Do you have any valueless numismatic collections?

291fifth · July 8, 2014 11:43PM

Not priceless, valueless.

A valueless collection is one that contains items that are of such low value that the costs related to selling the collection would exceed the sale price.

In my case:

1. A collection of about 75 modern era elongated cents that have been gathered at various shows, many ANA and MSNS, over the past 30 years. I once tried to sell these as a lot on eBay for $9.99 and didn't get so much as a watcher, let alone a bid.

2. A small collection of Numismatic themed telephone cards from the 1994-1997 period. (Remember when those were going to be the next great collecting area! There were even specialized publications that covered them. One coin dealer sank all of his capital into them and sank with the market. Today they seem to be deader than dead.) Several years back I listed them individually on eBay and didn't get a single bid.

ricko · July 9, 2014 12:15AM

I do have an impressive tennis ball size accumulation of belly button lint......

Cheers, RickO

lostincoins · July 9, 2014 12:25AM

Nope everything I collect has a value to me.

pf70collector · July 9, 2014 12:32AM

PCGS MS 66-68 State Quarter from 1999-2004. Has some value but not much. A few of the MS 68s have some value, but the majority aren't worth selling individually.

TwoSides2aCoin · July 9, 2014 12:51AM

Nope. Even the recycling center pays something for it.

Nap · July 9, 2014 12:57AM

Good thing about collecting coins is you can always spend them for face value.

CoinRaritiesOnline · July 9, 2014 1:14AM

I have a bunch of sample CoinWorld and similar holders with modern nickles in them.

While these are not exciting, and I do not anticipate getting rich off them, I am pleased to report that all of the coins within are "original", and none are AT.

Bayard1908 · July 9, 2014 1:31AM

I have a binder containing my best metal detecting finds. It's really just junk silver, mainly Mercury dimes. Each coin is in a crown size flip, and the insert tells when and where I found the coin. Although this collection is of negligible financial value, it's precious to me because I can vividly remember finding and digging up each coin. Looking at the coins helps refresh my recollection.

bosco5041 · July 9, 2014 1:57AM

I have a collection (a large bag full) of assorted wooden nickels. I doubt I could even sell them.

BryceM · July 9, 2014 2:07AM

<< <i>I have a bunch of sample CoinWorld and similar holders with modern nickles in them.

While these are not exciting, and I do not anticipate getting rich off them, I am pleased to report that all of the coins within are "original", and none are AT. >>

Are you absolutely sure they're original? Have they been certified as "original?" How can you be sure? Maybe they were dipped once and have re-toned. Maybe they are AT and you just can't tell. Maybe you will get rich from them......

Icollecteverything · July 9, 2014 3:30AM

<< <i>Good thing about collecting coins is you can always spend them for face value. >>

Unless they are tokens. I have some modern tokens that aren't worth much.

I also had a habit of saving moderns in late die state. Interesting to me but most are not worth any premium.

jhdfla · July 9, 2014 3:38AM

I have an assortment of trolley tokens that my mom gave me before she passed some years ago. She was involved with the Philadelphia trolley system during the second world war. They are from all over the country, from Hawaii to Chicago to the east coast cities. Aside from the fact they were my mom's, they are interesting to me as they represent an era of transportation from a time gone by.

JJSingleton · July 9, 2014 4:52AM

Sounds like you are describing my collection.

GMan · July 9, 2014 4:59AM

That coffee can of dateless Buffalo nickels.

Boosibri · July 9, 2014 5:03AM

<< <i>Sounds like you are describing my collection.

>>

Says the guy who recently posted a 1861-D G$1

johnny9434 · July 9, 2014 5:14AM

so mine is at or near face value, its still got value

bsshog40 · July 9, 2014 7:16AM

A united states album holding all colored statehood quarters.

cladking · July 9, 2014 7:45AM

I've got a collection of (mostly) round stamped discs that are unidentifiable.
How about a large collection of foreign coin and token planchets?
There's a collection of '60-D bar nickels with about 100 different of 25 major "types".
I have hundreds of different gasoline tokens from the '60's and early '70's but some of these are worth a little money.
I have hundreds of different bicentennial medals and tokens that would be a burden to sell
Anyone looking for 28mm souvenir good luck tokens from tourist sites or...
...how about the big 39mm aluminum tokens from museums?
Tool checks?
Pyramid tokens with the all seeing eye (it's actually the eye of horus but it got confused).

People might actually be surprised at what you can sell. There are collectors for things
like car wash, amusement tokens, and Mardi Gras doubloons but they are harder to find.
Many collectors seek specific items like milk bottle caps and actually pay good money for
them. Many tokens are desired by several different specialists so get a lot more demand
than you'd think.

Even things that are essentially "worthless' like sales tax tokens will bring good money if
you have some of the rarities or high grades.

Some people might laugh at you for collecting "worthless" coins and tokens but they are
remarkably inexpensive and just require a lot of "heavy lifting" and postage. Sometimes
you'll even get the last laugh like my collection of early Indian republic coins that have been
hotter than firecrackers for a few years now. A complete set couldn't be given away ten
years ago but it's gone from $160 to $7,000 in the last couple years.

Most things that are extremely inexpensive are inexpensive because there is no demand.
Sometimes they are extremely common as well so demand won't help but if there is no de-
mand and they are common then there will be a very high attrition.

Did I ever suggest that things change or time flies?

Lakesammman · July 9, 2014 2:45PM

Telephone cards??

I wonder what the highest value Starbucks card would go for??

lordmarcovan · July 9, 2014 5:41PM

I've got ongoing folder collections of Jefferson nickels, Statehood quarters, and National Parks quarters I've been filling from circulation.

Most if not all are worth exactly what I've got invested in 'em... face value.

coppercoins · July 10, 2014 2:04AM

I have a small collection of pennies I picked up off the ground throughout my son's childhood in areas where we were vacationing, visiting, having fun, etc. I'd pick the coin up, stick it in a special pocket, then flip it later with the date, location, and event we were attending on the flip insert. The point was to give it to him when he grew up as a "momento" of all the places we had been and all the things we had done. I have one I picked up off the deck of a steamboat on the Mississippi River. I have one I picked up on a trip to Six Flags. I have one I found on his first stint at scout summer camp.

The coins have no numismatic value, but tell part of the story of my son's childhood. He's currently 17 and is not ready to appreciate it, so I'm hanging onto it for the time being.

AMRC · July 10, 2014 3:12AM

A whole plastic container of "stuff" including fakes. Some day I will offer the whole lot on eBay

Baley · July 10, 2014 3:18AM

I've travelled to a lot of different countries and islands and have brought back a handful of coins from each one, essentially a relatively effortless type set of what was circulating at the time, I'd set aside nice examples of each denomination, as well as one or two low denomination bills sometimes. Friends and relatives have also brought me samples of foreign coins from places they've visited.

The collection has very, very little market value; many of the coins are obsolete, but they were issued in vast quantities and there is essentially zero demand, as lots of folks do this)

dlmtorts · July 10, 2014 5:10AM

I have the ultimate in worthless collecting endeavors. I remember that as a child I pulled from circulation silver coins, buffalo nickels and wheaties because they were no longer made. Now eagle back Washington quarters are no longer made so I pull all I come across in circulation (about 50%) simply because they are no longer made. I don't think many people are doing this because these are worth face value and will likely remain at that value during my lifetime. So, I am making an effort to collect quarters worth a quarter. But, I haven't stooped to lincoln memorial zinc cents yet!

Coinstudy · July 10, 2014 6:24AM

i have a 1963p dime it was found by metal detector where the boardwalks used to be after tropical storm Sandy.The sand and salt water have completely removed the silver laminate exposing the precious metal alloy core.its one of my favorite coins and there is no market for this type of a coin.Often wonder how long this dime laid under the boardwalk.probably would not sell it anyway.

cladking · July 11, 2014 7:09AM

<< <i>I have the ultimate in worthless collecting endeavors. I remember that as a child I pulled from circulation silver coins, buffalo nickels and wheaties because they were no longer made. Now eagle back Washington quarters are no longer made so I pull all I come across in circulation (about 50%) simply because they are no longer made. I don't think many people are doing this because these are worth face value and will likely remain at that value during my lifetime. So, I am making an effort to collect quarters worth a quarter. But, I haven't stooped to lincoln memorial zinc cents yet! >>

You're probably way ahead of the curve here.

So far there's still not much of any collector activity showing up in circulating quarters. The
first thing that's noticed when it does show up is that tougher dates and higher grades begin
to disappear faster than anything else. Even hoarders have a tendency to rerelease culls, very
worn, or common coins meaning these will build up in circulation as better ones disappear.

Right now about 56% of circulating quarters are states and parks issues and it's increasing rap-
idly right now. This increase is primarily due to a stronger economy demanding new coin and
to the fact that people naturally allow their "stash" of loose change to build up in good times.
This "stash" in aggregate will tend to be older coins meaning it's disproportionately eagle reverse.

There are so many eagle reverse coins surviving that the percentage probably won't collapse
very fast unless the FED starts pulling culls and worn coin. In any case though people won't
start pulling out the older coins until the percentage drops to about 25% and this will take ten
to fifteen years if current trends continue.

I've gotten rolls of quarters (40) with as many as 29 post-1998 coins. Perceptions change and
when these perceptions affect large numbers of people there can be massive effects. I'm sure
any collector trying to find something like a nice well made 1971-P quarter might believe it's al-
ready too late to assemble sets. It's getting to the point now that even the late dates are tough
in chAU. You can find AU-50's all the way back to 1988 but try finding any of these that have a
shiny edge and nice!!!

So very many of the folders for the eagle reverse coins have been sold. If everyone tries to com-
plete and upgrade them at once it will take a long time and some collectors will have "only" VG's.

It would be great to see what the circulating clads look like in 20 years. Over the last half cent-
ury there have been more than a few surprises and the biggest ones may be yet to come.

Do you have any valueless numismatic collections?

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