I’m not going to go on and on about the history of Challenge Coins. That has already been done and can be found anywhere on the net. My guide is about finding the best coin for the best price. We all know that collecting Challenge Coins can be an expensive hobby. Sure, you can make a lowball bid on eBay and get some coins for your pocket change. But doesn’t that usually mean you are the only one who wants that coin? Not always! Here are some tips to help you find that diamond in the rough. Many sought after Challenge Coins do slip through the cracks and go unnoticed. You may even think you are getting that rare gem, not knowing that five other people bought it this week. Sometimes it could even be scratched when the photo looked perfect. Or maybe it is smaller than you thought. Read on to learn how to make your collection the best it can be.

IDENTIFY WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR

The first Challenge Coins that I bought individually were Army Field Artillery Challenge Coins. Can anyone guess what my Military Occupational Specialty was? Maybe you are looking for Military Police (one of my other specialties), or Cav Coins. How about USN, or USMC. Don’t forget USCG, DOD or the harder to find Police Coins. Whatever your interest, it is out there.  They may not all be listed in the Challenge Coin category.  Your traditional numismatist still might not know these coins have their own legitimate category.  He/she may be mixing them in coins: exonumia or even with tokens.

SEARCH TIPS FROM A PRO

The most common way to search for these coins would be to type Field Artillery Challenge Coins into eBay’s search bar. Currently this search shows me five auctions that match this description from five different sellers, ranging from 99 cents to $14.99. Two more store items (one being mine), going for a little more money. Some collectors may be satisfied, thinking this was a good search. But wait! Don’t necessarily make your bid just yet. Choose your favorite one of those and click Watch this item. Now go back into the search bar and type just Artillery Challenge Coin. Then try Arty Challenge Coin or FA Challenge Coin. Definitely increases your results, doesn’t it? This is just searching titles too. Try searching the body of the auction message if you like. Now for the real tricky stuff. Type exactly like this, with the parenthesis, asterisks and quotes. Try ("*field artillery*" "*FA*" "*fld arty*") "*challenge coin*" Walla! Now the search turned up 16 Field Artillery Challenge Coin auctions and 13 store items. You can now make a much better decision. This is how I would search it.

You can even add or subtract from this. Try putting your favorite unit name in the search. It is limitless, what you can come up with. I have over 20 of these searches for myself. I also list them as favorite searches so eBay emails me every night. I never miss an important auction.

I am sure you are wondering what these codes do. Everything inside the parenthesis is a choice. If a subject has field artillery and Challenge Coin, it will turn up. If it has FA and Challenge Coin, it will turn up. Field Artillery is inside quotes, so both words have to be consecutive in the auction to show up. I’m not even going to try to attempt to describe what the asterisk does before and after the phrase. This has been confusing enough for you, I'm sure.  Just trust me, you’re going need it. With the asterisk at the end of the word coin, it allows the search tool to search for coin or coins, etc. Enough of the technical mumbo jumbo.

NEVER MISS AN IMPORTANT AUCTION

After a lot of trial and error, you will learn what searches work and don’t work for you. You may even learn tricks to tweak these searches that work for you on other Search Engines. What you need to do is have eBay email you to let you know an important auction is out there. Select it as your favorite search. If it sends you too many things, make some adjustments. Go into the advance search tool to eliminate some sellers you don’t like (if any), or make a maximum price. You have many options to improve on your Challenge Coin searching.

NOW YOU ARE READY TO BID

You found a Challenge Coin from your Sergeant Major and it is reasonably priced. Be aware of the Shipping and Handling charge. Don’t try to get out of the deal after the fact, because it was too high for your liking. After all, it was right there in black and white. I actually type this warning in red so it jumps out at you. Does the seller offer shipping discounts if you buy more than one? Do they offer rebates or freebies for coming back again in the future? Do they have a return policy? If the answer isn’t yes to most of these questions, do you really want to shop there?

Look at the pictures very closely. Does the coin have any blemishes? Is it going to be shipped in a coin protector and bubble wrap, or just thrown in an envelope to be scratched in transit. Is it pictured next to a ruler? If not, is the size described in the auction? Do you know how much it weighs?  Some coins look big and pretty, only to find out it is a light weight metal.  Are you even getting the coin that is pictured? Where was the coin made? Did the seller make it or have it made? Was it actually awarded to somebody (probably not)? These are all questions that you shouldn't be affraid to ask. Actually, I strongly encourage you to ask them.

Some collectors & sellers will even make trades. What is the worst that can be said? No? Just make sure you ask before bidding. Don’t ask if it already has a bidder. I suggest you offer a coin that is slightly better than the one you are asking for. You aren’t going to get a rare Navy Seal Challenge Coin for a common Air Force Staff Sergeant Challenge Coin. Actually, I can't condone this, as it is against eBay rules.

Now, back to the word rare, that I had previously mentioned. We all have a different opinion of what that word means. Another guide has been written on the subject of rare Challenge Coins. So, I will only devote a paragraph to my opinion of it. Everybody wants a special coin that nobody else has. That gem of a Challenge Coin we all like. Who has any desire for a coin that is constantly up for sale? Some people use the word rare in place of nice. Just because a coin looks nice, doesn’t mean it is rare. My definition is pretty loose too, but not that loose. I check eBay’s completed items to see if someone else has been selling that coin in the last two weeks. I only go two weeks back because that is as far as the search will take me. Well, if nobody was selling it, I list it as rare. I would rather write Hard to Find, but that doesn't exactly fit in the subject line as well as rare does.  Do a search for a rare Challenge Coin yourself to see what you might find. Than, do another search to see which coins sold in the last two weeks by clicking completed items on the left.  This will teach you how to use this tool when researching a coin that you are interested in.

JOIN A CHALLENGE COIN DISCUSSION GROUP

Since I have been into the hobby of collecting Challenge Coins, I have been looking for the proper venue to talk about them. People in coin collecting discussion groups didn’t want to talk about anything but currency. Going to a coin show was no help. Reading a coin collecting publication didn't even mention these. Nobody respected our coins, much less wanted to talk about them. Searching through the internet only brought me to places where you can buy Challenge Coins or have them made. That isn’t what I was looking for either. I did find a Challenge Coin newsletter that I signed up to receive.  I have been waiting forever, and have yet to see a single one. So, I started my own newsletter. I assure you, that I will actually send it to you. Well, I had to also start my own discussion group, for those like me on eBay. Challenge Coin Association is getting a new member approximately every day and it has the biggest Challenge Coin sellers on eBay participating, as well as lots of buyers too. It has been loads of fun to be a part of. Since making this group, I have learned it isn’t the only one of its kind. But I have also learned that it is by far the best.

CHALLENGE COIN COLLECTORS ON EBAY

I have to tell you that buyers and sellers of Challenge Coins, have been the most pleasant experience on eBay. I never have any problems with those who are in the US. I do run into the occasional complaint from international buyers, but I blame that on them typically wanting S&H to be the exact same cost as the postage.

Most people who collect these coins are Military Veterans. They have been a pleasure to deal with in every way. My experience with them has made me abandon many other types of auctions I was running on eBay. Lots of other hobbies seem to be filled with scammers and shysters. This definitely isn’t the case with collectors of Challenge Coins. They are definitely the cream of the eBay crop.

My coin photos listed in order of appearance: Challenge Coin Assoc., USCGC Eagle, 36th Airlift Squadron, 19th Support Center, LA AFB Officer Assoc., MCAS Yuma, AZ.

Thanks for reading completely through this $1000 award winning eBay Guide. I hope it was helpful to you,

Jesse L. Medford - JAYMEDINC eBay Store

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Copyright April 23, 2006 - JAYMEDINC