Coin shop report 8/30/11

[Plastic]

Went to the coin shop this afternoon and I am here to say make sure you look in the 90% buckets when you go shopping next time. My dealer had an assload of barber dimes tossed into his because the melt value has exceeded the numismatic value. I grabbed 15 of them while trying not to look like I was cherry picking (4 in vf/ex condition, the rest with full dates).

All total I managed to get a whopping 40 silver dimes mercs/barbs for 120.00 which is all this poor mouth can afford these days. It seems like yesterday that I coulda walked out of his shop with 9 or 10 full ounces for that 120 frn's.

Anyway, just wanted to sing out that you may start finding barber and worn thin seated liberty coins in the 90% buckets at your favorite shop so make sure to dig deep down and dredge the coins over a few times if you get a chance to.



120 dollars won't even buy a damned roll of dimes anymore... wretched thieving fed...


P.S.

Plastic loves barber coins with full lettering and dates.

[1970 silver art]

During the last few times (since mid-July) that I went to the dealer that I go to to look for silver art bars, they had a decent stock of .999 silver bars and rounds. That is a recent turnaround for my dealer because they usually did not have much silver in stock. I am sure that will change when silver drops under $40 and goes back to that $35-$36 range because 1.) some of my local dealers will hold back their silver inventory until it spot silver recovers or 2.) people will come in and buy all of the silver that they have in stock.

Hey Plastic, do not feel too bad because I cannot buy as many silver art bars like I used to. Too bad my paycheck did not go up at the same rate that gold and silver did.

[StreetsOfGold]

I grabbed 15 of them while trying not to look like I was cherry picking

Heck, when I visit my dealer I always cherry pick and don't try to hide it one bit :)

[Grog]

Cherry pick away. They will respect you more when you find gems they have overlooked.

[1970 silver art]

There is noting wrong with cherry picking. You know what you like and you know what you are looking for. Everytime that I go to some of the local area dealers that have silver in stock, I always cherry pick when it comes to buying silver art bars. I have found some rare silver art bars from local coin dealers by cherry picking because I usually know what I am looking for and I have gained enough silver art bar knowledge to recognize certain rare silver art bars when I see them. The dealers do not mind because I have done consistant business with them for several years and they already know that I am a silver art bar collector based on past buying habits. Most local dealers will not care if you cherry pick because it is all silver to them and they just want to move the inventory and generate a profit.

[gunDriller]

cherry picking

last weekend i was at a neighbor's garage sale and looked through a pile of silver plated silverware.

i found a Towle Sterling butter knife, weighs about 29 grams.

cost ... 25 cents.

http://www.sterlingshop.com/v/vspfiles/photos/7274-2.jpg

[madfranks]

Funny you start this thread Plastic. Last time I was at my coin shop he had a few barber dimes in his junk bucket too. They weren't nice looking, but I made sure I got them all.

On a related note, he had a ziploc bag filled with mint state, uncirculated merc dimes, but they were a premium above the other junk coins. They looked fresh from the mint, perfect detail, sharp rims and blast white color. I couldn't afford much, but I couldn't resist picking some of them up too.

[big country]

I stopped at a dealer I had never been to awhile back, his prices were a little higher then my normal guy but he had more inventory. I wanted the merc dimes, but they were all in a mixed junk bucket. I started picking through getting the mercs out and he told me I couldn't "cherry pick" or look for specific dates in that bucket. I told him I didn't want specific dates, only the merc dimes and he said I can only take those if I buy $10 face atleast. I then told him he didn't even have $10 face in merc dimes and that was all I was interested in. He started throwing a fit, but my normal guy never has much so I ended up buying a 10oz bar along with all of the merc dimes I picked out so he would sell to me. He was really pissed about the whole thing, middle eastern guy, I haven't been back.

I dunno why they act like that...doesn't make sense to me?!?

I know what you mean with silver getting high though, last time I bought I had $500 with me. I asked for his stack of SAEs (he had 17) but I could only get 13 of them :( Dealer said he couldn't believe silver was so high. He was shocked at how little silver $500 was buying. Dealer only charges $1 over for SAEs but I have to pay sales tax in my state no matter how large the transaction.

[madfranks]

He started throwing a fit, but my normal guy never has much so I ended up buying a 10oz bar along with all of the merc dimes I picked out so he would sell to me. He was really pissed about the whole thing, middle eastern guy, I haven't been back.

Sounds like that guy should have had a separate bin for the mercury dimes if he didn't want to sell them for the same price as all the other "junk". If it's not junk silver, don't put it in the junk silver bucket.