CoinTalk under attack???

Tom,

You are trying to make an argument that doesn't exist.
You have presented a few member's cases to represent the whole forum. That simply cannot be done.

This forum has many different collectors. Lets use me for the hell of it Tom. If you looked at my collection it has no direction, I own 4 graded coins, and a bunch of raw ones, and the majority of those I didn't buy. I don't have a job, I don't drive yet either. But for some reason in YOUR eyes, I'm of the upper tier, and I'm just another pompous jackass, who is slowly decaying this hobby, right?

Yeah guess what Tom, some people are rich, most people aren't. There are collectors like me who save and wait, collectors that spend $20K a year on coins, some collectors that spend a few hundred dollars a year on coins, but Tom, why should this matter!?

For some reason you want to bring in wealth into the conversation of coin collectors, while it does play a roll in what types of coins you have, it has nothing to do with the way this forum is made. This forum is a great one, and is very friendly, has people of all ages, sizes, incomes, and people of different knowledge. Some people that you consider of the upper tier, might just be a little rough around the edges, and know what they are talking about.
Lemme' tell ya' something Tom, I'd rather have Doug beating down on me with his knowledge everyday for the rest of my days until I know a fraction of what he knows, versus having to read a minute more of your nonsense. I think the majority of us here would rather talk to somebody who is educated in the field, and who might seem a little uppity at times, because knowledge sticks that way, you remember how you learned it, and you remember, and by no means do you have to be rich to do this.

 

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But my financial obligations are less than most others because I don't have children. Are you saying that children don't add $10K+ per year to your living expenses?

 

Ahhh yes...."Business". That does strike a familiar ring.

 

I'm saying you're wealthy if you have 10,000 "left over" to spend on coins. Yes Sir.

 

Tom,

That makes no sense. If we make the same amount of money per year but $10K of my income is budgeted towards coins instead of children or some responsible investment avenue like 401K or mutual funds, how does that make me rich and you poor?

I chose not to have children. Most people would claim that I am the poor one because I don't know the love that a child can provide. Or is it all about the money?

 

As far as I know there are more deadly sins then 1. And Jealousy seems to be a bigger topic on your side from where I sit in this topic.

 

Let me help,
Tom please see this:

 

LeHigh he's not going to be reasonable here...he's just wanting to start a fight it seems.
Everyone is trying to stand up for the hobby and the forum and he's just attacking it.

I guess we have the OP's answer...it seems "CoinTalk IS under attack"
And by TomC

 

You could go on all day with that Snaz...some people live in small towns or with their parents or friends...have no car's and eat Ramen noodles but if they work at McDonalds and make min. wage and can then still afford $200 a month in coins they are Rich...
You know the big evil corporate types that ruin our planet and eat our children...
Sheez...warped some people are.

 

This person sounds like the antagonist characters from Atlas Shrugged.

 

"Run for your life from any man who tells you that money is evil. That sentence is the leper's bell of an approaching looter. So long as men live together on earth and need means to deal with one another - their only substitute, if they abandon money, is the muzzle of a gun."

- Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged
​

 

Nancy Pelosi has a net worth of $12.5M. Your argument is a fallacy. As previously suggested, perhaps you should seek out professional help; perhaps an Anger Management class.

Now, back to the topic: I have membership in several forums. Of all of them, I find this one to be the most enjoyable, friendly, and as equally important, educational. There are a lot of sharp people on this board who share their knowledge freely. My interest in various varieties and types has expanded, based on the various specimens shared and posted here, that I otherwise wouldn't have had the opportunity to see.

 

I'm going to (mostly) ignore the nonsence on the last few pages and give my opinion about the REAL topic here.

First off, a little background on myself. I got started in this hobby by finding my late father's small stash. 85% or more of my collection has been found in circulation.

I joined the PCGS forum on June 1st, 2008. I started collecting coins in May of 2008! When I joined there, I was totally clueless. I had never heard of a red book, the ANA, and I didn't even know that we had any mint marks other than P, D, and S! I suppose you could say it was a trial by fire, but I managed. I have managed to get along with almost everyone on there, and I've made some good friends on there...but that's not to say I like everybody on there. Some people post things I don't like, some people just have personalitys that clash against mine. The exact same thing could be said about here, word for word.

I've been a member there a few days over 2 years now, and I would not trade my time on that board for anything!

It was because of the thread Jack linked to in his opening post, that I joined CT. I read what was posted, and to be honest, it sounded like a good place to me, so in short order Charmy had PMd me the link to CT and I joined up...I'm coming up on a year as a CT member! I joined upon my first visit and I have been on both forums regularly ever since.

And guess what: I would not trade my time on CT for anything, either!

With the PCGS forum, the activity there is staggering. It IS more active than CT, there is no question about that. There is never a day on the PCGS forum where the new posts don't cover at least a page (Which I edited in my settings to max) yet here on CT, it usually takes two or three days to fill the first page with new threads or newly updated threads. As such, I don't always have a lot of time on the net each day, so if I have a short amount of time, I tend to check the CU forum, because it would be harder to catch up. That does mean sometimes I neglect CT but I always seem to manage to catch up here in short order as well.

CT does have a more new collector feel to it. I like that, as I myself am a new collector and many of the questions being asked, when answered, benefit me as well. It also allows me to answer an occasional question, something I rarely ever get a chance to do at the CU forum...perhaps because the newer collector based questions are less frequently asked, or perhaps because someone else has already answered them before I got online. BUT, the new collector feel here is a great thing, because there are plenty of knowdgeable collectors always at the ready to help someone out who may not know as much as they do. It's a symiotic relationship, I believe, because new collectors are needed for the knowledge to travel on throughout the generations.

Besides the CU and CT forums, I also post on Stephanie's CoinsAreFun forum, CoinSpace, and FORVM Ancient. CT and CU are the only ones I make an effort to check daily, I try to check the others weekly. Each forum has different people, and that means different knowledge and opinions, and that can only be a good thing.

Also, some here have said that all the members on the CU forum are grading fanatics. Not true...read my blog here and see what I have to say about grading. I am/was hesitant to post it because it's not very complimentary. In fact, at my to date one and only coin show, I looked for the cheapest PCGS coin I could find just to make my forum presence legitimate. (I ended up paying $6 for a Proof 1961 dime).

I have regularly stated, albeit somewhat veiled, that I think grading coins is pointless. (Authenticating, on the other hand, is a nessicary process, especially in this day and age of such well-made counterfeits.) I have always said, and I will always say, that it's the coin that matters, not what someone else says about it. I could not care less about the opinion of a grade by some other person. If I like the coin, than that is all that matters, to me.

One thing about the forums....that seems to be universal...it seems to be the us vs. them of the toning topic. It seems almost impossible for people to respect the opinion of someone who disagrees with them. I personally don't like toning. I choose to collect coins that have remained in the condition they were minted in, but you don't see me lobbing attacks at those who do like toning. Between the two boards, it does seem like there is at least one thread a week attacking the other position, but I have to admit, it's less prevalent on CoinTalk. I've seen a few threads here that I took as attacks against Lehigh for example. The way I see it is that each side should be happy that they have less competition for the coins they choose to collect, not a "evil...attack!" position.

For those who seem to think that how much money you have to spend matters on what kind of coin collector you are....Baloney! It could not be father from the truth. I have become friends with people who wouldn't bat an eyelash at buying, for example, a Saint Gaudens $20. For someone like me, it would, LITERALLY, take me a decade to save up for even the most common, low priced example that could be found. Perhaps more so. I prove that you can still be a coin collector even well below the poverty level (I have been my entire life). My zeal for the hobby is the same, if not moreso, than for someone who doesn't have to worry about not being able to eat if they buy this $50 coin. (So far the food has won every time) For me, even a three digit purchase is pure dreaming, let alone a 4 or 5 or more (!) digit purchase...yet I have been able to get along just fine with those who can and in fact do that very sort of thing.

To me, each forum I participate on is worth it...If I no longer feel the forum is worth the time and effort, if I no longer feel that there are still good people on the forum...then I simply stop checking it.

I would also post on the NGC forum, but they don't allow registrations with Yahoo emails. Since that is all I have ever used since I first went online at my local college in 1999, I am prevented from participating in that forum.

 

Let me say that I am very troubled by this thread. I consider everyone in this forum as good friends. I've had great conversations with so many of you, I've given you advice, you've given me advice, we've had laughs and we've been peeved together and now suddenly our little neighborhood is imploding? It seems like a few people are wanting to start trouble and be angry for some reason that some of us spend alot of money on coins. now let me share something deeply personal with all of you because i do consider all of CT to be good friends, in December of '08 my mother died a few weeks after i turned 17, i was of course devistated, when i turned 18 i was given a large amount of money, much of that i sunk into coins, n the books i made less than 4 thousand last year (the money from my mother doesn't count as income obviously) wether or not i spent 20 grand on coins in a year (like this year) or 1 grand a year (like two years ago) i was still a NUMISMATIST! and a serious one at that, so much so i was hired at a major auction firm to work as a pro. We're all here because we have a love of coins/money. We are all numismatists no matter how much we spend. Please, lets knock off the bickering and go back to doing what we all love.

 

Ramen noodles, McDonalds and can spend 200 a month?? Does McDonalds pay 200 a month? Sheez..agreed...warped. Ruining our planet...also agreed..the children eating part, well...I can't agree. They'll probably force us to eat 'em ourselves along with oil globbed dead ocean water to wash it down with after the gulf and east coast die.

 

FWIW I like CoinTalk a lot but I do not post that much. I also like Collectors Universe and I post on that forum as well but not as much. Both of those forums fit me because I am a collector. That is the reason why I am here. IMO CoinTalk is the forum that I like the most because I like reading what other people say about their collections.

It does not matter to me how much (or how little) money that a person makes. I just enjoy reading what other people say about certain collections and other topics.

 

Could you pass the Grey Poupon, I am on my way to Blangladesh to create a bunch of new jobs.

 

Bangladesh

 

Well I've just spent the last half hour reading this thread and guess what? I didn't read anything helpful about coins. Take it to another forum. I'm going to a thread about coins to Chat about Coins.