Featured How to buy US coins that are good values, and not get victimized.

Here is a prime example of why reference materials are more important for some areas of the hobby than others. This would also apply to obsolete and national currency, Civil War tokens, early copper varieties and other specialized items with a niche market. I would definitely want a good reference before diving into any of these. However, for certified coins from the more commonly collected U.S. series' there are thousands of data points available from completed auctions along with countless articles and discussion threads online. So unless like Green I was heavily into a specific series I don't see why spending $120 on a reference book is always required.

My eyes glazed over from all the emotion on this thread, and all of it could be avoided if people would realize that our hobby, along with the rest of the world, is filled with shades of gray. Instead of making blanket statements like "always buy the book before the coin" or "reference books are a waste of money", why not be satisfied with the answer that "it depends"? The world isn't black and white and life is a lot more fun if we just embrace and enjoy the ambiguity.

 

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Even to something as common as Morgan's this still applies. We're I to desire a serious entrance to Morgan's I would definitely get a vam book for reference value.

 

I could cut my responses in half, if I could just encounter a few more souls who actually READ and UNDERSTAND what they are about to respond to, instead of typing a gaffe and getting defensive, whenever someone uses their brain to respond to their questionable statement. ... I know, I know, gray area, don't use brain so much.

 

I don't at all disagree. I haven't gotten very deep into any series because I like type collecting. If I was collecting VAM's I would certainly want to have a reference.

 

Music to my ears. You are my hero. I thought about bringing this up, but, as you can see, anything I type encounters contention from guru sources and sheep. That is exactly how I like to collect. I like one coin of a certain type in various grades and examples of that same coin. Some raw, now I'm diving into slabbed examples as well. Do I really need to spend money on serious coin series literature? I have never cared for the exact grade of my coins, just natural surface condition or visible remnants of that natural surface condition. I'm not surrounded by TPGs or influenced by stickers. I've always been about the coins, their surface and eye appeal. Why do I need price guides, grading books and coin series literature? I am not a dealer or seller, just a collector of coins.

 

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Well You know what I said and have been saying the whole time. When we all start out we pay our dues. Like myself we all get taken at least a couple of times when we first start, so it really doesn't matter if they are new or have been collecting for awhile. If you dont want to be taken advantage of learn about what you are doing. That is the answer in a nut shell! Today no one wants to do anything they want to rely on everyone elses experiences to get them by.
I LOVE helping people but when people Refuse to do some foot work on their own it is going to happen. There is nothing more agrivating then to have the same people ALWAYS asking the same questions (what is this coin worth, and can you tell me about it, and what grade). I have seen this happen with many of the same coins from the same people. They have NO intention of learning or ever helping someone else to learn. It is all about what can I make off this coin, and you sound as if maybe you think this ok, and maybe it is? Only you can decide.
People can use very fancy words and language to try and make others feel less, but even to do that they have to make sure that they have learned what it means so they can keep up there appearence of how smart they are. People can throw pictures of nice coins out so the can show make people think there the man, when in all actually most oictures can be gotten off the internet. I'm sure that we all have coins that are expensive and exciting if we have been collecting for a period, so lets be real. like I said you know what I ment and where I was coming from. dwell on it. You collect what you collect and I will as well. I don't expect you to care about what I do because you only want to pick apart someones statement when you knew what they were saying. thats cool. I defend new and old collectors alike. if you jump on Face book and put some junk coin up and talk it up like its something special to make a butt load of money well look for me. I WILL say something. If people are considering collecting they need a book to help them out and they will still get taken advantage of because of lack of experience. thats the nature of the beast and no matter what you or I say is or will ever change it. it happened to us all. now if you want to help a new person tell them to get a book and then answer there questions if you want, or you can sit there and play the game that you really care when in fact if you dont care at all. If you did you would HELP THEM. You wouldnt set there and do all the work for them. you can give a man a fish and he can eat, or you can give a man fishing equiptment and the man will be able to eat whenever you arent there.
We ALL pay our dues, if I can help some one in there transition cool,if I can't someone is out there that can use my help. Now we can be friends if you choose or we wont, ya know it doesnt really matter. All we can do is try, and try I dont do very well. I dont stop in the middle because the going gets tough.
Now lets look at the post (ALL of them), each and every post that has been said (right or wrong) will help the person that is serious about collecting. You dont have to like it and I dont have to like it and it doesnt matter to anyone. most people that are, have and will read this post will laugh and then it will make them think. If Just one person finds meaning in any of this, Isn't that what we have been trying to do? Get people to think? I do say things that may appear wrong to you and others and yes maybe even me (i didnt know that every word would be pulled apart and judged). I have appologized at least 2 times. I wont do it again! you have your opinion and we all have our own opinion. You have said yours and I have said mine. I was figuring that this wasn't a place for me, but since all of this I have actually came to understand that I am needed here because of people that have opinions. I have the right to say what I think. I havent cussed nor put anyone down. If you take offense then maybe you need to look at yourself a little harder. I stick to what I said and if you dont like it. Its fine, Really. I plan to post more for new people and for starters in the NEAR future. If you want to agree thats good if you don't, hey thats fine also. ya know I think there isnt really a whole lot more that can be said on this tread. You have made sure of that and I'm very Glad I could help. I don't generally argue because it gets no where, but this has been good. it has allowed people to see both your and my opinions. Someone will get something out of it and I think (HOPE) that is what we are wanting to do Help.
Thank you for all your time and maybe we can do this again in the future? Happy New Year!

 

True I do. You want to know why? Because I took the time to read the thread prior to jumping in and sharing all my wisdom. How are you helping anyone when you have no idea what the discussion is even about? The whole topic was the beginner yet you had no clue? How much are you actually going to help the beginner when you don't even know what we are talking about? Are you just going to jump in and share some generic coin statements?

You mean the footwork like taking a few minutes to read what we are saying before you talk? Yeah we are very familiar with that on cointalk.

Amanda Varner, one of the dealers who posts here has seen my coins in person, including my svdb. Again had you read other threads you might have known this. Usually I post my coins with my cat to try to make the pictures more clear that I actually own the coin. Stick around and you may see more cat selfie pictures of my coins.


Just be wrong on this one. Tell us you never read the thread, opened it up to the last post and just started "helping". Because it is very clear you did.

 

Don't worry, on this website you can pretty much be assured of that.

 

So you think you want to start collecting but know nothing or how to start.

Well this is what I tell most people when they ask me hoe to get started.
1) get the book " A Guide Book of United States Coins" (this book has a good basic discription of greading all coins that have been minted in the United States, it also has values (it isnt for the values but will show you what coins are worth something. the values are a year old when it is first printed.))
2) get a good magnifer
3) go to your bank and get a bag of pennies ( a bag is $50.00 and has 5000 pieces)

Take your bag of pennies and take them to a place with alot of room and you can be comfortable (this isn't going to be a fast thing) perferably a table. Now open your bag and grab a hand full of these little beauties and put them on the table in front of you. go through all these pennies and put them in a row putting all the 1960's in a row 70's in a row etc. do this by date start with the lowest year of the series and working your way up. you dont need to worry about the mint marks yet ( mint marks are the P, D and S under the date (obverse) for wheat cents and on the (reverse) bottom in the middle between the ribbon and the rim on indian cents if your lucky enough to find some of these ) do this with all of the pennies in the bag.

Now that you have all these pennies in little piles by years, Take out your book and open it to the page that starts with pennies ( wheat cents start on pg. 117 in the 2015 Red Book). look over the pages of these pennies just to get a fill as to what you are looking at, but don't get to excited because you will see this book many times before you are done. go to the first pile and get your magnifer and seperate these by mint mark. get you book and read al of the grading discriptions so you can start looking for the best coin with that mint mark. When you get them all seperated by mint mark look at your book again and see if these pennies are worth something (I suggest at least $.50 to $.75 so you don't keep everything). You may want to keep the best of these to start a penny collection. If they aren't worth much throw them back into the bag.
Do this with all the piles until there all back in the bag (except the ones you want to keep). when you are done you will have a very good start on a penny collection. I find that when I get a bag of pennies i generally only find 10 or 12 keepers so when I take the bag back to the bank you can add back what ever you have kept and either get your $50.00 back or get another and start all over. I have been lucky enough to find some very nice pennies in these bags. You probably will never find a 1909 SVDB or a 1955 double die obverse but im sure if you finish the bag you will know what a very nice penny looks like and what a good penny looks like.

If you have children this serves as a great way to get them away from their games and maybe even the TV. You never know what you might find in these bags.

Happy hunting and Good Luck.

 

LOL you just dont get it do you?

 

OK I admit your the man!

 

If you choose (not that you will) take a gander at my last post. I left a few things out but they may get the jest. Please check it out and let me know what you think.

 

They get it David. They just found someone new to fight and argue with. That's what they do. I'll be next for posting this. Welcome to the fun.

 

Is there a way to start this in a tread of its own? And thanks as you can see I'm new here and it took a minute to catch on. Again THANK YOU

 

Mr. Hughes,

Perhaps this newbie should know something of conditions and grading before attempting to place a "value" upon the "pennies". It seems to me that $50 face in cent would afford one an inexpensive opportunity to become familiar with different conditions, from honest circulation wear, to damage, corrosion problems, to technical MS and everything in between, which could be of a much greater long-term benefit than blindly attempting to place unrealistic "book values" on such coins.

 

Sure there is. Go to the Coin Chat menu. You can't start a new thread while you are still in a thread. At the top right is a button to start a new topic. It's easy.

 

Ok point ?taken. The $50.00 is what the bag of pennies will cost. After the bag is done the person will see all kinds of grades and it allows them the opportunity to get there feet wet. The reference to putting a price on a coin is so they don't keep all of them. This is a cheap way for a new person to get to play some don't have the funds (or don't want to spend it at this time) to put out to learn. As we know that when money is scarse then they can take back the remainder for there money back instead of messing around.

 

You da bomb man thanks. I must have been in a tread. I Promise I will get the hang of this and (as it appears the sooner the better) be an active member of the group. I'm sure you won't have to worry about the arguing on my part any longer. I owe you one. Again thanks

 

I'm on the home page and at the top right is my name, inbox, and alerts?

 

I have it now thanks