I watch day after day some people buying coins for a deal when in fact they are not a deal and will never get what they paid for them oh, possibly what they paid for them but that is all but most of time no bids at all. I do know one buyer that is finally buying nice ones and trying to sell his not so nice coins and noting on his sales pitch that the coins He is selling  would be excellent coins to add to your collection. WRONG!!!!!!!
 Please do not buy rim dinged coins!!!!!
 I also see bottom feeders.( That is the name given by one of the foremost and well known people in the field) They get the left overs that no one else wants and they will have a difficult time selling because these coins are not graded like the American coins. The American coins can be run down and almost nothing on them but the sell for hundreds of dollars. Not so with the Conder tokens, only because we have a smaller following however, in the future maybe we will be in the same realm of the American coins with a greater following and the coin prices will skyrocket.
 Allan Davisson, who I think is the cat's meow, told me last year that "there were too many great tokens out there to have to buy a coin with rim dings or scratches on them". If you see them RUN! Don't listen to the hype of "Nice coin or just a few dings" Yes, there are many diagnostic flan flaws and they are usually wanted in the field and have no bearing on the grade of the coin. They are acceptable.
 Do not buy coins that are slabbed. Any expert in this Conder field will tell you so. If you don't believe me then Ask them! Not an E bay seller but one that has a company and knows about them. Try Alan Davisson for one! Like He said there are too many nice ones out there to pay the absorbent prices for a slabbed coin.   Not one of them will tell you to buy them. Too many nicer ones out there that are raw!!!!!!
 One other thing that is very important: Do not buy coins with verdigris- You cannot remove it and it continues to eat away at the coin. PERIOD!!! The only way to remover it is with an acid bath! No matter what anyone ways olive oil, Mineral oil, vinegar, too many to continue!  They do not do the job! Only an acid bath will remove the verdigris and then you have the surface of the coin to contend with and that is of the UTMOST importance! In fact, that is what counts on these coins! You cannot grade them like you do an American coin., like a Silver dollar! They are unto themselves and rightly so!

My last thought to you is : If you remember that this is an investment and purchase an excellent grade coin than you will realize what you paid for them and possibly even more but if you purchase lower grade coins and expect that you will see profits then you are being fooled.
 I have always told buyers to buy the best ones that you can afford. There are coins out there that are not perfect and have a flaw or two on them but the rest of the coin is in great shape. Those are an excellent buy for the novice and the expert alike. It depends on the variety and the rarity of the coin. I have seen many Irish and Scottish coins that are a disaster but that is the best form that are in. Also the Drogheda, there has never been a nice token in that coin. They are all a disaster but they are still collectible and very much desired.
 If you have the book, "The Provincial Token Coinage of the 18th Century"  then you will have a better understanding of these wonderful and beautifully made coins and their varieties.
  Thank you for taking the time to read this guide. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I have had in writing it!
  Regards and my best wishes to all, Rapunzelled