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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;mkwelbornjr, post: 1650113, member: 17034&quot;]is a false quote.&nbsp; I know Franklin Mint better than anyone here as a hobbyist.&nbsp; FM has really not offered any coins in any significant numbers over the past 20 years to rack up a investment as big as that guy states he spent.&nbsp; And FM never really telemarketed.&nbsp; They sold stuff that was themed.&nbsp; Not investment style coins.&nbsp;&nbsp; Plus, I am also familiar with the issue prices of any medallic or coins FM sold over the decades.&nbsp; The prices were similar for certain products.&nbsp; Even at full issue price...the collections would be worth double or triple just based on current silver spot alone.&nbsp; Again the guy allegedly went to a dealer.&nbsp; Bad move.&nbsp; Lets take a medal from the 1970&#039;s Genius of Rembrandt. Stunning 2 ounce medals..set of 100 in American wood chest.&nbsp; $15 each issue price.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>I saw the article by that Berko guy on collectible investments etc.&nbsp; He even showed non FM programs as FM programs and his prices were not even for the same product.&nbsp; It was probably put out by the competition to harm FM&#039;s attempts at rebuilding.</p><p><br /></p><p>Also, some people try to sell their &quot;mint&quot; old Franklin Mint items...but they are musty and dirty...not new.&nbsp; Some just don&#039;t understand that.</p><p><br /></p><p>Pre-2003 Franklin Mint designed and manufactured outstanding products.&nbsp; You got what you paid for. They emplpoyed some of the best talent in the industry.&nbsp;&nbsp; But they never advertised them as investments.&nbsp; That theme goes to the roots of their founding in 1964. (selling items as investments always creates a collapse as the product is oversold and underdelivers) FM minting quality is by far superior to most mints out there.&nbsp; The coins and medals...as well as collectibles made using coining processes were outstanding.&nbsp; Some are good investments too...but only because of supply and demand and not because they are called collectibles.&nbsp; FM has been around a long time...lots of fans for their exonumia, model cars etc.&nbsp; These are core collectors that know what they are collecting.&nbsp; Some model cars were tested and sold poorly.&nbsp; These become valuable rarities to core collectors.&nbsp; Or variations in production.&nbsp; These are all things the common buyer has no clue about.&nbsp; To get the most out of re-selling you need to sell to the collector on a global basis.&nbsp; I had a 2003 Franklin Mint Christmas Truck model which cost me $120.&nbsp; I sold it to a guy in China for $450.&nbsp; You have to understand the product and make the sale happen.&nbsp; You can&#039;t unload it all on the local coin dealer who does not have the client base that buys that type of product.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>I purchase the newer coins developed by Franklin Mint Japan.&nbsp; I love them even though they are marked up a lot.&nbsp; They offered a 1/2 ounce Gold Liberian Charles Chaplin Coin.&nbsp; It sold for $1200.&nbsp; About 3 times the value of gold at the time.&nbsp; I ended up with 2.&nbsp; I wanted to try and get my cost out of one so put it on Ebay...globally.&nbsp; Was patient but it sold at issue price to a German collectors.&nbsp; It can be done.&nbsp; You have to be informed and you have to educate your prospective buyer.&nbsp; Again you can&#039;t just bring a boxload of stuff in a store and say &quot;how much is this worth.&quot;</p><p><br /></p><p>As far as quality...hold any FM medal or world coin up next to the best from the big mints...you will be impressed.</p><p><br /></p><p>As far as the decline of Franklin Mint...it was poor management that abandoned the core collector and chased after mass market with $30 plates and pocket knives.&nbsp; The&nbsp; $30 items were well made but expensive to develop.&nbsp; FM would take a loss on #1 and bring in 100,000 people from a newspaper ad...and hope to profit off additional products those people purchased.&nbsp; It didn&#039;t happen.</p><p><br /></p><p>FM lost their minting and all else.&nbsp; They are a different company now with new small owners.&nbsp; However they are trying hard.&nbsp; The Founding Fathers medals are very well developed and made in USA.&nbsp; As good as the old stuff.&nbsp; And no mention of investment or anything.&nbsp; Its about the history lesson.&nbsp; The medals are cheaper priced than some made in china trinket one would buy at Target or WalMart.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here are some pics of FM items...all made by them.&nbsp; This is a drop in the bucket though.&nbsp; The colors on the calendar medal were a laser process that FM tried and dropped as it was too costly and damaged lots of product.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH]240279.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]240278.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]240276.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]240280.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]240277.vB[/ATTACH]That[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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