In the Portland Metro area, population 1.5 Mil to 1.75 Mil there are 9 Shops.
Three are downtown and not worth the traffic problems. Two are on the west side but usually have nothing I need. One of the West Side Shops is owned by a forum member. Two are on the East Side of which I go to one on a regular basis for Darkside coins. The last two are in Vancouver with one of them being my favorite in this area by far. Still he has very little that I collect but he is a great guy to shoot the breeze with and very knowledgable.
Oh Yea the second one in Vancouver is our buddies "Bluemoon Coins".
Three more shops are 30 miles south in Salem, population a little over 100,000, but they basically have very little in the way of coins I need.
As someone else said, Ebay is the way to go around this Waste Land or the Web Sites of Major Dealers. Heritage Auctions work well also.
There is a guy who sells coins, mostly common stuff, at the flea market about 35 miles up the road. The next closest is probably another 30 miles up the road, maybe further.
PCGS Currency: HOF 2013, Best Low Ball Set 2009-2014, 2016, 2018. Appreciation Award 2015, Best Showcase 2018, Numerous others.
<< <i>One where I live in Great Falls MT. There's one in Helena (Wayne Miller) 90 miles away, one in Missoula (180 miles away) and one more in Billings (225 miles away). Each city has around 40,000 to 55,000 people.
Steve >>
One in Bozeman, too. Or is that too far?
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.
There are several here in Denver, but even better is the ANA museum in Colorado Springs. Granted, nothing is for sale but you can browse all you want. And usually when I go to the coin shops, I end up just browsing anyway!
<< <i>One where I live in Great Falls MT. There's one in Helena (Wayne Miller) 90 miles away, one in Missoula (180 miles away) and one more in Billings (225 miles away). Each city has around 40,000 to 55,000 people.
Steve >>
Missoula has a coin shop? I didn't realize the city was that big! I've been through there on the train twice..
Here in H-town, there are two that get my business. There is a third that claims to be a coin store that is less than a mile from my homestead but it is primarily a stamp place.
I tried to walk in once but was thwarted. When the worker went to buzz me in he asked what I wanted. I mentioned morgan dollars he shook his head no and walked away.
At least we have a coin show about once a quarter.
There are 2 small shops about 15-30 minutes away (Central Virginia) Nothing good.
Hey, as far as Norfolk goes, I was down there last month. There were 3 or 4 in the phone book, and I talked to one shop and went in another one. (Very nice shop a few miles north of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel)
Robert Getty - Lifetime project to complete the finest collection of 1872 dated coins.
Being on a military installation, out where God lost his shoes, I'm 100 miles away from Salt Lake City. That's the closest dealer from me, and as far as I'm concerned, may as well be a million miles after one or two deals with them.
Craig
The Rede we live by: If it harms none, do what you will.
1 pawn shop here in Ames which I have never been to. Fes Moines 30 miles south has 1 coin shop 1coin/stamp shop and 1 coin/jewelry shop. The selection of certified Morgans is extremely limited as you mite guess.
Well, within an hour or so drive, 5. Two you can put their entire stock in a large shoe box, one tries to deal in only high end big profit stuff, and the other has junk, so they are essentially worthless. Another has what appears to be a decent selection, but its nothing but garbage, he likes to pray on the newbie and gullable. The fourth is a crook who likes to tell you a tall tale and act like a big time coin know all dealer, and the fifth is by appointment only. If I expand that to longer than an hour, but less than two I get one more. His stock is usually decent but again quantity is a serious problem so its rarely worth the trip. If I go more than two hours, I am sure there are more, but I only get an opportunity to frequent three. One is a crabby old fart who usually has garbage at high prices, another is a pleasant old fellow, who really only has garbage. The third is the most decent one of all who has a darn good selection, but his prices are a little higher. None the less he is a nice guy and will deal a little with me if he happens to get something in that I need when we cross paths. Its a shame he is so far away, as I do not get a chance to travel that far on a whim often.
Missoula has a coin shop? I didn't realize the city was that big! I've been through there on the train twice..
Missoula has around 50,000 people. It's a big college town, with the University of Montana on the east side of the city. The coin shop is actually pretty small with very little selection to speak of. I'm not impressed at all with them. I bought a few CC morgans from them, but later found out they were cleaned/overgraded and ended up trading/upgrading them through Wayne Miller in Helena (who has really helped me enormously in my Morgan search).
Comments
Three are downtown and not worth the traffic problems. Two are on the west side but usually have nothing I need. One of the West Side Shops is owned by a forum member. Two are on the East Side of which I go to one on a regular basis for Darkside coins. The last two are in Vancouver with one of them being my favorite in this area by far. Still he has very little that I collect but he is a great guy to shoot the breeze with and very knowledgable.
Oh Yea the second one in Vancouver is our buddies "Bluemoon Coins".
Three more shops are 30 miles south in Salem, population a little over 100,000, but they basically have very little in the way of coins I need.
As someone else said, Ebay is the way to go around this Waste Land or the Web Sites of Major Dealers. Heritage Auctions work well also.
Ken
<< <i>One where I live in Great Falls MT. There's one in Helena (Wayne Miller) 90 miles away, one in Missoula (180 miles away) and one more in Billings (225 miles away). Each city has around 40,000 to 55,000 people.
Steve >>
One in Bozeman, too. Or is that too far?
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.
I hadn't even thought about Bozeman. It's actually closer to me than Billings, so I'll have to get down there this spring/summer.
Thanks for the heads-up
Steve
We'll use our hands and hearts and if we must we'll use our heads.
Would that be the in Va. Beach just down the street from Pembroke Mall? Va Beach is my hometown.
<< <i>One where I live in Great Falls MT. There's one in Helena (Wayne Miller) 90 miles away, one in Missoula (180 miles away) and one more in Billings (225 miles away). Each city has around 40,000 to 55,000 people.
Steve >>
Missoula has a coin shop? I didn't realize the city was that big! I've been through there on the train twice..
I tried to walk in once but was thwarted. When the worker went to buzz me in he asked what I wanted. I mentioned morgan dollars he shook his head no and walked away.
At least we have a coin show about once a quarter.
correct - and we'll leave Stack's out of this unless you have a mink coat and 500K
No real coin shops in Brooklyn either - actually Queens too has no coin shops to write home about and what we're talking millions of people here
Marc
Hey, as far as Norfolk goes, I was down there last month. There were 3 or 4 in the phone
book, and I talked to one shop and went in another one. (Very nice shop a few miles north
of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel)
Craig
<< <i>In the Chicago Metro area (within a 50 radius of downtown Chicago) we have maybe 50 shops! >>
I live 5 miles south of downtown Chicago and have visited 6 local coin shops, 3 of which are worth revisiting.
1 and it sucks.
Great transactions with oih82w8, JasonGaming, Moose1913.
Missoula has around 50,000 people. It's a big college town, with the University of Montana on the east side of the city. The coin shop is actually pretty small with very little selection to speak of. I'm not impressed at all with them. I bought a few CC morgans from them, but later found out they were cleaned/overgraded and ended up trading/upgrading them through Wayne Miller in Helena (who has really helped me enormously in my Morgan search
Steve