# Gold coin buying questions **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 25, 2010, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-coin-buying-questions/540715 "2010-05-25T16:25:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-coin-buying-questions/540715/1 "2010-05-25T16:25:55Z")
Anyone have any experience buying gold from Gold Line or from local places (like coin shops)? My brother has a notion to do something with his students requiring them to contact places and get prices, but he doesn’t want to direct them to a place that’s going to be a hassle. So, what is Gold Line like? If you call them are you on the phone forever? Are the prices better than local folks? Is there a better place to find out coin prices? Thanks in advance ! ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-coin-buying-questions/540715/2 "2010-05-25T16:47:30Z")
[Gold Line](http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2010/05/19/2010-05-19_conservative_pundit_glenn_beck_should_be_ashamed_of_goldline_endorsement_rep_ant.html) is front page material right now, for good reason. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-coin-buying-questions/540715/3 "2010-05-25T19:18:04Z")
I’m thinking that must have something to do with the assignment, which is for an on-line English (lit) class. ---
**Author:** ![deball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@deball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deball)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-coin-buying-questions/540715/4 "2010-05-25T19:25:29Z")
[Kitco](https://online.kitco.com/bullion/#kitco) has some pretty good prices. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-coin-buying-questions/540715/5 "2010-05-25T19:28:38Z")
If the assignment involves calling up some of these companies to see how they operate, I would strongly advise against it. The high pressure sales tactics these people use will probably convince some of the students to buy into the hype using their own funds. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-coin-buying-questions/540715/6 "2010-05-25T20:02:29Z")
The students should be strongly advised not to actually buy the gold, even if they can afford it. 1. Gold is reaching all-time highs these days . . . not a good time to be buying. 2. The person they’ll be contacting is a high-pressure salesperson, and knows a lot more about selling gold than the students know about buying. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-coin-buying-questions/540715/7 "2010-05-25T20:10:23Z")
Now, if this was a media awareness/scam detection/how to fend off salespeople class, that might be different… ---
**Author:** ![ZPG\_Zealot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47c2d/32.png) [@ZPG\_Zealot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZPG_Zealot)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-coin-buying-questions/540715/8 "2010-05-25T20:19:17Z")
One thought provoking variation on this assignment might be to have the students contact a Numismatic group first and discuss current coin prices with them. In large cities some numismatic groups will be selling recently made coins for a few dollars over the current price of gold or silver. The students could then compare those prices with what commercial coin sellers are asking and learn about mark-ups and comparision shopping. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-coin-buying-questions/540715/9 "2010-05-25T20:36:23Z")
[These guys](http://www.amazon.com/Pirate-Treasure-Chest-Chocolate-Coins/dp/B000MWTRU0) offer a pretty sweet deal! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-coin-buying-questions/540715/10 "2010-05-25T20:49:20Z")
Coin shops and bullion shops would probably be the best bet. Bullion shops will be selling things like Gold Eagles at spot plus a few percent, while coin shops will have not only bullion coins, but a larger variety of collectible gold coins whose value will differ wildly from each other. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-coin-buying-questions/540715/11 "2010-05-26T10:51:27Z")
Paging **SamClem**.