Appraiser: 'If I could pay for sentiment, I'd be a millionaire'

Leigh Ann Franklin and her family were curious about the value of some of her grandfather’s old coins.

So she, her husband, Eddie, and son, Dakotah, went to the Premiere Estate Buyers show at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites this week. While appraisers from THR & Associates wound up buying from many who came in, the Franklins opted not to sell the small collection, which included a 1901 silver dollar.

“I saw this in the paper and had some coins of my grandfather and wanted to see what they were worth,” Leigh Ann Franklin said.

Asked if she was disappointed with their value, Franklin said the coins “have great sentimental value.”

Appraiser Jacob Frazier examined the coins and made an offer.

“If I could pay for sentiment, I’d be a millionaire,” Frazier said.

Certain coins, however, commanded top money. Earlier, Frazier paid $1,100 for a rare 1889 silver dollar minted in Carson City, Nev.

“Coins are graded on a 0-70 scale and that was a good coin. It would probably grade out at 65 to 68,” Frazier said.

 So good, in fact, was the coin that show employees shipped it directly to a grading company for a formal evaluation rather than hold onto it.

“We never know where we’re going to find stuff,” Frazier said. “It could be in a box or in a drawer or a coffee can – wherever people keep coins. It isn’t necessarily how old a coin is, but how rare it is.”

Based in Springfield, Ill., THR & Associates conducts similar events across the U.S., in Canada and Europe every week. They’re scheduled to be in the Twin City through Saturday.

“We’re buying silver coinage from 1964 and before, gold, silver, rare coins, vintage guitars, World War II memorabilia and pocket watches. That’s pretty much what we focus on,” show Manager Alice Frazier said. “We’ve been buying antiques and collectibles, but our company is really overstocked with them right now.”

While some items have lost value in the weak national economy, coins, gold and silver have retained their value, she said, adding that sellers can expect to receive a fair price.

“We’re a very large corporation. We’re not just one person buying gold and we can buy in bulk. We have experts who’ve been doing this for years. We’re here to tell you if you have something rare and we’ll pay top dollar for it,” she said.

A steady stream of prospective sellers filed through Tuesday, with most declining to be interviewed. Some were selling small collections of coins, while others were just seeking information.

“I’ve bought some silver coins, some pennies, silver dollars, a trumpet and an American Flyer train set this morning,” Dreana Vanscyoc said just before a couple walked up to her table with a box of coins separated into plastic bags.

The two-piece train set with tracks wasn’t really on the company’s radar screen, but they and the seller agreed on a price, Alice Frazier said.

On Tuesday, they also purchased a World War II-era sterling silver watch, some gold pocket watches and other items.

The company resells most of the items to collectors and typically pays more than the proliferation of gold and silver buying businesses, Frazier said.

“We have collectors looking for coins. We have a large database of collectors from over the years that they come to us looking for coins and we sell them. We also have a large research department that can find rare coins and find the best prices,” Alice Frazier said.

Show hours are from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily through Friday and 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday.

dmcgee@bristolnews.com
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