Do You "Prime the Pump" of Collecting?

[mmarotta]

Discussing old coins in found in change, Bustchaser wrote:

... I often received obsolete coins that dated back to seated Liberties and occasionally even a bust coin or two. ... Later, after college, I went back to said small town and asked a couple of elderly gentlemen who had been regular customers if they had been "priming the pump" so to speak and seeking a new collector. Never could get either to admit it but I still think so.

 

I now do the same thing. It is really cool to see the look when you spend a large cent or cull silver.

 

In Howell, Michigan, when the coin guys meet at the local Big Boy, tipping the waitress in odd forms of money is a custom. I mentioned this once to another coin writer and he said that it is pretty common. So, another coin writer overheard us and said we ought to do this with camera and tape recorder and write a story about spending Large Cents and 3 cent silvers and stuff around town. Then we both knew that he was even worse off than we were.

 

That said, yes, coin guys do prime the pump of collecting. My favorites are British sterling with Victoria on them that I can get for silver over spot. You leave a six pence or a shilling, you know you made an impression.

[ccg]

Halves and dollars, yes.

[JDen1952]

Wheat back cents, dateless buffalos, Kennedy halves, Ikes, Suzies, and deuces. My bank always seems to have a bunch of Ikes in the main branch vault, and the manager there is more than happy to let me have as many as I want. Kennedys, Suzies and deuces are available at any of the branches.

 

Any silver I get is MINE!!! Someday I expect the mint will ask us "junk silver hoarders" to send them in. Something along the lines of "If you send us $x.xx face in U.S. silver coins, we will send you a pedigreed silver eagle." Now THAT would be cool.

 

Jerry

[Dan769]

Usually Ike's and Kennedy halves. Sad when half dollars are now considered obsolete.

 

 

Dan

[Burks]

I tend to give out halves unless they are really really nice, toned, or a date I don't have. No reason to hoard them when someone else may stumble on them.

[Ætheling]

Well with regards to collectable coins the only guys that ever se what i've got are you guys on here. None of my friends and most of my family don't know about the hobby. The only family that do know is because my parents aren't as secretive as me. Some of my friends/family know some dodgy people who'd break in and rob you of everything you've got if they thought you'd got anything of value, or even if you hadn't.

 

Therefore i never show or give out obsolete coins, or even talk about them if i can help it with the family, i change the subject pretty quick, "yeah i got a few euros and a few US coins i found in change, anyhow...".

 

 

I don't leave tips either.

[Ætheling]

Oh and spending obsolete money is illegal here because it's demonetised. People tend to hit the roof if you slip them a similar sized old five pence for a new ten pence. They hate it.

 

Although they'll happily take old 50 pences because some vending machines accept them as £2 coins and there's a profit to be made out of them.

[28Plain]

I've released rolls of wheats back into the stream, and I usually spend any base metal dollar coins or halves I get.

[28Plain]

Any silver I get is MINE!!!  Someday I expect the mint will ask us "junk silver hoarders" to send them in.  Something along the lines of "If you send us $x.xx face in U.S. silver coins, we will send you a pedigreed silver eagle."  Now THAT would be cool.

 

Jerry

If the feds ask for anything I've got they'll get my standard reply of "KMA". ahaha

[28Plain]

Oh and spending obsolete money is illegal here because it's demonetised. People tend to hit the roof if you slip them a similar sized old five pence for a new ten pence. They hate it.

 

Although they'll happily take old 50 pences because some vending machines accept them as £2 coins and there's a profit to be made out of them.

 

I regard the demonetization of coins and currency as an act of tyranny and fraud.

[ageka]

Oh and spending obsolete money is illegal here because it's demonetised. People tend to hit the roof if you slip them a similar sized old five pence for a new ten pence. They hate it.

 

Although they'll happily take old 50 pences because some vending machines accept them as £2 coins and there's a profit to be made out of them.

 

Some of the money of Thailand looks like a 2 euro piece

I got one in change whithout noticing it

Our parking machines measure so many points that sometimes even real coins

are rejected

[bzcollektor]

I`ve spent Silver Certificates and red seal US $2.00 and $5.00 US Notes that were too raggedy for keeping. These 18 year old store clerks

are baffled. They have to call over a manager to see if they are "real". I`ve spent wheaties and dateless buff nickels. I recently bought a roll of the new buffs. I never see these in change (even though they minted 780 MILLION of them). Out of the roll, maybe 3 or 4 were MS62. Nothing in a condition worth keeping, so I`m spending these as well.

Silver is mine. Nobody gets my silver!

[Art]

I usually use dollar coins (SACs, SBAs, rarely Ikes), halves, and $2 bills for tips. Most of the wait folks that I've talked to about this either save the money themselves or give it to their children. I've never tried with buffalos or indian head cents -- you'd need an awful lot of them for a tip and if you mixed them with other change, they'd just be lost in the shuffle.

 

I usually give my favorite bank teller world coins for her son. He's six and really enjoys the coins from far away places and odd shaped coins. Recently gave her an Ike for him. She said she'd never owned one - had seen a few at the bank, but never had the chance to get one for her son.

[16d]

dateless stuff only

[bustchaser]

I have spent half cents and large cents back to the 1830s. Two centers are always fun. I have been known to leave sSeated material from half dime to half dollar as tips. (But I prefer to spend obsoletes over the counter so that I can see the reaction.) I have spent more Morgans than I have kept. (not hard...I only own one). Never spent one of my silver bust coins...(yet!) Never spent a trade or seated dollar. Guess I need to hit a few junk boxes at the next show I attend.

 

Jim

[Metalman]

Indians, Wheats, Buffs, Barbers, mercs, halves, Ikes, SBA's,Sac's Ive spent and given just about everything out to tellers, waitresses,kids around the neighborhood .

 

Ive had folks bring coins to me that I know I put in circulation and ask me about the value and such its cool to have that happen !!

 

Ive had waitresses at the truck stop who often save coins and star notes for me try to give them back to me LOL

 

its fun to do this kind of thing !!

 

Rick

[Trantor_3]

no, can't spend obsolete money as it is demonitized here in euro-country.

 

Now you US guys and gurls: you spend stuff I'm looking for to complete my type set

[Mediccoin]

Yes. Kennedy Halves, Ikes. It is fun to watch some cashiers try to find a place for the coin in the till.

[Rabone]

No coins. Maybe a SAC or two left over from the car wash, but I simply do not run into cull old coins in my travels.

I do however tip with $2 bills. Those are easy to pick up at the credit union, and a strap lasts us a long time in tips and small birthday gifts.

But the coins be mine.

[Tiffibunny]

I've used $2, halves, Ikes, SBA's, Sacs, but that's about it.

[Guest Stujoe]

I have spent some wheaties, dateless buffalos and an Ike or two. Nothing much else.

[Rotten Rodney]

Ok I have been known to spent a Dateless Buffalo or two. . .

[Vfox]

I spend $2 bills, sacs and sba's and halves. It really confuses people when you hand them $20 in 2's lol.

 

As for the bill checker pens everyone hates, if you rub a tiny bit of alcohol onto it, and heat it with a hair dryer, then leave it sit for a few weeks, the spot will be gone, or at least barely there. Just so if you happen to collect obsoletes you know how to get rid of bill checker marks hehe.

[cladking]

I've put lots of marginally collectible and high grade clad into circulation. I used to get a lot

of this stuff at face and I can't save it all so it would go into circulation a few here and a few

there. I put almost an entire bag of choice '82 quarters into circulation back in '82/ '83.

[Mr Lee]

I inherited about $35 in Wheat-back cents, mostly from the 50's so I rolled them up and cashed in $25 at the local 7-11. Figured in might get someone interested in collecting or further a existing collection along. I still spend the common Wheat-backs.