shipping coins to another state
September 13, 2023 5:27 PM Subscribe
What alternatives might I consider to get a 150-200 lbs of coins to another state instead of driving them?
My wife inheirited a coin collection that we think has a net worth between 5 and 10k if converted to cash. The coin broker she want to use is located near her family in another state.
She's about to drive down there but is planning to attend an event halfway there, then stay at another location for a few days.
All in all, carrying all this coinage around seems like not a great idea. The vehicle has to be parked on public streets during the day while she's en route and then either remove all these coins beforehand each time it needs to be parked alone or leave them in the vehicle. Then there's the inertia of these boxes if some heavy driving scenario ensues. I'm suggesting they go in the passenger side foot well though they probably can't all go in there.
So shipping them seems totally an option here. All the boxes are relatively small weighing between 15 and 35 lbs. One ammo can full of coins weighs 33 lbs and is quite dense to pick up.
I'm pretty sure I could repackage this material to ship securely with insurance for $15-$20 per box via UPS. If you have ever run into this scenario I'm curious how you shipped boxes of coins.
My wife inheirited a coin collection that we think has a net worth between 5 and 10k if converted to cash. The coin broker she want to use is located near her family in another state.
She's about to drive down there but is planning to attend an event halfway there, then stay at another location for a few days.
All in all, carrying all this coinage around seems like not a great idea. The vehicle has to be parked on public streets during the day while she's en route and then either remove all these coins beforehand each time it needs to be parked alone or leave them in the vehicle. Then there's the inertia of these boxes if some heavy driving scenario ensues. I'm suggesting they go in the passenger side foot well though they probably can't all go in there.
So shipping them seems totally an option here. All the boxes are relatively small weighing between 15 and 35 lbs. One ammo can full of coins weighs 33 lbs and is quite dense to pick up.
I'm pretty sure I could repackage this material to ship securely with insurance for $15-$20 per box via UPS. If you have ever run into this scenario I'm curious how you shipped boxes of coins.
Always Follow This Golden Rule for Shipping Your Collectible Coins (always, always insure your collectible coin shipments)
posted by Iris Gambol at 5:43 PM on September 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Iris Gambol at 5:43 PM on September 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
Another concern if you're driving them is the danger of losing them to Civil Asset Forfeiture.
From the ACLU:
From the ACLU:
Police abuse of civil asset forfeiture laws has shaken our nation’s conscience. Civil forfeiture allows police to seize — and then keep or sell — any property they allege is involved in a crime. Owners need not ever be arrested or convicted of a crime for their cash, cars, or even real estate to be taken away permanently by the government.posted by homodachi at 5:55 PM on September 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
You could put the coins in empty cat litter boxes and just keep them in the trunk. Most boxed litter has a handle on top which would make carrying them around easier too.
posted by scrubjay at 5:56 PM on September 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by scrubjay at 5:56 PM on September 13, 2023 [2 favorites]
Unfortunately Amtrak shipping is "suspended until further notice."
posted by doift at 6:06 PM on September 13, 2023
posted by doift at 6:06 PM on September 13, 2023
If these are collectible coins, will they be damaged by jostling around in a truck for hundreds of miles? I've ridden in semitrailers-not exactly smooth.
posted by H21 at 7:59 PM on September 13, 2023
posted by H21 at 7:59 PM on September 13, 2023
What alternatives might I consider to get a 150-200 lbs of coins to another state instead of driving them?
I don't know the reward of going with a far away broker over a local one, but the risk of a car break-in, or just the pain of having to haul around 200lb of valuables, on a multi-day car trip, seems like it would tilt heavily towards dealing with a local broker.
posted by zippy at 12:28 AM on September 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
I don't know the reward of going with a far away broker over a local one, but the risk of a car break-in, or just the pain of having to haul around 200lb of valuables, on a multi-day car trip, seems like it would tilt heavily towards dealing with a local broker.
posted by zippy at 12:28 AM on September 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
I would look into local brokers. The cost and risks of transporting the coins does not seem worth it to me.
posted by kinddieserzeit at 2:35 AM on September 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by kinddieserzeit at 2:35 AM on September 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
Suppose your risk of theft or asset forfeiture during the trip is 1/100 (it's probably less, in my opinion), and suppose the coins will sell for $10K (the high end of your estimate). Then you might value your financial risk at $10K/100 = $100. So, from that perspective you might ignore options that would cost more than $100.
As for inertial risk when driving, the mass is about the same as a human passenger, and I don't really worry about, or hear anyone usually worry about, the inertial risk of carrying extra passengers. So maybe this can be ignored.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 7:16 AM on September 14, 2023
As for inertial risk when driving, the mass is about the same as a human passenger, and I don't really worry about, or hear anyone usually worry about, the inertial risk of carrying extra passengers. So maybe this can be ignored.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 7:16 AM on September 14, 2023
If it were me I’d drive them on a second trip when I didn’t need to make stops along the way. I wouldn’t really have any concerns about transporting the weight or the value, but I wouldn’t leave them alone- bring a second driver, get meals at drive-throughs. If you do make stops where you have to let the vehicle out of your sight, (like overnight) stop at hotels that have luggage carts. Unload and roll everything into your room before parking the car. Don’t label the boxes “valuable coins!!”
posted by Secretariat at 7:34 AM on September 14, 2023
posted by Secretariat at 7:34 AM on September 14, 2023
Sorry, I misread- you definitely aren’t interested in driving them. For shipping, my choice would be UPS, you’re right on! And I would package them myself, and be relatively vague about the contents- maybe “coins” or “collectibles” rather than “super rare coins!!” (I have not shipped coins, but I have shipped valuable rocks).
posted by Secretariat at 7:43 AM on September 14, 2023
posted by Secretariat at 7:43 AM on September 14, 2023
Unless you are going to use their freight services, UPS has maximum weight of 150 pounds, and if you go over that you get hit with a Over Maximum Weight charge that is something along the lines of $1,150.
Looking at the commercial shipping rates you can get by signing up with someone like Pirate Ship:
A 50 pound cross country UPS Ground shipment in a 12" cube box is going to cost about $60, but that only gets you $100 in insurance. $20 will get you $2,500 insurance.
I can't imagine getting to these things to your preferred broker is going to make financial sense, unless you are already driving to that area for so some other reason.
posted by Back At It Again At Krispy Kreme at 10:18 AM on September 14, 2023
Looking at the commercial shipping rates you can get by signing up with someone like Pirate Ship:
A 50 pound cross country UPS Ground shipment in a 12" cube box is going to cost about $60, but that only gets you $100 in insurance. $20 will get you $2,500 insurance.
I can't imagine getting to these things to your preferred broker is going to make financial sense, unless you are already driving to that area for so some other reason.
posted by Back At It Again At Krispy Kreme at 10:18 AM on September 14, 2023
Would it be possible to split the coin sales (and risk, and hassle moving) among multiple trips? Like, take some coins whenever she visits family?
posted by momus_window at 7:06 PM on September 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by momus_window at 7:06 PM on September 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
I would set up the box, taping it really well at the bottom, get some heavy plastic shipping bags, like the ones that you get from online shopping or a thick tall kitchen garbage bag. bag Line a box w/ that plastic bag, fill it up with coins and secure first the bag, and then the box so there is no room for shaking, and then cover the box seams with high quality clear packing tape-- just make the coins a solid mass inside the box.
depending on where it's going between you can also look into amtrak freight
posted by wowenthusiast at 5:43 PM on September 13, 2023