Help me pick a book.

Don't laugh My only reference is the KP 6th Edition Standard Guide. I should probably get something a bit more up to date. I see that KP is now up to the 35th Edition.

I'm looking at Wizard and have found three books that probably fit me but I'm open to other ideas. Please help me pick.

The KP 35th edition.
The Whitman Red Book
The Whitman Guide Book

I'm also wondering about the prices that are shown. With coin books/guides the prices are way more than what a collector could actually sell the coin for. It's more like what a dealer would ask. The prices only help to spot what is probably worth the most. I'm thinking the currency books are about the same?

 

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What are your interests and/or what do you collect ?

 

For what it's worth, Larry, I don't have too many of the more recent US or foreign coins in my collection. So, I make do with a 2013 edition of the Red Book, a 32nd Edition of Krause World Coins (1901-Present) and a 4th Edition of Krause World Coins (1801-1900). These provide most of the information that I would occasionally need, although I will admit that it is about time to update the Red Book for some of the newer information.

Do you collect a lot of foreign coins? What period (century) is covered by your Krause guide? If it is the 20th Century, you might consider acquiring a 19th Century guide or vice versa.

Chris

 

I'm a coin guy but enjoy having a nice reference to look stuff up. My currency collection is small. Just things that pass by me.

 

My reference for foreign coins is the Sterling 1986 Catalogue of the World's most popular Coins. Probably time for an upgrade. My Coin Red Book is from 2016.

 

Seems to me you need a focus:
1. collecting ?
2. collecting and selling?
3. identification/cataloging?
4. investing?
5. other ?
Determine your focus and then search for those publications that will satisfy your
goals. I'd also recommend as much show attendance as you can afford. This would give you exposure to many aspects of the hobby.
And if you have a dealer or two you trust, I'm sure they will share some of their
"knowledge and wisdom" with you.

 

I use the Red Book. It gets me through but you have to decide what will work for you. Price guides in all books are pure guess work. What works in Florida does not work in California or Pennsylvania.

 

I keep up with the Red Book. All I am interested in is a description of all coins out there and relative population and public interest.

 

Is this a question about reference books for paper money? You're getting lots of suggestions for coin books.

 

I am also confused about the OP’s request.

 

Krause world coin catalogs are great for information about a coin, but the values sometimes do not go with the current market values.

 

They can't read.

 

I need a focus as much as you might need to read my first post.

 

If you collect small-size US notes, get a copy of the Standard Guide to Small-Size US Paper Money (Schwartz/Lindquist) 9th or 10th Edition.

For a complete book that also contains large-size notes, I use the Whitman Encyclopedia (Q.David Bowers).

I use both books primarily for information regarding quantities printed, history, back stories and information not found elsewhere...not for the prices.

 

Get the latest edition Krause world coin catalog for the centuries you collect and latest Red book. Prices are just a guide in this books and usually not always current with the real market place. To get real values of coins look up completed auction prices.

 

I'll say try Dante's Inferno in the original Italian. It loses something in the translation.
Now,... time to read the OP.

 

This is the Paper Money Forum. I quit. Thanks

 

If you have notes outside of USA, then you have three options, that I can think of. In increasing level of accuracy and cost:
1. Krause World and Modern Issues, two volumes black and white. The old stand-by.
2. The Banknote Book (TBB), covers the world in fantastic detail, color, but while many countries are complete, there are still some large gaps (France, in my situation)
3. Country-specific books, that will have the best specialized detail, though TBB is getting pretty close to this level on quite a few books).

For pricing, the most useful information for me (available typically in reverse order of the above books, interestingly) is just having a notation of rarity (e.g R1 to R5).

 

I've just gotten really interested in collecting currency last year, having collected many notes in my younger years. I have found that the Whitman guidebooks, "United states currency, large, small, & fractional," plus the Whitman official red book guide of "United States Paper Money (5th edition)," to be the most informative, but I do rely on the almighty web for additional information. The books provide good color photos of the notes and good information. Good luck.