I'm still trying to wrap my head around a 1963 coin being considered "old". I've always considered a '63 to be modern. But then I started thinking, a 58 year old coin, when I graduated from high school, would have had a 1919 date, and I definitely considered that old at the time. My how time flies.
As far as buying coins on ebay, I've bought hundreds (maybe thousands) over the years, and have had very good luck. I never buy unsearched coins or mixed (grab bag) lots. I usually buy from coin dealers, but sometimes the best prices come from people who don't know what the have (search for some of these listings outside of the coin sections, example: antiques). I only buy from sellers with very high ratings (upper 99% positive), and that have a history of several hundred or more transactions. I never buy from Asia, too many fakes. In the early days, I participated in "auctions" and had some good success, but I got lazy, and now only do "buy now" transactions. I've had some luck on "make an offer" listings, as well.
Don't get into a hurry to buy. I sometimes search for days to find the right deal. I require the listings to have very clear pictures of both sides of the coin, and I rely on my own eyes to determine grade. You also need to know the approximate value of the coin. Red Book is a good reference, but it's always outdated, and you should pay a fraction of the Red Book listed price, which is full blown retail.
I also buy rolls of silver coins as a silver investment, which is a different game (my buy price is always in reference to spot prices, not collector value). I do search the rolls to add new dates/mints, or upgrades, to my collection, and look for "better date" and error coins in the rolls, all with some success.
Don't be afraid to buy from ebay, just put in the research before doing so.
TCK
