"Unsearched" Wheat Cents: Rolls vs Bags

[coincollectingenterprises]

Would love to pick your brain:

Rolls or bags? Do you have a preference? I've developed quite a lot of thoughts on the matter, which I'll be happy to share, but would like to refrain from sharing in the OP to help not create any bias.

Would love to hear your opinion.

And please, keep in mind I'm talking about circulated coin, not unopened sealed mint bags/rolls/etc.

The idea is, as a buyer, do you prefer the idea of buying in bags or rolls?

If you really want to dive in, feel welcome to share thoughts on the elusive and yet somehow common shotgun roll of "holy cow how did an Indian Head end up in a Wheat Cent roll on the end and wow the seller has over 200 available of these. Must be rare!"

Be harsh. Looking for bluntness as I do sell unsearched wheats and I've been entertaining the idea of expanding. I'm also contemplating expanding and introduce some one-cent products that, from what I've searched online, plain out don't exist and should be (hopefully) really intriguing (more to follow on this at a later date as I want you guys to have first crack at it). But I'm a stickler for ethics and honesty when it comes to sales. I have preconceived opinions on this matter and would like to see if they're in alignment with a general consensus.

Thanks in advance for your input. The feedback you've all provided in the past, present, and surely future, is very much appreciated.

-Dan

[Maineman750]

Dan, I like bags simply because I hate opening rolls.As for what people believe is better for finds, I think that is all superstition.

[pennies4pennies]

As a buyer and seller I would say your best bet would be bags. When sellers make rolls they look at every coin put in the roll. When put in a bag, they are most likely not all been looked at. Either way the odds of finding a key date is not there. Seller will take out key dates but do not always check closely for DDO's and so on. When put in a roll the seller had taken the time to look at the coins and there is less chance of varieties . Bags are bulk and some sellers won't take the time to look for all varieties so chances are better. I have been doing this for years and have bought and sold rolls and bags. Bags they just want to make a quick buck and rolls they are trying to get rich. Take it as it is. Not unless you know the seller the rolls are a set up. Never pay past what you see on the ends of the rolls.

Now on another note : WATCH OUT
When you see auctions saying these where my dads/granfathers and so on they are trying to get the price up high on the rolls/bags, Also watch were they give you alist of whats in a bag or roll. Most likely they been to a dealer and the dealer bought the good ones and wouldn't pay much for what was left so people put them on ebay with no close ups.
There is no one out there that does not think there wheat cents are worth alot of money because there old. 95 % of the people go to a dealer first before selling them. GOOD ONES ARE GONE.
SELLERS
Beware if a seller is selling unsearch rolls or bags. Look at there other items for sale. If you see alot of signal coins which contain high grade wheats or varieties then he or she has looked at what he is selling as bags or rolls. Better off buying from some one who don't sell coins and do sell other things or maybe has just a few items forsale. There is times when I have been over loaded with way to many wheats and I did sell unsearched because I didn't search them. But you need to know the seller for any unsearch bags or rolls. I THINK THERE IS NO UNSEARCH COINS OUT THERE. Well maybe 5% could be unsearch. There is cases where I pick up bulk wheats from estate auctions, to me they are unsearched not unless there in little 2x2 flaps.

[LKLive13]

I never pay a big premium on wheat rolls... most of the time i buy rolls i go to my local coin store. They dont search for varieties and just seperate the wheats into decades. I have found a few good RPMs from there and i think when someone finds a jar of wheats or other coins in their passed grandparents closet they take them there for a quick buck.

[coincollectingenterprises]

Dan, I like bags simply because I hate opening rolls.As for what people believe is better for finds, I think that is all superstition.

Interesting. The premium for rolls somehow seems to skyrocket (as far as Ebay goes) and often seems to come with very elaborate stories. This always made me speculate they have less quality finds. Curious to hear more on whether that's all superstitious fluff.

As a buyer and seller I would say your best bet would be bags. When sellers make rolls they look at every coin put in the roll. When put in a bag, they are most likely not all been looked at. Either way the odds of finding a key date is not there. Seller will take out key dates but do not always check closely for DDO's and so on. When put in a roll the seller had taken the time to look at the coins and there is less chance of varieties . Bags are bulk and some sellers won't take the time to look for all varieties so chances are better. I have been doing this for years and have bought and sold rolls and bags. Bags they just want to make a quick buck and rolls they are trying to get rich. Take it as it is. Not unless you know the seller the rolls are a set up. Never pay past what you see on the ends of the rolls.

Also very interesting. Though I can say, that *if* I chose to start rolling wheat cents, it'd be mechanically done and crimped so nothing would be looked at in that regards. So really, this brings up another point of whether the rolls are machine wrapped or hand wrapped then, now doesn't it?

That's also a good point of the seller not knowing what they're looking for. Which then really means the odds of a seller actually not searching is just non-existent, based on your post.

[cimperialis]

I prefer searching cents in the bagged form. Rolls are terrible to open. As far as selling goes, however, I think ebayers prefer rolls. Don't know why, other than it's a neater package.

[pennies4pennies]

Yes 99% of sellers selling rolls have look at them before rolling. Do you think they are going to let a $50 or $100 coin slip threw there hands /NO WAY/. They hand crimp them or machine crimp them. They put the best coins on the end. Look at were there is rolls with silver dimes on the end. Do you really think that people never saw a dime on the end, at a bank or were ever. The roll would of been open just to get the dime out. The seller put it there to drive the price up. Also look at the so called 1909 VDBs on the end rolls. If I got a roll from my grandfather or grage sale or so on I would be opening the rolls up to see. Why would you sell a roll that could be a 1909S VDB. When they could be worth $1,000 and you sell them for under $100. No brainer. These are set up rolls. Plus if you see rolls that are brown saying NFString on them well they were just made up. You have to watch what wrapper is on the roll and if it goes with that year coin and as stated in another post what to whatch out for OBW rolls. Good info on the post.

http://www.lincolncentresource.net/forums/showthread.php?t=26219

everything said here is true. Don't fall into the ebay scam rolls.

[pennies4pennies]

If you want to sell rolls thats fine. But be as honest as you can because feedback can make or break you on ebay. Hand crimp by far the cheapest way have a flat end when rolled, and machine rolls have a rounded end but machine crimpers do cost. I have one that cost $600 but I buy bulk bags and use the machine crimper to do a faster neater job. If you want to give me a call then PM me and I'll give you some ways to help you sell rolls. I have done good in the past being honest and brought me many more buyers in the long run.

[coincollectingenterprises]

Yes 99% of sellers selling rolls have look at them before rolling. Do you think they are going to let a $50 or $100 coin slip threw there hands /NO WAY/. They hand crimp them or machine crimp them. They put the best coins on the end. Look at were there is rolls with silver dimes on the end. Do you really think that people never saw a dime on the end, at a bank or were ever. The roll would of been open just to get the dime out. The seller put it there to drive the price up. Also look at the so called 1909 VDBs on the end rolls. If I got a roll from my grandfather or grage sale or so on I would be opening the rolls up to see. Why would you sell a roll that could be a 1909S VDB. When they could be worth $1,000 and you sell them for under $100. No brainer. These are set up rolls. Plus if you see rolls that are brown saying NFString on them well they were just made up. You have to watch what wrapper is on the roll and if it goes with that year coin and as stated in another post what to whatch out for OBW rolls. Good info on the post.

http://www.lincolncentresource.net/forums/showthread.php?t=26219

everything said here is true. Don't fall into the ebay scam rolls.

Thank you for elaborating. You make great points. This is where I hesitate to start rolling coin. Because I think the trust goes away. I actually don't look at dates. Right now a person fully trusted (and, also has no knowledge or interest in coins) verifies they are wheat cents. Dates aren't looked at in the slightest. My thoughts are if I roll, I'm taking time to prepare them for sales purposes which loses trust value and increases labor which means higher pricing. Right now, all I do is have the model verified and piece counted to 752 (5 pounds) into a cloth bag, tie it up, done.

In reference to Ebay, I don't have the volume to sell there. My website drives enough traffic. I just simply am contemplating changing the method of delivery (rolls) if they'd prefer it. Which, from the advice so far, sounds like it's unnecessary and perhaps, degrading the product.

[pennies4pennies]

On ebay it goes with out saying about rolls. But in your own web site off ebay then yes the chances are you will be okay. But there is time and money spent on the wrapers and which way you want to crimp. If I were you try it on your site with just a few rolls and see what happens. Buy a hand crimper on ebay for about 5 or 10 dollars. Having pre crimp rolls always help. ( pre crimped on one side ). It can't hurt. Some people would buy rolls fast and pay more off ebay.
Rolls have always been good sellers. Some people don't have money to buy bags , so they buy rolls to help fill the collection.

[Maineman750]

I'll have to add that if I saw any rolls showing the end coin, I wouldn't even think of buying them.Another thing to keep in mind is that if you sell "unsearched wheats", you would be better off explaining how those wheats were separated,as some people might wonder how that could happen without somebody looking at them.

[coincollectingenterprises]

I'll have to add that if I saw any rolls showing the end coin, I wouldn't even think of buying them.Another thing to keep in mind is that if you sell "unsearched wheats", you would be better off explaining how those wheats were separated,as some people might wonder how that could happen without somebody looking at them.

Good point. thank you for adding that and I added a page to explain the process, as simple as it may be.

[gtnorthwest]

Can anyone recommend a good source for me to buy bags of wheats from? Or is that a dumb question amongst all you cent enthusiasts? :-)

[simonm]

Can anyone recommend a good source for me to buy bags of wheats from? Or is that a dumb question amongst all you cent enthusiasts? :-)

Some of our members offer bags and rolls (you can check the "Trading Post" forum and see if there are any listings offering what you want). Just remember to stay clear from supposed "unsearched" rolls on ebay that are seeded with supposedly good end coins like a barber dime, IHC, or other coin that obviously wouldn't belong in a cent roll.

[duck620]

I myself, it's wheat bags for me. Purchasing most of my bags come from estate sales that appear in my area. Most of the time i don't even open the bags @ all,just don't have time to go thru them.But on the other hand,i'll keep a bag to work on when i'm bored. Been working a bag for a couple wks now,with a lot of good finds.Nothing that's going to make me rich over night.

Thanks.........................Ken.