Yard Sale and Thrift Shop Scores

[DuckTales253]

Last week I was browsing the classifieds in the local newspaper and saw an ad for a five family yard sale. It advertised a coin collection, along with stamps, sports cards, and vintage toys in original packaging. While I collect a lot of different things, I have become kind of jaded with many collectibles (especially sports cards) after realizing that when something is produced as collectible, or there are millions produced, it's not such a big deal. But the coins keep me going, and that's what caught my attention, because you don't see coins at yard sales too much. However, there was a catch: The ad also said "eBay sellers welcome" so it sounded like the guy knew what he had.

So I showed up early on Friday morning and the guy asked me what I was interested in. I said coins, specifically silver. He told me right away that he was a collector, so he wasn't giving anything away, which made my heart drop a little. But then he reached under the table and pulled out albums and albums of coins. Mostly 2x2 cardboard holders stuck in plastic pages. This guy had put together year set of most of the 20th century U.S. coins. He had A LOT of stuff. Some foreign coins, entire albums of hundreds of silver certificates, birth year sets, plus lots of newer items and lower value stuff. In short, there was a lot to look at.

I was on a schedule to be somewhere, so I told him I wanted silver, and asked about half dollars (my favorite). He pulled out the album, and I turned past the Barbers, Franklins, and Walkers to the Kennedys. Found the 1964s and asked him about one of those. This is usually a good indicator of where his price point is, on a recent and common 90% silver coin. To my dismay, he said $15.00! Way too much. The guy even had that day's Coinflation home page printed out, which put silver halves at less than $12.00. I said okay and started perusing some other things.

He wanted to find me something to buy, so handed me a 1921 bank note from Russia for 100,000 rubles or something like that. Said he was selling them for $2.00 but they would go on eBay for $10.00. He had a bunch, and when I said I needed to go, he gave it to me and said, "Take it, if you dont come back, it is a gift." I told him I would come back after my appointment.

Later that afternoon I hit the ATM and withdrew $80.00 and returned determined to get SOMETHING. I showed the guy my cash and asked if we could make a deal on some half dollars if I bought in quantity. He was agreeable to come down a bit on his earlier quoted price. He did some quick math, and said how about we do $12.50 a piece, that would get you six halves for $75.00. That was a fair deal for me, a little above spot but I was in the mood to stack up. So he opened up his album to the Walking Liberty halves, which as I mentioned was a year set. Good deal, I thought I'd be getting Franklins or Kennedys. Then he told me I couldn't have the early dates, which I told him I didn't expect. But he did let me go through the dates in the 1930s and 40s and pick out for myself the ones I wanted in nicer condition, which was kind. I found six in about XF condition. I told him I still had $5.00 left to spend. He says, "Would you like two dimes or one quarter?" I opted for the heavier quarter, and he gave me a nice AU 1943 Washington for $5.00.

It was a fun score. I got $3.25 face value for $80.00. It wasn't a bargain per se, but a fair price in my mind from a fellow collector. The best part was really the conversation, as we talked about a lot of things while I browsed and we haggled. He and his wife were just about to celebrate their 50th anniversary with a trip to Ireland. We also discussed some religious matters, as I am a minister. Before I left, he dug up one of those old "widow's mite" ancient bronze coins and gave it to me as a gift, along with the Russian note earlier. It was fun all around.

The next day I visited a local thrift shop and in their glass case were some albums of presidential coins. Blech. Not even official issue I don't think. But beside that was a 1964 JFK half dollar in a plastic case. "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." It was marked $10.00. Needless to say I was all over it. When I got to the checkout counter, the guy looks at the date on the coin and says to me, "Do you know what this is worth?" I say, "Yep, at least $12.00!" So that was a nice pick up at a place where you normally don't see coins.

Fun weekend, and with yard sale season just starting, I hope to repeat it soon. Thanks for reading!

[Oakair]

paid 1.95...should be a hefty margin....But wine tastes pretty good out of this champagne glass

[schockergd]

I spent about $2k at a guy's yardsale last year , ended up with everything right about half of true value.

[SilverDragon72]

Wow! That's quite a nice little collection.