How would you handle this?

coinnut86

One of my dads clients comes to him today and tells him he was cleaning out his basement. He says he found about 100 bucks worth of indian heads, some silver dollars, and some silver certificates. He says ''I knew you were into collecting, what are they worth, and what should I do with them'' My dad is no longer into collecting, so he tells him that I might be of some help. What do I do? I know very little about indian heads, or silver certificates, and maybe a little about silver dollars. Do I help him search through them all, do I just shoot him a price for the lot? Should I buy them? What would you do? The guy is in his mid 70's and was asking about an online place to look up the values, I only have my coin world US coin values book. Any advice?

DrWho

take an inventory, dates of each item.

try to grade them, worn out, like new, general circ, or try the sheldon scale.

look them up on the PCGS price guide, mulitply by 75% to get a nearer true value, or look them up on ebay completed auctions.

offer them on the PCGS BuySellTrade forum, BEFORE ebay. cheaper and less chance for a bad 'experience'.

if you list the inventory here, we can be of better help, but, please, try BuySellTrade forum first.

Gemineye

If he is 70 years old and a client of your dad....tell your dad to replace your coin values book or Red book and give it to the old guy. I'm sure he's got nothin' to do in his spare time.It'll keep him busy.The book won't cost you much and the old timer might just be as generous....

2bits

Help him catalog what he has,paying special attention to looking for key dates for the series like 1877 and 1909-S indians pointed bust 1860,, if you dont feel confident grading and valuing the coins,, then pass him to someone who has the qualitfications to help him value the coins and notes.

Rick

777

He more than likely would enjoy your company looking through his collection, you could sell everything here for him also; no auction fees

relayer

<< <i>I know very little about indian heads, or silver certificates, and maybe a little about silver dollars >>

Now is a good time to learn then

MrXray

Check them out and make the old timer an offer to buy them, or BST board for him.

coinnut86

Can anyone give me a place where I can get info on the silver certificates? Any specific ones to look for?

thanks for all imput thus far

Heywood

Most silver certificates from the 30s and 50s are worth about $1.15

However, there are some rare blocks, mules sig combinations.

You should post the dates and SNs on the currancy board

TorinoCobra71

See if he REALLY wants to sell them or is just looking for their value.

TorinoCobra71

"Everyone has their Price!"

PerryHall

I think he just wants a free appraisal.

Coinhog

<< <i>I think he just wants a free appraisal. >>

coinnut86

yah, I'm really not sure if hes wants to sell or not. I'm going to see if I have time to call him tomorrow. Either way, I dont mind giving a free appraisal, it lets me learn, and see all of the neat coins I just hope he knows the difference between indian head, and wheat head

BlindedByEgo

Hang out with the fellow, show him smoe love and attention... Help him out - you know more about coins already than 99.99% of people "out there"

Since one could assume that there aren't any MS66's in the lot, how much trouble can you get in if a 1906 IHC is really a VF30 instead of VF25

This link should help with the currency, at least for a quick ballpark.

Have fun - our seniors deserve a little of our attention. You might find out he's got some great stories!

WACoinGuy

$100 worth of Indian cents (I assume you mean face value?) would certainly be a nice hoard even if they are pretty worn. It would be a fun excercise for you or he to look through, sort them, catalog them, etc. Definitely worth going to see what he has and then ask whether he wants to take the time and effort to go through them or if he's just looking to sell the lot quickly.

coinnut86

I can't even imagin $100 (yes I understood it to be face) of cents, maybe/ secretly hoping he doesn't have that much, I find it a little hard to believe that he just found them while cleaning maybe it's not so far off, but I think if they end up being indians and not wheaties I have a feeling the majority will be from 1880-end

I'd be a little disappointed if they were wheaties

Also, if he wants to sell as a lot, what do you think I should offer? I'm kind of broke right now, but how much over face?

WACoinGuy

I'm not sure what Indian cent lots go for, but maybe checking E-Bay auctions for an idea would be a good start. Remember to factor in the time and effort you're going to have to put in looking through the lot. Depending how good a client this is of your dad's, you may want to consider some sort of consignment, where you keep say 20% of whatever the coins end up selling for. That way he won't feel like you're ripping him off (if it turns out half the coins are 1877 cents).

PerryHall

<< <i> I just hope he knows the difference between indian head, and wheat head >>



I just hope he knows the difference between wholesale and retail.

zeus135

Wow, what an opportunity to learn about certain coins you didn't know much about before.

Go get yourself a new Red Book, and ask him if you can go through them all. Invite him to do it with you. Sounds like fun to me. Once you get a feel for what's in the pile, make him an offer that you feel good about.

coinnut86

I'm going to call him tomorrow, I guess theyre all wheat heads, my dad was use to calling them wheat ears, so when he heard the guy say wheat heads he thought indian heads ... newbs

what would anyone suggest for a price in buying the whole lot?

Coxe

How can anyone pass up opportunities to look at coins? Certainly go and have a look. See if they are original (certifiable) and not cleaned. 100 bucks in IH cents? Get one of Rick Snow's books and note the important varieties at a minimum and look for them. KNow the better silver dollars and how to look for rub, even if you don't want to search for interesting VAMs. Old coin collections and hoards that are offered a personal look are OPPORTUNITIES. You never know what you'll find.