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I've almost convinced myself to invest in nickels. Still not as drawn to nickels as I am silver eagles and 95% copper pennies, but eagle premiums are getting a bit high and (while a fun hobby) the penny sorting labor is a bit much.

So I'm wondering: after obtaining nickels do you sort for valuable varieties or do you stack unopened boxes? Looking through Blackbook it appears that circulated nickels are not consistently valuable until pre-1940 (some exceptions like wartime and notable pre-1960 varieties), and I'm unsure of estimated circulation percentages.

Melt value is a bit below 5 cents, but value will never fall below purchase price. If the metal values increase then good deal, especially if the mint switches to stainless steel. If metal values decrease, a nickel is still 5 cents. I still don't "like" CuNi, but we don't have to be friends -- this is business.

Sort if you have time; stack if you don't. Just buy a box a week until you get your fill. Easy as pie.

shinnosuke wrote:Sort if you have time; stack if you don't. Just buy a box a week until you get your fill. Easy as pie.

This. I get 2 a week and sort them, but you won't miss that much by not checking. There's like 1 silver per box. Buffalos are quite rare (I only have 6 so far).

I don't consider nickels as an investment, rather as cheap insurance. I have 73 unopened boxes in my garage, and get two more each week. I have searched about $3,300+ in both boxes and loose rolls, I usually search 3-5 hours a week. Again, my investment is just my time, the coins are cheap insurance.

cooyon wrote:I don't consider nickels as an investment, rather as cheap insurance. I have 73 unopened boxes in my garage, and get two more each week. I have searched about $3,300+ in both boxes and loose rolls, I usually search 3-5 hours a week. Again, my investment is just my time, the coins are cheap insurance.

I hope you never have to move those!

I sort and keep! I have kept out nickels to fill (not filled yet completely) collector books for my grandson. In searching rolls I found that nickels are really the only coin that haven't been searched out so finding older ones was easy as compared to the other coins. I at first was going to just get a few rolls here and there, but when I got my first $10.00 they were hand wrapped. I decided to verify that it was correct. Well, the 3rd coin was a silver war nickel and a buffalo as well in the $10,so now I check every roll!

I copied this from another thread but, I think it was well written.

I look at nickels as a 4X CMA (cover my a**) tool:

1.) If the dollar gets stronger, Great. It's the same as having FRNs so no big deal they just buy more. Call it my cash stash that does way more;

2.) dollar gets weaker from inflation, great. Metals go up in relation, my nickels maintain value;

(edit for typo)

3.) govt gets it's *hit together and starts making them out of stainless, great. The ones I've sorted now have numismatic value and others will be drawn to the last debased real money in America, increasing demand;

4.) in the unlikely event the economy starts growing again (and I am totally wrong) demand will increase the melt value, great. All my nickels are worth more.

Now anyone of these may take time. That's ok, It's a hobby for several generation or until one of the above happen. Oh, and that reminds me, time to buy another box to keep the Cu, Ni, Au, Ag, ratios in line. Like to get some Pb in there too. Now to add pewter (mostly tin, Sn) to the list. Enjoy and keep stacking but for the right reasons.

I mainly stack, but sort one the rare occasions that I have time to do so.

I buy boxes with the intent to sort immediately.

Once sorted, the older nicks are then stacked by decade. I don't usually keep fresh boxes around for very long.

I keep a few boxes around, but I try to keep them working by sorting for the good stuff. If you have the extra time and money tied up in metals, why not shoot for a box of war nics and buffaloes instead of Jeffersons?

Engineer wrote:I keep a few boxes around, but I try to keep them working by sorting for the good stuff. If you have the extra time and money tied up in metals, why not shoot for a box of war nics and buffaloes instead of Jeffersons?

I can't imagine how long it would take to fill an entire box of those. Maybe a box of pre-60s is doable with a lot of sorting.

scyther wrote:

Engineer wrote:I keep a few boxes around, but I try to keep them working by sorting for the good stuff. If you have the extra time and money tied up in metals, why not shoot for a box of war nics and buffaloes instead of Jeffersons?

I can't imagine how long it would take to fill an entire box of those. Maybe a box of pre-60s is doable with a lot of sorting.

A box of pre-60s is very doable and with a lot less sorting than you would think. It sure is a heck of a lot of fun too!

thesilvertiger wrote:

scyther wrote:

Engineer wrote:I keep a few boxes around, but I try to keep them working by sorting for the good stuff. If you have the extra time and money tied up in metals, why not shoot for a box of war nics and buffaloes instead of Jeffersons?

I can't imagine how long it would take to fill an entire box of those. Maybe a box of pre-60s is doable with a lot of sorting.

A box of pre-60s is very doable and with a lot less sorting than you would think. It sure is a heck of a lot of fun too!

I've searched 90,000 nickels and I'm nowhere close...

I can't imagine how long it would take to fill an entire box of those. Maybe a box of pre-60s is doable with a lot of sorting.[/quote]

A box of pre-60s is very doable and with a lot less sorting than you would think. It sure is a heck of a lot of fun too![/quote]
I've searched 90,000 nickels and I'm nowhere close...[/

I haven't kept up with the exact number I've sorted, but maybe it has seemed so easy because I only sort CWRs and plastic bags from my LCS. He has a coin counter and sells me the $200 bags.

Oh. I find that about 1% (probably a bit higher, but closer to 1 than 2) are pre-60 in circulation. About 2-3 times higher than wheat pennies.

I'm at 2x your number and while I haven't weighed them on a scale I'm about at a box worth now, which makes sense consistent with your percentage estimate.