Oakton Coins & Collectibles is a coin, bullion, jewelry, and precious metals business located in Skokie, Illinois. This page explains a few basic shop policies before you visit, buy, or sell. Most visits are simple. Bring your items in, we look at them in person, explain what we are seeing, and there is no pressure to sell.

Buying and Selling Policies

• You must be at least 18 years old and present valid identification to sell items to us.
• We buy coins, paper money, gold, silver, platinum, bullion, jewelry, sterling silver, and many estate-related valuables.
• We buy jewelry, but we do not sell jewelry to the general public.
• We are a coin and precious metals shop, not a traditional retail jewelry store.
• Browsing is allowed at our discretion.
• We reserve the right to refuse any transaction.

Payment Policies

• We accept cash, check, or credit card for most purchases.
• Bullion purchases may require cash for new customers.
• Bullion prices are based on current market conditions and may change quickly.
• All bullion transactions are completed in person at our shop.
• We do not ship bullion.

Appraisals and Evaluations

We offer free verbal evaluations for most coins, gold, silver, jewelry, bullion, and collections brought into the shop. These are informal opinions of value based on what we can examine in person.

We do not provide free written appraisals for insurance, tax, legal, probate, or estate purposes. Formal written appraisals may be available for a fee depending on the situation.

Learn more about our free verbal appraisals.

Large Collections and Estates

Most customers do not need an appointment. If you are bringing in a very large estate, multiple heavy boxes, or a collection that may take hours to review, please call ahead so we can plan properly.

For inherited collections, estates, and mixed valuables, you may also find these pages helpful: sell inherited coin collections, executor of estate coins and jewelry, and what we buy.

Reporting and Compliance

We are legally required to report certain items we purchase to LeadsOnline for local law enforcement purposes, in accordance with municipal regulations.

Do you report customers selling items to the IRS?
No. Tax reporting on items you sell is your responsibility.

Do you report customers buying items to the IRS?
All coin shops follow anti-money-laundering (AML) rules. Certain large cash transactions may require federal reporting through a Currency Transaction Report (CTR) as part of federal compliance.

We Are Not a Pawn Shop

Oakton Coins & Collectibles is not a pawn shop or a bank. We do not offer loans, pawn items, or charge interest. We also do not accept electronics, car radios, furniture, catalytic converters, or general secondhand household items.

Coin Cleaning Warning

Do not clean your coins. Cleaning coins WILL permanently destroy collector value. Even if a coin looks dirty, polishing, rubbing, dipping, or wiping it can turn a collectible coin into a damaged coin. If you are not sure what you have, bring the coins in as they are. Do not remove coins from albums, holders, or old envelopes unless necessary.

International Mail-In Inquiries

We primarily work with customers in person at our Skokie shop. We do not buy coins, gold, or valuables mailed from outside the United States. If someone online is using our name, photos, or address to claim we are buying coins internationally, that is not us.

Visit Oakton Coins & Collectibles

Oakton Coins & Collectibles is located at 4547 Oakton Street in Skokie, Illinois. We serve customers from Skokie, Evanston, Chicago, Morton Grove, Lincolnwood, Niles, Wilmette, Glenview, and the surrounding area.

Before visiting, you can review our frequently asked questions, see what we buy, or contact us.