dseay1984 Posted July 24 Share Posted July 24 Should I send coins off for grading? Which coins are best potential profit for newbies? I have a bunch of nickels, dimes, and quarters pre 1964. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Greenstang Posted July 24 Popular Post Share Posted July 24 Welcome to the forum Why is it Newbies want to send everything off to be graded, do you realize the cost of grading? Unless a coin is worth at least $150-200.00, you would just be losing money. The coins you show do not have any value over face and even most of pre 64 coins are only worth the value of the silver. Unless you have a rare or a high grade coin, put it in a 2x2 and add it to your collection. Despite what YouTube says, you are not going to get rich from pocket change. powermad5000, dseay1984 and GoldFinger1969 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dseay1984 Posted July 24 Author Share Posted July 24 That's what I was thinking, but I have had several people try to tell me I should. I just wanted some expert advice from experienced collectors. I greatly appreciate you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri Charriere Posted July 24 Share Posted July 24 On 7/24/2024 at 12:15 PM, Greenstang said: Welcome to the forum Why is it Newbies want to send everything off to be graded, do you realize the cost of grading? Unless a coin is worth at least $150-200.00, you would just be losing money. The coins you show do not have any value over face and even most of pre 64 coins are only worth the value of the silver. Unless you have a rare or a high grade coin, put it in a 2x2 and add it to your collection. Despite what YouTube says, you are not going to get rich from pocket change. Very well said, Greenstang. Very well said! Cancer cures smoking; what's needed now is a fool-proof cure for this insidious form of plague that seems to manifest itself disproportionately in Newbies. dseay1984 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powermad5000 Posted July 24 Share Posted July 24 (edited) Hello and welcome to the forum! What you have pictured is not from pre 1964. In your photos you have a common Bicentennial quarter with some circulation marks and wear, and you have a 1965 Roosevelt dime that has wear, physical damage and environmental damage. I could only hope if your pre 1965 coins are in better shape than these coins you have pictured here. I am not sure who is telling you that you need to spend thousands of dollars on expensive TPG grading if your specimens are similar to these, but if that is the case then whoever is telling you this is wrong. I will give you an example I currently have on eBay right now. This is a very nice looking dime that didn't grade as high as I thought it would. I have it priced for a loss on grading costs and it will not sell for under $20. If your coins do not look even remotely close to this, you should not be considering sending anything to a TPG. I highly recommend you to save a ton on grading costs and first get yourself a current copy of a book titled Red Book of United States Coins - 2025. Read this book and it will help you determine a base for what you have in your collection. Here is the dime I have been sitting on that will not sell and which I am losing on grading costs. Edited July 24 by powermad5000 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post The Neophyte Numismatist Posted July 24 Popular Post Share Posted July 24 On 7/24/2024 at 11:46 AM, dseay1984 said: Which coins are best potential profit for newbies? I think this is the crux of the issue. As a newbie, you do not know enough to "profit." Sure, you might get lucky on something, but your skills are not such that you could profit routinely. Profiting is not the point of collecting. In fact, those who get into this with an "investment" mindset tend to do poorly. Why? Because (generally speaking) they do not have the passion to study and learn the hobby. If you want to profit, learn to spot under graded coins. If you want to profit, learn to spot unattributed rare varieties. If you want to profit, think like a collector and learn numismatics with a passion. Anything less is setting yourself up for failure. powermad5000, Coinbuf and Mike Meenderink 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri Charriere Posted July 24 Share Posted July 24 On 7/24/2024 at 6:52 PM, The Neophyte Numismatist said: ... Profiting is not the point of collecting.... ... coins. To be fair about it, what motivates a person to collect anything is a matter even psychiatrists cannot agree on. As regarding collectors of coins driven solely by the promise of reaping huge profits, there ought to be a choice given in warnings: "There's the signpost up ahead -- your next stop, the Twilight Zone." It's either that, or a sign posted above the entrance of every banking institution: "ABANDON ALL HOPE ALL YE WHO ENTER HERE [HELL- BENT ON FINDING ERRORS.]" (Posted absentmindedly without malice; may be deleted by Moderation at this member's request.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandon Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 Welcome to the NGC chat board. I will reiterate that only coins worth at least several hundred dollars should be considered for submission to third party grading services. Before you even think about submitting coins to grading services, you need to learn how to grade and otherwise evaluate them yourself, a process which will take at least several years. Less valuable pieces--or even more valuable ones, if you prefer--can be collected in coin albums or other appropriate holders. (Respectfully, the two coins you posted are pocket change worth face value, but you can even collect such pieces if it is what you want to do or all you can afford.) You can't "profit", financially or otherwise from coins without acquiring sufficient knowledge about them. Please refer to the following topics from which you can obtain print and online resources from which you can learn about U.S. coins and collecting them: Your education should also include attendance at such venues as coin shows and coin club meetings, where you can examine a variety of coins and speak with experienced collectors and dealers. powermad5000 and GoldFinger1969 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldFinger1969 Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 On 7/24/2024 at 12:23 PM, dseay1984 said: That's what I was thinking, but I have had several people try to tell me I should. I just wanted some expert advice from experienced collectors. I greatly appreciate you. Curious....WHO told you that you should ? Do they have collections worth anything ? Did they mention it in passing, or did they mention it several times and give you reasons for submitting your coins ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samclemen3991 Posted July 25 Share Posted July 25 @dseay1984. I know since coins are money the link to profits seems natural, however coin collecting is no different than any other venture in life. You cannot put the cart in front of the horse. That is to say you MUST have a passion for something in order to accomplish anything meaningful or profitable. I have been a coin collector for over 55 years and it is one of the great passions of my life. I have reaped riches far beyond anything that can be deposited in a bank account. I do hope you will give coin collecting a chance, (even though quick riches are not likely), because you might be surprised at the profits you might reap. Lastly, there is no secret list of coins that are going to magically double or triple in value. Anyone who tells you otherwise just happen to have one and wants to sell it to you. good luck. James The Neophyte Numismatist and powermad5000 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halbrook Family Posted July 27 Share Posted July 27 But if you in fact have pre 1965 Quarters and dime and half dollars keep them. They will be worth money no matter the shape. My collection started with 60 silver dimes I got from coin star. Got another 1964 one just this week. Only worth $2 each but it's a start. powermad5000 and The Neophyte Numismatist 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...