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To all you...ummm....experts

I want to thank you for all your help and criticism. Some of you are correct. I have no idea what I am doing. I have taken a crash course here without intending to or wanting to. I am getting a lot of pressure to sell these coins and in the memory of my beloved father I would rather donate them to a good cause. My siblings need money , as we all do ( or most of us ), so here I am trying to sell these coins that have so many memories with them of my dad and I. This was just about the only thing we ever did together. Okay so I can't guarantee that they haven't been cleaned at some time or another, but I do know he didn't clean them because that was his first lesson to me. I do know he never bought any from someone he did not know. He always told me that he got them from friends and family who had no use for them. His parents were born in the 1800's and he got most of those coins from them. It seems as if I am always apologizing on this board and I will again. I did not mean to irritate or annoy anyone. I am just trying to do the right thing by my family and have had to jump in where I didn't want to. I can't give anyone a price because I wanted offers. I have had some but have not accepted any...yet. This is not the only site or place where I have dealt with these coins. It is obvious that few here can or will help me but I thank you all deeply who have...from the bottom of my heart...as this is a heart-breaking task to have to part with these. They are not coins to me. They are a part of my life, my childhood, my history.
" There has never been a good war or a bad peace " B. Franklin

Comments

  • mrpaseomrpaseo Posts: 4,753 ✭✭✭
    Snivel, snivel....then keep them. image There is always a way to come into money, you do not HAVE to sell the coins.

    Just stop telling yourself you have to and stop thinking about the money your gonna make on them. Think about your father and keep the coins.

    And quit the poor me act PLEASE!

    Ray
  • PlacidPlacid Posts: 11,299 ✭✭✭
    Unless the amount of money you will get for the coins will really make a difference then keep them or only sell the ones that will bring the most.
  • goose3goose3 Posts: 11,471 ✭✭✭
    if they are common date coins then why sell your memories for a few bucks? If they truly mean that much to you, then keep them. Tell whomever is pressuring you (siblings?) to shove off!

    It sounds as if you will forever regret parting with them if/when you do.

    I have some common date very circulated and even cleaned stuff that was my grandfathers. I wouldn't trade it for the 1933 double eagle! no lie


  • hey dude,
    I kinda am goin thru the same thing. they were my father in laws and mom wants me to sell them (for about the last 5 yrs).
    when i received them i put them under my desk and forgot about them for 3 yrs. ( i did not have time to mess with change..my philosphy at the time) in the last couple yrs, she has been on me a little more so when i pulled everything out and started researching, i started to get into the collecting side trying to complete some of the things he started. so far have sold 1 coin. there are lots of excuses to use or make a deal with the sib's and offer to pay a fair value a little at a time. there are a ton of of places online to do research go buy a redbook (if no one has told you this...relatively cheap and well worth a mint for information value). hope this helps

    rip
  • krankykranky Posts: 8,709 ✭✭✭
    I think that the source of the friction is that angel813 has zero experience in coins (this is not a complaint, just an observation). Most of us here do not relate well to people who are at square one because our frames of reference are worlds apart. A lot of coin neophytes just assume that all old coins are valuable. He's been a member here for almost a year trying on and off to find out about his coins, which is a lot longer than most people in that situation would have stuck around.

    angel813 was led to believe by his father that the coins would be worth something. He comes here but is told by multiple members that the coins (1) don't have much value, but (2) I'll offer you $X for that item. Now, to someone who is a novice, that sounds like somebody is trying to rip them. I absolutely think most people here would make fair offers for coins, but it just might not come across that way to someone in angel813's position.

    angel813, I feel badly for you because I can see how frustrating it can be. You're trying to sell what you were told were items of value, but it's a tedious process and you're not having much success. When you post pictures, we say they aren't detailed enough to determine a value, yet they might look just fine to you. It's just because you never knew how nitpicky coin valuations can be. Not your fault. Nobody's fault, really. Then we (as a board) took you to the woodshed over the "never been cleaned" comments. Again, that's not your fault.

    You want to get the most for what you have, since you were led to believe the coins were (somewhat) valuable and your family needs to get as much as possible. Also, you feel a responsibility to the rest of your family to do the best job possible. You're concerned about taking them to a dealer who might give you a low-ball offer and you would have no way of knowing. Therefore, any offer to buy could be suspect.

    Again, I am sympathetic to your situation because there's no easy answer. I wish I had something to recommend that would guarantee you get the most money for your coins, but there are no guarantees. I will offer one observation, though. While I might have missed some, I believe I've looked at all the photos you've posted (of the US coins, not the world coins). None of the coins were particularly valuable that I could tell. If you have checked all the coins in a Redbook, and have determined that none of them are likely to be considered valuable, I'd also recommend that you keep them and distribute them to the family members.

    I know you have put time and effort into this project and I'm sorry that it hasn't been easier for you.

    New collectors, please educate yourself before spending money on coins; there are people who believe that using numismatic knowledge to rip the naïve is what this hobby is all about.

  • dorkkarldorkkarl Posts: 12,691 ✭✭✭
    i have some of the first coins i collected in the third grade. they are total junk,but i wouldn't get rid of them for anything.
  • Obviously mrpaseo has never truly NEEDED money. For some of us there is NO WAY to obtain more money. We already work as hard as we can. We are the working poor...not the lazy poor. I am not keeping any of the money . I just want some for my 2 sisters and brother so they can pay rent and get the car fixed or whatever. It must be nice to be so rich you can be so hurtful to someone less fortunate. I truly feel sorry for you.
    " There has never been a good war or a bad peace " B. Franklin
  • coinguy1coinguy1 Posts: 13,484 ✭✭✭
    Kranky - great, thoughtful post, presenting more than one perspective.
  • angel i think u better watch yourself if u want help

    << <i>It must be nice to be so rich you can be so hurtful to someone less fortunate. I truly feel sorry for you. >>

    i dont really think any1 would call themselves rich on this forum..(with a few exeptions) the way i see it if u split up the money from the coins u showed on the boards 3 or 4 ways u wont be doing car repairs i haven't seen all the coins but from what i seen on the so far the for coins are worth about $52.25 at most when split four ways.
    image
  • This is a toughie. #1 I haven't seen the coins posted, so I have no judgement on the value #2 the first post I read from angel813 was this one, and I admit it stuck me as kind of rude, but I don't have a good grasp on the history of the previous posts, so their could be good reason for the attitude. #3 I agree with not all of us being rich, but I understand that you directed that comment to one board member alone #4 I also agree with Mrpaseo that their are always ways of getting needed money if you are all indeed hard working, but that may just be my naive side #5 my best advise to you is for you to get some good scans or images of you coins and sell them on Ebay. The market will set the price and you won't have to split the profits with a dealer. #6 if I haven't offended you with my previous comments, which was not my intention at all, I will offer you my services. I would be willing to liquidate all of you coins for you on Ebay for no charge. It would take a leap of faith on you part, but if you send me the coins, I will utilize my 10+ years of experience in the hobby, + my 3 years and 900 positive feedback rating on Ebay to try to get you the most money possible for the coins. No tricks, no deception, no mislabeling of grades, just honest picture, and honest descriptions that will allow the market to decide the value. You would be able to view each auction to determine what the closing price was, and I usually charge a fair price for shipping so you shouldn't have to incur any shipping cost either. Either way I won't be offended, I just want to show you there are some people willing to help. image
  • excelent post Krypt...angel, my advise..... take the leap as you can't ask for a better offer than that..Pat
  • PushkinPushkin Posts: 2,029 ✭✭✭

    Krypt,

    Really great offer. It renews my almost lost faith in human nature.

    Angel, you couldn't get a better offer for your coins, or of help. Take it and see what happens. That's my humble advice.
  • Krypt,
    That is one of the nicest and most gracious things I've heard posted on these boards.....my hat goes off to you and you should get the most honorable board member award....
    eBay Auctions
    Computer Services
    What did the doe say when she came out of the woods?.....Last time I do THAT for a buck! image
  • Better take Kryptonitecomics up on this, Angle813. That's a good deal.

    Ray
  • RGLRGL Posts: 3,784
    Krypto, you are a fine numismatist/humanitarian and I well know they exist on these boards. My hat is off to you, sir. You, of course, well know to set a reserve so nobody cherries/snipes such a coin below its worth. But, please, if the need for money is not so great, hang on to a couple of coins in memory of your father .. they will only grow in value through the years. Perhaps the coin illustrated is his "dream" coin, the one he went on a financial limb for. But, only you know what you need and when you need it. All the best ...
  • PushkinPushkin Posts: 2,029 ✭✭✭

    Angel,

    I second RGL's advice. When my father died my mother sold hundreds of silver dollars and half dollars that he had collected over a 30 year period. She was in financial difficulty and my two sisters and I were still just youngsters. The regret of selling everything, rather than keeping a few pieces still lingers after many years. Those memories are worth so much more now than the coins ever were, and they are sadly missed even as we have all grown up and old. I don't know your actual circumstances, but I suggest you consider saving at least a few of the coins. You won't regret it.
  • dorkkarldorkkarl Posts: 12,691 ✭✭✭
    i swear harold's name is going to get mentioned by somewhere in this thread.

    OOPS! just did.

    K S
  • leothelyonleothelyon Posts: 8,459 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Hi Angel813
    I was just about ready to give you some pointers but kript (his name is Dan) is your best bet.
    You can send Dan a PM (private message) by clicking on the red padlock in the upper right corner of his message post. You might try starting out with a few coins 5 to 10 to see how it goes. When you send them to Dan, he will grade them and post them on Ebay and direct you to where the auctions are located so you could watch as they unfold. Because you have limited knowledge about how to grade coins, this is why it is difficult to know what your coins are worth. Dan has sold many coins and has great feedback. Feedback is information a seller receives from his buyers and Dan has done quite well in the coin market. I would futher recommend locating a couple of books. The Photograde guide by James Ruddy and a guide book of United States coins by R. S. Yeoman. I could personally lend you my two books or they can be easily obtained through ebay if you have an account with them to buy and sell but that would mean providing ebay with a credit card. Another thing you could do once you have become familiar with the ebay site is to use the search box to locate similar coins you have and compare them to the pictures most ebay auctions provide. Be sure to ask Dan about the best way to send your coins by mail. I recommend using insurance but Dan will be able to help you with that. And lastly, don't expect to reap a fortune with your coins as they are not certified. What I mean by this is that many buyers are particular about spending large sums of money on raw coins. And the main reasons for this is the possibilities that a coin may be a fake or that it may have been cleaned. Another reason is a buyer wants to be certain about what a coin grades so he can have an idea on what he is buying and how much the coin is worth before placing a bid on that coin. And again, if there are any coins of yours that would fare better on the market if it were certified then Dan will recommend to you that this would be the way to go for certain coins if you have them. But on the other hand you need to remember that it is not feasable to certify a $10 coin when certification fees are as high as $30. But it would be a good idea to have a coin certfied that has a $300 value, if you see what I mean. In conclusion, over time, if your coins begin to show a profit, remember the good deed that Dan is doing for you and that there are other fees that accumulate when selling coins that need to be considered. Help out with these fees and keep an open mind and learn along the way. Hopefully,
    after a few sales, you may be able to grab onto the bull’s horns and eventually gain enough knowledge to
    venture into selling your coins on your own.

    Good luck with this endeavor. I’m certain many forum members will want to see how well your coins do on the market. And they may very well bid on your coins if you have certifiable coins that may help their collections.

    Best regards, Leo

    The more qualities observed in a coin, the more desirable that coin becomes!

    My Jefferson Nickel Collection

  • Top Notch Krypto!! Angel813 - you won't get a better deal than this one. I doubt there are many coin dealers up in your part of the state, and they aren't likely to give you as much as a decent auction will on eBay. I don't collect many of the series you posted on the BST board, or I would consider taking a day trip up to see you and making an offer myself.
  • VERY impressive responses! (For the most part.) You've been given some exceptional advice from some experienced and capable people, angel. Disposing of collectable coins is a very tricky business. I've been through it, angel, many of us have. Hopefully, you've already been in contact with Dan. Good luck!!
    Home brew is best - Never drink alone
  • That is an awesome offer and I really appreciate it. I sent you a PM. Thank You but I cannot impose like that.
    " There has never been a good war or a bad peace " B. Franklin
  • I think Angel813 is making a great decision to keep to coins. Good Luck, things will work out in the end.

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