Bulk lots

[Vlad1410 0]

Hello folks,

This is my post here. Sorry for my poor English and if similar topic is already present on the Predecimal forums. As a very beginner collector may I ask more experienced people: is it useful in your opinion to acquire on regular basis bulk lots on e-bays and other internet auction sites in effort to build a collection from scratch?

I mean those "50 British halfpenny coins xxxx to yyyy <put_monarch's_name(s)_here>" auctions where some exemplars of better and nicer grade can be sifted out. You can ensure that some good coin is present carefully examining photos (if any correctly made). Sometimes prices for such lots are relatively low as counted per coin.

Thanks!

[Vlad1410 0]

This is my FIRST post here.

[Peter 615]

Keep going buddy and we will get there.There are no fools on this forum.Welcome

[scott 129]

always worth it, better on the unsorted ones imo, there are plenty, can find a few gems in bulks if you have a good look at the pictures.

found one today that went for under a fiver including postage with what looks like an EF 1899 penny in it.

few i have bought. a massive box of world containing a few coins worth more then the cost of the whole lot, and no pictures of single coins, just a lot, so yes always worth it, especially as the cost per coin is indeed low.

best bet if you want to start is to go for unsorted, you can get some great stuff.

in terms of ones showing the entire lot, indeed they are a goldmine.

bought a couple today myself, one looks like it contains a bun penny variety i want and as it is a bulk the cost for the lower stuff outweighs the risk

few where i have seen the coins I have got a 1901 in EF with lustre, and another with TERTVS error willaim III halfpenny, and these were visable in the pictures, found a holed 1888 4D in one as well.

bulk lot found today

and speaking of which, this one ended today.

oh and my Avatar coin was from a small bulk lot, with only obverse showing best bet are unsorted, or one side only ones for earlier coins or possible rares

Edited April 25, 2013 by scott

[Vlad1410 0]

always worth it, better on the unsorted ones imo, there are plenty, can find a few gems in bulks if you have a good look at the pictures.

found one today that went for under a fiver including postage with what looks like an EF 1899 penny in it.

Living overseas means high postage costs, I mostly cannot enjoy your free p&p world and can't afford

frequent purchases of 1-3 coins per order at wish even price is good, because postage cost for small pack of coins instead of hoard actually may take 1/3 or even more of total paid and nobody want's to buy at greater prices

So bulks can be solution for those remote newbies looking for unexpensive stuff.

But major con I see major about buying bulk lots: you will be very soon will overfilled with useless junk grade coins without much use.

[Rob 2,996]

always worth it, better on the unsorted ones imo, there are plenty, can find a few gems in bulks if you have a good look at the pictures.

found one today that went for under a fiver including postage with what looks like an EF 1899 penny in it.

few i have bought. a massive box of world containing a few coins worth more then the cost of the whole lot, and no pictures of single coins, just a lot, so yes always worth it, especially as the cost per coin is indeed low.

best bet if you want to start is to go for unsorted, you can get some great stuff.

in terms of ones showing the entire lot, indeed they are a goldmine.

bought a couple today myself, one looks like it contains a bun penny variety i want and as it is a bulk the cost for the lower stuff outweighs the risk

few where i have seen the coins I have got a 1901 in EF with lustre, and another with TERTVS error willaim III halfpenny, and these were visable in the pictures, found a holed 1888 4D in one as well.

bulk lot found today

and speaking of which, this one ended today.

oh and my Avatar coin was from a small bulk lot, with only obverse showing best bet are unsorted, or one side only ones for earlier coins or possible rares

That's two errors.

[Vlad1410 0]

bulk lot found today

I see 2 nice condition pennies, but others look miserable

[Generic Lad 25]

Depends who the seller is.

Some sellers of "bulk coins" are dealers who are just getting rid of stuff they can't sell and it will most likely be junk. Others are truly unsorted, either as a result of people inheriting a collection, non-UK dealers getting rid of foreign coins, etc.

If you're buying stuff on eBay, check to see what else they've sold, if they're selling or sold stuff like minor Bun Head penny varieties, its likely the coins have been cherry-picked. If they're selling unrelated stuff, its more likely to be unsorted.

But there are certainly some good deals to be found on eBay in bulk lots, its just having the time to comb through various listings for them.

I'm with you when it comes to overseas shipping, being an American collector of British coins its often hard to find coins that really fit my budget, especially when it comes to older, hammered coins which might only be $5-6 for a low-grade coin but have $16 postage! And over here most British coins are low-grade George V or later, so no real use going to coin shops (although there undoubtedly are a few gems...)

If you've got any coin dealers near you, you might want to check their "junk bin" I know a coin dealer near me has a huge container where he puts in any Cu-Ni non-US coins and sells them for 15 cents a piece, I managed to snag a 1952 3d proof in there, along with most of the George VI and Elizabeth II bronzes in decent enough grade for a small collection.

[Vlad1410 0]

Depends who the seller is.

Some sellers of "bulk coins" are dealers who are just getting rid of stuff they can't sell and it will most likely be junk. Others are truly unsorted, either as a result of people inheriting a collection, non-UK dealers getting rid of foreign coins, etc.

If you're buying stuff on eBay, check to see what else they've sold, if they're selling or sold stuff like minor Bun Head penny varieties, its likely the coins have been cherry-picked. If they're selling unrelated stuff, its more likely to be unsorted.

Interesting concern, haven't thought about it before. However always when I spot something cool looking, I go first check what other lots from this seller are about.

[scott 129]

so you see the high grade 1899 in the linked one, worth more then the cost+postage

[Peckris 579]

Hello folks,

This is my post here. Sorry for my poor English and if similar topic is already present on the Predecimal forums. As a very beginner collector may I ask more experienced people: is it useful in your opinion to acquire on regular basis bulk lots on e-bays and other internet auction sites in effort to build a collection from scratch?

I mean those "50 British halfpenny coins xxxx to yyyy <put_monarch's_name(s)_here>" auctions where some exemplars of better and nicer grade can be sifted out. You can ensure that some good coin is present carefully examining photos (if any correctly made). Sometimes prices for such lots are relatively low as counted per coin.

Thanks!

IF...

you collect by date

AND...

the lots are cheap

THEN...

it would be ok I suppose.