I do my magazine reading at the library. The local branch has both CW and NN which surprises me since, even though it's part of a large library district, I can't imagine how they justify them. They also allow users to check out back issues.
That's confusing also. My last sub was for 3 years but somewhere along the line they went to 32 paper issues and the rest electronic. In my second year I stopped receiving the online issues and got no refund, no answer to my question of why. Ever since they sold out to someone else it's been a mess.
Really annoying is full page ads on Walk In Bath Tubs and other nonsensical ads. I understand the need for advertizers but wish they would keep it about coins.
I received something similar but it was $12 for 12 issues, not a full year. If you can post a picture of that ad that includes the sub code, I would appreciate it. That, I could do at that price.
It was not the grading services that came up with this idea! It was scumbags like Mike Mezack who are to blame. Granted, the grading services are in it to make money, but when someone wants to waste their money, it is not up to them to refuse it. ~ Chris
The TPG's are the designated experts in declaring the condition of coins. If you send in an AU coin and tell them to grade it MS they will say no. Since they absolutely know that the coins coming in are not First Strike then they are contributing to the scam if they grade them as First Strike. Are you saying it is OK to take money from a person who is unaware of the reality?
With a hobby as diverse as ours, it's impossible to please everyone each month in these magazines. That being said, I subscribe to CW, NN and get the Numismatist as an ANA member. These magazines have their faults, but I enjoy reading them each time I get them. As for advertising, all magazines have that. Maybe they should start putting cologne sample pages in
A close read of this offer you describe says that the $15 price is for six months. In the stone age every issue of NN had a coupon in the classifieds for a FREE twenty word ad that could be rerun four times for $5. Those ads were removed long ago but the last time I sent an ad in they honored it. That was several years ago but I still have some of them.
"absolutely know" Those are your words. Prove it! The TPG's didn't invent this crap. Bulk submitters did! "take money from a person who is unaware of the reality" Apparently, you don't read too many of the threads, here. People come here who buy into this crap every day! ~ Chris
Yes, the TPG's "absolutely know" that the coins are not First Strike. Yes, they do. But, I'm sure that small number does not represent a very big percentage of those that are fooled everyday.
Just as I thought. You can't prove it! That is because the fools are uninformed. Where does it state that the grading services are responsible for educating them? ~ Chris
#1 - If the TPG's don't know that First Strike is a scam, then we/you should not use them. Because, that knowledge should be basic. Then, what else don't they know that could impact the value of my coins. #2 - TPG's may not be responsible for educating them, but, they should be responsible for not participating in the crap scam.
OK, it is not the TPG's. I just have different opinions about things that add value to coins. I'd rather keep our professional friendship as it has been.
I think they still have a free ad each issue. No longer any form, just a code you use that's buried in the back pages somewhere, but you must register at their site and use the code. I miss the old days. The ads never expired, now they do. At one time there were as many as six or more pages of classifieds, now, just a few. I used those ads extensively back in the day and made many friends and did a lot of trading for all sorts of things I had and did not want, for coins I wanted.
Just because I yell at you doesn't mean that I don't like you. That is, of course, unless you initiate the First Strike. ~ Chris By the way, I've never been a fan of First Strike, Early Release, etc.
There at least used to be an advisory on the Mint site about the veracity of “First Strikes.” Read it here: https://www.usmint.gov/news/consumer-alerts/consumer/first-strike-designations
The TPGS's have a cut-off date. You order the coins, get them and have them sent in before the cut-off date and get the designation. Of course, anything struck after the first few hours is not a first strike - it is all hype. When you go to sell it's all worthless. ICG was threatened with a lawsuit if they continued to use "first strike." Now we use "Initial Release." Give the collector what they want.