Coin & Stamp Dealer

The shortcut: Coin dealing isn't about owning rare coins. It's about being the local guy with $15K-$20K in cash who buys grandpa's collection from heirs at 65-75 cents on the dollar, then resells graded singles online. Sourcing is the moat. Retail is the exit.

Industry: E-commerce Investment level: Low — $10,000-$30,000 Time to launch: 2-3 months to first online listings Best for: Someone who already reads Coin World on the toilet, can spot a 1916-D Mercury dime in a junk box, and won't flinch about driving 90 minutes on a Saturday to look at a deceased uncle's safe deposit box. What you'll likely make: ~$1.5-$2.5K/month profit by month 4 once you've cleared one estate buy and your eBay feedback is past 50, $4-$6K/month by month 9 if you've added a PNG-aspirant reputation and a steady grading cadence. Math is in Section 4.

Market Opportunity

The coin shop on Main Street isn't dying because nobody collects coins. It's dying because a 70-year-old dealer waits for walk-ins instead of answering the phone Saturday morning. Most heirs inheriting a coin collection don't know what they have and want a check by month-end. The dealer who shows up with cash, a loupe, and a fair number wins the lot at 65-75 cents on the dollar. The dealer who says "send me photos and I'll get back to you next week" gets nothing.

US retail e-commerce hit $316.1B in Q4 2025, +5.3% year-over-year — US Census Q4 2025. Graded singles sell on eBay and Heritage faster than they ever sold over a glass counter.
Cart abandonment averages 70.22% across e-commerce — Baymard Institute. Coin buyers abandon less when the listing shows a PCGS or NGC slab number they can verify on the grader's website. Trust is in the slab.
Even non-numismatic coins have a melt-value floor. Pre-1965 US silver dimes carry ~71% of face value in silver content alone — track spot at Kitco. That floor protects you when 80% of an estate lot is common-date "junk silver."

Target customer: (1) The graded-coin collector — wants a PCGS MS-65 1909-S VDB Lincoln cent, knows comps. (2) The bullion stacker — buying ounces, watches spot. (3) The estate walk-in — inherited coins, just wants fair treatment. Buyers 1 and 2 pay your bills. Buyer 3 is your inventory pipeline.

Start with this idea — free signup, no card required.