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Do you attend estate auctions?

Does anyone else go to these, or had any good luck with them? The local B&M here in town also handles estate auctions locally. I get flyers from them maybe once a month, with a list of items for sale, and coins listed most of the time. Today's listing came with a pretty big list of coins, compared to the others I've gotten. Ex.110 morgans W/ 2 1878-cc, 1 1883-cc, complete circ. sets of Peace, Franklin, Jefferson, and nearly complete set of lincoln cents. 1960 small date proof set, and more US mint, and proof sets. 2 and 3 cent pieces, 1875-cc dime. Canadian proof sets, Israeli mint, and proof sets, and more stuff listed. I might check this one out.

Comments

  • I have attended many estate auctions. It's fun to watch other bidders over bid on common junk, it always makes me laugh.

    You can find some good things, I know I have.
  • commoncents05commoncents05 Posts: 10,096 ✭✭✭
    Not really estate auctions, but small coin auctions, by a local auctioneer. I find Great deals often at them, if there's stuff worth buying. A LOT of crap to sift through.

    -Paul
    Many Quality coins for sale at http://www.CommonCentsRareCoins.com
  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 46,867 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Try eBay. They have a ton of estate auctions. image

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • RichieURichRichieURich Posts: 8,553 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Try eBay. They have a ton of estate auctions. image >>



    EXACTLY what I was thinking. In fact, there is one seller who lists a lot of coins on eBay and EVERY ONE is "From Estate"!

    An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.

  • rec78rec78 Posts: 5,871 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Try eBay. They have a ton of estate auctions. image
    image
  • I'll echo a previous comment.

    There can be good stuff there but there is also a lot of poor common coins to sift through.

    Plus it is better to go prepared with what you want to buy and not go after something that sounds like a good deal but isn't.

    Sometimes people do bid stupid amounts for coins. I watched a partial set of buffalo nickels go for over three hundred dollars. The condition and rarity of the coins present meant it should have sold for around $120 retail.

    I rarely see any auctions with coins.
    Some call it an accumulation not a collection
  • LakesammmanLakesammman Posts: 17,461 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Cheap entertainment but low yield - have been to many. image
    "My friends who see my collection sometimes ask what something costs. I tell them and they are in awe at my stupidity." (Baccaruda, 12/03).I find it hard to believe that he (Trump) rushed to some hotel to meet girls of loose morals, although ours are undoubtedly the best in the world. (Putin 1/17) Gone but not forgotten. IGWT, Speedy, Bear, BigE, HokieFore, John Burns, Russ, TahoeDale, Dahlonega, Astrorat, Stewart Blay, Oldhoopster, Broadstruck, Ricko, Big Moose, Cardinal.
  • Does anyone here know where I could go to find a listing of upcoming estate auctions in Southern California?
  • BRdudeBRdude Posts: 1,079 ✭✭✭
    In my area, I believe most coins at estate auctions are not from the estates at all but from someone who furnishes the coins for the auctioneer to bring more buyers to the sales. Most stuff is common overpriced junk, BUT, there can be some decent buys if there is time to check everything out before hand.
    AKA kokimoki
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  • coinkatcoinkat Posts: 23,850 ✭✭✭✭✭
    estate auctions can be fun if you collect a variety of things besides coins

    Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.

  • VeepVeep Posts: 1,456 ✭✭✭✭
    I used to go a ton of them. Occasionally, I'd be able to buy something. Its a huge investment of time with VERY low reward. You have to search them out, drive to them early enough to see what's there, wait around (sometimes for hours) for the coins to come up only to have a couple of dopes bid double Red Book prices. After trying to buy this way for a while, I decided that the money was on the other side. I started selling coins this way and still do about 6-8 times per year.
    "Let me tell ya Bud, you can buy junk anytime!"
  • Better than estate auctions are government or bank auctions where items that were either evidence in a crime or left in a safe deposit box and forgotten about. Sometimes these yield great rewards.
    Greg Cohen

    Senior Numismatist

    Legend Rare Coin Auctions
  • UtahCoinUtahCoin Posts: 5,366 ✭✭✭✭✭
    My observation having attended a few true estate auctions.
    1. Bidiots slug it out to over pay for junk.
    2. Cherry picking can be great.
    I used to be somebody, now I'm just a coin collector.
    Recipient of the coveted "You Suck" award, April 2009 for cherrypicking a 1833 CBHD LM-5, and April 2022 for a 1835 LM-12, and again in Aug 2012 for picking off a 1952 FS-902.
  • BarberianBarberian Posts: 4,119 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>My observation having attended a few true estate auctions.
    1. Bidiots slug it out to over pay for junk.
    2. Cherry picking can be great. >>



    Very true. I have been to auctions where every numismatic item goes for around the same price, sort of a general price that ignorant people are willing to bid on coins, say $20. Common date silver dollars in AU, common Walking Liberty halfs, proof sets...each gets bid up to about $20. If there is a 1921D half dollar in VF...$20. OF course, really nice items are rare.

    My friend once won a small box of junk foreign coins that included 4 gold coins with bullion value back then of around $320 ($800 today) for $15. Nobody took the time to look through the entire box or recognized the gold coins as being gold.

    3 rim nicks away from Good
  • BECOKABECOKA Posts: 16,961 ✭✭✭
    No time, I would imagine that there is a lot of junk and that the good stuff would be so rare to come by that my time is better spent elsewhere.
  • ShamikaShamika Posts: 18,785 ✭✭✭✭
    Beware of counterfeit stuff however. I've seen many gold coins and trade dollars at these auctions and they are all raw of course. Their prices do seem to be pretty good, but since I don't specialize in this stuff, I won't dare bid. I only bid on coins of which I'm extremely knowledgable.
    Buyer and seller of vintage coin boards!
  • dorkkarldorkkarl Posts: 12,691 ✭✭✭
    lately they are a total waste of time out here

    K S
  • Nothing like going to an Estate Auction run by the local coin dealer...Man, I know theres some real good deals there..image
  • BochimanBochiman Posts: 25,556 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Beware of counterfeit stuff however. I've seen many gold coins and trade dollars at these auctions and they are all raw of course. Their prices do seem to be pretty good, but since I don't specialize in this stuff, I won't dare bid. I only bid on coins of which I'm extremely knowledgable. >>




    That's actually very good advice.
    I've been to ONE estate auction, since it was local, and was just milling around. Lots of junk, some "semi-nice" stuff, nothing slabbed, everything raw.
    Saw a Massachusetts piece. Was thinking of bidding on it but bumped into a few guys chatting and joined their chat. They were vest pocket dealers and had seen the piece. Said it was counterfeit and that they had told the auctioneer, and explained why it was counterfeit. Piece didn't come up for auction.

    Being the optimist, I will believe them and think that they acted in the good sense of saving someone from a mistake.

    I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment

  • Feh...the coins in estate auctions around here are mostly junk; low grade Morgans, common proof sets, and bullion. The buyers tend to over bid. But every now and I see something worth bidding on. At one estate auction, I bought a bronze 1912 Carnegie Hero Fund medal for $38.50 and sold it for $335.00.

    I like estate auction, but not when it comes to coins.


  • << <i>Try eBay. They have a ton of estate auctions. image >>





    I put up a link before that has whole estate auctions on the net and they are legit.

    Sometimes 2-3 running simultaneously. And usually every single night. They are live
    bid via the web site or if it's near you then you're in luck.

    But, no one took notice.



    Jerry


  • << <i>Does anyone here know where I could go to find a listing of upcoming estate auctions in Southern California? >>





    Yes.
  • fcfc Posts: 12,793 ✭✭✭
    i gave up on them. too much travel for too little reward.

    i prefer the places in NH like route 4 that have 20 antique stores
    in 30 miles.

    or 101A in NH. several stores.

    i find junk silver way below melt for example. old door knobs to fix
    up the old house. things like that. good prices.

    estate sales around here were junk brought in by the truck load
    and presented as from the estate. the people running them are
    basically crooked. they present things in a untruthful fashion. tons
    of junk.
  • OmegaOmega Posts: 1,587 ✭✭✭
    I have been to a few and can attest to bidiots bidding up common junk to stupid prices. I have also picked up a deal or two but it is the variety of collectibles to view that I enjoyed the most. They can be a long day...
  • You can search out auctions in your area using Auctionzip.com. Search auctions in your area at any distance from home that you want. Many do not show coins, but some do.
    Gary
    image
  • LongacreLongacre Posts: 16,717 ✭✭✭
    I've never been to one.
    Always took candy from strangers
    Didn't wanna get me no trade
    Never want to be like papa
    Working for the boss every night and day
    --"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)
  • I've been to several, and at a couple of them, when I went to preview the coins up for auction I was told that somebody had already bought them all... BEFORE the auction. That really ticked me off! Sorta defeats the purpose of the auction, doesn't it? Does this happen very often?


    Bob


  • << <i>Does anyone here know where I could go to find a listing of upcoming estate auctions in Southern California? >>




    Try Here


    Alan

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