just carl

I never get coins graded. I never buy coins that have been slabbed either. I collect coins, not plastic.

I would think about 75% of all coin sales today are at coin shows. Many of the dealers there have a coin or hobby store too. There are goods and bads about a coin show. Just remember that the larger the show, the more it cost dealers to rent table spaces. Also, at multi day shows dealers have to stay at motels and/or hotels and sometimes bring family with. They have to eat out so that too costs money. All these expenses have to be made from the sale of coins so they must really jump the prices of coins up to cover all that. At smaller shows the dealers are normally from the area and don't stay there at night. Those too eat at home and that too saves them money. Small shows table rental too are much, much smaller. At a reacent coin show in the Chicago area some of the tables were as much as $3,000. Imagine how many coins muct be sold to pay for that. Yes, coin shows are grear. You get to see coins you may never be able to buy too.

Prior to considering selling, make sure you know what you have. There are many sites with approximate values of coins. Numismedia is one. The PCGS forum too has coin prices. Unfortunately all of these are GUIDES. In other words, mostly a guess as to what they are worth. In reality, all of those are mostly for you buying, not selling unless you use ebay or something like that. Your selling price will almost always be much less than what people say they are worth.

All woods leak gasses as they dry. Some more so than others. So much depends on where the wood comes from too. Different areas where trees come from have different soils and water that is absorbed into the trees. As the wood drys over time, much of this leaks out. Some people claim they have no problems with coins in raw wood. Those I suspect are not telling the truth or just lucky or somehow found wood that is very old and has no longer gasses leaking out. Almost all paints, varnishes, etc. depend on time to cure which means giving off gasses. Same with most of the glues used to make wood objects. To sum it up, it is really not best to put coins, any coins, in a wood container. As to Albums. I've used Whitman Classic Albums for as long as there have been Albums. I've never had a coin tone, tarnish, corrode, stain, etc. I keep all my Albums in Zip Lock Plastic bags.

Just not sure of the purpose of a Registered set. Guess there is some reason but since I never plan on selling any coins, makes no difference if registered or not.

Ooly at coin shows. And by me I'm on the lucky side. We have 4 coin shows a Month and all withing about 15 miles of me. Just could never see buying from ebay and going tthrough the lost in mail, wrong coins sent, pay extra for postage, handling, insurances, paypal costs, ebay costs and on and on with extra costs. At a coin show, you get what you see and get it now.

Since no one to leave this all to, no relatives, no kids, etc. Then just start asking around people you know, neighbors, etc. if any are interested in coins. Usually there are always someone that collects coins. Since too nothing of excessive value, would made a great stqrt for some kid. Just ask around where you live or work.

KInd of depends on where you live and availability of places. For example by me there are camera shows, Flea markets, tons of just stores, etc. I've got presently 5 digital camers. My favorite one is a Fuji S7000. It also is the most expensive one I have. That one cost me about $100. Most others are much simpler and cheaper ones and none cost more than $50. Two more are Fuji's, two more are Samsung's and one I sort of ignor is a Olympus. The Fuji uses both a Compact Flash and a XD card. All others use SD except the Olympus which also takes a XD card. This is one of the things to make sure of when purchasing a new camera. Very difficult to find XD and Compact Flash cards. And when you do, nothing in comparison with SD for capacity. Also, make sure your camera has a tripod mounting capacity. Note too some have what is called Macro and also a Super Maacro meaning it can really get closer pictures. IF you could find a Camera show you might want to check there since possibly the best prices. Regular places seldom can compete with a camer show. Also, watch the newpapers for adds in places like Walmart, Target, Kmart, Best Buy, etc.

For the most part it shouldn't really matter how much it is all worth. As a momento of someone that thought enough of you to leave it all to you, that alone should make it worth keeping. However, I'd suggest taking your time and sorting it all out by country and then denomination, then dates, etc. Yes that could take some time but that is one of the things about any hobby. Fun, spending time with it, learning about what you have. As a start I'd suggest looking into buying some books on coins. As a decent start look for a copy of what is called the Red Book by Whitman Publishing. Check out the Whitman web site for possible other books on coins too. Not sure what books you need for the foreign coins though. Regardless, you have to be carefull with those. IF, for some reason you planed on selling them and not knowing what you have, you could be really cheated badly. Many dealers would give you a fraction of what they are worth knowing you have no idea what they are. So be carefull and get to know what you have.

I'm always in shock when I see how many people use ebay to buy anything. I do know there are many people that just have no other means to buy coins and other items, yet with so many fakes out there, ebay is the last place I'd ever try.

Get rid of every coin I have. Take them all to a bank and just deposit them as if just plain, ordinary coins. Try imagining the look on people's faces if I really did that. Those that go to banks and requests rolls. Would be fun to see them staring at what they just got if they received my stuff. No, I am not going to do that but it is fun to think about stuff like that. My Goals actually are to try to complete my #1 Mercury Dime Album in all FSB's. I presently have 12 Mercury Dime Albums. Each one is progressively in higher grades from #1 to #12. Only about 8 more to go with FSB;s.

Depends on scanning for WHAT? Remember there are many things to scan for. Type of coin? Marks? Wear? Dirt? Info such as date, mint, etc. Yes recently someone did try that for grading coins. It really doesn't work well. To many variables possibly. I would guess that it could be done with all the technology we have today. Yet all the top, and maybe all, TPGS's still use people to grade coins. Wonder why? Although people make mistakes, try imagining the program required to do all that is needed in that field.

Only at coin shows. Everywhere else is to expensive and to risky with all the fakes out there.

Welcome to this forum. As to any coin with tape problems there is a simple solution. If you have a Walmart, Kmart, Menards, HomeDepot, etc. or any place that sells paint products, go there and look in the paint area for Acetone. Usually comes in a quart can. However, please note it is highly flamable so you have to be carefull. Find a place well ventilated. Place your coin in a clean glass, never plastic or metal, container. Such as a clear, clean cup or drinking glass if possible. Pour some of the Acetone on it and allow it to soak for while, It should remove any tape or tape glue. HOWEVER, the Acetone will evaporate fast so be carefull. Remember that as it evaporates, whatever it disolved from the coin will be left so you would have to remove the coin fast. Acetone will not effect metal of any kind. So even if you left the coin in the Acetone for years, it would not effect the metal. HOWEVER, again, be carefull with that stuff. It is flamable.

Oddly enough this reminds me of a pet I had. A long time ago I found one of those injured in my yard. Took it in and used an old Parakeet cage to help nurse it back to health. My parents thought I was nuts trying to save a bird of the kind you see all over the place. Yet in time it got healthy. If got so tame it sat on my shoulder like a parakeet. Eventually I tried to let it fly away but just wouldn't leave. The similarity with this story is coins from around the house kept appearing in the cage. Watches, rings, coins, anything shinny would get picked up and put in the cage. From what I later read about these birds is they just like to collect STUFF. May have been a coin collector in a previous life.