Selling to a shop

Before you leave the house

1. Sort piles: modern bullion, pre-1965 silver, jewelry/scrap, “maybe special” dates, and face-value clad.
2. Do not clean or polish. Cleaning usually destroys collector value and wastes everyone’s time.
3. Write down dates/mint marks you think matter. Photos help if the lot is large.
4. Bring ID if you plan to sell — many states and shops require it for metal purchases.
5. Decide your goal: speed and certainty (shop buy) vs max retail later (your time, fees, risk).

At the counter

1. Say whether you want a buy offer or are only learning.
2. Expect wholesale numbers — shops resell and take risk.
3. The Red Book is not a cash bid for raw ungraded coins.
4. You can say no, get a second offer, or sell only part of the lot.
5. Keep the receipt.

Read these next

• Visiting a coin shop for the first timeLayout, counter rhythm, buy vs sell workflows.
• Coin shop etiquetteHow to buy and sell without making it weird.
• Knowing what you have before you walk inSort the bag so the offer makes sense.
• Old is not rare — mintage & condition100 years old ≠ valuable. Here’s what rare really means.
• Cents: wheat & Indian Heads usually aren’t a fortuneDate + mint + grade, not “it looks antique.”