My biggest "Bonehead" coin blunder..What's yours?
Buffchips
Posts: 14
Just to lighten things up a bit around here I thought I let everyone in on my darkest coin secrete.
It's been about two and a half years now since I made the mistake of connecting to the Internet. My second mistake was finding my way to the Half Dollar auctions on Ebay. I found what I was looking for. When I was a little guy my Grandfather would always have a Walking Liberty half dollar to give me when he come for a visit. I hadn't seen one in years and thought I'd take a look. Something from deep within was pulling at me as I looked at some of the WL's that were listed. I had to have some. I started buying raw coins at first. Then, as I picked up more knowledge about coins, I started buying a few slabbed PCGS WL's. I learned about grading and how the MS70 grade was the best. One day I was looking at some other coin listings and came across the new WL Silver Dollars. I bought a few of those too. On one of my searches through Ebay I came across TWO (count them, 2) PCGS MS70 Silver Eagles. They were listed from the same person and had an opening bid of $150.00 each with two days to go on the auction and no bids yet. I was very excited! I took the day off to snipe the coins and I got them both!! HAHA,,I was the only one bidding on the coins. I knew I had something special. I knew the 70's were the Tops, but I didn't know just how special and sold them off on Ebay about 6 months later. One sold for $450.00 and the other went for $700.+++ something.
Is that BONEHEAD or what?
So what is your biggest coin blunder?
Buffchips (The Troll)
It's been about two and a half years now since I made the mistake of connecting to the Internet. My second mistake was finding my way to the Half Dollar auctions on Ebay. I found what I was looking for. When I was a little guy my Grandfather would always have a Walking Liberty half dollar to give me when he come for a visit. I hadn't seen one in years and thought I'd take a look. Something from deep within was pulling at me as I looked at some of the WL's that were listed. I had to have some. I started buying raw coins at first. Then, as I picked up more knowledge about coins, I started buying a few slabbed PCGS WL's. I learned about grading and how the MS70 grade was the best. One day I was looking at some other coin listings and came across the new WL Silver Dollars. I bought a few of those too. On one of my searches through Ebay I came across TWO (count them, 2) PCGS MS70 Silver Eagles. They were listed from the same person and had an opening bid of $150.00 each with two days to go on the auction and no bids yet. I was very excited! I took the day off to snipe the coins and I got them both!! HAHA,,I was the only one bidding on the coins. I knew I had something special. I knew the 70's were the Tops, but I didn't know just how special and sold them off on Ebay about 6 months later. One sold for $450.00 and the other went for $700.+++ something.
Is that BONEHEAD or what?
So what is your biggest coin blunder?
Buffchips (The Troll)
0
Comments
My bonehead move was a few years ago... I still remember the coin (I think) 3 cent nickel- very frosted... maybe a cam proof, I don't really know... $15! I had already picked stuff out and didn't have $15, so I gave it back... it was sold when I went to the store the next week- I feel so bad!
Jeremy
During the summer months I'm usually on my Harley. I had a nice hoard of GSA CC'c (stack of 14 sets, 2 x 1878, 2 x 82, 5x83, 5x84) These had all been shipped to my work and I decided it was finally time to bring them home for better safe keeping.
I loaded them into my backpack (you can see this comming) and jumped on the bike and headed for home. About 3 miles from home I thought I was having a problem with the sportster, It was just a annoying little like thumping sound here and there. Ididn't think anything of it, about this time this guy behind me started blowing his horn and flashing his lights, so I finally pulled over.
I still remember that sinking feeling of total gut wrenching pissed off to the world scream I let out, My back pack had become unzipped and I had been slowly dumping these CC sets down the road for the last few miles. I did the back track thing and would find a set here and there, at one point all I could do was sit on the side of the road and watch as half a zillion cars pulverized my CC sets, you could see the coins flip up in the air and roll across the road and then get whacked by another car. There was plastic everywhere, even the freaking boxes were destoyed
I ended up saving 4 plastic holders with coins intact, the others were just destroyed. The only ones saved were 2 of the 82's and 2 of the 84's. The whole incident cost me around 2grand, as one of the 78's was a strong 65 and the other was a 64. I mounted the mutilated coins in a holder and have them hanging in my office.
Max the CC Killer
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You have my sympathy!
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.
Coinlearner, Ahrensdad, Nolawyer, RG, coinlieutenant, Yorkshireman, lordmarcovan, Soldi, masscrew, JimTyler, Relaxn, jclovescoins
Now listen boy, I'm tryin' to teach you sumthin' . . . . that ain't no optical illusion, it only looks like an optical illusion.
My mind reader refuses to charge me....
But it looked "old" (it was a nicely toned unc example) so I cleaned it up with a pencil eraser to make it look like new.
so I wont even try.I hope You have enjoyed some good luck
in your collecting since that incident.
Camelot
Had some money so I just started buying. But I knew I could do the cheapest path by buying raw and submitting. Had it all planned out. Would buy one of those uncirculated morgan auctions and slab them. They would all slab 63+ and I would be happy. Well, I bought 12 "uncirculated" morgans and submitted. Everyone came back AU. I basically wasted lots of $$$ for the coins, the submissions, and the postage. It almost caused me to just throw in the towel and say forget it. Came really close. But I just went to types for a while and left Morgans behind. But over time I learned more and learned how to not get as fleeced. Really helped and I got back into Morgans.
Now, I'm finding that submissions cost so much money I just don't want to spend it anymore. That's why I'm moving to only buying slabs and using coinworld holders (or other) for whatever else I get. After I take the grading class in March, I'll be even better at it. Now if I could only find more money to spend... That's the part of this hobby that really throws a wet towel on enthusiasm. It just costs so much money.
Neil
Ebay is so funny that way. It is almost like some glitch in reality that allows a person to buy a coin with no other bidders and then turn around and double or triple your money on Ebay, with nothing more than a few weeks, or months time elapsed.
It has happened to me a few times. Nothing that dramatic, but have bought many coins on Ebay with huge scans from great sellers, and win them with no opposition, just to turn around and sell the same coin for a 50% or 100% increase a few months down the road.
Except in my case the reverse has happened plenty of times too
Tyler
Come on guys (and ladies) We still wana here your horror stories, I can't be the only "bonehead"
Here's another one, Had a boatload of auctions going on, one guys buys a crappy and well worn 1890CC, in Fine condition and another guy buys a 1890CC Raw MS63, sells for $420.00. I make the really brain dead mistake of sending the MS63 to the wrong guy, and vise versa, The guy with the crappy one contacts me, pissed off, wanting his money back and then to top it off the other guy pleads stupidity and says, "What MS63, I got a crappy one" So I have to refund the money and lost the coin.....
I'm an honest person, so I had to give the refund.
I'm making myself sound like a real idiot, but all these mistakes have taught me big lessons, #1 Don't drink and package ebay orders, this is very important. #2) Crap happens
Theres a few more stories to go along with these.
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I have a minor blunder to share. I am extremely careful with my coins so I don't make too many mistakes, but was cutting a nice circ. 1810 Bust half from its 2X2 with scissors and slipped and gave my nice original coin, big fat shiny cut marks on the reverse and obverse. Luckily the cuts just added a bit of character.
Tyler
Thank you for sharing that one. I had mine all lined up untill I read your story. Now all I can picture is you sitting on the side of the road and watching all this, I can only imagine how mad you were..
And I thought that kind of s*%@ only happens to me..
Gary
fairtraderz eBay auctions
Ha! Ha!!
P.S. You may all laugh in unison at me now!
Later
Chris
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