I am thinking about buying a coin bulk off of eBay but I was wondering if it is worth it at the end. The lot could have all modern coins or all old coins, and if lucky, with some silver or even gold; who knows what they put in them. I am afraid to get the first option, all modern. Also, the price is a little high for some pocket change from around the world. I never bought in bulk before so I don't know what to expect and if I even should proceed and buy one.
Quote: "Hello There"I am thinking about buying a coin bulk off of eBay but I was wondering if it is worth it at the end. The lot could have all modern coins or all old coins, and if lucky, with some silver or even gold; who knows what they put in them. I am afraid to get the first option, all modern. Also, the price is a little high for some pocket change from around the world. I never bought in bulk before so I don't know what to expect and if I even should proceed and buy one.
Hello there
In the US you can get some great deals on e-bay since shipping is low ! In Europe you can get a kilo of coins usually for about 15-20 euros + shipping that can cost you another 10 euros more or less .
Your lot can contain multiple coins for sure it all depends on what you are looking for !
A no value coin can mean nothing to me but it could be what you were looking for .
The coins that you get also depends from what part of Europe you buy from, whether its northern or southern Europe !! See if you buy a kilo of coins in the US your chances of getting a Greek -Italian or southern Europe coin is 10%, buying a kilo of European coins would be completely different than a kilo of US coin lot.
I avoid dealers and usually look for collectors that have excess coins that they are willing to trade kilo for kilo, that way our cost is only shipping. I have traded many times that way with Portugal, Brazil, India, and so on. I have a lot of Greek coins and I find it the best way to get coins in bulk.
There are gems out there, the hunt is the best !!
yiorgos
After reading a lot of reviews and forum post on this topic if your goal is to get old and valuable coins I suggest against it. Most if not all ebay lots are searched and will contain mostly modern (post-WW2) pocket change with a lot of duplicates.
Lots are searched by dealers for anything they can melt like silver and especially gold. It might contain a common, cheap low grade silver coin or two just to make it seem unsearched (something like a Roosevelt Silver Dime or a 10 Schilling) but you can forget about getting a gold coin. Old coins are a possibility since most dealers are after precious metals and don't care about old copper but this usually applies to coin store lots, not ebay. Ebay lots are usually searched a few times over by people that make a living off selling coins so unless you're very lucky there won't be any high value key dates.
In my opinion ebay lots are only good if you wanna expand your common world coin collection, if you're looking for old and valuable coins it's a waste of time and money, better to buy a lot at your local coin shop, antique store or better yet a yard sale.
If you decide to buy a bulk good luck and let us know if you find anything good in it!
I collect and deal in ancient Roman coin. In case you're looking for affordable ancient coins or need any help with the coins you already have send me a message.
Last week I bought my eighth bulk lot. 12.5 pounds of assorted coins from a local coin shop who let them go for $6/lb. Very few pre-war coins, no silver, but a high percentage of Caribbean coins pegged to the dollar... helps me break even. Also, very few 21st Century coins as well.
I have also bought bulk lots directly from other collectors, but never from online stores.
They are a great way to start a collection of world coins and even give yourself the beginings of a swap list but despite what the vendors might claim they have been picked over for anything worthwhile. What you are getting is the leftovers, pretty much a bunch of UK decimals, Canadian cents and the contents of a Mexican roadsweeper's cart. Treat them for what they realistically are and you won't be disappointed or overpay.
Any silver coins will be artfully arranged at the top of the pile and will be low grade, common dates. If you can see four silver coins in the photo you can be pretty sure that there will be a total of four in the whole lot. Same with pre 1900 coins to a lesser extent.
Buying from other collectors is slightly better, they may actually contain some worthwhile coins outside the scope of their collection. When I decide to have a clear out and crop the ever growing monster that is my swap list I get rid of anything I've got more than one or two of and group them together in date bands: 1960 - present, 1940 - 1959, 1920 - 1939 etc. etc. That way people know roughly what they are going to get and nobody is disappointed. Obviously a pound of 1900-1919 coins is going to cost far more than a lot of 1960+ ones. The main problem is always going to be shipping but at least now with the flat rate boxes you can make it somewhat cost effective by buying larger lots. Shipping is going to be the same.
There are bulk lots which are truly unsearched and full of older, high value coins. But these are sold to dealers by wholesalers and are not available to the public. (No, you can't claim to be an online dealer and buy them, you generally need a physical coin shop, licence and credentials)
Non illegitimis carborundum est. Excellent advice for all coins.
Make Numismatics Great Again!
Buying gold coin is always a smart investment. The gold coin price has seen a decent rise in recent years. In today's wavering marketing scenario, gold is the safest and the best investment. However, be careful about the source from where you will be buying the gold coins. Also, since you are buying coins in bulk, make sure that it is a mix of old and modern coins both.
Buying in bulk is a risky option, but the rewards are great if you're successful in buying one from a good seller. My luck in buying bulk lots off TradeMe and eBay has so far been good (I've bought about 6 or 7 now) and I've only had one disappointing one. You do get a lot of doubles or common types, but among them are usually some really good finds. TradeMe bulk lots are always great because they are usually filled with low mintage Fijian or silver NZ coins (but you can't buy them anywhere but NZ or Australia). As for eBay, I always aim to try and purchase the unsorted ones because usually... they are! One time I received a 1847 Greek 10 lepta from a guy in Hungary. So, it's really just up to your decision, but I would call it a risky business.
I will buy bulk only off my suppliers, a pair of old ladies who run several Dove shops (Thrift stores) and when people die, they inherit coin collections. Most of the coins are change and junk, but they let me choose my price and in some cases I may get 1000 or more coins for a song.
Generally corroded coins and most copper I am happy for them to sell to scrap metal dealers.
I love coins. Especially silver, gold and anything really old.
Member of the Royal Numismatic Society of New Zealand and the Auckland Numismatic Society
Buying coins in a bulk is always risky since you don’t really know what’s in store. You could get really lucky if the bulk has some valuable gold or silver coins. If you can live with the fact that the first option of “all modern coins” could still come your way, then go ahead. However, I personally would prefer to buy coins separately by doing a bit of research so that I am absolutely sure of where I am investing.
