1851 Braided Hair Cent (51/81?)

Who did you end up ordering from?

FYI, what you described is the basic bait&switch technique used by a number of shady retailers like Broadway Photo -- most of them are in NY or NJ.

You may be able to save a few bucks by buying someplace other than B&H, but just like coins -- you generally get what you pay for (beware of non-USA non-warranty items when shopping on the cheap). If you're finding a price $130 less than B&H on a $300 camera, something's likely wrong.

I wish you good luck with your purchase...Mike

p.s. some other good photo retailers are Calumet and Adorama (and even Best Buy) -- just be sure and check resellerratings.com before you make any further purchases.

 

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Internet retailers are something else! :desk:

The new one I went with had the same camera listed for the same price as the other place and I had the webpage still up from when I made my initial call 2 hours ago and when I just called back to place the order, the price had gone up by $20. I told the salesperson I was looking at the price on my screen (laptop) and it said $189 and he was adamant it said $209 but I stuck to my guns and he backed down to the $189 price, then I hit the refresh button and . . . wah-la . . . there it was, $209. Since they soaked me $49 for shipping to get it here by Friday, I figured I deserved the original price and I got it but he did everything he could to get me to buy all kinds of accessories. He even gave me a bunch of doo-dads for free but I wouldn't budge from my original order (camera & 2G high speed memory stick). In the end, I got the camera (with factory accessories), 2G high speed memory stick ($129), free bag, free cleaning kit (I can't hold back my excitement over that one), free table top tripod (every coin collector needs that . . . right?), and a free something else (I forgot what it was because I was still overcome with so much excitement about getting a free cleaning kit). :goof:

As much as they charged for the 2G high speed memory stick, I should have gotten the camera for free too. :mouth:

Now, the big question is . . . will it be here by Friday? :computer: I'm tired of not being able to photograph my coins and now I will need something to do this weekend, since the friggin camera & memory stick practically broke me and I won't be able to buy much on FleaBay. So if it's not here Friday, I won't be a nice little toadie to be around, after what I went through with the other internet retailer! :headbang:

Ribbit

Ps: I originally went with 86th Photo & Video. The new one probably isn't any better, Techon Digital, but at least I got a verbal promise the camera will be here NLT Friday. You don't have to worry about me keeping you informed because if it isn't here Friday, everyone will know it. :headbang:

 

You might try this approach:

I found the camera I wanted for sale on Amazon, printed their ordering page with the pricing info, and then went into Best Buy to buy the camera. They matched Amazon's price. My camera is the Canon IS-5.

I have heard many horror stories about buying cameras from dealers from NYC.

 

Maybe next time you'll listen.

http://www.resellerratings.com/store/86th_Street_Photo_Video 0.08 of 10

http://www.resellerratings.com/store/TheDigitalNerds (AKA Techon Digital) 0.61 of 10

They are both terrible places to buy. By contrast, B&H:

http://www.resellerratings.com/store/B_H_Photo_Video_Pro_Audio 9.66 of 10

Hear me now, believe me later...Mike

 

At least I improved over 700% from my original retailer! :mouth:

Ribbit

 

Toads do not have good ears. :whistle: I'm proof of it. :mouth:

Ribbit

 

I think you made a great choice. The specs. on it look good.
The macro is going to let you shoot at .8" from the coin and save the image at about 3400X. 600X almost fills my old monitor.
Like any new camera get ready for a big learning experience.
I did notice one thing that might be an issue with folks using Vista.
The specs still don't show the software will run on this operating system.
Hope all works out.

 

They also have a macro lens that can do wonders. I'll pick that up in a couple of months so I can take extreme close-ups of doubled mint marks and other deformities. :kewl:

http://www.techondigital.com/product.asp?productid=TITwide1570mmB

Ribbit

 

The camera will do it as is. It just takes time to learn it.
The lighting is going to be the biggest issue in macro mode and being that close to the coin.

I don't feel the wide angle link is going to help the quality of imaging coins.
It's probably good glass for some stuff but it's not needed.

Do you ever see some of the images Russ post on the PCGS site?
It's some of the best there is and it's done with a nothing camera.
It's really about lots of practice with what you have.

Learn to white balance and get the lighting right and you are on the road to lots of great images.

 

I see so many pics on Ebay with glare coming off the coin. You can't see the coin with glare coming off it and it hurts the sell, unless it's gold and then sometimes glare works. I'm not quite sure how I'm going to work lighting but I figured I do just like you said, play with it till I get it figured out. The nice thing about digital is if you screw it up the first time, it doesn't cost anything to do it again and again and again until you get it right and I'm sure I'm going to be doing just that.

The camera had better be here Friday or I will not be a happy toad. I have so many coins to photograph, I will stay busy all weekend "playing" with the camera to get the shots like I want them then actually taking photographs. Plus, I can start setting up my store on Ebay finally and start posting some pics of my "keepers" in here. That ought to be amusing.

Ribbit

Ps: I will wait to see how well the camera does with close-ups before seriously considering getting the macro lens. If I don't need it, I don't need it.

 

I woke up early this morning, sitting here drinking my morning coffee and still pee'd over what 86th Street Photo & Video did to me, so I went to their website and submitted a complaint. I thought you all (whoever is following this situation) might be interested in what I had to say:

I just wanted to let you know I am going to make it my personal crusade to keep your company from ever being listed on another Buying website. Anytime I find you listed, I'm going to make sure they know about your tactics of having the lowest price on items, only to conveniently run out of stock on the item when the buyer won't buy any of your overpriced accessories they don't need nor can afford.

For you to take my order on Friday (email confirmation has been saved), send me an email on Tuesday asking for me to call for confirmation (email has been saved), to then email me 2 minutes after the end of my phone call confirmation saying you are out of what your website said you had plenty of on Friday and it will be several weeks before my order can be filled (email has been saved and since I was on my cellular when I called, the phone records will also be saved), that's a pure scam and I won't let sleeping dogs lie! I'm going to make sure that dog ends up in the pound where it belongs, by relentlessly pounding it into the ground! I am going to hunt down every government entity I can find and email each and every one of them to inform them of how you have violated whatever laws they are in control of, to include the government entities that issued your business license, incorporated you, and even picks up your garbage. I will leave no stone unturned!

I thought you'd like to know that you put me in a serious predicament with what you did and I have been forced to pay an outrageous amount for shipping from one of your competitors just so I can have my camera here by Friday, which I would have had at a more reasonable shipping rate had it not been for your unscrupulous sales tactics because if you didn't have the camera in stock last Friday when I placed my order, I would have placed my order with someone else and my camera would have arrived in a timely fashion with reasonable shipping charges. You cost me a lot of money I don't have, so I think you need to learn what it feels like to have to go without because somebody screwed you over!

Unrelentingly yours,
******************
AKA: Toad

Now, I have some research to do to follow-up on what I promised them. I'm going to teach them it's not wise to "pee" off a toad, we do the peeing! :goof:

Ribbit

 

Hell hath no fury like an amphibian scorned.

 

My experience buying camera equipment from discount dealers in New York City goes back 30 years. What I learned is the larger the discount the greater the hassle. It is much easier on my blood pressure to settle for a good price and have a problem-free transaction than to go for a super discount and have nothing but problems.

I recently bought a high-end Nikon digital SLR and lenses from Ritz Camera. When I called to place my order I was quoted prices even lower than those posted on their web site. I got a good price and the equipment arrived quickly. No problem whatsoever.

 

I'm finding that it would have been better for me to have taken a printout, of the camera I want, to Best Buy or Circuit City or any other similar outlet and haggled the price with them, than going with either of the online discount retailers I went with. The second one hasn't given me an invoice yet and basically refused to do so this morning when I called and asked for one to be emailed to me, so I told them to cancel the order but they didn't want to do that so I told them I would just call my bank and stop payment. I actually can't stop the payment but as soon as the charge posts on my bank account, I will dispute it and get my money back. My banker said it will post tomorrow night so Friday is the earliest I can file for a back-charge and if the camera actually shows up and everything is kosher, I'll keep it and not dispute the charge but considering they hung up on me when I told them I was going to stop payment on the charge, I doubt my camera will show up Friday.

Friday I will go to a local retail outlet and get my camera and I will never do business with those types ever again!

Ribbit

 

Toad, to answer your question about the defference between the Newcomb book and the Breen book. There is a BIG difference. The Newcomb book is old, out of date and difficult to use, but it is light years ahead of the Breen book because there is no Breen book for the late dates The only book by Breen on the Lrge cents only covers the early dates 1793 - 1814.

HOWEVER, there are some MUCH better books than Newcomb on the middle and late date cents. For the middle dates you either want United States Large Cents by William Noyes ($100 from Charlie Davis), or The Cent Book by John Wright (Available from the author $125, or $100 to EAC members.) Both books are excellent and easy to use.

For the late dates you only have one choice The Die Varieties of United States Large Cents 1840 - 1857 by J R Grellman and Jules Reiver.(Third edition available from Grellman for $100. You might find the second edition Attribution Guide for United States Large Cents 1840 - 1857 on the after market a little cheaper but it won't be quite as up to date. there is more die state information in the third edition and probably a few variety additions and changes.)

If you want addresses for where to buy the books let me know and I'll provide them. (I tried a little on-line searching and didn't find any better prices for them.)

 

To confrim what condor101 says, the Grellman book for the 1840-1857 cents is not cheap, I searched all over and the cheapest was $95 (not including shipping). I ended up buying it for $100, shipping included, from Grellman Jr. himself. I've found it to be a good reference.

 

Camera update . . .

It came in today, which I didn't expect and everything they said would be in the order was in the order (brand new camera and not a refurbished one, which was one of my worries) so overall it was a good deal. I've got the battery currently charging and will start playing with it later tonight and hopefully I will have some pics uploaded sometime this evening to share with you all.

As to the books, I will try to acquire one each month until I have what I need, which will probably take me several years considering I dabble in more than copper cents. Speaking of which, what book would be my best bet for colonial coins?

Thanks everyone for your advice and help! :thumb:

Ribbit

 

I'm playing with my camera now and took pictures of my 1851 $24.95 Braided Hair Large Cent that I bought after the OP coin went for $225.00. So what do you all think, is the the same variety as the OP coin?

Ribbit

Ps: I will get better taking photos once I figure my camera out so sorry for them not being as good as they can be.

 

I'm glad to hear it arrived safely.

Not a bad first effort. A touch overexposed (about 2/3 of a stop by my eye), but the focus and sharpness look darn good.

 

I used the flash instead of external lighting so the flash created the glare. I have to look into external lights to see what will work at an affordable price. Or, I can edit the pic and darken it some but I'd rather not edit pics, that seems like cheating to me.

Ribbit