A shout-out for those who buy on eBay . After dealing with many eBay sellers I have concluded that the best eBay seller for coins is GreenBeanCoins hands down!!!
They consistently have the best , nicest , cleanest CAC coins available.
Green Bean Coins is also CAC member # 1
Thats right , he was the first ever to receive membership in CAC .
I’ve had some nice dealings with them. And every coin has exceeded expectations.
I attribute the very high level and quality of the CAC offerings to the owner being 1 of the 4 persons in what most consider the best expert graders in the world !!!
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The first was in 2008. I was about a year into my career, and with the influx of disposable income, had fairly recently found my way back to the hobby. I was mostly buying coins from eBay at the time and bought a coin from a seller from Hasbrouck Heights that recognized my address was local and told me if I wanted to save the $5 shipping, I could pick up the coin in the shop. A free $5 and a trip to a coin shop? I was sold.
I ended up picking up the coin and met Bill. He asked what I collected and I told him I was interested in toned commemoratives. “Oh, you mean like this?” He pulled out the most beautiful rainbow toned Isabella quarter I had ever and likely will ever see, MS66 in an old NGC fatty. Way out of my budget, but I loved holding it. We talked about the coin business, third party grading, his time at NGC, what I thought of CAC (still fledgling at the time), retail vs. wholesale, how to interpret pop reports and how they can be misleading, the unexpectedly low correlation between rarity and market value in certain segments of the market, anything and everything you could think of related to coins. At one point, I must have made an extremely naïve comment related to third-party graded coins and Bill said, “you don’t understand, the coin is what’s valuable.” Sensing I needed a visual aid, he grabbed a slabbed MS62 Saint and said, “see this coin? It’s an MS62. It’s worth $2,000.” Then he took a pair of pliers and cracked the slab and plucked the coin out. “This coin is MS62. It’s worth $2,000.”
We ended up talking for close to 2 hours. Eventually, he very gently informed me that he had real work to do and I should probably be going. A little embarrassed that I had taken up so much of his time and wanting to find some way to compensate him, I said, “Ok, well sell me a coin before I go.” “What kind of coin do you want?” “How about a Morgan dollar?” He brought out a few Morgans and I selected one, an 1879-S PCGS MS66 in an old green holder. “How much for this one?” “$330” “Isn’t that a little expensive for a 79-S?” For a brief moment Bill was actually speechless, shocked by my audacity, but he quickly recovered. “Well this is a premium quality coin….” Sold. Thus concluded my favorite visit to a B&M, before or since.
The second story was in early 2021. Browsing Green Bean Rare Coins’ offerings, I came across a really attractive 1876 US Centennial Expo so-called dollar (HK-20) in PCGS MS65, a pop 1/0 at PCGS. I reached out and arranged a time to come in and see the medal.
It was everything I had hoped it would be. After a brief negotiation, which Bill won quite handily, I purchased the HK-20 and again we get to talking about coins, how it’s going with CAC, etc. He shows off his latest pick-ups from @Legend 's Regency 42, including one of the nicest gold coins I’ve seen in person, an 1899 $5 in PCGS MS67+ CAC.
I also get to see a really cool British maundy set with matching toning that he refuses to sell me. I ask about the Isabella. “I know it was over a decade ago, and you’ve handled so many amazing coins over the years, it may not stand out, but do you remember that rainbow toned Isabella in MS66 you used to have?” “No, I wouldn’t be able to remember something like that. There’s just been so many coins…” He pauses, then lights up. “It was in an NGC fatty!”
This time, with a little more maturity and a little more awareness and respect for his time, I force myself to end the visit before I am kicked out.
A few weeks (not months) later, I am scrolling through eBay’s so-called dollar offerings and suddenly stop. My pop 1/0 HK-20 has become a pop 1/1. I am staring at an HK-20 in PCGS MS65+ being offered by Green Bean Rare Coins.
So, to make a long story (or rather two long stories) short:
1. Bill is extremely knowledgeable, engaging, and generous with his time, even with small fish on smaller budgets.
2. Bill likely has a drawer full of yet-to-be-graded top pop HK-20s that he is waiting to spring on the market at the right time.
Thanks for the great read...
What's the ebay seller link?
Maybe I missed it- what’s your Insta?
I don’t post coins on IG but I certainly enjoy looking at them!
@savagevincent
Anyone else here welcome to respond .
I’d like to participate with you guys .
Vincent
catbert - 👍🏻😉