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How To Buy Trade Tokens

Trade tokens are coins or other devices exchanged for cash that have value at a specific location or for a specific purpose. The most common use of trade tokens is for car washes or transit services. As they represent a minor form of currency, trade tokens are often sought after by serious coin collectors. Numismatists often seek out well-designed or rare tokens to add to their collections. Finding trade tokens for purchase can be difficult, because few people are willing to travel the world to buy the tokens from each and every source.

Things You'll Need

Internet access
Internet browser

Instructions

- 1
  Join the National Token Collectors Association. This is a group of like-minded individuals who are often looking to exchange tokens or tips for the hobby.
- 2
  Visit local sources for tokens. Car washes, train depots and local coin shops are great locations for purchasing tokens at cost.
- 3
  Buy local tokens in large amounts. This will give you great trading material. It is even better if you have a popular local token destination, such as a popular mass transit service or museum, as these can be traded easily with other collectors.
- 4
  Attend token and coin collector conventions. Both the American Numismatic Association and the NTCA maintain lists of these on their websites. These are great seasonal events that will draw a large number of enthusiasts for exchanging tokens and discussion of the hottest finds.
- 5
  Watch eBay.com and other public websites that may occasionally have a number of rare tokens on sale. Take care to investigate the feedback of the seller and any rating service they may use. Online transactions may be risky because you cannot inspect the tokens directly.

Coin Collecting