Mr3dPHD

So some of you may have heard me mentioning my coin app I am working on for the iPhone. Due to contractual obligtations, I cannot reveal all the details of the app, but I'd really like to get a good idea of how many people would be interested in something like this. Here is a little marketing questionairre I'm making up right now on the fly. I would REALLY appreciate it if you guys could all answer the questions. I want this to be as useful as possible and you are all my target audience! If you do not own an iPhone or iPod Touch, I still would really like to hear your answers.

1) Do you own an iPhone (or an iPod Touch)?
2) How long have you been collecting coins?
3) What is the biggest problem you run into when trying to keep track of or organize your coin collection?
4) If you were to have a coin related application that you carried with you all the time, what would be the number one tool you would want it to have?
5) What details about a coin are worth attributing (i.e. color, grade, etc)?
6) Do you actively collect commemoritave coins?
7) Do you actively collect paper money (US)?

That's about all I can think of for now. Please give me any feedback you possibly can! I promise I will reveal more about the app soon (once it goes into review probably). This is your chance to help me make this app as functional as possible. Right now there is very little representation for the coin collecting community in the iPhone app store, and I plan to change that. I want this app to be so usefull that collectors will want to buy an iPhone just get the app! Thanks everyone!!

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-Mr. 3d

Sholom

What a cool idea! Go for it!

Very quickly answering your questions:
1. I plan on purchasing an iPhone when the next version comes out (July?)
2. Too hard to answer breifly
3. I use a spreadsheet to enter data on my coins . . . but: (a) I forget to enter some of them; and (b) no easy way to record all the extra surplus I have
4. I have to pick two tools: (a) downloadable (or, updatable) price guide (from, say, Numismedia); and (b) grading guidelines for each of the common (say, since 1900) coin varieties
5. Grade, price paid, and room for extras
6. No
7. No

We look forward to hearing more about this!

Mr3dPHD

Awesome feedback! This is exactly what I am looking for. Thanks so much for the great suggestions! Don't worry, you guys will be the first to know once I can start spilling details.

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-Mr. 3d

FreakyGarrettC

1) Yes. I have an iPod touch and a plan on getting an iPhone.
2) 8 years
3) I am too lazy to put it in excel.
4) A price guide
5) Grade, variety, and a small comments section.
6) Yes
7) Not as much as coins but yes.

BTW the iPhone 3.0 software should be coming out in a few days!

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pennywise

#4 some kind of access to the cherrypickers guide

Mr3dPHD

Yeah, we are actually programming the app with the new SDK. As a developer, we get access to the beta version! This way we don't have to worry about it not working properly when everyone updates their phone.

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-Mr. 3d

gettingbrowned

Hey, I was actually just looking for a numismatic App yesterday, and couldnt find anything that suited me.

1) yes I have an iPhone
2) 3 years
3) laziness. =]
4) price/mintage guide... VERY shortly followed by some sort of grading companion (along the lines of photograde. G,VG,F,EF,AU, and MS pictures for all coins would be amazing.) ((obviously, not all coins... lets say, the ones in the redbook.))
5) Grade, Variety, Price paid, Value, location/date of coin acquisition, problems (if it has any... i.e. a scratch, or hairlines, rim ding.. whatever) and a slot for misc. comments.
6) Yes
7) yes

bobbeth87

Don't have the iphone. But what I would want is an up to date price guide so that if I'm somewhere at a coin club auction, coin shop, etc., and there is a coin I need, then I want to know if it is a fair price or a crazy mark up.

An automated spreadsheet that updated prices would be great (it would have to be massive. For example, it would have the years and mints and condition and major varieties, the user just puts in the # for each coin. Example, 2 48 Franklins at VF, 1 at AU, etc. Then, if it were linked to an up to date coin value guide so that as the prices of coins go up (or down), my overall portfolio of coins would show a total current value (they do this for stock portfolios, why not coins). That would be cool, but would need to be a pretty large program...

bob

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Bob

Mr3dPHD

Yeah, it seems everyone really wants a built in pricing guide. I'm having a lot of trouble with this for two reasons. One, like you said, it would make the application enormous, and getting all the data in (and keeping it up to date) would be a TON of work. 2) and this is the main reason...I don't own the rights to any pricing guides. I opened up communication with Whitman publishing (Red Book) to see what sort of options I have with them, but I'm willing to bet its going to cost me a great deal of money I don't have to even be givent he rights to use their information. Without their permission, I would be basically selling an interactive version of the Red Book (which I don't own). Hopefully I can get them to agree to something though...maybe direct links to their site or something.

This is all great info guys. I've already added a few things I hadn't thought of yet! Keep it coming!

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-Mr. 3d

halashton

I don't own an Iphone but I think any app like that should have a want list

Sholom

Talk to the folks at Numismedia. After all, they already put their entire price guide on the web for free.

Mr3dPHD

Sholom...you are quickly becomeing one of my favorite members here, ha ha! I will check that out right now! Thanks mate...

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-Mr. 3d

Conder101

They may put it up and allow people to use it for free, but it is still copyrighted I bet if you want to use it for a private for profit use you will find they will NOT just let you tap into it.

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Slab collector and researcher
reported as of 12/29/06
132 companies 332 production varieties

Sholom

You're most likely certainly right. I can't imagine they'd permit that at all. But my piont is that since they do offer it on the web, they will probably be more amenable to some sort of commercial deal (a royalty fee?) than, say, the publishers of Red Book.

Mr3dPHD

My thoughts exactly. You have to consider my other options. I'm pretty certain they'll be a bit more willing to work with me than a huge publishing conglomo like Whitman Red Book who charges quite a bit for their info. I've already sent an email, so hopefully I will hear abck from them soon.

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-Mr. 3d