Guide for new and young collectors, how to buy coins safely and securely.

Then might I suggest something as elementary as this.......http://whitman.com/Inventory/Detail/A-Guide-Book-of-Franklin--Kennedy-Half-Dollars+0794836666

You need to 'buy the book before the coin'........

 

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They might consider springing fifteen bucks for an actual
guide book.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0794821782/ref=mp_s_a_6?qid=1338095502&sr=8-6

 

Many times you have bought coins then came here for validation of your purchase only to find that you had seriously over paid.
That fact alone, Mr. Ambassador, is evidence that you are the last person that should be writing a guide for newcomers to the hobby.

 

How about some constructive criticism. Writing guides is not as easy as it sounds. So lets break down what you have here:

So which is it? Buy a price guide, one of the best being "The Red Book", but don't use it to price coins, because the prices are not accurate. I highly recommend the Red Book to new collectors, with the caveat to not use the prices listed. The Red Book is chock full of good information regarding coins, mintage, etc. Your make some valid points, but then you contradict yourself (on the Price Guide). So the newbie relying on this "guide" (yours) just got lost.

Why? A cleaned and polished car will fetch more money than a dirty, beat-up one. How can I tell the difference between cleaned or not? What's the difference between "cleaned" and "conserved"? As a newbie reading this guide, I have no idea what you're talking about.

As a newbie, this is probably the last thing I'm thinking about. But, if I don't want to educate myself, I should only buy slabbed coins? So, is this guide geared to the collector (for whom education is part of the fun of the hobby) or for the investor (where flipping for profit is the motivation)? Why does a slabbed coin cost more? What's not to like if they're so much better? See where I'm going with this.

So, some places and venues are good, and some are bad? How do I tell the difference? Should I just not buy from someone with low feedback? Or should I do a little more research? And if I buy slabbed coins from these vendors, I don't really have to worry about it, right?

Take your own advice. While you bring up some valid points, you also contradict yourself, and provide little to no explanation about some of these points. Understand that writing a guide for a person just entering a field (any field), requires things be explained in the simplest terms possible. Assume the person you're writing for knows absolutely nothing about the subject. Somebody earlier, in another thread, suggested Coin Collecting for Dummies. This was one of the first books I bought when I started collecting. This series of books (...for Dummies) breaks down the subject matter in basic, easy-to-understand terms, perfect for the newbies. You then use this information to build upon the basics by reading more advanced or specialized material.

For the record, even the most experienced of us can't just sit down and write a how-to guide in ten minutes of banging on the keyboard. While I understand and appreciate your desire to help other new collectors, verify your statements with research, even if you think you know what you're saying. Organize your thoughts. Type away. Then proof read it for both content, and clarity and accuracy of the information. Then click the "Submit Reply" button.

 

Angle grinders can do wonders.

 

I know this is a very old thread but I wanted to say Thanks to Detecto for taking the time to post it. I just read it and wish I had found it when I started. The information that is provided as well as the reply's have been educational and helpful. Thank You.