What percentage would make you stop sorting?

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What percentage would make you stop sorting?

Postby CardsNCoins » Tue Feb 21, 2012 9:34 pm

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?
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Re: What percentage would make you stop sorting?

Postby reddirtcoins » Tue Feb 21, 2012 9:39 pm

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.
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Re: What percentage would make you stop sorting?

Postby Country » Tue Feb 21, 2012 9:56 pm

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.
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Re: What percentage would make you stop sorting?

Postby sparechange » Tue Feb 21, 2012 10:02 pm

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!
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Re: What percentage would make you stop sorting?

Postby John_doe » Tue Feb 21, 2012 10:32 pm

5% would get me second thinking.
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Re: What percentage would make you stop sorting?

Postby hammerrob » Tue Feb 21, 2012 10:34 pm

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.
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Re: What percentage would make you stop sorting?

Postby cesariojpn » Wed Feb 22, 2012 1:42 am

Till the copper runs dry. Even if it's a piddly 1%, I'll still sort.
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Re: What percentage would make you stop sorting?

Postby Silver Addict » Wed Feb 22, 2012 5:41 am

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


Now that's dedication :D
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Re: What percentage would make you stop sorting?

Postby Cu Penny Hoarder » Wed Feb 22, 2012 10:20 am

I'd stop sorting if I was getting anything less than 10% Cu's on a consistant basis.
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Re: What percentage would make you stop sorting?

Postby mtalbot_ca » Wed Feb 22, 2012 12:13 pm

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%
Common sense should prevail if not, misery will.
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Re: What percentage would make you stop sorting?

Postby frugalcanuck » Wed Feb 22, 2012 3:22 pm

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
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Re: What percentage would make you stop sorting?

Postby ZenOps » Wed Feb 22, 2012 3:33 pm

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.
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Re: What percentage would make you stop sorting?

Postby cesariojpn » Wed Feb 22, 2012 3:39 pm

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 :D


Figure I can dump the coins into a coinstar and use it for amazon purchases.
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Re: What percentage would make you stop sorting?

Postby misteroman » Wed Feb 22, 2012 5:37 pm

under 20% would do it for me.
I would just start buying after that. still in themid to high 20's here in wny
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Re: What percentage would make you stop sorting?

Postby Common Cents » Wed Feb 22, 2012 5:57 pm

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.
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Re: What percentage would make you stop sorting?

Postby John_doe » Wed Feb 22, 2012 7:37 pm

I would still be picking them out when given change however. I will always do that. :D
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Re: What percentage would make you stop sorting?

Postby slvrbck » Wed Feb 22, 2012 10:42 pm

I will stop pulling coppers when the penny stops circulating or my heart stops beating. I hope that penny one comes first. :?
Soooo... Is it just me or is a chart of US debt looking dangerously parabolic?
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Re: What percentage would make you stop sorting?

Postby Cent1225 » Thu Feb 23, 2012 2:52 pm

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.
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Re: What percentage would make you stop sorting?

Postby John_doe » Thu Feb 23, 2012 7:49 pm

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. :D
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Re: What percentage would make you stop sorting?

Postby robroy » Thu Feb 23, 2012 8:17 pm

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.
Don't look back. Something may be gaining on you.

Neither a penny or a nickel is worth face value anymore.

I'm just a poor wayfaring stranger.
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Re: What percentage would make you stop sorting?

Postby henrysmedford » Thu Feb 23, 2012 8:51 pm

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.
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Re: What percentage would make you stop sorting?

Postby knibloe » Fri Feb 24, 2012 7:38 am

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...)?
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Re: What percentage would make you stop sorting?

Postby mitsuki3 » Fri Feb 24, 2012 9:44 am

100 or less % of a penny's face value!
I'm selling coins at:
http://Mryanksfan16.blujay.com
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Re: What percentage would make you stop sorting?

Postby willy13 » Fri Feb 24, 2012 10:16 am

for hand sorting below 15%

for rydale 5%
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