best places to buy coins

[Jordan0693 3]

What are the best places to buy coins not from ebay or auction

[Paulus 1,975]

Not the Royal Mint! There are many excellent dealers, some of whom are on here, and some that are not so good. It will depend on the coins you are looking for as to which dealer to go to. What is your collecting focus?

[Jordan0693 3]

My collection is varied only cause I bought a big lot and they had lots of different countries, but I'm more interested in british/commonwealth coins, basically old empire coins

[Rob 3,152]

It depends how much you want to spend. If you want high grade material, you will have to use a dealer. There will be someone who specialises in the field, but nobody I can put a name to at the moment. If you just want cheap things, then eBay is probably as good as anywhere else. Go to coin fairs. Wakefield is on the last Sunday of every month except for December, The Midland at the Motor Cylce Museum just off the M42 is the second Sunday of each month. London, I haven't got a clue as I avoid it like the plague.

With the vast majority of people collecting English, you will have to do the hard work. With the esoteric nature of foreign material, many things do not sell for a lot, but are difficult to source because dealers are unwilling to carry large quantities of things that are not going to sell

[Colin G. 147]

A selfless plug, I Have been selling some of my commonwealth coins, might be worth having a look on my site (link below), in case there is anything that appeals.

There are also some coins on the website that accompanies this forum "predecimal.com" and I would gladly vouch for Chris owns the site

[Jordan0693 3]

Colin G is the link to your website the predecimal website?

[Rob 3,152]

I have a few kilos of Commonwealth lying around, but it's only low grade stuff up to gVF. There are very few EFs or UNCs

[Jordan0693 3]

What countries do you have in their?

[Rob 3,152]

Could be anything, I melted a load.

[Rob 3,152]

I've got about 240g of Seychelles coinage on the desk in front of me. Plus some Australian, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, loads of other African countries.

Edited December 18, 2014 by Rob

[Colin G. 147]

My website is aboutfarthings.co.uk

[copper123 1,481]

Midlands coin fair for me -every time - loads of dealers and loads of choice - If you have £20 to spend or £20 000 you WILL find something that you like

[davidrj 194]

I've got about 240g of Seychelles coinage on the desk in front of me

Any nice bronze 5 cents in that lot?

[Rob 3,152]

I've got about 240g of Seychelles coinage on the desk in front of me

Any nice bronze 5 cents in that lot?

Nope. Just a 2c.

[Peter 615]

Midlands coin fair for me -every time - loads of dealers and loads of choice - If you have £20 to spend or £20 000 you WILL find something that you like

I agree

The best fair.

I go 3 or 4 times a year with Mrs Peter and my beautiful daughters.Hotel meals and a bucket of wine....daughters can down a few now.

We take the Springer as well.

I have several good dealers...looking forward to the new year with a wad of cash..

[Jordan0693 3]

Anywhere in cambridgeshire?

[HistoricCoinage 146]

Anywhere in cambridgeshire?

There's Cambridge Coins that isn't in Cambridge...or Cambridgeshire... But it is close, just over in Bedfordshire. Then there's Gannochy Coins, but I wouldn't recommend them as the two times I've been in there I've been treated rather rudely - it's pretty central in Cambridge, not far from Sidney Street Sainsbury's in the back corner of a cycle shop. There's also Cambridgeshire Coins which I've no dealings with so do not know what they're like.

[Rob 3,152]

Dave Allen is opening a place in St. Neots too, at the Antiques Emporium, 13 Fishers Yard. It will run in parallel with the shop in Biggleswade.

[Peter 615]

Best to avoid.

Over graded and not the smartest.

[Peckris 579]

What are the best places to buy coins not from ebay or auction

Rob's advice is very sound - coin fairs are probably the best places especially if you get to know the dealers who go regularly, as they will look out for your wants and also may give you discounts. There are good fairs in the NE, Midlands and London, though the West of the country - north to south - is less well served. If you anywhere near the Midlands, that one is really good and easily reached via the motorways.

[copper123 1,481]

And an airport LOL

[Colin88 54]

Although it seems to me that no-one on this site here actually lives in or near London and most appear to 'avoid London'.....there is nothing wrong with the fairs in London..

Having said all that, my favourite fair for buying over the last 30 years is actually the January one in York (a bit of a schlep drive from London but York is a great town)...but I have to say the majority of the dealers there (most of them the same old faces) are not what you would call customer-friendly and seem far more interested in talking to each other than with a potential customer......and on the Saturday at the fair, several of them (you know who you are..) are wrecked from partying the night before ....then again , so am I....

I once ventured in to the dark side....downstairs where they keep the stamp dealers .....scarey !

[davidrj 194]

As someone who doesn't drive, most fairs are now impossible to get to. So sadly my says of rummaging through dealers junk boxes are gone and I now rely on Ebay or a few favorite sellers such as cgb.fr

[Coinery 1,147]

The city of York is an amazing place for a visit!

[Rob 3,152]

Although it seems to me that no-one on this site here actually lives in or near London and most appear to 'avoid London'.....there is nothing wrong with the fairs in London..

I'm sure there isn't, but the cost of a table where the minimum you would pay is over £200 per day with some double that means you have to sell a significant amount just to break even. That's before you take driving down and parking into consideration which will add another £100 to costs. As the takings tend to be more in London, it's great if you live locally but crap if you don't. Unless you have high value items to sell (which also find a buyer on the day), you are on a hiding to nothing.

Edited December 19, 2014 by Rob