Hello,
I want to come to America soon, so I want to visit the estate sales.Can you tell me something about them?And is it thrue that you can find big hoards of wheats there?
Greets,
Marco

You can find wheats at estate sales. But not all estate sales will have coins. Depends how big of a hoard you are looking for and how much you are willing to pay.

When attending a sale, make sure you bring pen and paper, and even a coin book if you wish. Also make sure to attend the preview before the sale starts, so you can see exactly what you will be bidding on. Write down the 'lot' number of the item and put the highest amount you are willing to pay for that item. Don't forget to include the buyers premium (which can be anything from nothing to 20% of the bid).

If you are just looking for general circulation wheats and are not worried about finding anything of high value, you can always buy wheats on eBay. If you buy on eBay, don't believe any of the stories that people come up with about where the coins were found (for example...we bought this giant hoard from my friends grandmother, whose husband kept every wheat cent he had and filled a bathtub,barrell, 5 gallon pails...etc). 99.9% of hoards on eBay have been searched over many times for any key coin.

Any other questions just ask.

Can you also find lots of silver coins on estate sales and do you maybe know other ways to get a hoard of wheats or american silver coins?

Yes estate sales have 'lots' of silver coins.

What number of coins do you consider to be a hoard????
100?? 1,000?? 10,000???

Careful! Auctions which advertise coins specifically usually draw buyers who have extra money to throw around. Almost every estate auction I've ever been to has some kind of coins. Even if it's just 50 wheaties in a wrapper. The best ones I find are usually just listed like, "...odd collection of old coins...," or "...jar of pennies...," you get the idea.

I think you can call something a hoard from 10000 wheats and 1000 silver coins.

All you really have to do is when you come here, stop by a well known coin dealer in the area and just buy a bag of so-called "Un-searched" pennys and or silver.Or just order it from dealers here. I have gotten some in years past and didnt find really any problems, some decent coins too.!

What is about the lowest price they can ask for a 5000 wheat pennies bag?

With the right dealer, and with enough haggling, you should be able to get them for around 3 cents a piece (ie $150). This also depends a lot on how well you know the dealer and or how you come across to the dealer. Last bag of cents that I bought I paid 2.5 cents per wheat (ie $125). But here of late it seems that dealers are capable of getting anywhere from 4 to 5 cents per wheat. But if you are in the market to get 5000 wheats (also called a bag) then you should be able to get them around 3 cents each. I have yet to buy any wheat cents on eBay. Mainly because I refuse to pay HIGH dollar per coin (4+ cents per coin). And for those that don't know me, I include the shipping cost into the final price paid for an item.

As for auctions and estate sales, around here (Texas), it seems that when the average person sees an older coin the bidding goes WAY STUPID! ie I have seen wheat cents (common date 11940s and 1950s go for over 10 cents per. But then again if you you are bidding on pick, then you might get lucky. Last auction I went to the auctioneer held up a page of indian and flying eagle cents and I got high bid on it at $2 per coin that I pulled from the sheet. I walked away with 2 flying eagle cents and 6 copper nickel indians in VG+. Hehehe A buddy of mine did the very same thing a long time ago and got a 1908-S indian for something stupid like $5. So, Like someone else said, figure up your high bid, subtract the sellers percentage and that is what your high bid should be. And always try and maintain control of your bidding.

Good Luck.....

I forgot to mention all prices I mentioned are in US currency. Just incase.

I just returned from an Estate Yard/House Sale (not an auction.) Did I mention ?!!!!!!!!?

I have NEVER seen that many pieces of Occupied Japan figurines together in one place in my life. Must have been two hundred pieces.

Campaign buttons, anyone? Must have been about 2,000 of them. Ancient tools, primitives, Edison cannister player, 100-year old mandolin, pressed and patterned glass...and on, and on, and on...

Jewelry!!! Diamonds and rubies, mostely, lots of gold and silver--no fakes or costume--just the good stuff.

Ah, but the coins... ...if anybody knows somebody in Evanville, Indiana, tell them to go to South Bosse Avenue and look for the Estate Sale sign--NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Four sisters were selling their parent's belongings prior to taking the rest of the 'good' stuff to auction. Let's see, about 20,000 coins, I'd guess by the looks of it. Exclusively U.S., mostly circulated. I thought I would !!!

Poor lil' me!!! I had a whole $7.50 on me at the time because I just got done shelling out my monthly sale limit I set for myself and then some giving it to five graduates, one babyshower and one wedding shower times $20 each ($140 total.)

Needless to say I'm proud to have spent the entire $7.50 on one miniature Occupied Japan 'Toby Jug', an antique cigarette case and... a $1 Liberty Currency Warehouse Receipt (mainly because I've never seen one before and it was only $2.)

PLEASE--if you have any friends in Evansville, do them a favor and send them that way. They will only be there until 5:00 p.m., Indiana, cst, today and then they're going to take the rest to auction.

I fee like I've been to an art gallery/museum.

Sounds like the find of a lifetime. Glad you're happy with your purchases.

Wow. It would be fun just digging through that many circulated coins. Imagine what could be hiding in there.

Guess I need to start hitting these estate and garage sales around here. Lots of older people in my area.

I have no idea how they fit all that stuff in their house and still had room for furniture and applicances!

I saw what appeared to be an uncirculated coin that said it was a "1/10 gold piece" in a 2 x 2. I've not seen one before but it was beautiful!

Wish all of you guys were in Evansville for the day to go look at/buy stuff there--wouldn't that be fun!

Whoa, sounds like a major cleanout...

I would so cry if my collection ever ends up in a garage sale.

Well, I suppose if I was looking down from heaven , I probably wouldn't care if my Saint set was being sold at a garage sale. Even so, I'd hope to leave a note and a redbook highlighted with the stuff I had, even though it wouldn't be much help on the rolls and rolls of "junk" (i.e. wheaties, old jeffersons, 90% silver etc.).

Interesting. I live here near Vero Beach, Florida , affectionately also known as "God's waiting room", for the plethra of people over 65.
Anyway been to dozens & dozens of garage sales, no estate sales, but garage sales and have yet to find a single coin for sale.

Also though, almost monthly the hotel buyers sweep into town with their full page ads buying all old coins and jewelry, with absurdidly low prices listed. Could explain where all the old coins around here are going.