How to Buy Trade Tokens
Visit an online trading site to find tokens., Try antique stores., Try coin dealers., Join or visit clubs., Go to a public auction., Visit websites., Advertise in the newspaper that you're looking for trade tokens., Go metal detecting., Ask friends...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Visit an online trading site to find tokens.
For example, Ebay.
Online trading sites are probably the easiest places to buy trade tokens.
For eBay, the following considerations hold when hunting the site for trade tokens:
Most United States trade tokens are listed in Coins and Paper Money/Exonumia/US Trade but there are many different categories of tokens listed under Exonumia including:
Civil War tokens, Hard Times tokens, Transit tokens, Good Luck tokens, So-Called Dollars, Love tokens, Tax tokens, etc.
Some of these US tokens are trade tokens which circulated during a certain period of time.
For, example Hard times Tokens were merchant tokens and patriotic tokens which circulated in the 1830s and 1840s and were the size of a large cent.
Civil War tokens were patriotic or store card tokens which circulated during the civil war.
Good Luck tokens were often issued by merchants and had good luck symbols.
Exonumia isn't the only place where you can buy tokens on eBay.
Military tokens are sometimes listed under Exonumia, but many of them are listed under Militaria.
So, a lot depends on the type of token you are collecting.
If you collect World's Fair tokens
- some of these are listed under Historical Memorabilia on eBay, some are listed under So-Called Dollars, come are listed under medals, etc.
Many coin collections have tokens included in the collection.
There are paper tokens, which might be listed under Exonumia, but they also may be listed under paper currency or stamps, or paper ephemera; learning which categories to look for an item can take a lot of time and experience.
A number of tokens can be found in the Collectibles area under wholesale lots/other, which is where the junk drawer lots are located (the junk drawers are typically a person's watches, tokens, coins, and personal items); sometimes there are interesting collections of tokens in these lots.
A Many sellers regularly sell large lots of tokens and medals to collectors and there are many of these lots for sale on eBay.
There are also tokens available in many other categories
- such as Science Fiction and Fantasy tokens such as the Game of Thrones tokens, etc. -
Step 2: Try antique stores.
Many antique stores have old tokens and medals and coins.
They are often not always priced reasonably but sometimes they have interesting tokens for sale.
If there is an antique store locally where you can call in every once in a while, have the owner put aside tokens for your to look over and buy the ones you want.
Some stores will have a bowl containing a number of tokens and you can find many tokens at an antique mall. , Many coin dealers sell tokens and many of them have quite a few tokens for sale in addition to their regular stock. , There are many different clubs related to many different types of tokens
- for example if you collect lumber tokens there are other lumber token collectors out there and you can join a club or organization which specializes in the type of tokens you want to collect.
Many of these clubs have their own auctions and those clubs are a great place to pick up whichever tokens you may be looking for.
The clubs may also have swap meets, at which you can exchange tokens you have duplicates of, for ones you don't yet have. , Many public auctions have tokens in their auction.
Visit a number of different auctions.
Auctions may sell better tokens individually or they may sell bulk lots of tokens.
This is a good way to buy a lot of better items, or items in bulk.
There are some auctions which specialize in tokens. , There are many web sites where people specialize in tokens and are trying to sell tokens
- some sell by the pound, etc.
Buy tokens on Amazon.com and other websites.
These might be places you wouldn't ordinarily think of as having tokens but they may well have them if they specialize in selling "everything".
Visit https://www.listia.com/.
This is a website where you give items away for points and then you can spend the points on items you wish to obtain.
They have a few tokens on this site, but not very many. , There may be collectors out there willing to part with some. , You can find tokens with a metal detector but it isn't easy. , Ask them if they've any such things stashed away in junk drawers, the attic or old coin collections.
Trade tokens often get mixed in with amateur coin collections, so offering to rummage through these to find them can be a helpful suggestion and the person may be happy to let you do so. -
Step 3: Try coin dealers.
-
Step 4: Join or visit clubs.
-
Step 5: Go to a public auction.
-
Step 6: Visit websites.
-
Step 7: Advertise in the newspaper that you're looking for trade tokens.
-
Step 8: Go metal detecting.
-
Step 9: Ask friends
-
Step 10: neighbors and family for tokens.
Detailed Guide
For example, Ebay.
Online trading sites are probably the easiest places to buy trade tokens.
For eBay, the following considerations hold when hunting the site for trade tokens:
Most United States trade tokens are listed in Coins and Paper Money/Exonumia/US Trade but there are many different categories of tokens listed under Exonumia including:
Civil War tokens, Hard Times tokens, Transit tokens, Good Luck tokens, So-Called Dollars, Love tokens, Tax tokens, etc.
Some of these US tokens are trade tokens which circulated during a certain period of time.
For, example Hard times Tokens were merchant tokens and patriotic tokens which circulated in the 1830s and 1840s and were the size of a large cent.
Civil War tokens were patriotic or store card tokens which circulated during the civil war.
Good Luck tokens were often issued by merchants and had good luck symbols.
Exonumia isn't the only place where you can buy tokens on eBay.
Military tokens are sometimes listed under Exonumia, but many of them are listed under Militaria.
So, a lot depends on the type of token you are collecting.
If you collect World's Fair tokens
- some of these are listed under Historical Memorabilia on eBay, some are listed under So-Called Dollars, come are listed under medals, etc.
Many coin collections have tokens included in the collection.
There are paper tokens, which might be listed under Exonumia, but they also may be listed under paper currency or stamps, or paper ephemera; learning which categories to look for an item can take a lot of time and experience.
A number of tokens can be found in the Collectibles area under wholesale lots/other, which is where the junk drawer lots are located (the junk drawers are typically a person's watches, tokens, coins, and personal items); sometimes there are interesting collections of tokens in these lots.
A Many sellers regularly sell large lots of tokens and medals to collectors and there are many of these lots for sale on eBay.
There are also tokens available in many other categories
- such as Science Fiction and Fantasy tokens such as the Game of Thrones tokens, etc.
Many antique stores have old tokens and medals and coins.
They are often not always priced reasonably but sometimes they have interesting tokens for sale.
If there is an antique store locally where you can call in every once in a while, have the owner put aside tokens for your to look over and buy the ones you want.
Some stores will have a bowl containing a number of tokens and you can find many tokens at an antique mall. , Many coin dealers sell tokens and many of them have quite a few tokens for sale in addition to their regular stock. , There are many different clubs related to many different types of tokens
- for example if you collect lumber tokens there are other lumber token collectors out there and you can join a club or organization which specializes in the type of tokens you want to collect.
Many of these clubs have their own auctions and those clubs are a great place to pick up whichever tokens you may be looking for.
The clubs may also have swap meets, at which you can exchange tokens you have duplicates of, for ones you don't yet have. , Many public auctions have tokens in their auction.
Visit a number of different auctions.
Auctions may sell better tokens individually or they may sell bulk lots of tokens.
This is a good way to buy a lot of better items, or items in bulk.
There are some auctions which specialize in tokens. , There are many web sites where people specialize in tokens and are trying to sell tokens
- some sell by the pound, etc.
Buy tokens on Amazon.com and other websites.
These might be places you wouldn't ordinarily think of as having tokens but they may well have them if they specialize in selling "everything".
Visit https://www.listia.com/.
This is a website where you give items away for points and then you can spend the points on items you wish to obtain.
They have a few tokens on this site, but not very many. , There may be collectors out there willing to part with some. , You can find tokens with a metal detector but it isn't easy. , Ask them if they've any such things stashed away in junk drawers, the attic or old coin collections.
Trade tokens often get mixed in with amateur coin collections, so offering to rummage through these to find them can be a helpful suggestion and the person may be happy to let you do so.
About the Author
Hannah Kelly
Experienced content creator specializing in organization guides and tutorials.
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