Bitcoin Forum

Hello All,  I've checked Ebay and normally I'd just jump in and buy one but I notice some are going more than others.  I understand they are not worth nearly as much if they have been reloaded.  But I do see 2011, and 2013.  Some seem uncirculated, some not. 

I have a friend that's just interested in getting 1BTC and probably not that interested in anything rare,  just wants to invest with a 1 Bitcoin purchase

I'm interested in the Casascius Bitcoins, but I can't find any guide about the different versions that are out there.

Can anyone offer suggestions in investing in physical bitcoins?   TIA

You've got a few choices:
-Casascius.com (http://www.casascius.com)
-Ebay
-BitcoinTalk Goods and Auctions forums
-The Bitcoin collectible marketplace (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=214589) thread.

With Casascius, you will pay the lowest premium possible...provided you order in large enough quantities.  Mike charges a premium for single-coin purchases in order to leave room for resellers in the market.

With Ebay, you will pay the highest premium. They have additional fees, and PayPal chargeback scams are relatively common. If you go this route, do your diligence.

If you've got time on your hands, scanning the Goods and Auctions forums can be a great way to pick up a deal, or find exactly what you're looking for.

The collectible marketplace thread attempts to aggregate the listings in the goods and auctions forum. However, it focuses on those that are of a limited run.  So in your case, I'm not sure it would be terribly helpful.  It might still be worth visiting to get an idea of the various pieces that are out there.  For example, Goat just put up a listing. He used a very nice notation (one I'll likely adopt) to list his offerings.  You'll find there are various Series, as indicated by their hologram/window. The material varies - you can buy brass or silver coins (and very rare, gold).

nightowlace has a regular offering of 2013 Brass coins (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=195443.0) that have been graded (by ANACS). This is a bit of a middleground between a high-end collectible and a basic, brass coin.  Going forward, it puts your mind and future buyers' minds at ease by knowing the coin can not have been tampered with. You get a standardized grading so future prospective buyers know the quality they are getting.

With all this said, I think your best bet would be to wait for a Group Buy for 2013 1 BTC Brass Coins. There is not a lower-premium method I am aware of, short of buying 50 from Mike, of obtaining a Casascius coin.

Also I've been hearing that Ebay has put a 'if seen, ban it' policy on Bitcoin Physical Coins that are loaded, as they mark the reason as "Currency Reselling". They allow unfunded Casascius blanks and the stickers and etc. but nothing that actually holds btc value.

Thanks for this, Sekioh.  It's tough to follow the rules when the rules are unclear.

I have certainly seen ongoing successful sales of loaded coins. But there has been ongoing confusion, at least on my part, as to what the rules for this were.  Some sellers seem to have an awful time closing auctions, while others have no problem.

Personally, I avoid Ebay as the scam rate for coins is high (due to the reversible nature of Ebay payment conflicting with the irreversible Bitcoin payment).

Thank you Chainsaw, that was very informative!   I did win an auction on Ebay for Error 2011 Casascius .. re seller is in Finland,  I just hope it's legit. 

Confirmed that he is legit. No need to worry. :)

Damn - you beat me on that one! I guess you're the mystery bidder with username a***b  :)