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When I was sorting by hand I used to think that anything under 25% wouldn't be worth it (probably since I'm spoiled having averaged 29.35% in 2011 here in NYC), but now that I have a Ryedale Apprentice I'm thinking it would have to drop under 20% to make me stop (28.4% so far this year after 61 boxes).

What percentage would make you stop sorting?

Maybe 5%or less... I just did 1000fv and pulled 157lbs.. Not too bad but even if I would have pulled 5% I can still bulk pickup and dump so anything over the next year will be worth it. My concern will be, what will happen when they decide about the penny/nickel etc.. I would rather pull what I can before it's gone for good.

Probably 10%. Right now I am getting around 23% or so. I don't think I'll see that 10% number. I think the penny will be discontinued before long; pennies being pulled back for re-melt by mint contractors. Perhaps, that could be the end of penny as the MELT BAN would thereby be lifted via government proclaimation.

Hand sort and just completed a 9% box. Discouraging, but that won't stop me. Get while the gitin's good-- 9% or not, will keep after those coppers!

5% would get me second thinking.

That's a question I've asked myself a few times. I hand-sort, and probably average around 28% now. I think at 10% the wheats would start becoming so rare that I'd stop having fun with it anymore. I just don't have time to sort enough to worry about the copper hoard as a significant investment, so when the fun stops so would the sorting.

If I was sorting with a machine that would be a much tougher question. I'm just cheap enough that I'd want to be able to sell the machine and recoup some of my investment. So I'd always be trying to guage that sweet spot where I'd got my fill of copper, but there was still enough out there that I figure someone else would be willing to buy my machine.

Till the copper runs dry. Even if it's a piddly 1%, I'll still sort.

cesariojpn wrote:Till the copper runs dry. Even if it's a piddly 1%, I'll still sort.

Now that's dedication

I'd stop sorting if I was getting anything less than 10% Cu's on a consistant basis.

I think the percentages that I would stop would depend on the value of copper at that time:

At today's price of around $3.00-$5.00 a pound = 10%
for $10,00 a pound = 5%
for $100,00 a pound = .1%

I still sort for Ni and its running below 10% now.
I prefer 10%Ni to 30%Cu
I have many other sources for cheap or free Cu but coins are my only source for half price Ni

Nickel 3%. Copper, probably 10%.

Canadian nickel is easy to sort, you can do a magnetic pass to get all the 25% nickels - and then visually sort by either date or "type of queens head" - which means you technically never have to flip a coin over when visually sorting the 2% and 99.9% nickels.

Copper canadians, once again - very easy to sort by look at edge and or queens (or George) head. Never have to flip over a single Canadian penny to know if its copper or not.

You peeps in the US have serious dedication to look at the dates of every penny.

Silver Addict wrote:

cesariojpn wrote:Till the copper runs dry. Even if it's a piddly 1%, I'll still sort.

Now that's dedication

Figure I can dump the coins into a coinstar and use it for amazon purchases.

under 20% would do it for me.
I would just start buying after that. still in themid to high 20's here in wny

It depends on where the price of copper is, as the percentages in circulation sink. If copper went to $10/lb. around the time the percentages dipped into single digits, then it would probably be worthwhile to continue sorting. I think I would still sort until it gets to single digit percentages, and then re-assess whether or not to continue based on the price of copper and the size of my pile.

I would still be picking them out when given change however. I will always do that.

I will stop pulling coppers when the penny stops circulating or my heart stops beating. I hope that penny one comes first.

I wont stop till my Rydale quits(or I check out) and I hope that isnt any time soon.
I would sort for silver dimes and quarters if Rydale would come up with a sorter that worked as good as my Rydale Penny Sorter.
Hint-Hint, Andy.

Cent1225 wrote:I wont stop till my Rydale quits(or I check out) and I hope that isnt any time soon.
I would sort for silver dimes and quarters if Rydale would come up with a sorter that worked as good as my Rydale Penny Sorter.
Hint-Hint, Andy.

A machine for halves would be great. quarters, dimes and nickels would be great too.

I can't put a finger on what percentage I would quit sorting but if either of these two factors come to pass I'd most likely decide that I've had enough fun and needed to stop.

1: Couldn't get pennies or 2: Didn't have a place to dump the pennies that I had sorted.

There is possibly a 3rd possibility but I can't lay it out sensibly for myself, so I couldn't post it here at this time.

When it becomes work and not fun. I just went through a pile of wheats and it was work. I would say if you want a 100 percent sort nickels. After having a 100 percent CU cent sort I and Franklin are taking a week off. The dud boxes helps to keep it fun.

henrysmedford wrote:When it becomes work and not fun.

I think that is the same for me. The other day I sorted a bag of dimes. I got 42 silvers. It was a lot of fun on the top of the bag because that was where all the silver was. The bottom of the bag was very tedious.

The nice thing about our hobby is that there are so many different levels to it. As an example with cents:

1. Sort for copper.
2. Sort for wheats.
3. Sort for errors.
4. Sort for new coins for a fast e-bay score.

Who out there would really stop sorting?? Wouldn't most of us just change our focus to what was more fulfilling? We each define "fulfilling"in our own way: profit, fun, interesting, theraputic...)?

100 or less % of a penny's face value!

for hand sorting below 15%

for rydale 5%