Ancient and Rare Coin Online Community
Communing online can be so worthwhile...even when you have to point someone else to an auction of that rare Beanie Baby. And ancient coins? Forget it! But you smiley-face anyway, because it's "Netiquette." Bad online manners can haunt you with an online coin dealer worse than a bad Indian or wheat penny. Remember, on a mailing list, you don't know who might be reading!
If you want to try online rare coin dealer listing and communities, put your shekel where your mouth is and visit some of our favorites:
* The Ancient Coin Market, http://www.ancientcoinmarket.com/
* VCoins.com, http://www.vcoins.com/ancient/
* About.com, http://coins.about.com/od/famousrarecoins/
* CoinLink.com, http://www.coinlink.com
When you're on a quest for that perfect Justin II Follis Nikomedia Byzantine coin, remember to be polite. Your Beanie Baby competitor may outbid you on that bear, but she will probably return the favor by referring you to the rare coin dealer and ancient coin dealer she uses, with a "TTFN" (that's Ta-ta for now) and a Caesar smiley face. Great Caesar's Ghost, look at the Web site--your Beanie Baby friend is the coin dealer in question! Isn;t cyberspace grand?
Ancient and Rare Coin Dealers
Your taste runs to rare and ancient, except when it comes to beef. When it comes to coins, if they're both rare and semi-ancient (the fabled 1804 Draped Bust silver dollar is your dream collectible) or ancient, you're happy.
But how do you find an ancient coin dealer and a rare coin dealer? Ancient or old coins aren't necessarily rare, especially if there are replicas floating around. Rare US coins aren't necessarily ancient. What do you do?
You want, for example, to get your hands on an ancient and rare Gaelic coin, such as the Robert III 1st Issue Heavy Groat, 1390-03 with the Fleur-de-Lis. Do you just hit all the ancient and rare coin dealers in the phone book? Is finding coin dealers for these types of coins going to be a nightmare? Not necessarily.
When looking at a list of rare coin dealers and ancient coin dealers, decide if you want Gaelic, Greek or Old German--that's Saxon or Teutonic to you, or Bavarian. Do an Internet search for "Gaelic coin dealers" or "Gaelic coin dealers in London, Ontario" or "rare coin dealers in Maryland."
A hot well-done tip for collectors: make sure your rare coin dealer is authorized by one or more of the major coin authentication and certification services. You can buy from a rare coin dealer that's not on the list, but you never know what you're going to get--like dining at your mother-in-law's house when she serves week-old steak.
An ancient coin dealer that you like and trust is rare and valuable. Treasure that like an exquisite rare prime rib...or haggis, if you've completely gone Gaelic.
Banks as Rare Coin Dealers
Your bank offers free checking, online bill pay and ID theft protection. Does it also offer rare coins?
If the bank offers bullion for sale, the answer is no. Bullion coins such as the US American Eagle and the Canadian Maple Leaf aren't rare coins. Banks and coin dealers both sell them. Your bank won't market bullions as rare coins, so if you think they are, think again. You can, however, invest in third-party gold through your bank, which many coin and investing experts recommend.
In terms of commemorative coins that could become rare, the National Bank of Poland became a coin dealer when it started selling commemorative coins with the image of the late Pope John Paul II for $1.60 to $180 USD.
Bank on this: Any so-called "bank" that calls during dinner offering you "rare" coins is not a legitimate rare coin dealer but a telemarketing scheme.
After all, you've come to expect more and more from banking. But the best way a bank can gauarantee you rare coins is to give you a safety-deposit box for that Byzantine piece.
Small Town, No Coin Dealers
You live in a town with a population of less than 1,000. The closest you get to a coin dealer is the antique store where you might find an old coin on a good day. You like small-town life, but you hate driving two hours to the city to find coin dealers. Does finding coin dealers have to be so hard?
Don't get the small-town blues. All you have to do is go online and search for "us coin dealer," "coin dealers," "rare coin dealer," or "ancient coin dealer," and voila, you'll have ten solid leads, not including the paid listings such as Google AdWords.
If you're suspicious of buying anything where you can't see a human face (small-town life does lend itself to trust) and want to risk the trip to the city, ask your coin collector friends who they buy from. Getting recommendations is key, whether you're buying from coin dealers in the city or online.
If you can't find a coin dealer that suits you online or in the city, take a trip away from Smallville and attend a coin show. Tip: If your small town is NASCAR country, sports cards and collectibles shows sometimes feature coin dealers. Take a trip with your neighbors. Small towns do tend to gossip--while you're not sneaking away for a secret rendezvous, you don't have anything to hide, either, and you want to let your friends in on your hobby. Given small-town loyalty, Jimmy from down the street will probably back you up if you get in a bind with an unscrupulous coin dealer.
Small town life. You wouldn't trade it for a rare coin, and now you don't have to.
Coin Dealers and Coin Shows
Hordes of screaming obsessed people with ability to spot and argue over the most trivial of details. Harried sales assistants. A near-fanatic loyalty. No, we're not talking about a Star Trek convention. Coin shows can be chaotic. They are also excellent places to go about finding coin dealers.
While you can't always find out if that US coin dealer or rare coin dealer will make an appearance, you can check with the coin show organizers, say if you're going to Canada to the 2006 Westminster Coin Show. Usually coin shows are sponsored by coin clubs and international organizations. Members of those organizations, say PNG or ANACS, will probably have trade show booths.
If the coin dealer you want isn't going to be part of the coin show, ask that ancient coin dealer for a schedule of appearances.
While strolling the convention center, don't get caught up in the lines and the mad rush. If a dealer doesn't have quite the coin you're looking for, ask for a catalog of their other inventory. This may be preferable to paying a higher price than you intend at another dealer table.
You can enjoy your coin show, especially since you won't be drawn into those tiresome Kirk versus Picard debates.
Yellow Pages Coin Dealers
You've seen the ads for "that book" and are tempted to just look up coins. No, not the Bible, though the Bible has plenty to say about money--shekels, talents, Prodigal Son, render unto Caesar. You want to buy Caesar coins, or shekels, or Biblical coins and you wonder if the Yellow Pages will help you.
There's no more risk in looking up coin dealers in the Yellow Pages than there is in, say, calling a car dealership or a repairman. Or a Bible shop. But you can avoid a plague of locusts if you observe the following tips:
o Check out coin dealers with PNG, ANACS or one of the major guilds. That Biblical rare coin dealer could have a history of problems or might not even belong.
o Just because that coin dealer doesn't sell wholesale doesn't mean you have a potential shyster. Coins aren't a wholesale business--if you want bulk, go to Costco. Coin dealers have to render unto Caesar what is Caesar's.
o Check your local Better Business Bureau or government to find out if there are any charges or lawsuits pending.
o Talk to coin collectors in your area to see what they say about that rare coin dealer.
o Have a specific coin, if not two or three, in mind when you call or visit the coin dealers. As with any other business, the service you get on the phone will give you an idea of whether or not you'd like to do business.
o See what the other merchants in the neighborhood say. Do they like the owner of the coin dealer shop? Would they do business with that coin dealer?
The Bible says, "There are none so blind as those who will not see." Don't be so blinded by your quest for the perfect coin that you fail to do your homework after checking the Yellow Pages,
Indian Head Quarters
There's been a hullaballoo in the Professional Numismatists Guild over the rare Indian Head Quarter Eagles coins. The PNG says that these rare coins are selling for new low prices, but are valuable coin specimens. Even the 1911-Denver Mint piece isn't outrageously costly if you're collecting a complete set. In other words, Indian heads won't cost you an arm and a leg. Collectors who don't mind pricey acquisitions can buy a 1929 coin, the last year of the set, for $575 at one dealer we know.
How do you find a good Indian Head Quarter Eagle US Coin dealer and rare coin dealer? You might check the PNG Dealer Directory--any organization that has twelve tips for eBay rare coin buyers is worth its weight in rare King of Siam 1804 silver dollars.
Another great way to find coin dealers who sell an Indian Head Quarter Eagle is to read magazimes such as Coin Connoisseur (www.coinmag.com). Look for "Early US Coin," "Rare US Coin," "Quarter Eagles," and similar phrases in classified ads. Then you can make a hullaballoo too.
Online Coin Dealers
You've heard the online horror stories. Your nephew or niece accidentally viewed a porn site. Your best friend had that disastrous date with a hunk from an Internet dating site. So you're leery of finding coin dealers on the Web. True, you trust Amazon.com, but...
Not to worry. Most Internet coin dealers are legitimate, whenther you're looking for a US coin dealer, rare coin dealer, or ancient coin dealer. Just observe online dos and donts of coin dealer Googling.
DO:
* Google that coin dealer. You probably won't find anything negative, but it never hurts.
* Check with the Better Business Bureau online or RipOffReport.com.
* Check Epinions.com.
* Buy from coin dealers who advertise that they belong to the ANA as well as the major certification and authentication services, PCGS, ANACS, NGC, CCCS, ICG, PCI, NTC, and ACG.
* Get referrals from real-life and online hobbyists. While flaming in newsgroups is common, online hobbyists usually protect each other.
* Take advantage of that FAQ and customer service section. Bonus points if they have an online chat or call center.
* Check out their eBay auctions and what eBay users say about them.
DON'T:
* Buy from any dealer that uses spam.
* Buy coins without doing your homework. There are many excellent coin resource guides online.
* Bid at an online auction without having a set limit of how much you will bid.
* Take online newsgroup chatter as golden. Consider the source of pro or con recommendations.
* Buy from an individual seller without viewing photos of their coins. Take the photos to a numismatist or coin authentifcation service if possible.
* Give out any personal information. If they ask for your Social Security number, refuse and RUN.
* Buy from an online site that isn't secure. Look for the lock and key on the lower right of your browser. Most secure online coin dealers will announce that they have SSL encryption. They may be backed up by Verisign or TRUSTe to guard your privacy.
Buying online can be the ultimate in convenience...but remember your friend's tale of woe about the smooth Brad Pitt dead ringer who turned out to have two ex-wives and a drinking problem.