Uneasy regrets

[MikeKing]

Did you ever buy a coin and soon after, have doubts about your purchase? I recently bought a coin with moderate toning, and quickly decided I shouldn't have done it, when it was too late.

 

I like toned coins, mind you, but this one just bothered me for some reason. I couldn't figure it out. Maybe it was the generalized muting of the coin's luster by a vigorous patina.

 

Then, I keep looking back at it and see that if you hold the coin a certain way, the patina takes on a blue,green,golden brown pearlescence and I begin to wonder, maybe I made the right choice?

 

Ever happen to you?

[Hoot]

I recently bought a nicely toned commem, sent it in for grading and had it bb'd. I took it to a local dealer who used to be a PCGS grader, and after some inspection, he said the coin had been whizzed. Very interesting coin (a Ft. Vancouver). Expert whiz job, very smooth, and probably done in the 60's or 70's, given the degree of toning. Worse yet, it was probably an MS coin to begin with.

 

Of course I regret buying the coin, but live and learn. I'll still be able to get out of it 75% of what I bought it for, and this time, it'll be sold honestly.

 

Hoot

[truthteller]

Hi MIke,

 

I grew up from age ten collecting coins. Back when I was a wee lad, I asked myself the same questions.Most dealers just wanted to sell the coin. A couple of dealers would spend the time with me. I learned over the years what was original and what was phoney. The original was expensive, the phoney was cheap, so it was enticing to buy the cheap first. By age 15, I learned to save and buy the original. The best choice, since some of these coins I paid $100 in 1978 are worth thousands today in PCGS67 holders. Of course, buying today and learning today can be far more expensive than that of a small kid buying $5 coins. The idea is to look and ask yourself many, many questions. First impression of a coin is always the best. In the first 3 seconds, if you don't like the coin, ask yourself why.

 

TRUTH

[keithdagen]

When I'm deciding whether or not to purchase, I never hesitate. For every coin that I've hesitated on, then went ahead and bought, I ended up selling the coin later.

 

New rule is that if I have to think about the coin at all, it doesn't get my bid or my purchase.

[braddick]

Good points. TRUTH- you make me think. Keith- you're dead on. If you simply dislike a coin today you'll hate it down the road. It never seems to go the other way around.