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Hill Country Treasures

Hill Country Treasures: Family Heirlooms and Estate Collections

This podcast from MR Mint Coins & Collectibles in Kerrville, Texas, explores the value, history, and stories behind coins, currency, gold, silver, jewelry, bullion, sports cards, memorabilia, and family collections. Whether you are a lifelong collector, a curious beginner, or someone who just inherited a box of old coins, this show helps you understand what you have, what makes it valuable, and how to make smart, confident decisions. Join host Tom Fox and MR Coin owner Mike Russ for a show that celebrates local expertise, honest conversations, and the treasures hiding in plain sight across the Hill Country.

In this episode, Mike and Tom discuss how families should approach inherited coins, jewelry, silver, currency, and estate items. Russ explains most families don’t know what they have, so he assesses how the original collector organized items (books, flips, rolls, bags) and builds rapport before evaluating, emphasizing empathy, listening, and no-pressure guidance, including telling clients they don’t have to sell that day. He stresses transparency and ethical dealing because trust matters in a small community, noting that rare coins can look like common ones and that value depends on details like mint marks. Russ contrasts collector motivations (sentiment vs. value), warns never to clean coins or silverware because it can reduce value, and advises bringing everything in a box for sorting. He also notes estate-sale percentage costs can be higher than direct precious-metal sales.

Key highlights:

  • Reading The Collection
  • Small Town Trust
  • Collector Mindset
  • Hobbies and Values
  • What To Bring In

Resources:

MR Mint and Coin Collectibles

Categories
Hill Country Treasures

Hill Country Treasures: Transparency, Empathy, and Due Diligence When Monetizing Inherited Coins and Jewelry

This is a podcast from MR Mint Coins & Collectibles in Kerrville, Texas, exploring the value, history, and stories behind coins, currency, gold, silver, jewelry, bullion, sports cards, memorabilia, and family collections. Whether you are a lifelong collector, a curious beginner, or someone who just inherited a box of old coins, this show helps you understand what you have, what makes it valuable, and how to make smart, confident decisions. Join host Tom Fox and MR Coin owner Mike Russ for a show that celebrates local expertise, honest conversations, and the treasures hiding in plain sight across the Hill Country.

Tom visits with Mike Russ about why transparency and empathy are critical when helping people sell inherited valuables after a loss. Russ describes common situations in which families bring in coins, gold, silver, or jewelry without knowing what they have, including a recent house call to a widow who discovered unexpected gold but was advised to keep her emotionally significant wedding rings until she was ready. He explains how to educate sellers by discussing spot prices, paying on a stated percentage basis, encouraging second opinions, and explaining coin-specific value drivers such as key dates and condition. Ross shares finding a rare three-legged Buffalo nickel and recommends grading for authentication before making an offer. He emphasizes trust, fair negotiation, local reputation, and the importance of customer reviews and provides contact details for Mr. Mint Coins in Kerrville.

Highlights:

  • Handling Inherited Valuables
  • Empathy Over Profit
  • Transparency and Spot Pricing
  • Collecting Talk and People Business
  • Three-Legged Buffalo Find

Resources

MR Mint and Coin Collectibles

Categories
Hill Country Treasures

Hill Country Treasures: Every Coin Has a Story – Introduction to Physical Metals, Volatility, and Hedging Practices

This is a podcast from MR Mint Coins & Collectibles in Kerrville, Texas, exploring the value, history, and stories behind coins, currency, gold, silver, jewelry, bullion, sports cards, memorabilia, and family collections. Whether you are a lifelong collector, a curious beginner, or someone who just inherited a box of old coins, this show helps you understand what you have, what makes it valuable, and how to make smart, confident decisions. Join host Tom Fox and MR Coin owner Mike Russ for a show that celebrates local expertise, honest conversations, and the treasures hiding in plain sight across the Hill Country.

In this inaugural episode, Mike Russ (“Mr. Mint Coin”) describes his Kerrville-based business at 1217 Broadway, which began as a collectible coin dealership and has since expanded to include buying and selling gold and silver, bullion, jewelry, and estate items. He explains his early interest in coin collecting and discusses recent precious-metals market volatility from his perspective, citing moves in gold from about $1,800 to roughly $5,600 per ounce and silver from about $22 to $120 before a sharp decline to the $60s and a later recovery to the $80s by May 2026. Russ recounts operational challenges during peak volatility, including heavy customer activity and delayed refiner processing, and outlines how he “hedges” by using physical inventory rather than ETFs or other paper instruments, managing risk through daily buying/selling volume and margins.

Highlights

  • How Mike Started
  • Nutcracker Collecting
  • Gold Volatility
  • Silver Spike and Crash
  • Hedging Explained

Resources:

MR Mint and Coin Collectibles