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Hello everyone! I just joined the copper penny sorting hobby last week and thus far I have hand sorted through 15,000 pennies obtained from $25 boxes purchased at three of my local B of A's. I'm taking my time so not to miss any but so far my success rate for the 95% coppers is only 16% (and that includes all '82's found good or bad). I see that most members are getting 20 to 25%. I live near Los Angeles so maybe being in a huge city with lots of commerce might have something to do with it. Nevertheless I find sorting enjoyable and relaxing--especially considering I'm nursing a torn shoulder muscle at this time.

I will continue hand sorting and see whether or not my interest fades. Out here in Los Angeles the lines at the banks are long, parking is a problem, gas is expensive and traffic is notoriously bad so in the near future I might just consider buying from fellow board members or possibly acquiring a Ryedale sorter to make things easier. Just out of curiousity I wanted to ask what the word is within the hobby as to what the accuracy rate is with the Ryedale sorter?

From the newest member on this board I once again say hello, happy holidays and happy sorting! Don

Welcome to the hobby and welcome to the forum. Glad to have you!

pennypicker welcome to Realcent.org!

Make sure to go to the contest link if you have not done so and enter to win... who knows you might win a free Ryedale.

I think most folks who have purchased a Ryedale will tell you that they are pretty darn accurate in sorting the copper coated zinc from the 95% copper. However, you do have to keep your eyes open because some of the older wheats do sometimes drop in the wrong side but that is rare!

Another comment most folks make after getting the Reydale is they can't believe they waited so long.... Also, how fast this puppy sorts pennies. Most folks run out of pennies to sort much faster then they can get them.

Enjoy the hobby It is not the destination but the journey...

im north of you in the sf bay area and have only been yielding 15-17% here through maybee 10 boxes. i got my very first 20% box last week from a WF off the beaten path. they had to go to the big vualt for it. i only plan to sort a few more boxes then continue on stacking nickels only.

Welcome aboard. I've been getting about 20% or so - rarely much better - pretty consistently in northern california during 2010

I've been doing my best to try to lower that copper percentage in the Bay Area of northern CA. Hope you guys don't get any of my dumps.

I'm new to the boards as well. Here in NYC I have done four $25 bank boxes so far, and I have been averaging between 28% and 31% copper. In those 4 boxes I have found 76 wheats (16, 23, 16, and 21) with most of them being from the late 1930s to 1958, but I have also pulled a 1914, 1914, 1927, and 1929.

Nick

HoardCopperByTheTon wrote:I've been doing my best to try to lower that copper percentage in the Bay Area of northern CA. Hope you guys don't get any of my dumps.

Awww come on Hoard, let the new guys have some fun and maybe dont sort for one week so they can get a healthy 25% Cu

Thanks for the replies and the good information. Opened two more 25$ boxes today and got about 17% copper and only 21 wheats. I thought it odd when I came across a 55s in BU condition that looked like it was right from bank roll. Well I'm four days into the hobby and I've accumulated 15# of copper thus far via hand sorting. My eyes are feeling the strain from this new endeavor but otherwise I feel the copper bug is starting to take hold!

Happy collecting, Don.

Welcome to the group when you feel low go look at the 50 cent thread an see that one or three do well but many of us have Skunk streaks of 15 boxes or more an some short counts from the bank counter on returns

I go for cent boxes when I can an hit about 22% coppers.

Pennypicker.......welcome to the forum. This is a great hobby. Not much of a downside to it either, unless you count the eye strain and the sore fingers and hands.

Be sure to keep some stats on your searches. It's great fun to look back and see what cool finds you got on such and such a date, etc.

Enjoy your coin searches, everyone.

Welcome to the madness, Pennypicker! Just when you think you are in it to relieve a little stress, you begin looking for banks to pick up boxes on vacation and wondering what finds there are in each cash register you visit (restaurants, clothing merchants, you name it). With a self help group like this, you can't go wrong!

As a general rule, West Coast get lower percents because it developed more recently and therefore has a newer coin stock. At least that is my best guess.

Welcome new guys. Glad to have you. Post well and post often.

Deal

p.s. Warning, this hobby is almost like a sickness....