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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Catbert, post: 759685, member: 12718&quot;]Here is an excerpt from &quot;How to Build a Coin Collection&quot; written by Fred Reinfeld. I have the 1968 revised edition and it was found among my late mother-in-law&#039;s things upon her death (sadly, no great coins lurking nearby). <b>Do you find his comments still relevant/appropriate for today&#039;s beginning collector?</b></p><p><br /></p><p><i>&quot;We have an instinctive reaction to the appearance of a coin, regardless of what its value may be. If it is bright and shiny and looks as if it has just come form the mint, we are instinctively pleased with its fresh appearance and its clear outline of design and lettering&quot;.</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>&quot;By the same token, a worn, faded coin repels us. It has had its day and we find it hard to be interested&quot;.</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>&quot;These emotional reactions play a big part in determining coin values. Condition is a much more important factor in coin valuations than the beginner is apt to realize. A coin is a coin, he may think, and one specimen of it is as good as another.&quot;</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>&quot;Nothing could be farther from the truth. A coin selling for 25 cents in &quot;fair&quot; condition, for example, may sell for a hundred times that price in flawless condition. So we can conclude that collectors set enormous store by condition. In acquiring coins we must try to obtain them in the best possible condition we can afford. From the investment point of view, bear in mind that a coin in splendid condition, if it has other desirable features, tends to rise substantially in value over the years; whereas the same coin in poor condition will have a price that will rise sluggishly if at all. Hence it is foolish economy to buy coins in inferior condition&quot;. </i>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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