Buying from stores

[kwebb70]

Does anyone buy coins from retail stores?

[henrysmedford]

Yes. A good coin shop will give you great advice. I can buy Canadian coins lower than Canadians can buy them in Canada see--http://www.realcent.org/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=10080&hilit=+canadian+large#p100049 and pay no shipping . Also you do not need to worry about shipping problems. Are having to leave bad feedback if something goes wrong. Also some members here have sent other members money and not got there coins http://www.realcent.org/feedback.php read worst users. Over all I would send 99 percent of the members money before they ship but also paying a little more at a store you get a little more. With less of a gamble.

[kwebb70]

Sorry, what I meant to ask was does anyone buy coins from retail store for searching?

[henrysmedford]

Sorry, what I meant to ask was does anyone buy coins from retail store for searching?

On that point my LCS has bins of silver and will let you cherry pick of what you want. If they know you they will give you a tray and a bin to look over. They do not count how much they put in front of you. My guess is that knowing you and cameras and a lot off guns on the clerks and the big mirror window with the guy with the sawed off shotgun = trust. We filled are Canadian dime book by looking that way . They have been there for thirty years and each weekend as silver go up I see them taking coin out of 2X2 and in to the bins they go.

[DebtFreeMe]

I have a local dealer that sells junk silver at current spot by weight... He actually has the spot silver price right there live on a computer on the counter (kitco) and weighs it right there on the spot... When we first started dealing together he had no problem with me bringing my own scale to verify. Great guy, and he sells to me as much as I am willing to buy, even when the price has fallen hard that day. No shipping and I can actually pick out just the coins I want, I don't have to just take what he picks out and throws in...

Wish I had more cash most of the time to buy from him on the dips...

[jacer333]

Guys, I think he is wondering if you buy mixed coins from stores such as wal-mart or a gas station as part of your change or cash back, like taking a roll of pennies for part of your change. I haven't done so myself, don't think the small amount of coin is worth the hassle with the cashiers.

[RichardPenny43]

Normally I don't. Last week I was at 7/11 buying a sandwich and chips for lunch and they had a box of pennies on the counter so I asked for a roll with my change ( got the ... ok) Sorted it while i ate lunch, nothing special in it.

[merchoarder]

I've done it a few times at gas stations and grocery stores. Usually something like "hey, I noticed you have a lot of change in your drawer, mind if I have a roll of pennies with my change?" Or "Could a buy a few rolls of pennies from you if you can spare them?" It never hurts to ask, just be polite! I don't explain unless I get really strange looks. Then my go to line is "playing in a penny ante poker game tonight and could use some more."

[sparechange]

A few of the retail stores and grocery stores have the small banks in them, a good source if you aren't going for boxes.

[Derek.Sheriff]

I get most of my rolls of pennies from banks in grocery stores and from their customer service. For some reason I've found that they seem to have a higher percentage of hand rolled pennies which seem like they have a higher percentage of coppers and are easier to open than the plastic rolls.

[JadeDragon]

Retail stores around me don't carry boxes of pennies and nickels in the sash drawers.

[fb101]

I used to but the one I used to use closed the in-store branch.

[theo]

As long as I have a steady pick up source its not worth the effort. I would consider it a last resort.

[Kurr]

I DOOOOOOO!

Lol, one of my little "secrets" I have mentioned occasionally, and am putting in another thing I am attempting to write. Not a GREAT source, but great fun and surprising finds.


What you want to do is go to the big box stores. Wal-mart, k-mart, target, the more business the better. Ask to speak to their "accounting dept" is what they call it at most places. It is the folks that handle the money, cash drops, safe deposits, etc. You really want to make friends with the head person, just like the head teller in a bank. Take some cool FORIEGN coins in, I like to use early british half cents (for the "antiquity" i was getting them for maybe a buck appiece, overpaying, but nice for the age and cool factor) along with things like a few coins that have animals on them (for the kids ya know!) and just a small variety, to show them you are a "real" collector and not some weird scammer guy.

Ask them to buy the foreign coin. They can not deposit it in the bank, the banks wont take foreign coins, knowingly. The technique I have had the most success with is: tell them if it looks like they took it for a quarter, i'll give you a quarter for it, so you ain't out nothing and don't have to throw it away. If it looks like a penny, nickel or dime, that's what you give them. Most are happy to oblige.

Besides the cool foreign I have gotten this way from ALL over the world, you would be surprised at the amount of things like canadian silver you can find. Think the public has no Idea about U.S. coins and silver, try it, and be amazed.

Be nice, smile a lot, and remember, YOU NEVER KNOW TILL YOU ASK! I had wal mart people saving "old money" for me when they knew I would come in every week,after a report was established and for THAT (morgans, peace, franklins etc) they got the fair multiple of face, which REALLY made their day. As lonf as it was zero sum for the store, everybody was happy at the end.

Good Hunting, and hunt well!

[merchoarder]

I DOOOOOOO!

Lol, one of my little "secrets" I have mentioned occasionally, and am putting in another thing I am attempting to write. Not a GREAT source, but great fun and surprising finds.


What you want to do is go to the big box stores. Wal-mart, k-mart, target, the more business the better. Ask to speak to their "accounting dept" is what they call it at most places. It is the folks that handle the money, cash drops, safe deposits, etc. You really want to make friends with the head person, just like the head teller in a bank. Take some cool FORIEGN coins in, I like to use early british half cents (for the "antiquity" i was getting them for maybe a buck appiece, overpaying, but nice for the age and cool factor) along with things like a few coins that have animals on them (for the kids ya know!) and just a small variety, to show them you are a "real" collector and not some weird scammer guy.

Ask them to buy the foreign coin. They can not deposit it in the bank, the banks wont take foreign coins, knowingly. The technique I have had the most success with is: tell them if it looks like they took it for a quarter, i'll give you a quarter for it, so you ain't out nothing and don't have to throw it away. If it looks like a penny, nickel or dime, that's what you give them. Most are happy to oblige.

Besides the cool foreign I have gotten this way from ALL over the world, you would be surprised at the amount of things like canadian silver you can find. Think the public has no Idea about U.S. coins and silver, try it, and be amazed.

Be nice, smile a lot, and remember, YOU NEVER KNOW TILL YOU ASK! I had wal mart people saving "old money" for me when they knew I would come in every week,after a report was established and for THAT (morgans, peace, franklins etc) they got the fair multiple of face, which REALLY made their day. As lonf as it was zero sum for the store, everybody was happy at the end.

Good Hunting, and hunt well!

That is a super idea. I really may have to try this, Thanks Kurr!

[fansubs_ca]

Hmmm? I usualy do the opposite and use stores as a "dump bank". Knowing banks charge
them fees to get change in most cases if I know of a place using a lot of change I'll sell
them change so it's a win win situation. I figure unless you find a place that gets in too
much change and has to regularily do change deposits they'ld be reluctant to "supply" you
as they'ld need to up their change orders from the bank as a result. Of course if you find
a place that has "too much" change go for it.

[merchoarder]

Hmmm? I usualy do the opposite and use stores as a "dump bank". Knowing banks charge
them fees to get change in most cases if I know of a place using a lot of change I'll sell
them change so it's a win win situation. I figure unless you find a place that gets in too
much change and has to regularily do change deposits they'ld be reluctant to "supply" you
as they'ld need to up their change orders from the bank as a result. Of course if you find
a place that has "too much" change go for it.

Very true and a good idea for dumping if you know anyone in retail, etc. I work in a smallish restaurant and we are most definitely a net consumer of all change. I think that the same can be said for almost all retail shops, restaurants, etc. All of my change gets rolled and I "sell" it to work. I can't even come close to supplying enough. Pennies, sure, I keep them stocked up on zinc (I also take all coppers at the end of everyday and replace with zinc!) Nickels don't go real fast, dimes go a little quicker, quarters, we almost never have enough! So it can be a good situation to dump some change.

As a side note, I check the drawer at least once or twice a day, take what I want and replace (my boss is cool with it.) I get a lot of copper this way. Silver, not so much. I'd say in the last two years, I have found four silver dimes, no quarters. As I said, we fly through quarters, I've probably searched thousands of dollars, no silver! I'll keep checking though!