Found this place cruising the lower level of pikes place and was super impressed with the level of coin and buttons they had political and otherwise. I'm definitely more of a sports cards guy so seeing the variety of cards most of em rookies was nice especially the jerseys. Owner was nice and super helpful wasn't at all snooty like another recent review mentioned. I'd say the only things qualm wise I got is using cash only and the pricing on some cards. Obviously I know businesses gotta make a living but when eBay is (for some I saw on my wishlist) 10-15x cheaper I'd just say go there. Also while credit/debit card fees to businesses can be high I do wish they at least had a debit card option or supported a low cost brand. A lot of people don't carry cash anymore especially on trips so just something to prep for. Definitely would come back regardless. read more

Lose Yourself in Pop Culture History Take this review with a grain of salt since I don't collect anything. Don't be fooled by the name, Market Coins offers so much more than collectible coins. Tucked away in the labyrinth of Pike Place Market, this quirky, cramped little collectibles shop makes you long to camp out and browse vintage magazines, losing yourself in a slice of life back in the day... or more accurately, a slice of life back in the year. The store is a treasure trove of unusual finds. There are ironic vintage political statement posters (check out the photos and you'll see what mean), stacks of sports cards, and an interesting mix of magazines. In particular, the vintage issues of Ring Magazine caught my eye. I have a couple of retired pro-boxer friends and decided to surprise them with retro issues of this classic boxing pub. The owner was friendly and helped me sift through the overwhelming number of options to find the perfect issues. He steered me towards the editions that were perfect for my nostalgic boxers and didn't break the bank since they aren't collectors either. Even if you aren't an avid memorabilia collector, this place is worth a browse. read more

See all

Found on the 4th floor of the Pike Place Market, Market Coins would be better described at Market Coins and Cards. Well, then there's the political memorabilia. And the old concert, movie and movie star posters. And then the classic magazines. Let's just name it Market Coins & Collectibles and call it a day! Whatever way you cut it, it's definitely a store worth going through. Oddly enough, I'd say there are a lot more sports cards than coins. As a long-time card collector, the wall-to-wall sports cards are a thing to behold: Football, basketball, baseball, hockey ... all in abundance, ranging from the 60s through to modern-day, all of the major brands (Topps, Donruss, Score, etc.). Quite a diverse and colorful walk down sports memory lane. I have a feeling that any qualms I may have about their cards may fall on deaf ears: Someone who will whimsically impulse-buy a card in a store doesn't use Yelp ... because that person also doesn't use eBay where many of these cards can be found cheaper. Buying cards here is for the person finding the thing they didn't know they needed, don't care if they overpay, and don't want to wait for an online auction to have. If you are looking for cards for investment, however, I wouldn't recommend Market Coins for sports cards. The cards, for the most part, aren't PSA-graded (the sports card industry standard for quality) and are overpriced. The cool thing, however, is they actually have unopened packs in their original boxes. It takes a real collector to have things like 36-pack boxes of 1988 and 1989 Topps and Donruss baseball cards. I also like their novelty card collection, with Garbage Pail Kids, WWE, political, Disney, Star Wars, and X-Files, to name a few You would also be well-served to check out their political ephemera: buttons, programs, etc. And, of course, plenty of coins. I have very little knowledge of coin value, but the old-school U.S. silver dollars, half-dollars, dimes, nickels, and pennies .... along with a good selection of Canadian and British coins ... are fun to peruse through. If you're in the Market for coins ... or cards ... or a whole bunch of other collectibles, I'd give Market Coins a try. read more

See all

Excellent value, deep selection for a small store. The owner is helpful and knows his stuff. Old school Market shop, appreciated. I love talking with human beings and learning from each other. That's the old Market to me. read more

This place is amazing and the owner was very nice and pleasant to deal with. I'm not a collector myself so I can't really speak on prices or quality but it was worth a trip for the nostalgia, history, and good conversation with a Pike Place legend. read more

Market Coins - Mint condition coins and bills from a different era. Amazing to see! - Hobby Shops Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Fun, friendly transport back in time. The owner was very welcoming and attentive. As we concluded the transaction, he dropped his card in the bag, recognizing me as a non-resident but eager to have my business. read more

This place transports me in time! From amateur to professional in the fields of sports cards, political paraphernalia and coins, this place has it all!!! Prices are reasonable and the information you glean is exceptional. Always enjoy my visits. read more

Market Coins - Hobby Shops Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I'm definitely a fan of Market Coins. The owner of the shop is knowledgeable, has a decent variety of collectibles and coins, and will look something up for you if you wish to know the value of a particular coin. The shop is small and on the second level of the Pike Place Market. I never hesitate to stop in each time I go to the Market to browse and say hello. My mom is an avid coin collector and I have purchased a few things for her in the past- Namely a 1962 Seattle Worlds Fair token coin. It was the year she was born and she really treasures that part of her collection. read more

I visited this store from Alabama while shopping and I loved this place. I was satisfied with the service. I thought the owner was really nice and provided me with the information that I asked for and I left the store with a bag of cards and happy. If I lived in Seattle I would visit a lot. If anyone in Seattle asked me where to get cards, coins or collectibles I would advise them to visit this shop. Prices may be high but I believe that is for the cards great conditions so if you want one to own on of the rarest cards try your luck in packs that are available. And if you want the rarest coin for the lowest price than you must not really care that much about collecting. There are many coin, cards and collectibles shops in many places but this one in my opinion is one of the greatest. read more

The man working (owner?) was super nice and very helpful. I just came in to browse and ended up chatting with him for a bit. He showed he a few different baseball cards and I ended up purchasing one. It is cash only so I went across the hall to use the ATM and he threw in an old pack of cards for my "troubles." I will stop in again the next time I visit! read more

I'm a resident of Seattle and whenever we go to Pike Place I stop by and check out the sports cards - a must for me. I've bough a decent amount of cards from Darrell and we do haggle, in a good way. I will always enjoy coming here and look forward to when we get back home from Kuwait. read more

I stumbled upon this place while walking around pike place while my wife is in the hospital close by. I am not a expert at all about coins so I cant tell if the selection is really good along with the prices. But I am a huge baseball card collector who spends alot of time on ebay and local card shops. They have a pretty good selection of baseball cards This place has by far the biggest mark up on singles I have ever seen. Almost every single card is 3-4 times more than ebay costs and double of every other brick&mortar shop in the puget sound. yeeep. read more

As a stamp and coin collector (as well as a collector of many things), I really wanted to like this place and asked for help trying to find a Pingu coin, however, The guy at the til was stand off-ish and seemed disinterested in helping me. So I left. This was a year ago when I came here with my best friend during bumbershoot weekend. read more

Market coins is great. Went in to look around and ended up buying a beutiful morgan dollar. The owner Darrell is a really nice person. I wish more people were like him when we go in a store. Very helpful and knows his stuff. He has all kinds of coins trading cards and other collectable things. If you want to hv a feeling good experience go into the store and browse around and see Darrell. read more

I'd give zero stars. We frequent Pike Place Market supporting locals and also bring family from out of town often spending quite a bit. The owner is rude and disrespectful. No wonder his prices are marked up... He's not getting any sales for customer service. read more

Located in the heart of Seattle, Market Coins is not just about coins. The tiny shop, in the Market's eclectic "Down Under,' is packed with coins and currency, but also has a very wide selection of political memorabilia, classic reproduction posters (from JFK to Janis Joplin), plus sports cards, both singles and unopened packs - new and vintage. The owner is courteous and helpful, too. It is nearly a museum! Two thumbs up! Worth the trip down stairs when visiting the Pike Place Market! read more

Not very helpfully. Common inventory, may be o k for beginning collector. Worker may need a day off. Do not think he was the owner. Advance collectors do not waste your time. read more

Great little shop. Owner knows his stuff and is more than happy to give you a fair appraisal if your looking to sell, which is more than I can say for some other local places. I always find something unique or interesting that I can't do without here. I'm not sure what other reviewers are talking about as I've always gotten very fair prices. All in all I would definitely recommend. read more