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Do ANY Stores Still Sell Coins…Other Than Dedicated Coin Stores?
RichR
Posts: 3,847 ✭✭✭✭✭
As a child who feasted on common and not so common coins in the 1970s and early 1980s at stores such as Macy’s, Gimbels, Woolworth’s, Grants, and Sears…just to name a few…I honestly ask if any general merchandise stores in this country still have a coin counter?
In the NYC/NJ area, I think I can definitively say “no”..:but how about elsewhere in the country?
And do any sporting goods or large hobby store chains actually sell coins…along with hunting equipment, guns, etc.?
And PS…why do I think those simple coin counters played an intangible but vital part in introducing younger collectors to the hobby?
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I think it would not be here in the ct. area I. Nor totally sure if any exist, the last one I knew about was Woolworth
Walmart
Wayne
Kennedys are my quest...
Also from the NY/NJ area, and had the same childhood introduction in similar stores in their jewelry dept.
It turns out I have quite a few not-so-great condition raw coins from decades ago when I spent my money this way.
I have a smattering of stuff from Barber V nickles, Buffalo nickles, Mercury and silver Roosevelt dimes, maybe a Standing Liberty quarter or 2, silver Washington quarters, Walking Liberty, Franklin, and silver Kennedy halves, and Indian Head and wheat cents, etc.
Also have a few oldies and oddities like early 19th century coins, 1/2 cent, large cent, 2 cent pieces.
I really liked alot of the old designs, Barbers, Walking / Standing Liberty, Mercury, St Gaudiens (sp?) (- altho I have none).
I appreciate how the Mint has been reviving those tried and true designs in modern coins.
Then 1976 called, and I bought my 1st PROOF coins - the Bicentennial 3 coin set. Havent looked back since tho, got hooked on proofs - precious metals - from '82 thru today. Especially ASE, AGE, and Buffalo gold. After decades I "found" some commems I bought and just put away, like Olympics coins, WWII 50th anniversary, and (especially) Civil War commems - didnt realize I even bought them; like found treasure after decades.
I just did a big push to get my proofs graded (by PCGS), and that took a LOT of time AND $$$$. I feel I've learned from the experience. I've been thinking about getting a submission of some of my more choice oldies together tho, at some point - for preservation. But MORE work and more $$$.
But thanks OP, for the "memories".
And no, I havent even seen any B/M shops even anywhere near my area, hence I've learned to do my own submissions.
Walmart? What state are you in? I've never seen a coin counter in a Walmart in my state.
Wayne: Really??? Some Walmarts have coin counters???
I know they have an online coin presence…but physical in store too? I’m not the biggest Walmart shopper, but I never saw coins.
Mass.
Not in all stores but you can also find them online.
Wayne
Kennedys are my quest...
They also sell Bitcoin and crypto.
Never purchased any of these in
store as I have no interest in them.
It has something to do with the Kiosks.
Wayne
Kennedys are my quest...
May not be the kind of retail you were thinking, but many Pawn Shops have coins (or at least they used to, it's been a few years ...).
If we were all the same, the world would be an incredibly boring place.
Tommy
I remember as a kid buying a SLQ with a barely visible date for thirty five cents at A&S in Woodbridge Shopping Center.
Haven't seen anything like that in many years. I also remember the rotating coin display at Woolworth.
I also remember K-Mart selling U.S. Mint products for a short time back in 1976 or so. I bought my bicentennial silver dollar and half dollar there.
Another thing that I have noticed, is at one time you could buy coin tubes and supplies at some of the stores. I don't see coin anything anymore at the stores.
Skier…
HA…A&S at Woodbridge Center!
Small world!
For the rest of you…imagine if Korvettes and Bradlees and TSS had a threesome…that would be Boscov’s!
Many jewelry stores and antique stores around where I live have small sections dedicated to coins. I frequented some of them fairly regularly during the pandemic when coin shows were shut down
Mr_Spud
A small local jeweler with a buying gold sign out front may have a few.
Nothing in Southeastern MA aside from the LCS. It is fun coming across sets with old Woolworth's stickers on them.
Custom album maker and numismatic photographer, see my portfolio here: (http://www.donahuenumismatics.com/).
Walmart, pawn shops ,antique stores , flea markets, yard sales
,
🎶 shout shout, let it all out 🎶
These WalMart listing are online only third party sellers. For example, APMEX sells through Walmart.com.
I have never seen collectible coins for sale in a Walmart.
I’ve bought several times and the coins have been excellent. There’s more than Apmex who ships for Walmart. I see your wanting to walk in and buy ,sorry my mistake. Although shipping was fast and easy return, which with the 6 items I have bought, they were awesome with no need to return but alas still probably not in store purchases.
The other options are valid.
🎶 shout shout, let it all out 🎶
I know a dealer from the shows that has a motorcycle shop with a coin counter!
This
https://www.walmart.com/ip/1969-U-S-Mint-Set/348057257
I believe Walmart is also selling coins from vending machines instore.
Pawn shops often have a coin display.
Hobby Lobby sells coin supplies.
I'm thinking (????) that your talking about an inside Wal-Mark Key-opp, rented space or a booth, (store-N-store) and not actually Walmart merchandise right????
"I Prefer Dangerous Freedom Over Peaceful Slavery"
Thomas Jefferson!
Outside side of a 100 mile round trip in this area Other Stores is all you have, but! those other stores are Shyster Pawn Shops!!
"I Prefer Dangerous Freedom Over Peaceful Slavery"
Thomas Jefferson!
I have seen gun dealers at shows sell coins, but that was a while back and likely a hobby of the owner. I'm sure there's an overlap with interest in bullion and guns.
It has been at least a year since I was there so what you are saying might be true.
I know that I did not like what was being offered at the time.
It was in a Super Walmart store.
Wayne
Kennedys are my quest...
My local pawnshop sells Morgan and Peace “culls” for 80 to 100 / coin. No key dates, no AUs or near AU, just crap when it comes to collectibles. They have all mostly moved on to bullion coins / rounds / bars.
Even my local coin shop sells more “dragon series” silver rounds (which are just fancy, over-priced bullion rounds) than numismatics these days. His son is taking over and makes more profit on the modern crap than the numismatics - he says Ebay ruined the business - in fact if you go to a coin store these days the inventory of MS65 or higher coins is really low these days - they just can’t afford to hold that kind of inventory if there are no consistent buyers - it’s kind of sad imo.
I used to go to the Hobby Shop in Jacksonville NC as a kid in the late 1960's. My brother would be racing slot cars while I eyed the coin counters and the Hubley metal model kits. That's the only store I've ever been in set up that way... ie, catering to multiple and diverse hobbies. The only comparable stores I've been in recently might be pawn shops, but as others have said, they tend to only sell bullion pieces and not the numismatic pieces most of us are looking for.
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I know I had a big blah blah blah before, but just chiming back in ...
Old Bridge native here. A bit familiar with Woodbridge.
Boscovs ... I went against scruples and actually asked to NOT get anything from there for Xmas. I once got a shirt where 1 sleeve was longer than the other.
Except for coin shops, pawn shops and occasional jewelry stores, the last physical retailer I saw selling coins was a truck stop in northern Indiana near Chicago. They had a display case with modern coins in it. It seemed out of place.
From my experience, have come across a few places that had coins on the side.
Only one store out of the chain of pawn shops carried interesting coins, but all of them had some sort of bullion available.
The other two stores had antiques (including gramaphones, old vinyl LP records) and another one specialized in jewelry etc.
Found some of my best bargains at the above mentioned places.
The gun store down the road is shuttering and hence only buying gold and silver for his own personal stack.
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/u-s-coins/quarters/PCGS-2020-quarter-quest/album/247091
As to Walmart, I think it would be up to local Management. My Walmart placed a rack for my son's comic books that he produced and inked in the early 2000's, "Abiding Perdition" and "Scorn". The manager then told me that he had allowances from the home office for such local artists and hobbyists. While neither of my Walmart's have coins that I know of, I do feel it could be possible to any Walmart to have them if approached properly. Liability would be the major issue, I am sure. As such, they might demand that no grades be posted or guaranteed for any sales along with a sign signifying such, if that would be enough, probably not.
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain
There is an antique shop in Boone NC that had cc GSA Morgan’s for 175 all dates!!
Sorry - we got them all!!
[[Boscovs ... I went against scruples and actually asked to NOT get anything from there for Xmas. I once got a shirt where 1 sleeve was longer than the other. ]]
Boscov's also still sells floral women's sundresses...remember those? I bet your grandma had some.
I always threaten to buy my wife one!
[[There is an antique shop in Boone NC that had cc GSA Morgan’s for 175 all dates!!]]
HA...Macy's Herald Square coin department...upstairs near the USPS counter...in 1982:
1890CC GSA (MS64)...$225...I looked through 3 or 4...took the nicest one and handed back the rest!
1891CC GSA (MS64)...$200...ditto...took one and handed back a couple
1878CC GSA (MS64)...$150...ditto...
At the time, all were ungraded...and I think I had to argue with the old man that I really wanted the boxes and corresponding GSA cards...that were all just stacked with rubber bands in a drawer!
My father, who bought his cache directly from the GSA (were they $50 each(?), thought I had rocks in my head!
Can I go back in time and just take them all?
The old man died si I don't know the current status, but Boscov's was one of the largest privately owned department stores still around.
Wow. The only one I ever saw was Macy's Herald Square. On the top floor, if I recall correctly. To get there the last couple escalators had wooden steps. I think I did buy a coin there, it was probably a VG or so Buffalo nickel as my budget at the time was about $5. Probably in a 2x2 as I don't recall Macy's inserts in flips. I'm not generally a sentimental type but I'll admit I would be tempted by a coin in a Macy's holder.
I'm sure there are random stores today where the owner sells coins as a hobby. But a major department store? Maybe modern US Mint products through some licensing agreement but otherwise I can't imagine it.
LIBERTY SEATED DIMES WITH MAJOR VARIETIES CIRCULATION STRIKES (1837-1891) digital album
I don't recall seeing any department stores with coins for sale. Indoor flea markets, yes. Even the coin shop I buy junk silver and bullion from has very few coins on display aside from a few proof sets and junk silver. He keeps the good stuff (morgans and gold coins) locked up in the back behind the 12-gauge shotgun.
There are a handful of coin dealers at the local gun shows. Their prices are typically very high and most of the stuff they are selling is raw. The admission fee is now up to $20 and from my perspective it’s a waste of money. I’ve never bought anything.
We had a local bar that had a case of coins for sale. Have not been there since I was 9 or 10 with my mom. I wonder if they still sell coins 🤔
When I was a kid, Woolworths and J.J. Newberry had coin counters. Now just antique shops have coins around here....and the prices are ludicrous. Cheers, RickO
If you really want to stroll down memory lane re classic department stores all over the country, try this site:
http://www.thedepartmentstoremuseum.org/
Among other things, they have store directories...and it's amazing to see how many of the big downtown stores invariably had nice coin and stamp departments.
I would actually like to go back in time just to experience that again...sure you didn't have the selection of an eBay...but it was tangible and fun.
And my dad would always buy me a nice coin...
[[The only one I ever saw was Macy's Herald Square. On the top floor, if I recall correctly. To get there the last couple escalators had wooden steps.]]
Good memory...you are correct! Those wooden escalators are now the oldest operating in the country and have been landmarked and added to the NRHP!
My dad used to design escalators and elevators for Otis (along with nuke warheads for the DoD!!!)...so this was a thing in my house!
I remember seeing coins at Sam's Club. They that "stuff" that is mounted and framed and usually polished to death.
I remember that when they had coins at Woolworth, they seemed expensive at the time.
Also, at that time, silver coins, wheat cents and old nickels could still be found in circulation at face value.
They were quite expensive at the time. They charged $12 for a 1939-D nickel in circulated condition in the late 1960s.
Here's a cool couple sets I bought a long time ago...
.
Click on this link to see my ebay listings.
What was a thing in your house? Nuke warheads?
Your father was right. LOL!
An MS64 78-CC is $750 after FORTY YEARS! A 91-CC is $1500 and an 90-CC about $1900.
During the same 40 years, $575 invested in the S&P 500 would currently be worth $57,670. So, if you had eschewed the purchase then, you could buy one of each now and still have about $52,000 left over!
My grandmother lived in Chicago in the 1950's and collected coins and stamps.
She saved this envelope:
Marshall Field & Company Coin Store Envelope
The back reads:
Marshall Field & Company
Collector's Stamps and Coins - Third Floor, North Wabash
Phone: STate 1-1000, extension 2281
Field's offers collectors these services:
Want lists, approvals, new issues, U.S. First Day Covers,
Complete accessory line, Stamp & Coin News, latest publications
From the style of the telephone number this envelope dates to the 1950's.
The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin
Coins in Movies
Coins on Television
That is a neat envelope.