Franklin Collectors Mint, false advertising.

Well....I'm glad you like the hobby enough to want to be an ambassador, but in my opinion you're not understanding what an ambassador is. An ambassador is someone who promotes the hobby, and does stand up for hobbyists, but not like some kind of bull in a china shop or self-appointed crusader, out to save the world so that all hobbyists can live in a rosy world of no scams, no con-men, and just pure happiness.

That being said, in your scenario (well, my favorite grandma's been dead a long time, since she was born in 1885, so if she gave me anything, it would be kisses from the great beyond), if I had a grandma now that gave me this because she thought I wanted one thing, and thought this was it, and all, I'd thank her, smile, say how thoughtful....and go on (and probably in a week or whatever it would be in the closet). It wouldn't matter. Now....how can I say that so certainly?..... Well, because my mother would do things like that (she was like a lot of people's moms, dads, other relatives, that had their own ideas of what well-meaning encompassed), and give me things that she thought I just about died for. Well....not so much. Anyways, on with the story. Nearly everything she gave me, in gifts, was invariably off the mark, and what she bought as valuable was generally not. But that doesn't matter, because nothing I could say or do then (when she was alive) would stop her from doing her own thing. The fact is, she did it because she cared for me, and when gift giving was required, she did the best her mind could encompass. Just because I found it to be junk did not diminish the thoughtfulness behind the gift.

So....you say thank you, and go on. That's a big lesson to learn from life. You don't always get what you desire. Maybe if you have a grandma still, you can ask for cash and buy what you want. I think that would be best. Now how would I feel that she was ripped off? Not so good, but the wonderful thing about life is that people can make their own decisions on what to do (usually) and how to spend their money.


As far as a YN buying this and thinking it was an error, until later he found out it wasn't....maybe buying the book before the coin (learning what errors are before laying out his money on coins) would be a better choice in action. But, most likely if you ask people here or anywhere else, they can tell you when they got ripped off on a coin (or other product) and it's not pleasant, but it does offer the opportunity to learn from your mistakes and go on.

 

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Yes, he has quite the enthusiasm as well as persistence at doing this hobby. Good points.

 

I know that I have been making fun of you, and I'm beginning to feel sorry
that I have been doing that. I am beginning to just feel sorry for you, because
you do not realize that you are your own worst enemy.
I do admire your sense of what's right and what's wrong.
You have to realize, though, that you alone cannot be the world's savior.
Before trying to protect others from themselves, learn to protect yourself
from yourself. Even at 20 years old, you have so very much to learn about life
and the ways of the world.

 

Yes, in other words, that company has the $$$, lawyers on retainer, and the willingness to spend on whatever they need to continue making products that make money for them. They aren't going to cease and desist just because someone writes a letter to them saying to. I doubt that Detecto (or just about any ordinary Joe) has the $$ to effectively fight them.

 

Sender of that cease and desist letter is clearly delusional.

Making yourself the laughing stock of the forum is probably not what he had in mind.

 

So what if it happens? It is none of your business and was the buyers decison. Get this through your head.. there is nothing you can do about, so get off this holy crusade to save people from themselves. Littleton, hotel buyers, the Franklin mint, the dastardly old people with nothing better to do than bid you up at auctions, the scandalous ebay sellers, on and on. Enough is enough already. Worry about protecting Detecto from Dectecto for now.. you can save the world later.

With all due respect and regardless of how you like to fancy yourself, Detecto, you are a newbie and there is nothing wrong with this. Just accept it, move forward, and stop making a fool of yourself.

 

And technically, a cancelled coin is an error coin that was discovered before it left the mint.

 

That's true, but they make it sound like that a waffled coin IS an error coin, like it left the mint like that, and nothing else was done to it.

Waffling is not an error, but a process of getting rid of one.

Nowhere does it mention that the mint had this coin intentionally destroyed. Nowhere does it say "waffled", "mint canceled", etc.

It says "mis-struck". The way it is worded, makes you think that the coin was mis-struck, and looks exactly like that.

 

Just knowing that you are right (on this one) is not enough for you?
You really are a glutton for punishment!

 

All I am asking to do is to be more truthful on what they are selling.

 

Some things are never going to happen, boy. Never. You just have to let some things go.

Most of your posts make you look like an idiot. Is that how you want to be known?

 

In case #1, just like anything else you ask for, you specify what you want instead of being generic, and give them the information to help them find what you want. I don't tell family members "I'd like an old dime." I might as well say "I want a CD" or "I want a movie." I say ""I'd like a seated Liberty dime," just as I'd say "I want the album Automatic by VNV Nation" or "I want Tangled."

In case #2, that's how collecting goes. We sometimes get burned, but we get over it and learn to do research and as a result learn more about coins and the hobby and how to buy and sell. Chances are we've all overpaid for something or gotten scammed at some point. The best way to fight unscrupulous sellers, especially big ones with lots of lawyers and money, is to educate new collectors about them and how to keep from falling for their nonsense. Give a man a fish and all that.

 

You know, you gave me an excellent Idea, I think I'm going to make a guide on here for newbies to read, to avoid scams.

 

Would be like the blind leading the blind.

 

I think thats a excellent idea. Maybe you can team up with the redbook and have a chapter on "not getting ripped off"

 

Please don't. You'll just be preaching to the choir.

 

If you follow the link that Detecto has so graciously given to us. The picture that the Franklin Mint has on the page clearly reads that it is in fact a MINT CANCELLED coin. It's right on the label of the slab. I guess he missed that. But in any event your attorney would have nothing to do and I'm sure your letter will be filed right in the trash.

 

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein
​

 

I actually feel that the idea of sending a letter to them was a good one. The wording used is the problem. Making demands and talking about getting a lawyer involved is not a great way to start or get them to change the ad.

 

A good such read is called "Coin Collecting for Dummies" from that popular "For Dummies" series. Don't knock it. It really is a great read for a new collector.

That said, I commend you for sending the crooks a letter, even though I may not agree with everything you write Truth be told, if more people took that kind of initiative there would be less "double speak" in sales that's so easily brushed off by those of us who have been burned in our numismatic careers. We all resent the same thing in turn, but it would be nice if these multi-million dollar business were bound by the same standards (legally) as my favorite coin dealer is (morally; he's a great guy).

The real problem is with the TPGs for putting waffles into slabs in the first place. Especially TPGs that (from what I hear) are so very picky about what they will slab as an error. Next there will be a rash of counterfeit waffles. Self slabbers bummed over ebays new policy change will be in their basements now with a coin in a vice and a hammer, makin the big bucks.