Charity coin disposal

[Ozzy1977]

I have, like many people a tub full of junk foreign coins of no value. I plan on giving them to a charity but what does the charity do with them?

[Unwilling Numismatist]

Oxfam sends all of theirs to their head office where it gets sorted and sold online - normally they ask too much for what they're trying to sell imho.

 

e.g https://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/stamps-and-coins/coins-and-banknotes/british-coin-collection-hd_101331173

 

 

[1949threepence]

Very good question and interesting answer.

[Paddy]

9 hours ago, Unwilling Numismatist said:

Oxfam sends all of theirs to their head office where it gets sorted and sold online - normally they ask too much for what they're trying to sell imho.

 

e.g https://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/stamps-and-coins/coins-and-banknotes/british-coin-collection-hd_101331173

 

 

I thought their shops were over-priced enough but their coin listings are incredibly dear! I can't believe they sell much.

 

[Mr T]

I assume they sell them online - I remember buying a few bulk lots of international stuff from an ebay seller (like kilograms of coins from the same country or same denomination) and I don't know where else they could have got them.

[Unwilling Numismatist]

Every oxfam I've been in refuses to sell, giving the same answer of "goes to head office".

British Heart Foundation will sell you anything they have at a reasonable price.

When the staff say they have no idea of value they mean it, but I'll always give them what I think is fair + some for charity too. - I often pay 3 - 5 x what they initially ask locally, as otherwise I'd be taking the piss.

Sometimes in the job lots I get really lucky, but normally I'll break even taking that gamble.

[mrbadexample]

21 hours ago, Unwilling Numismatist said:

Oxfam sends all of theirs to their head office where it gets sorted and sold online - normally they ask too much for what they're trying to sell imho.

 

e.g https://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/stamps-and-coins/coins-and-banknotes/british-coin-collection-hd_101331173

 

 

Good grief.  It seems strange when you can go in and buy a coat for 50p (probably). Surely it would do them more good to price sensibly - they must know that lot's worthless.

[Rob]

1 hour ago, mrbadexample said:

Good grief.  It seems strange when you can go in and buy a coat for 50p (probably). Surely it would do them more good to price sensibly - they must know that lot's worthless.

Yes, but charity shops are full of staff who would read the Daily Mail. You can't take pricing mismatches in isolation and then be surprised. There's always a reason. You just need to look hard enough.

[bagerap]

I price the coins for my local Age and British Heart shops.  Keep it reasonable and they sell fairly quickly.

 

[Ozzy1977]

Many thanks for the replies.  Since starting this question I have started volunteering at a local charity and have been asked to go over the large tub they have of old and foreign coins, they don't really have a policy of what to do with them all,  I was thinking of separating the British, bagging up the foreign in to 1kg lots for ebay, picking out the best British for individual sale and bagging the rest again for ebay.

[Unwilling Numismatist]

2 hours ago, Ozzy1977 said:

Many thanks for the replies.  Since starting this question I have started volunteering at a local charity and have been asked to go over the large tub they have of old and foreign coins, they don't really have a policy of what to do with them all,  I was thinking of separating the British, bagging up the foreign in to 1kg lots for ebay, picking out the best British for individual sale and bagging the rest again for ebay.

It'd be worth taking the euros out too.

I keep all of the non bronze for my hols and dump all of the bronze in the airliens charity collection as it passes on the plane - I assume they get to move it on for real cash somehow.

[PWA 1967]

2 hours ago, Ozzy1977 said:

Many thanks for the replies.  Since starting this question I have started volunteering at a local charity and have been asked to go over the large tub they have of old and foreign coins, they don't really have a policy of what to do with them all,  I was thinking of separating the British, bagging up the foreign in to 1kg lots for ebay, picking out the best British for individual sale and bagging the rest again for ebay.

HAT OFF Ozzy and a nice touch 😉

[Ozzy1977]

I have spoken to on online purchaser of scrap/old coins, they pay around £1.50/KG.  they take out the valuable stuff for sale, current foreign stuff gets sold back to country of origin the rest is sold for scrap.  I recon the British stuff will then be sold to the numismatic trade in bulk as seen on ebay.