While the two have just recently opened their coin shop on Neosho Boulevard only a few weeks ago, Ken and Scott Shultz of K&S Coin have literally a lifetime of experience.
Ken Shultz has collected coins for more than 40 years while his son, Scott, has spent a lifetime with the hobby. About 10 years ago, they decided to make their mutual hobby a business, buying and selling coins and other things of value at coin shows, doing so locally the past four years. Two weeks ago, they opened up K&S Coin in the former C-Mart Convenience Store on Neosho Boulevard.
“It’s been kind of a family hobby for a long, long time and a hobby / business for several years,” Ken Shultz said.
The business offers U.S. coins dating from the 1700s clear up to present day.
“Lots of people collect currency as well,” Scott Shultz said. “We have Confederate States of America currency, 1800s bills, lots of silver certificates.”
In coin collecting, the Shultzes said, silver dollars have always been popular. But many collectors, especially children, start with wheat pennies, which were issued between 1909 and 1958.
“Kids like wheat pennies, Mercury dimes are real popular with kids,” Ken Shultz said.
“We sold a $1,000 bill earlier today,” said Ken Shultz. “Those haven’t been made since the 1930s. They used to make large denominations — $500, $1,000, $10,000 and even $100,000 — but because so much counterfeiting was going on, they went to $100 bills as the largest.”
The shop also has large cents minted in the 1700s, Indian head pennies dating to the 1850s, half cents from the 1790s to 1850s, even 2- and 3-cent pieces. They also have proof and mint sets, Silver Eagle and Gold Eagle coins, and gold bullion coins.
The firm also buys and sells gold and silver jewelry and pocket watches, the Shultzes said.
Currently, the price of gold and other precious metals is high and many people are selling their old gold jewelry to pay bills.
“Gold was $200 or $300 an ounce several years ago, now it’s over $1,000 an ounce,” said Ken Shultz. “Even the 10 karat stuff has decent value, which is nice, because people can get quite a lot more than they expected, especially when times are tough. The last few years, the price of gold and silver has gone up.”
K&S offers free appraisals and estimates and can do appointments any time, the owners said. If unable to make it to their shop on the Boulevard, they said people can call them at 389-7500, and they would be glad to set up a time for an in-home appraisal or estimate.
“I travel enough, and we know a lot of the large dealers, that if they have a high dollar item, something they want to get rid of and the market is soft here, I travel to the East Coast, to Texas and Colorado, too, and can find the best markets,” Ken Shultz said.
