I remember Coins in Woolworths circa 1964 - Cali Gold, Barbers...

[Houston Investor]

I saw this topic on another board and it touched some long burried memories.

 

I remember circa 1964 (Meyerland Plaza - Houston Texas) coins being in accessible display cases on one of the isles (Woolworths). They were priced a little bit above of the retail of the time. I recall seeing coins like Silver Dollars, California Gold, Barbers, Walkers. Mostly stuff priced from $5 to $25. You could simply take them out of the case or off a J hook and put in your cart. Later the cases were locked as I am sure shoplifters had a field day. The only person who could see a potential theft would be about to happen would be the checkers (this display was on an aisle visible or perpendicular to the checkers not further back in the store). However the checkers were too busy to really notice what would be going on. A guy I went knew thru the YMCA had shoplifted many of these coins - Cali fractional gold, barbers, etc. He would show off these or resell them and brag what an "easy lift" they were. A coin shop was within walking distance of the Y and I heard of an instance where he stole a $10 Indian off the bid board. I believed he was eventually expelled from the Y. After that I lost track of him. The Woolworth coins would have been an easy lift for a thief as all they would have had to do is take the item to another part of the store not that much observed and simply put it in their pocket. I think later on they wised up and a customer would need to ask a cashier to unlock the cases! That Woolworths would have this kind of lax security with coins is unthinkible today. Security CCTV was more sci fi than reality in stores at that time. I wonder if you have any memories of these coins in Woolworths and particulars like what kind pieces and prices / et. Were they in a locked case or were they available to be handled and possibly taken off? 1964 was a year of more folks becoming interested in coins. Gold was cheap then and the 1950-D nickel was king and everyone had to have one. The BU roll craze ruled. I remember paying $82.68 in 1969 (money from a summer job) for a 1907 Saint (arabic numeral) that I kept in my collection for a long time - it would have been MS 65 at the very least (it was sold for a substantial profit more than a decade before slabbing in 1974). I also had 17 1969-S proof sets and remember a dealer offering me $18 each for them. I sold almost all of them to him and bought gold coins. If you did mail order then and ordered uncirculated coins, more likely the coin you would receive would be an AU slider or worse. Talk about sight unseen......

[BillJones]

There were no coin shops in southern Delaware where I grew up. Therefore Woolworths was all there was. The prices were all quite high for the time. They charged $4.50 for half dimes that graded from AG to Poor for Classic Head coins to VF to EF for Legend obverse Seated pieces. Years later I sold some of the half dimes at a profit, but at the time I bought them, they are about 4 times the wholesale price.

 

The "Cal gold" coins were the gold plated reproduction pieces with "Eureka," a bear and just a fraction, like 1/2, on them. There was no "Dol" or "cents" to be seen on them. They were the modern junk stuff, and they charged $2.00 for them.

 

The highest priced item was the 1939-D Jefferson nickel. They charged $6.00 for them at first and then the price zoomed to $12.00.

 

Indian cents in Good were 85 cents and Barber dimes were $1.50. Both of these prices were quite high for the time. In general it was not a great place to buy coins, but, like I said, it was all there was.

[EZ_E]

My memory doesn't stretch back that far since I was born in '65. However, I was a serious collector at 9 & 10 yrs old. I had a complete set of Lincoln cents minus the keys but I did have the '14 D. For whatever reason, the 1975 S proof cent skyrocketed up to $25 for the one coin in 1975. That was the same price for a generic Bust half that I had purchased. Contrast that to the $50 I had paid for my nice VG 1914 D. Luckily I never did get much into proof sets. I did purchase a 1976 proof set immediately upon availability for something like $16. This is actually one of the very few set/coins that I had as a kid. Certainly not much of an investment!

 

The best deal that I found was when I discovered a VG 1914 D Buffalo in a junk bin of Buffs for only .15C.

[bartlesvilleok]

Sadly i have never been to a Woolworths. Are they even still around?

[World Colonial]

That makes us the same age and I was collecting at that time also, though I quit later. Here are some prices I remember from 1976.

 

Capped Bust halves 1823-1836 VF $35 XF $45 Unc (presumably MS-60) $450

Most Barber halves VF$40 XF $85

1805 Draped Bust half (the coin I really wanted) F $90 VF $160 XF $300

Draped Bust Dollars F $295 VF $395 XF $800

1893-S Morgan Unc $25000

 

My collection at the time consisted primarily of five coins because I traded all the foreign coins I received. I had three Capped Bust halvesXF or XF+, an 1860-O F Liberty Seated dollar and an 1878-CC LSQ VF.

[jtryka]

I don't remember Woolworths, but I recall in the 1970s that both Marshall Fields and Goldblatt's had coin departments (unfortunately neither store is around anymore, Goldblatt's went bankrupt and Marshall Fields is now part of Macy's). I recall that the Marshall Field's coin department was on the 3rd floor of the store near where I lived, in a little glass case behind all the vacuum cleaners and small appliances. The coins weren't too impressive, but the prices were always high. I don't recall the prices, I was probably 8 at the time, just that they were more than I had to spend!

[BillJones]

Sadly i have never been to a Woolworths. Are they even still around?

 

No. The company went into a sort of voluntary bankruptcy 20 to 25 years ago.

[EZ_E]

Very cool, cuz! (thumbs u

 

I also remember the redbook value of a 1909 S VDB was around $300 in uncirculated. That was when unc was just unc. Can you imagine the cherry pickin' someone could have done with today's knowledge?

 

Now where did I misplace my damn time machine?

[BillJones]

For whatever reason, the 1975 S proof cent skyrocketed up to $25 for the one coin in 1975. That was the same price for a generic Bust half that I had purchased.

 

The explanation behind that promotion was that the 1975-S cent had "the smallest mintage since the 1914-D." That game did not last very long, but while it was around people and some sharpie dealers were playing it.

[EZ_E]

Yep, I've long since learned not to play the hype game unless I'm the seller. If this second roll of Lincolns doesn't play out like the first then I'll just cancel my order before they're shipped. I sure wish that's the way I played the 10th anniversary gold set instead of just buying one set. I could have purchased 10 on my credit card and, if they were a dud, just sent the order back. Oh well, I still made $4400 profit on my one set.

[Houston Investor]

Yes I now recall that the 1939-D Jefferson was one of their coins. This issue along with the 1950-D 5c was considered an "investment" issue. And their prices were certainly high. At the Myerland Store I would think a lot of the coins not locked away in a glass case were probably picked off by shoplifters as store security was lax by todays standards. Eventually the coins were locked up in a glass case. But prices were above red book at that time. It is tough to remember things about individual coins back that far but its also depressing considering what a bargain commems, dollars, and gold were at that time. I recall buying a nice XF-AU 1935 Peace dollar from a guy in the school cafeteria for $1.15 and then him bragging to his friends how he had "gyped" me. I heard later he had gotten it in change in the school cafeteria a day or two earlier.

 

As far as the Cal gold coins I suspect they were replica junk but the prices seemed high. There was something that turned me off about them either the price or small size. Plus in 1964 I was only 14, on a limited budget, and not familiar with a lot of USA esoteric issues. Indian Head Cents, Dollars, and Barbers were what I was interested in. My main price guide was the red book or some dealers pricelist from Coinage. I could not afford a subscription to something like CoinWorld.

 

People were serious into Lincoln and Jerfferson sets at that time and the irony is I remember a small shop on Bellefontaine in Bellaire that had all kind of pre 1921 Morgan Dollars in BU at $2 to $2.50 which was a lot of money for me then. Coins were simply graded Unc or BU and I recall collectors saying "its normal for BU Morgan Dollars to have some bagmarks." The concept of MS numerical grades were at least a decade away. I remember buying some here and there around the $2.50 to $2.75 range as I could afford them that were a tad nicer probably MS 63 and above by today's standards and being laughed at by an older collector for not buying the less expensive (poorer quality pieces he was buying in bulk). To each is own I guess. Remember that was the era of the BU Roll Craze and the 1950-D nickel was the premier investment coin.

 

 

[tonidanzawillpay]

 

 

My collection at the time consisted primarily of five coins because I traded all the foreign coins I received. I had three Capped Bust halvesXF or XF+, an 1860-O F Liberty Seated dollar and an 1878-CC LSQ VF.

[Coindude]

Really great perspective on something I would have otherwise never known about. The most I saw was an old converted gumball machine that charged 50 cents and you could get used cull indians and v nickels and the sort.

[bartlesvilleok]

That sounds like a neat bubble gum machine

[DWLange]

My first coin purchase was from a Woolworth store around 1967. I bought a 1914 cent in Good for 75 cents. Is it even worth that much today? Another kid later lifted it from my coin folder. That was my reward for trying to educate my peers about the hobby.

 

Seated Liberty Dimes were 75c, Barber Halves were $1.75, and Morgan Dollars were $3. These were high prices for the time, and I doubt that the values of these coins have even kept up with inflation.

 

In the 1960s, the Woolworth store in downtown San Francisco had its coins mounted within steel-framed, glass panels that swiveled like the pages of a book. I've seen similar panels used in museum displays years ago, long before the interactive, multimedia exhibits one sees today. To see a coin in hand, I had to ask a clerk to unlock the panel. I never bought another coin there, but I spent a lot of time looking. Later, during the 1970s, the coin and stamp department was moved to a center console for greater visibility, probably due to shoplifting or other security concerns.

[TJ'S Coins]

Woolworth is still in operation in the UK and South Africa.

 

I remember well the coin section of several Woolworth stores. My best score was a California Gold token. It is only a replica but still pretty cool. My budget allowed for mainly cents, nickels and the occasional dime. I did purchase my first red books and Whitman folders from them too. I believe that S.S. Kresge also sold coins. This was the parent company to KMart many moons ago.

[WoodenJefferson]

I can remember my Mother dragging me to Woolworths 5 & 10 to buy school clothes even while summer was still in full force. We’d drive the 20 miles in the Chevy Coupe, my Mother manipulating the clutch and steering wheel mounted shifter, grinding gears as I starred out the window. The steel dashboard sported an AM radio that would fade in and out, the cloth seats were hot and the smell of burnt oil permeated the air.

 

Arriving at the store was like going into a time warp. The clothes isles were narrow and tables were stacked 3 and 4 feet deep in blue jeans. All sizes, all cuts but yet none would ever just quite fit until sufficiently broken in. The change rooms were cramped and had just a curtain to protect your from another person invading your space.

 

You’d have to put the stiff jeans on and then come out and show your Mom as she continued to flip through the stacks of jeans. Bingo, close enough Mom can we go now? Since we are here, we just as well get your winter clothes too!

 

Awww Mom!

 

The Corduroy stacks were much smaller and your Mom had the size pegged, so it was just a matter of time before your were released and able to run free in the store.

 

I would immediately head to the Pet Section to check out the Parakeets and Finches. Having zero money, all I could do was look, but look I did. The coin case was at the rear of the store near one of the freight doors, it was not manned by a person, but they did have a ringer bell on the counter.

 

Peering into the case, I could immediately recognize Franklins, Walkers, Liberty Dimes, Buffalo nickels as some of those could still be found in change, but when it came to the Barber coins, large cents and V nickels, it was like these coins came from another planet.

 

Once a year visits with no money to spend was unfortunate for a would be coin collector, but at least I could actually see what our Fore Fathers used for coins. Even though I never purchased a single coin from F.W. Woolworth, I still had a heads up later on as to what to look for and as to what other people were collecting.

 

Thanks.

 

Note: In the pet department, I remember a plastic washtub like tank with rocks, water and a single green plastic palm tree sticking up in the middle filled with baby painted turtles. They would scurry about with an occasional dead or dying one in the corner. It stunk but was pretty neat to a boy who could catch them all day long for free, but city folk would have pay a whole .50 for one.

[BillJones]

One thing I noted about the Woolworth's coin area was that the stock varied between small towns and large cities. At the Milford, Delaware store, which was near where I grew up, the selection of older coins and odd items, like Civil War tokens, was very limited on non-existent. The locked case with pages that turned was mostly filled with Indian and Lincoln cents, Liberty nickels, Barber dimes and a couple of large cents or half dimes.

 

Up until the early 1960s my father was in the holly wreath business. He produced Christmas decorations for sale in stores, and he also made some specialty items public places. One year he made a very large wreath that was used at Rockefeller Center. Another year he made the wreaths that on the backdrop for the Ed Sullivan TV Show.

 

The week before Christmas he would travel with my mom to New York City to check out what the competition was making. By then his season was finished because his customers had bought their decorations for the year. Sometimes they took me along. On a few occasion I got to see the coins at a Woolworths that was located next to the Hotel Taft. Their selection was much more varied with more older coins available plus some Civil War tokens. The prices were still high, but the selection was better. Years later I saw the same thing when I visited “The World’s Largest Woolworths” which was located on Tremont Street in downtown Boston.

 

[Conder101]

Once a year visits with no money to spend was unfortunate for a would be coin collector, but at least I could actually see what our Fore Fathers used for coins. Even though I never purchased a single coin from F.W. Woolworth, I still had a heads up later on as to what to look for and as to what other people were collecting.

I can identify with that. I first became interested in coins in 1966 when I was five years old. But I had no money and so for the next six years all I was able to do was to read every coin book or periodical I could get my hands on. Went through the school libraries and then finally drained the main branch of the City library (A ten mile bike ride into downtown Louisville, read all day, then ride home. Wasn't old enough to be able to check the books out. Couldn't do much at the branch libraries because I wasn't old enough to be allowed into the Adults section, and there wasn't anything of interest in the children's section.)

 

During those years I visited the local Wolworths a few times but quickly realized that the prices were 1) inflated, and 2) I didn't have any money anyway.

 

During those years I only managed to get to a coin shop once. And the dealer threw me out because I was just a kid. In later years I never bought from him unless I was able to cherrypick him. Eventually we got to know each other on a more social basis and when he died I was involved with the appraisial and disposal of his personal coins. Two of the most impressive pieces were MS 1795 eagles. One thing I wish I had been able to see were the four MS 1796 quarters he had purchased from the Col Green estate. But he had sold those years earlier to pay for cancer treatments for his wife.

[Houston Investor]

I did not buy any of the Woolworths coins for similar reasons - priced way above market and out of reach. There were much better deals at coinshops like the one I discussed above selling BU Dollars at $2.75 each.