Andrew’s Guide to Selling Coins

*Amazon removed my affiliate account so I no longer receive a commission, I will leave the links up because I think they could be useful, but screw amazon lol. If I find better options I will update.

This guide contains affiliate links to Amazon products, so if you purchase something through a link, I get a commission. This does not make them cost more; most of the time I have spent time trying to find the best/cheapest option. That said the prices fluctuate, feel free to check out similar products to find cheaper/better alternatives.

Disclaimer: None of this information should be construed to create any liability, guarantee, or warranty. It is meant for informational purposes only. I have no obligation to keep it up to date and so errors or inconsistencies may appear over time.

If you are just looking for the items I use they are:

For Photos:

Ring Light: https://amzn.to/3H94cpy

Lens: Criacr Phone Camera Lens (Upgraded Version), 3 in 1 Cell Phone Lens Kit for iPhone, Samsung, 180°Fisheye Lens, 0.6X Wide Angle Lens, 15X Macro Lens, for TIK Tok Video, Live Show, Video Chat, Vlog https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0179JX8GC/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_CYDP3W8Q7D7BQMAZGWQD

For Shipping:

Labels I use: https://amzn.to/3JI9ief

Padded Mailers:

Pack of 50: https://amzn.to/3v7gsVp

Pack of 500: https://amzn.to/3526QR0

Tape: https://amzn.to/3sWXazj (doesn't come with holder/cutter)

Inner Boxes (when shipping via priority mail/insured): https://amzn.to/3sgGILn

This is a BRIEF guide to selling coins, not a guide to sourcing/buying, perhaps another time.

1. Where/How to Sell Coins

There are a variety of ways to sell coins, ranging from your local shop, auction houses, eBay, other websites (Reddit, Facebook etc.), and more. Each of these options has its own benefits and drawbacks, the first among these is your time and capital. Generally, the more time/effort/capital you put in the larger the amount of money you will net. For example, on average, a problem-free, liquid, coin worth $80-100; would net $50-70 at a good local shop; a lower-fee auction house might net $75; eBay might net $80, and Reddit or Facebook maybe $85. For lower liquidity issues (rarer varieties, or coins with problems), there will be larger disparities. Past that there are specific avenues that have stronger markets for different types of coins (toners, key dates, high-grade slabs, raw coins, bullion, etc.). Look at past sales, or old posts, when possible, talk to individuals who have used the platform, and most importantly try selling on them yourself and keep track of how different types of items do. If you have any questions about specific types and where to sell, I am happy to share my thoughts but in the interest of brevity I don’t intend on going into a full breakdown here.

2. Listing Coins

• A. References/Research

Being able to effectively determine a range in which a coin will sell and whether the coin would benefit from being professionally graded is key. There are several aspects to this, the first is being able to identify the coin, grade, any issues, and relevant varieties. The second is finding reasonable comparisons (comps). I cannot recommend the CoinFacts app highly enough, as almost a panacea, when it comes to researching US coins. It contains a price guide for almost all U.S. Coins, as well as, realized auction prices for them. While the price guide provided it for graded problem-free coins and tends to be on the higher side when used in conjunction with realized auction prices it can be a very useful tool. It also has photograde which, while somewhat crude, is a great quick tool that can assist in determining the grade, though I also recommend checking pictures from recent sales of the same coin in similar grades to have multiple, and more relevant examples. This step is usually simple as the “valueview” has direct links to those sales. Nothing beats experience, as you buy and sell more coins you will naturally get a better feel for prices as well as how various issues affect value and liquidity.

Finally, the app contains many of the most valuable varieties and includes pictures and prices for them as well. There are other materials out there that can be useful:

• Ebay– for comps (I find both sold and active listings useful, though sold more so, active listings are most relevant when the coin is liquid)

• Other auction sites for comps (Heritage, Great Collections, Stacks, David Lawrence etc.)

• There are other published materials available for coins, but I would rather not comment on anyone specifically. I think they each have their uses, but none are free are nearly as comprehensive as the app and should be used in conjunction with it, in my opinion.

• For paper money I have found this book to be a good, cheap, reference: A Guide Book of United States Paper Money 7th Edition https://amzn.to/3I338Fb

• For world coins, I predominantly use NGC’s site and Numista. To determine whether a coin has any value. If NGC/Numista indicates that it's rare (low mintage) or has a high guide price then I do a more thorough search including eBay, foreign auctions sites, and other websites (coinsandcanada for example).

• B. Photos

Accurate pictures are essential to selling, they prevent returns/unhappy customers, and can maximize the price realized. While more expensive/complex lens/set-ups exist I have found a Smart Phone, a Clip-on Lens (15x), and a Ring Light to be a cheap, transportable setup, that generally gets the job done.

Lens: Criacr Phone Camera Lens (Upgraded Version), 3 in 1 Cell Phone Lens Kit for iPhone, Samsung, 180°Fisheye Lens, 0.6X Wide Angle Lens, 15X Macro Lens, for TIK Tok Video, Live Show, Video Chat, Vlog https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0179JX8GC/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_CYDP3W8Q7D7BQMAZGWQD - (15.29 at time of post, Criacr Phone Camera Lens) the 15x lens is a little too high for Morgans, on my phone at least, but that is the one I use. So the 12.5 option could be better if that is an area of focus. I have not tried it so do not know for sure.

Ring Light: https://amzn.to/3H94cpy - A couple of bucks more than the cheapest alternative but the light seems to last longer than the first one I bought and I find adjusting it easier.

I believe this setup gets the job done. Based on what I have seen on eBay, Reddit, and Facebook, this setup cheaply allows for photos well above average. The exception might be toned coins, an individual dedicated to selling a large volume of toned coins may want to do more research and invest more into their photo set-up. This is beyond the scope of this guide. A key phrase that can get you started in that research is “Axial Lighting”.

• C. Shipping/Insurance

[Work in progress]

Packing securely is the final step of a sale and using more tape is always a good call. I have included some videos below that describe how I pack the items I sell, apologies for the quality but I think they get the point across. I have, at this point, shipped thousands of USPS packages. I have had 1 lost by USPS. 1 misdelivered and recovered. 1 marked delivered but never recovered by the buyer. 2-5 first-class packages that have been lost for 2 weeks to 6 weeks before eventually being delivered. I have never lost a priority package.

USPS Insurance only covers coins/bullion when shipped via registered mail and there are terms/conditions. Pirateship offers insurance through shipsurance that covers coins/bullion in SOME circumstances - read their terms. Shipandinsure is the best and cheapest option if you are doing a large amount of shipping of expensive coins; they are used by CAC, Heritage, and others in the industry.

General tips:

If a first-class package shows "In transit" for more than a few days. File a HELP request. If that doesn't cause the tracking to update in a few days then file a search request. Help requests get the job done 90% of the time.

Use Pirateship.com for cheaper USPS rates and access to priority mail cubic pricing.

Double layer packaging, writing your address on the inner package so it can be returned if the breaks open. Shipandinsure REQUIRES this, so it can't be a bad general practice.

The inner box I used when doubling packaging: https://amzn.to/3sgGILn

Tape is cheap, use it!

Labels I use:

https://amzn.to/3JI9ief (you get half the number of sheets, it’s a little annoying but last I checked still the cheapest option that isn’t a huge pain to peel off).

Padded Mailers I use:

Pack of 50: https://amzn.to/3v7gsVp

Pack of 500: https://amzn.to/3526QR0

Tape: https://amzn.to/3sWXazj (doesn't come with holder/cutter)

I also use priority mail for a lot of packages, and I use slightly larger mailers for large notes. You can order priority mail supplies for free from USPS; PLEASE DO NOT USE USPS PRIORITY MATERIALS FOR INTERIOR PACKAGING/PADDING. It breaks the rules and endangers them being free!

Guides on how I pack:

Risky

https://youtu.be/-ESbLeuypLQ

First-class padded mailer

https://youtu.be/9ZKzmhgv_gA

Priority mail small flat rate box

https://youtu.be/Mzank0MERDQ

Let's be honest, if you've gotten this far in the guide, and haven't just scrolled through to the end; you will probably be fine. Selling coins, like anything else, takes a willingness to learn, time, patience, attention to detail...etc. It requires work and research but it can be a fun way to expand your collection, and interact with fascinating pieces of history, as well as fairly lucrative.

If you have any questions, or parts of the guide you think could be expanded, feel free to shoot me a message. I could probably make it longer but there are other guides available written by more experienced individuals, so I will leave it to them.