United States Type Set with Gold - Complete

Thanks Mike.
"His expectations" are coming through loud and clear on here. Like he's watching and enlisted his people to ensure his progeny doesn't screw anything up. LOL

The 09 S VDB subject is on a separate thread I posted yesterday. I was just referring to that conversation here as to the importance of grading.

 

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I'm sure you are hearing the still soft voice. Thus has been the weist enjoyable thread since I've been involved.

 

the 1909-S VDB isn't in this Type set as it calls for the regular VDB for the hole. the 1909 S VDB was part of his lincoln cent album.

these notes appear to just relate to the type set, which appears to have been put together between 1975 and 1983 when he was satisfied with it.

Todd, looks like he kept respectable notes on his purchases. you could check if any of those places he bought from are still in business...
One of them I was looking into was "Tejas Coin" & Stamp Co. 107 WEST WALL ST MIDLAND TEXAS, John R. Culver, apparently he died in 1981, the son Lawrence Culver took over the shop, and he died in 2006, but I think the shop was likely closed before then.

Hard to dig up this information and follow the threads, but the threads are there, and I suspect his other shops he purchased from, have their histories also.

 

Thanks @John Burgess for pointing that out, I wasn't thinking.

 

From what I can gather, the '83 sheets are the "guide" that represent a final legend for the book. The $7037.40 at the end of sheet 2 represents what he spent, in total, for every coin in the book 40 years ago. (Which makes the offer of $7400 even more insulting.) After hearing from ya'll, we won't sell this book unless we grade something representing life-changing money.

 

I believe in twenty years you will be very glad that you came to this conclusion and I applaud you for it.

 

Yes, definitely an insulting offer! It's a beautiful set and you should hang onto it as long as possible as there's some true rarities in that collection! I'm sure if you go to a coin show to get offers you're gonna drop some jaws with that beauty! Just as a precaution be very careful with that set, don't let anyone know you have it as it's a beauty of a set and many collectors have been killed for less! I'm not trying to put fear in you but it's the truth! Lastly, if you try to get offers, it's best not to show your Grandpa's notes, jmho! good luck to you!!

 

Sure is..
Wow Todd your Grandpa just keeps surprising me with his knowledge, notes and a beauty of a array of a collection.
Patients and reading before selling to which I really hope you can keep the most coins you can!!
Maby that 6th 1913 Liberty Head Nickel is in there somewhere

 

Todd... I want to throw another thought at you that makes me respect and admire your grandad even more. I want to preface this saying that I am looking at photos and that is absolutely not the ideal way to evaluate a coin...... Your grandad assembled this in the days before third party grading services. Unless I am not seeing things correctly through these photos, your grandad was extremely conservative evaluating his own coins. In other words, I believe that should you choose to have some of these evaluated by a TPG (third party grader), I believe many will come back graded well better than your grandads evaluation.... It tells me worlds about the mans character. He is the sort of fellow I would love to sit and talk coins with. Your grandad was a fine man.

 

So, that is exactly what I'd like to do, with ya'lls help.

I want to get a good picture of each coin but I'm clueless about coin photography even after watching YouTube videos. I've got a DSLR, Tripod, 55mm lens, 250mm lens, external flash with hot foot cable, no macros. And it's all greek to me. Happy to buy stuff as needed for the project. I watched Photographer Bill Larson's simple set up on YouTube and couldn't get my gear to work. I think I just need help from someone who knows the gear and lighting.

If anyone here would be willing to help me get started (Zoom video conference, phone, etc.) then I'll post each coin from the book with attribution to whoever is willing to partner with me.

I had a great phone call with Randy Abercrombie today (here on CT) who was kind enough to take the time as my first official mentor in coin collecting. Randy is checking with his network, but I'd also offer it up here.

I'm not looking to mooch beyond what anyone would find appropriate. Just hoping for some crowdsourcing help. So, if anyone is willing to meet with me and get me started getting this book photographed properly, there's a bottle of whiskey in it, shipped to you anywhere in the United States, along with the joint experience.

 

Hi Todd, I'm no photography expert or even an enthusiast really, so I won't be too helpful, I take pictures with my phone and an application for zooming in and cropping. just didn't want to keep you hanging.

From personal experience doing what I do, I feel a solid white or black background is best, I use a soda bottle cap as a pedestal for the coin to move it into the foreground a bit and cage how the light is hitting the coin by the shadow, and one light source is more useful than multiple sources of light from a few angles which is harder to control the shadows and flashes.

As far as the camera goes, A tripod or stand that keeps it totally stable is a must in my opinion, image stabilization is only going to get you so far I think, but then again, I use a cellphone for coin pictures, a DSLR might be way better, then there's lenses, and speeds and all that jazz,,,, I have no idea about.

I am sure someone knows some things, there is a coin photography thread on here somewhere, with some nerd talk about it. LOL. I know i've seen it, just can't find it.

 

Thanks John.

I posted on that thread but got no response. Prolly cause they looked at what I'm trying to do and thought, "really, it's that difficult to figure it out?" LOL. When you have no experience, yeah, it's a little daunting.

I bought a 90mm macro lens last night and am looking at lighting tents/kits. So, I'm moving down the road, but it would be great if I could find a partner who likes free whiskey.

 

I would have every coin evaluated at a well known auction house, have everything graded by NGC or PCGS, then sell at auction.

 

Please wear cotton gloves if you handle the coins. Fabulous collection. Sure hope you keep it.

 

Hello Todd. That is a nice type collection. I have only been collecting coins for 65 years and have learned a lot from older collectors and here on Coin Talk. I also have About $4,000 in reference books primarily on die varieties or characteristics of our US coins. Reference books are important to determine common or rare die varieties.
I would like to caution you about the albums and especially the album pages your coins may be in. If not done properly, the plastic slides could scratch your coins. When the plastic slides are cut into size, the Cutter starts from the top of a pile of plastic and slices through the pile. On it's downward cut it creates a rough microscopic edge on the lower cut. Most collectors don't realize this edge, when slid across a coin in the album page could scratch the coin. I have done talks on this subject at our coin club meetings. I suggest the coins remain in the album until you are very familiar how to prevent slide scratches. With the slide in place, push the coin slightly from the top until it is below the surface of the album page being careful not to push it too far and out the bottom. Do this for all the coins in that slide row. Then gently push the coin up from the back side with the back side slide in place.
Always try to wear very soft 100% white cotton gloves. As someone mentioned, always try to grasp a coin by it's edge. We collectors like to see the obverse (front) and reverse of the coin in photographs. Good quality pictures help everyone to determine the variety of the coin. Don't rush to sell those coins. Looking them over and enlarging the pictures leads me to believe they are more and even much more valuable than the price you were quoted. Try to follow the advice of the knowledgeable collectors and dealers on Coin Talk. Enjoy coin collecting.

 

Todd: You have a nice set of coins, however you must realize by now that liquidating a coin collection for top price is often difficult. I have been collecting, buying and selling coins since the early 1960's. There are basically five ways to sell coins. They are: 1. personally listing them on web sites; 2. personally selling them at a coin show to other dealers and/or collectors; 3. selling them to a local coin dealer; 4. consigning them to a local auction and 5 consigning them to a specialized coin auction company. Each of these selling venues have pluses and minuses. The coin dealer who offered you $7400 was basically buying the gold strongly, but not valuing the earlier type adequately. The coins, although in solid collectible grades, would not be of great interest to a specialized coin auction company such as Heritage. However other auction companies handle items of this sort all the time. This type set would probably have a pre-auction estimate of $8,000-$12,000; however please understand the seller will have to pay 20-30% commission on the hammer price and the buyer normally also has to pay a "buyer's premium" or 10-28%. So if the set brings $10,000 at auction you will net approx. $7500. This is in the range of what you were initially offered by your local coin dealer.

If I was selling this set I would separate the gold type set and get offers from at least 5 coin dealers. You should be able to obtain at least $7000 for the gold type. Maybe more. Then start listing the coins individually on a web site, such as eBay, but there are others. You can offer the coins at auctions or fixed prices. Get a grading book, and be conservative in your grading, but since the coins are not slabbed you must state in the listing "looks F- VF" but not third party graded. The earlier type will always be saleable, however take numerous photos. Remember these web sites, such as eBay charge listing fees, final value fees, and third party payment companies such as Paypal also charge a fee. Expect to be charged 10-15% to sell the coins on these web sites. The more modern coins although of interest for a type set really are not much more than face value.

Now, here is the kicker. All of this selling activity takes time and effort and soon becomes "work." When looked at as "work" you will realize that time is money, and if you want to maximize the profit you must do the work. Good luck.

 

Excellent advice gents. Thank you. I haven't removed any of the coins from the book and they remain as Grandad left them. So the advice about how to pull them out carefully as I begin photography is especially appreciated.

I found a mentor who is helping me start the project and I look forward to sharing the first coin here.

 

Great collection! Thanks for coming here and sharing it with us! Keep us updated with new posts with what you decide to do (grade,etc.).

 

VERY BEAUTIFUL SET, DEFINATELY CHECK OUT PCGS PHOTOGRADE (ONLINE) AND THEN USE NUMISMEDIA FOR PRICES, BOTH ARE FREE SERVICES, DO NOT SEND IN THE COMMON COINS FOR GRADING (LIKE THE ROOSEVELT DIMES) THEY ARE NOT WORTH IT, I WOULD LOVE TO BUY A SET LIKE THIS, REMEMBER YOU SHOULD GET ABOUT 65-75% OF VALUE FROM A REPETUABLE DEALER..OR YOU CAN SELL THEM ON YOUR OWN..

 

@Todd Williams. What a fantastic set your Grandfather assembled. I'm looking forward to seeing your future posts, especially photos, on all the coins in the collection.