Buying multiples

lunytune2 · January 19, 2015 9:26PM

When buying coins for you particular series , do you buy multiples of a better date if you find them available? Not a common date , or a rare date , just something that will hold it's value. Or do you just upgrade and sell ?

Walkerguy21D · January 19, 2015 9:29PM

I generally buy multiples if I can find them priced right.

How long I hold depends on how long until I meet someone that needs one.

Edited to add - I will generally buy just about any pre-1844 large cent in VF or higher, or pre 1816 in VG or higher, if problem free and priced right.

bosco5041 · January 19, 2015 9:38PM

I would consider it for the right coin. But it is not a normal thing I would do because there are so many coins I would like to have.

MrHalfDime · January 19, 2015 10:04PM

I definitely buy multiples of coins in my series, but for a completely different reason than stated by the OP. If I identify that a certain die marriage of half dime saw a progression of deterioration of the dies, involving die cracks, shattered dies, cuds, and other anomalies, I will buy multiples of that marriage for study. This is called "die state" collecting, and enhances one's understanding of the minting process. Progressive die studies of varieties can be extremely interesting.

illini420 · January 19, 2015 10:32PM

At one point, I owned over 100 certified 1908-S Indian Cents. Couldn't decide which ones to put in my grading set I was building so I just kept buying them all

I've also probably owned more than 500 different certified 1909 VDB Lincolns in the last few years... just like them and can't help myself from buying them

There's a few other better dates I'll buy when I see a decent example, even though I have them already...

So yeah, sometimes I buy multiples of certain dates I like

For very expensive coins that I can't afford to hold multiple examples, I would probably do the upgrade and sell.

OldEastside · January 19, 2015 11:53PM

Yup, and I keep em, perhaps I'll sell off some, someday, I'm in no hurry

Steve

Broadstruck · January 20, 2015 12:07AM

The bad part of doing so is sometimes something comes up that's a bit pricey...

Which you could easily afford without spending new money if you just could get yourself to part with your duplicates.

lasvegasteddy · January 20, 2015 12:11AM

i have too many holes to have spares going

funny though...a good part of what i'm doing contains many same dates
my sms coins are different styles of toning and a cameo...then same with non sms of same date...a high grade with different styles of toning

this keeps me busy enough

ricko · January 20, 2015 1:04AM

The only multiples I have purchased are accented hair Kennedy's.... have quite a few sets now....Cheers, RickO

AUandAG · January 20, 2015 1:24AM

Yes, I buy multiples when I get the chance and price is right....sell off when I find a collector with the need.

bob

AMRC · January 20, 2015 1:33AM

I cannot tell you how many times this winds up holding collectors back. I can share one story of a GSA collector who wanted to upgrade a coin in his registry that would have required a purchase of over $10,000. He was unsure where he could get the money until we pointed out the dozens and dozens of duplicates he had bought of the lower value coins as duplicates. I did it myself for years. I rather own one extremely fine example of one thing rather than 50 lesser examples.

DeepCoin · January 20, 2015 2:06AM

I am in the camp of not holding multiples of the same date / mintmark. As has been stated, unless you are developing a grading set, there is not much reason to keep multiples unless you are starting to hoard a series. That is just MHO and others may view things differently. That said, this does not apply to folks who collect by things like the Overton series of Busties... and those are not really duplicates.

Too many funds tied up in coins that are lesser keeps you from being able to buy better coins.

All that said, I would NEVER criticize someone for their collecting habits. If it feels good to own 10 of a certain date mint mark because it pleases you, go for it. Just understand it restricts funds for other purchases.

originalisbest · January 20, 2015 2:23AM

There's good wisdom here about being able to afford one "very" nice coin if you can bear to part with duplicates. Generally, I don't have any -- with the exception of a few nice silver BU rolls. With those in mind, I can see where pursuing multiples of a given date/mm would be a pleasing pursuit -- they're fun to see all out on a tray, etc. Everyone's different -- have to collect in whatever way affords you the most fun.

roadrunner · January 20, 2015 2:25AM

I once bought 7 orig 1867-s seated quarters from one dealer who had just purchased an old hoard of S mint quarters. They ranged from F15 to VF30. Had they not already sold all the other better dates I would have bought a pile more of whatever they had. What I paid for those 7 coins back then doesn't even buy you a single Fine coin today.

Another time I assembled a roll of 1858-0 dimes and a half roll of 1840 wd/1840-0 wd half dimes..... I liked those dates.

Type2 · January 20, 2015 2:28AM

Yup I just bought this last week and I don't have a Lincoln set any more. But for the right price I'll buy anything.

metalmeister · January 20, 2015 2:29AM

Me too. After I buy the first one. Oooooo there is a nicer one , and another..
I have a stack of 81S Morgans PCGS, NGC, ANACS in 65/66 . But they all come SO NICE! I can't control myself

Jinx86 · January 20, 2015 2:47AM

Only coin I can say Ive been a hoarder of is 1931-S Mercs, but Ive pulled them from 90%. I think I have upwards of 150 tucked away.

Also I tend to buy nice Barber Dimes whenever I get a chance.

blu62vette · January 20, 2015 2:58AM

I buy multiples of dates where I like the pops. Sneaky dates viewed as common but in reality not so common. It makes up for not being able to find anything for the set lately and these would be easily sellable if the right coin came along.

Lakesammman · January 20, 2015 3:08AM

Only samples.

drddm · January 20, 2015 3:11AM

I do have a few bust halves of the same red book variety because I know they will hold their value especially in the upper hard to find grades. And I would buy more if could find them and afford them.

seanq · January 20, 2015 3:17AM

I will always pick up extra examples of better date or top condition clips when I can find them. Rather than tying up funds, several times I've wound up using those coins as trade bait. I recently traded about 50 different date / mint mark Lincolc cent clips to someone who was trying to rebuild a date set, before that trade I had close to 75% of another full date set in duplicates.

Sean Reynolds

BillJones · January 20, 2015 3:23AM

I generally don't buy multiples, and I generally sell off the lower grade coin when I buy an upgrade. I usually don't what to have money tied up in the multiples.

I do have a few exceptions. One is the raw set of $2.50 Indian gold coins I have. That set its Capital Plastics holder looks neat and selling the coins out of it would destroy the look. I also tend to hold on the multiples when I REALLY like previous coin and think that it is under graded in the holder. I have not played the crack-out game for a number of years, but I also don't care to get hosed with a coin that is under graded in the the holder.

stman · January 20, 2015 3:25AM

I owned 30-35 1807 Capped Bust halves all in my possession at one time. All different grades and varieties. I have owned more than that but that is the most at one time. Can't afford them now. Too bad the prices had to go up!

Pokermandude · January 20, 2015 3:32AM

I generally only buy multiples of the same coin if the eye appeal and/or toning is nice and different than pieces I already own.

rhedden · January 20, 2015 3:34AM

I'm not much of a hoarder. I do sometimes upgrade a coin and then get too lazy to sell the old one. I generally think I should let my duplicates go so that someone else can enjoy completing their set. The exception is if I get two or three examples of really, really choice, original coins of the same date. I have a hard time letting go of duplicate coins that rate highly on the eye appeal scale.

shish · January 20, 2015 5:13AM

"I generally think I should let my duplicates go so that someone else can enjoy completing their set. The exception is if I get two or three examples of really choice, original coins of the same date. I have a hard time letting go of duplicate coins that rate highly on the eye appeal scale."

Buying multiples

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