The coin business is internet only at the current time.

ironmanl63

In your "hypothetical question" my buying would be limited. My local coin shop would get more looks and any shows that are near me would see the biggest bump.

asheland

Like 95% of what I already do, at local coin shops and shows

Tom147

@isaiah58 said:

@Tom147 said:
Kind of makes me wonder " if no internet how active would the market be ? " I think the hobby would tend to eventually die off. Sure, there would be a few of us diehard collectors ( 56 years here ) still active. But for the most part I don't think the hobby could survive with very few " new " collectors taking up the hobby.
Also brings up another thought, " what would the lack of internet do to prices ? " THOUGHTS ?

Are you saying that before the internet this hobby was dying and had no future?

  No, a different time then. I think most will agree, the average age of the present day collector is much older than 20 - 25 years ago.  Couple that with the distractions our youth have today ( internet, hence smart phones and social media,  the need to work harder or even two jobs to make ends meet )   
  The internet makes purchasing coins so much easier.  Think the number of new collectors would decrease if purchasing coins could only be done at shows or the LCS.

OKbustchaser

Same way I did for 30+ years before there was an internet available. Shops, shows, dealer mailing lists, etc.

PerryHall

In the old pre-computer and pre-third party grading days, the coin papers such as Coin World and Numismatic News had many full page dealer listings of their coins. There were no pictures but you could phone the dealer to confirm that the coin was still available and to get a detailed description of the coin. Of course there was a return privilege since you were buying raw coins sight unseen.. After awhile you could figure out which dealers could be trusted with their grading and with giving honest descriptions of their coins. We have a much better environment today for buying coins.