I've been a member of a lot of forums and groups dedicated to the coin hobby over the years. A lot of valuable information was gained from participating in them. But, without a doubt, this one has been the most beneficial. I've always thought it would be a fun venture to assemble a book containing all the little tid-bits of information and knowledgeable insights gathered from these threads. Really, just a compilation put together by all the members, with credit going to all who participate, and any proceeds going back to the site itself. It might be a fun thing to consider. Just a thought I've been tossing around lately. Guy~
That sounds like a great idea to me. It would be nice to have an official Coin Talk book and mabey a Coin Talk pocket reference book.
so it have sections on: what is coin collecting How are coins made(different materials/methods/finishes) What tools/instuments do i require/where do you get them How do I clean my coins Where do i store my coins Grading and the differences in opinion buying and selling coins ect
I'm not sure what sections it might contain. The first thing we'd have to do is sift through the threads here and gather ones that contained interesting and useful info. I'd love some of Clinkers trivia posts to be scattered about in it, and maybe a write-up with pics of Ben's blue collar CBH collection...stuff like that. Categories would be selected once we determined what we had to work with. It wouldn't be written in a monotone point a to point b like most reference books, but like a compilation of stuff previously written here and assembled in a comprehensible way. I've helped do this with a forum group on comic strip art a long time ago when I was cartooning. It's a headache of work, but the results are great. The hardest part will be making sure the information we decide to use is valid and correct. But, there are enough peiople in the know here to check. Guy~
it would be cool, but one thing to consider .... anytime you take the 'time' to put together a bunch of info... go through the entire process involved with gettign it publish, and then sold to the mainstream. Basically, the info is now out of date. Even here on the forum... you ask 2 different folks the same question, and you might get 2 totally acceptable answers. What i might consider wrong (like cleaning coins or using vinly currency sleeves) could easily be considered acceptable to someone else.
You could have a section of the most asked questions , that would be of definate help to the newbies , a section of the most comman mistakes made , great idea . rzage
Then you would state that there are 2 schools of thought on this , and that the person would have to make up their own mind .:smile rzage:smile:hatch::hammer:
Guy - My view is that before undertaking such a task, a little bit of planning would need to be done to test the idea. I think it would be critical to first define the target audience. Is this a book like the "coin collecting for dummies" or is the target a more experienced collector? What alternatives does the reader have to get this same info and why would they buy this book among alternative sources? Will it be a generic topic driven approach or a story/picture based approach or some other way of unfolding the topic? What will give this book an edge compared to others? I'm certainly not a publisher or book writer, but it would be wise for such a venture to be outlined with an specific angle about how this book would be received. After answering some of these questions, one might decide it isn't worth the trouble. Perhaps spock could just offer mind meld sessions and charge a small fee. This might be the most efficient way to share our collective consciousness!
Thats the problem with books. There is always another point of view. With the study of coins and the hobby as a whole, there is no set standard or scientifically backed right or wrong in a mind-numbing number of aspects. Of course, now I'm starting to like BQ's idea. A twisted tale of a serial coin cleaner on the loose....scary!! Guy~
those are old techniques i am spock1k remember a 1000 better version. i have this sonic hammer and once i hit the subject on the head with it they become so wise they never need to ask anything about coins again
Catbert , details details , that's gonna be your job .:whistle::kewl::hail: rzage:smile:hatch::hammer:
Naw, you are the old version of Y2K. Still, you have formidable powers. I know, I can't help it. :desk:
And of course all the royalties from the sale of this book would go to CoinTalk members.:whistle::whistle::whistle::whistle:
I would love to do something like this, but do you guys realize how much effort and time it takes to do a good job on a book?
its programmed to not be able to hit me. you think its an old hammer made of iron dont you? maybe i should try it on you you lways want more knowledge
