Making the most out of CRH - Monetarily Speaking

SilverForBrains

Bronze Member
Feb 1, 2012
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All Treasure Hunting
Disclaimer: CRH is a great hobby

that being said, let's talk money. big finds are obvious, as well as silver bullion. What I want to know are individual strategies for "squeezing" every dollar you can out of mediocre finds: proofs, uncirculated halves, older nickels, wheat pennies, eisenhowers, etc. These can all be sold on ebay for a premium, but with ebays cut and pay pals, you have to sell a lot.

To make sure this is not a one-sided thread, my own personal strategy is to hoard them and sell them all at a premium at a flea market when I get enough. Lots of customers, low overhead, etc.

What are your individual strategies for making the most out of this hobby monetarily? The way i see it, as long as we are searching through 100000s of coins for silver we may as well cherry pick the little guys too, provided we can find a customer base with low overhead

Also, care to divulge any neat strategies of 'grouping' together finds for a bigger premium? This one I haven't tried yet, but have seen some ebay posts to base a few ideas on

HH!

SFB
 

Upvote 0
Neat thread.
I have never done this, but I have heard of people having luck putting together mint/date sets. For example, you could profit off a set of 1970-2012 Jefferson Nickels just by throwing them in a cheap paper coin book.
 

I agree, I've been doing the same thing. I keep proofs, odds and ends like gold plated halves that people might pay a few bucks for, as well as wheat cents and error coins if I can see them. The flea market idea is great! I hadn't thought of that, it's a good way to avoid feebay for sure.

You're not the only one for sure.

HH
 

Neat thread.
I have never done this, but I have heard of people having luck putting together mint/date sets. For example, you could profit off a set of 1970-2012 Jefferson Nickels just by throwing them in a cheap paper coin book.

I always think about doing this but have never gone out to buy the books. Sounds like I should check on ebay and see if the book investment and the effort will the worth the premium. My guess would be yes. Thanks for the input!
 

I agree, I've been doing the same thing. I keep proofs, odds and ends like gold plated halves that people might pay a few bucks for, as well as wheat cents and error coins if I can see them. The flea market idea is great! I hadn't thought of that, it's a good way to avoid feebay for sure.

You're not the only one for sure.

HH

yep I keep the gold plated halves too! and also the silver ones for that matter, even though I know some people plate them as a diversion, I'm still sure they'll sell for a premium to people just wanting some cheap collectibles
 

I like to keep the gold plated stuff, I can usually flip the gold halves for between $2.50 to $5. NIFC halves I can get rid of for $1 on a good day. Ikes will go within a week on Craigslist when I price them at 30 for $40. I fill up the nickel books and quarter statehood books and sell them for a small profit. Overall I'm probably not making any money in the long run if you factor in my time, gas and misc fees. But I like doing it, and what little money I make from it makes me happy. And how many people in this world can say they have a hobby that pretty much pays for itself?
 

I spend my Ikes at the Taco Bell drive-through. They always balk when I say Ikes carry a premium.
 

I have tried puzzling this out, and keep coming back to the fact that what little money I could make off the proofs etc, would not outweigh the time required to flip them. No to mention tying up some of the bank roll, which would hinder my halves hunting.

I say go for it though, I am interested in how the numbers all play out. Dont you have to pay to get a table at a flea market?
 

I have tried puzzling this out, and keep coming back to the fact that what little money I could make off the proofs etc, would not outweigh the time required to flip them. No to mention tying up some of the bank roll, which would hinder my halves hunting.

I say go for it though, I am interested in how the numbers all play out. Dont you have to pay to get a table at a flea market?

Yea, I think they're pretty cheap though, and I 'm planning on saving up as much inventory as possible to make it worth it. Boy , I've seen some coins sell for huge premiums at those things!
 

I like to keep the gold plated stuff, I can usually flip the gold halves for between $2.50 to $5. NIFC halves I can get rid of for $1 on a good day. Ikes will go within a week on Craigslist when I price them at 30 for $40. I fill up the nickel books and quarter statehood books and sell them for a small profit. Overall I'm probably not making any money in the long run if you factor in my time, gas and misc fees. But I like doing it, and what little money I make from it makes me happy. And how many people in this world can say they have a hobby that pretty much pays for itself?

That's right, a hobby that not only breaks even, but creates investments. you can't lose!
 

I go to lots of auctions and have special consignment rates at a few. I buy empty coin albums when I get the chance at auctions. The older - the better. I'll fill the albums with clad and consign them at auction. People associate the older album as being something from "grandpa's" collection. The cent albums are the most profitable. I fill with low grade wheat and AU/MS memorial cents. Sit back and watch the bidding. I only deal with cent and half albums.
 

Make nice with tellers and buy their culls at a discount and flip'em. Best money maker I have found do far. I can always buy a silver rosie from a teller for a $1
 

I just go after whatever looks good. If its free its for me! I try to get as many oz as i can and try not to ever look back. The more boxes i do the more silver i find! I did 35 boxes today and found 38 silvers, Not bad not good. i found 2 silver proofs 1968 and 2009 and a 1853 napoleon 111 empereur ?? Very very great shape. and 9 gold plated santa coins!I don't sell much.
 

I've been saving most all of my proofs, I have an entire set from 1970 to 2012 now, and many multiples of the various dates, I don't know if I can get anymore than face for them, but have been hangin on to them for when I found that person who would pay more than face for them. My Ikes I have a Vault teller that collects them ( and she orders me 4 boxes a week) so I pick those up every where I can and bring them to her. I told her I would trade her coin for coin anytime she gets any halves that are 70 and older, she thought that was an awsome deal. So thats what I've been doing with my clads. I think someone would pay above face for the proofs, I'm just waiting to find them. HH, Maverick.
 

I only save the silver coins, copper cents, gold-plated coins, nickels before 1960, and almost anything with an S mint mark. I don't save the P and D proof halves.

I have also been saving some boxes of brand new 2012 cents, but haven't gotten around to photographing and selling them.

If you save too many mundane coins you tie up too much money and end up wasting more time trying to sell them than you would make searching more coin.
 

SilverForBrains said:
Disclaimer: CRH is a great hobby

that being said, let's talk money. big finds are obvious, as well as silver bullion. What I want to know are individual strategies for "squeezing" every dollar you can out of mediocre finds: proofs, uncirculated halves, older nickels, wheat pennies, eisenhowers, etc. These can all be sold on ebay for a premium, but with ebays cut and pay pals, you have to sell a lot.

To make sure this is not a one-sided thread, my own personal strategy is to hoard them and sell them all at a premium at a flea market when I get enough. Lots of customers, low overhead, etc.

What are your individual strategies for making the most out of this hobby monetarily? The way i see it, as long as we are searching through 100000s of coins for silver we may as well cherry pick the little guys too, provided we can find a customer base with low overhead

Also, care to divulge any neat strategies of 'grouping' together finds for a bigger premium? This one I haven't tried yet, but have seen some ebay posts to base a few ideas on

HH!

SFB

I save all the halves with holes drilled in them, chipped up gold plating, nifc and ones with rainbow color spray paint. Pile them up and take them to the flea market. I lay them all out on a display case and label them CRAP!
.50 a piece....
 

Make nice with tellers and buy their culls at a discount and flip'em. Best money maker I have found do far. I can always buy a silver rosie from a teller for a $1

you know I've always wondered about this since I've heard the same strategy a few times over the years. Do you mind if I ask how you bring up the proposition? do you just ask them if they have any neat coins they'd like to sell? sounds like what I ask them while I'm CRH while looking to buy stuff for face, It'd be cool to hear some strategy
 

I only save the silver coins, copper cents, gold-plated coins, nickels before 1960, and almost anything with an S mint mark. I don't save the P and D proof halves.

I have also been saving some boxes of brand new 2012 cents, but haven't gotten around to photographing and selling them.

If you save too many mundane coins you tie up too much money and end up wasting more time trying to sell them than you would make searching more coin.

Wouldn't any proof half with a P or D be silver? Just sayin'.
 

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