I have never paid any fees for either dumping or picking up...well at least not directly. My fees are in the form of shortages/overages due to the fact that I mainly do bags now. Being that the differences are usually significantly less than it would cost me in gas money to drive around and pick up the same number of boxes I just accept it as part of my cost of enjoying my hobby.
The only condition I might consider a fee is if it cost more in gas money to get to the next closest bank. Though the more you dump, the further away that bank has to be to come out ahead. In my case, numerous banks/branches of banks to choose from so no issue.
Being that I have already dumped approaching 700,000 coins this year (approx. $30,000 worth of coins) paying even a 1% fee would have cost me $300, a 7% fee would have cost me $2100. Now thats all denominations (mainly pennies)
But if it was just in half dollars consider this if you are paying a 7% fee for dumping (or picking up for that matter):
Assume that you can sell a 90% half for $6 and a 40% half for $2.50 (just approximations, I didn't look up the actual numbers).
That's $5.50 profit on a 90% half and $2 on a 40% half.
To make up the $35 in fees you just paid on the $500 box of halves you would need to average more than 6.4 of the 90% halves, 17.5 of the 40%, or some combination of the two per box. Although some have different experiences, I have yet to come close to those number for averages in boxes (for all 2007). So if I had to pay that high of a fee, I'd be better off taking that $35 and buying coins at a coin show or other method at silver cost. Even in bags (where I had most of my successes) I only would get enough to break even on average after fees and still have to pay gas and spend time to acquire them since bags aren't as readily available.
