Featured "COINS - AS SEEN ON TV!" Featuring RCTV Rare Collectibles TV

Discussion in 'Coin Chat' started by Norsk64, Mar 22, 2017.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Norsk64

    Norsk64 The Coin TV Critic


    1. Welcome to my first write-up of "COINS - AS SEEN ON TV!" here on Coin Talk! I have written buyer guides on eBay the past year with the same title but different headline topics. I have been an avid watcher of all Coin TV shows & networks for many years now, and have learned who the stand-outs are, and who are the cheats. I will focus on one Show/Network for a given write-up, and will even offer a critique of each show/network in regards to price, honesty, knowledge, customer service, on-air host(s), and more! Hope my Coin TV observations are of some benefit to all coin buyers out there, particularly the newer collectors. Comments always welcome! First up is Rick Tomaska's RCTV Rare Collectibles TV...

      Rick Tomaska has had his own show now for almost 2 1/2 years, after leaving the now defunct Art & Coin TV (ACTV) in a nasty split that resulted in Jack McNamara also leaving to join Rick in his new venture. Barry Chappel, who is sticking to his Art show, continually lobbed insults on-air against Rick, and Rick was equally insulting towards Barry. Well, RCTV survived. ACTV died. Karma can be edited!

      Rick is a self-proclaimed "expert" when it comes to coins, particularly early Franklin and Kennedy proof strikes. And given his knowledge, numerous awards, authored books, and being the "Cameo King," he is an expert. And he is always quick to remind his viewers as to just how sharp he is! He's got a pretty big ego to go along with those pretty coins of his. No matter the fact that his on-air wardrobe of choice is a bad looking Hawaiian shirt with sport coat! And despite his disdain for Barry Chappel, he in many ways sells his coin offerings in much the same way, stylistically speaking.

      The show presentations, hosted by Rick, Jack, and sometimes Ricks' daughters, are very informative. They all know coins very well. You can actually learn quite a bit about a given coin, series, and history of coin making. And the coins that RCTV offers are of the highest quality, and in certain cases...rarity. Rick, Jack, and others will go through thousands of coins to find the high graders. Rick says he can eliminate the middle-man that way. Which is true. But you are sure going to pay big bucks for his efforts! Too many big bucks in comparison to similarly attractive coin examples from non-Coin TV sellers online. He will brag on a price of $1999 for a better date 1914-D St. Gaudens Double Eagle Gold $20 in PCGS MS63, but check out eBay and you'll find equally attractive coins in MS64 for about $1750! Make no mistake, no matter the coin, you will likely find similarly attractive coins online for much less money! But this is where Rick tries to deceive, and play the would-be buyers for chumps. He is likely the worst in the Coin TV business when it comes to showing comparisons from eBay or Auction House listings to try and prove his point that you're getting a great deal! You're not. His quoted coin prices are even higher in most cases than the PCGS or NGC Price Guides, which are artificially inflated to begin with! But back to his eBay and auction house comparisons... He will flash up an eBay listing with a ridiculous high price, highlight price with a marker, and attempt to convince you that a particular coin is being sold at that high price. Thing is, eBay listings show the Buy It Now price (highlighted by Rick), but fail to mention that it is a MAKE OFFER listing! If a coin is selling for $2995 for example, but it is MAKE AN OFFER, you are not likely to pay that full listed price. Right? But Rick prefers to find some outrageously priced coin online, to try and make his coin look like a deal. Again, it isn't. And it's just plain deceitful that Rick does this kind of crap all the time. And I'm calling him out on it.

      In conclusion, RCTV gets the following grades for the following categories;

      Price/Value..............................D
      In-depth knowledge of Coins......A
      Entertainment Value..................B
      Honesty...................................C-
      Customer Service......................A
      Presentation.............................A
      Shipping Time..........................C
      Intangibles...............................B

      As I said, comments are welcome. Thanks for reading "COINS-AS SEEN ON TV!" Next up for review is HSN Vault - Coin Collector, with others to follow.

      Till next time,

      Jeff
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 22, 2017
    JPeace$, dlhill132, wxcoin and 16 others like this.
  2. Avatar

    Guest User Guest



    to hide this ad.
  3. Santinidollar

    Santinidollar Supporter! Supporter

    This looks like it's going to be fun.
     
  4. SchwaVB57

    SchwaVB57 Well-Known Member

    Very nice and on target overall review. More focus in the critique that is missing is RCTV's constant comparison of RARITY. His overpriced coins are usually his definition of CONDITION RARITY verses his occasional marketing of an ABSOLUTE RARITY. Selling coins minted in the millions because they are graded MS-67 only means there are 100,000 coins in this condition, but only 750 have been slabbed by grading services. So his conclusion is Condition rarity. What happens in 10 years when another 100,000 are graded? A so called condition rarity is now a condition common coin.
     
    Norsk64, wxcoin, coinzip and 3 others like this.
  5. Cascade

    Cascade CAC Variety Nerd

    Is this advertising. Do you work with Rick? Are you really advocating that newer collectors even watch these shows?? They are a joke and a scourge of modern day numismatics.

    #GrannyBait
     
  6. Maxfli

    Maxfli Well-Known Member

    I don't disagree with the analysis, but I question its necessity on forums like this one. We already know that none of the TV coin sellers offer competitive value. 99.99% of their sales come from unsuspecting victims who have never logged on to a forum in their lives.
     
  7. Norsk64

    Norsk64 The Coin TV Critic

    This looks like it's going to be fun.
    Excellent point, and I agree
     
    coinsareus10 likes this.
  8. Norsk64

    Norsk64 The Coin TV Critic

    Like I said, hope this benefits newer collectors who many times are taken advantage of by Coin TV shows. There are however a few diamonds in the rough, but you have to know what you're doing if you consider buying one of their offerings. Plus, should be a fun, and hopefully beneficial read. Thanks for comment!
     
  9. Norsk64

    Norsk64 The Coin TV Critic

    Absolutely not! As mentioned at the end of write-up, I will be featuring ALL shows/networks. And, the write-up of RCTV is not real flattering. Just my opinion and analysis.
     
  10. Norsk64

    Norsk64 The Coin TV Critic

    It will be! BTW, Go! Cubs! Go! Lifelong, long-suffering fan from central Illinois.
     
    Saspursfan78 likes this.
  11. 05Wildcats

    05Wildcats Well-Known Member

    I get a kick watching these shows. Presentations on mint sets give me the biggest laughs. I do not purchase anything. I will enjoy reading your reviews.
     
    Johndoe2000$ likes this.
  12. Norsk64

    Norsk64 The Coin TV Critic

    Excellent point! I'm sure his retort would be that the supply of condition rarity coins remaining is pretty small, and it would be unusual to have a flood of high graders of a particular issue. But, hoards are discovered that may grade high, therefore resulting in diminished value for coin(s) prior to hoard discovery.
     
  13. Norsk64

    Norsk64 The Coin TV Critic

    Thank you! Yes, the common go-to for shows like The Coin Vault and HSN are the giant wall of Mint and Proof Sets. Somebody must buy them, because they keep doing presentations on them.
     
  14. Norsk64

    Norsk64 The Coin TV Critic

    I will be featuring write-ups on the following; AAN-TV, America's Value Channel, HSN Vault, The Coin Vault, and also focus on the happenings within each show regarding on-air host changes, personal experiences (good and bad), defunct & new shows/networks, and more. Hope they're a good read for all!
     
  15. GDJMSP

    GDJMSP Numismatist Moderator

    Not sure how you could possibly view it as advertising :rolleyes:

    If he did, after that review he sure wouldn't any more !
     
  16. Ana Silverbell

    Ana Silverbell Well-Known Member

    You did not mention Rick Tomaska's acting ability. The short films he creates are not going to win an Academy Award but they are entertaining. Admit that you laughed when you saw Rick Tomaska and Jack McNamara ride into Carson City, dressed as western outlaws, to rob the Carson City Mint. They entered the Mint with guns drawn only to discover that it stopped minting operations and closed down for good in 1893.

    On the coin front, RCTV's coins are overpriced, with rare exception. By example, RCTV advertised Peace dollar 1,000 coin bags for a pretty good price. I did not buy a bag but the coins were priced lower than I have seen on eBay or in coin shops. Overall, though, most coin shows sell coins at inflated prices.
     
    Norsk64, Jebocement and micbraun like this.
  17. chascat

    chascat Well-Known Member

    My observations are similar to those stated by most of you here. Some knowledge can always be gained by watching Rick,s shows, but he is a most convincing salesman when it comes to his comparisons with E-Bay sellers. The bottom line is his prices are inflated to cover the cost of air time and a very large overhead. He does compare apples to oranges with his personalized charts and E-Bay listings in that he compares graded populations with the raw silver dollars he sells which are not graded. His gold Double Eagles are also priced much higher than actual market prices, as are most of his other coins. I,ve rarely, if ever, seen any of his offerings at a lesser price and quality than the finest E-Bay sellers. If you,re not concerned with price, than he is a great place to shop. As for most of us, our pockets aren,t a bottomless pit.
     
    Steve K likes this.
  18. SuperDave

    SuperDave Free the Cartwheels!

    Ain't that the truth. :)

    It reads like advertising, until you actually parse the words, when it becomes apparent they were written by someone who understands both numismatics and the subject being discussed. My only disagreement is the overall "Honesty" rating, which ought to be far lower given the bigger-picture importance of what's being lied about.
     
  19. mikenoodle

    mikenoodle The Village Idiot Supporter

    I am not sure how many they sell, but the amount of $$$ that they make every time that they sell a single set makes the entire presentation worth it to air.
     
  20. mikenoodle

    mikenoodle The Village Idiot Supporter

    and as far as Rick's prices being high...

    have you ever seen his prices at a show??? They're not really any better.
     
    imrich and Paul M. like this.
  21. SchwaVB57

    SchwaVB57 Well-Known Member

    I agree! The honesty grade should be lower, as well as, presentation. The background on the set and the choice of clothes worn together lowers the grade to C- or D on presentation.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page