How to find a decent, honest coin shop? 0

[PNGento]

I am really just getting started collecting...I've always loved coins, and have a decent number of coins, but not really a "collection" as much as just "a bunch of coins".  I live about 1.5 to 2 hours to any town that would have a coin shop, so I am looking for pointers on what I should look for, look out for, or any other helpful suggestions when searching for a store to give my business to.  Just on the outside chance, if someone has a specific suggestion in west Phoenix or northwest Phoenix area, please share if you feel comfortable doing so.  

What collecting groups should I join?  I have a gold membership to ANA and a free NGC membership, but plan to upgrade this.  

On submitting coins, I have a fair number I'd like to submit and a few that were graded/slabbed by some less desirable grading companies.  Which is better, to submit the coin in the slab it is in, or remove from the slab before submitting?  I would worry that if submitted in a slab claiming MS66 (for example), and a claim which is pretty unrealistic...would NGC or PCGS likely hammer it for the effrontery and give it a lower score than deserved, or would they understand and respect that you are submitting to them as you recognize they provide an honest judgment.  Anyway, any pointers on the above or other aspects would be appreciated...or just a nudge in a particular direction or to a particular resource.

[Coinbuf]

Welcome to the forum, do you know what kind of coins you are interested in?   I do not know of any shops on the west side, I live in Gilbert, the only local shop I give any business to is Xavier Coins in east Mesa.   The owner is a bit gruff but fair and I have over the years bought a few nice coins from that establishment.    There is a Phx coin club as well as the mesa coin club, I have heard many good things about both but am not a member of either.   There is a monthly coin show in downtown Phx titled "Camelback Collectables Coin Show" and held at the Phoenix Shrine Auditorium; 552 N. 40th Street.   The next show is Nov 13th, this is one venue that would be great for you to see lots of coins and to meet a few of the local brick and mortar dealers, as well as many local vest pocket dealers.   This is a one day show usually on the second Sunday of the month but once a year it has an expanded two-day show.   The Mesa coin club holds an annual two-day show, that will be on Jan 28th & 29th.

If you have any questions please feel free to reach out via DM here on the forum, I'll be happy to help if I can.

[Sandon]

   Welcome to the NGC Chat Board!  As this forum is for questions regarding the NGC Registry, your inquiry would have been better placed under the forum for "Newbie Coin Collecting Questions".  (From this page go to "Forums" and "Home" to find the list of forums.)

   I have been a collector for over 50 years, some 15 years before grading services existed.  While coin shops were fairly common decades ago, most dealers today conduct business at coin shows and conventions and/or through websites.  At coin shows you can compare the inventories of a number of dealers and get to know the dealers themselves.  While it is preferable to obtain coins through reputable dealers or purchase higher value or frequently counterfeit or altered coins that have been certified by a reputable grading service such as ANACS, NGC, or PCGS, it is fundamental that you acquire knowledge about the coins you wish to collect, then develop your own tastes, and not rely entirely upon the judgments of other collectors, dealers, or grading services.  You do this by reading, speaking to knowledgeable collectors and dealers, and, last but not least, studying the coins themselves.

   I'm not sure what you mean by "really just getting started collecting" or what your budget is. (It's less of a problem making a mistake buying a coin for $10 than when buying one for $1,000!)  At a bare minimum, you will need basic guides to the coins you wish to collect, a grading guide, and current price guides.  If you aren't familiar with or don't know where to obtain these resources, please refer to the post that follows:

   I don't think I've conducted business with any dealers from Arizona.  If you insist on buying more expensive material before you've become familiar with it, you might want to obtain it from dealers who are members of the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG), as they are well-established dealers who are required to abide by a code of ethics, have a substantial net worth, arbitrate disputes and fulfill other membership requirements.  There is a member directory on the PNG website at www.pngdealers.org.  Coin World, one of the publications I refer to in the above post, publishes an annual dealer directory by state but does not endorse the listed dealers.  The Phoenix coin dealers the Coin World directory lists are Arizona Coin Exchange, Inc., P.O. Box 9356, Phoenix, AZ 85068, (602) 863-9088, C and C Coin and Stamp, 3404 N. 24th St. in Phoenix, (602) 553-8038, Empire Coins, LLC, P.O. Box 71095, Phoenix, AZ 85050, (800) 524-2431, and Master Creations, 3145 E. Chandler Blvd., Suite 109, Phoenix, AZ 85048, (480) 704-7847.  

   In my opinion only higher value coins ($500 or more) are worth submitting to grading services and, here again, one must have the knowledge to determine the likely grade and value range of the coins you submit. You should also familiarize yourself with the fees and other costs and requirements for submissions at the several grading services before even considering submitting any pieces to them or removing any coins from existing holders. (By "less desirable grading companies", which ones do you mean?)

   I hope this helps.

[PNGento]

Thanks for the info...I will definitely look into your suggestions and will try to make the Nov. 13 show.  As far as what I want to collect, I am trying to concentrate on dollars, esp. the Morgans.  As a kid growing up in the 60s, silver dollars really got my attention.  Kids just didn't routinely get silver dollars other than at special times.  At the time, it didn't matter if they were Morgans or Peace dollars, both were welcome, but I now find the Morgans to be one of our best looking coins...I personally prefer it to the St. Gauden.  I also am thinking to include the Mercury dimes...another of my favorite, as is the Indian cent.  Anyway, being retired, I find I have time on my hands and I think coin collecting should help me stay out of trouble.

[PNGento]

On 10/30/2022 at 10:15 PM, Sandon said:

(By "less desirable grading companies", which ones do you mean?)

Great information and I appreciate the resources...and sorry for the post in the wrong place.  I would delete it if I could.  Per your question, I have only 3 slabbed coins from companies I have little faith in and these are NAC (2) and PGA (1).  Not even sure when I acquired these.  I generally have no concerns with PCGS and NGC, and will consider ANACS.  I don't care for the slab used by ICG...not a fan of the indent.

[Sandon]

   @PNGento--No, those are not recognized grading services.  The coins in them may be overgraded and possibly aren't genuine.  However, you should collect coins, not holders, and if you acquire sufficient knowledge, you can judge most coins without regard to their being certified or by what service.  Some coins are best enjoyed in albums or plastic holders.