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

So let me see if I have my facts straight. You can't buy circulated $1-2 priced coins or $5 modern proof sets before spending $130 on a book?

 

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I think we all collect in our own ways. Personally, I own many coin books. Some specific to the series I collect, others about the minting process and others about designs.

I understand your point as well, but IMO, it doesn't hurt to buy a low priced coin while learning.

 

In my opinion, the Red Book is the best coin book ever printed. It's full of great information and a quick way to get a few facts. Used $5, new $10 or 15.
All new folks to the hobby should have one. Good way to see all the different types of coins and possibly come up with a direction to head.

When I start collecting a series and spending several hundred dollars on each coin, I buy the book and use any other method to learn what I'm doing. That same book will save or make me back the cost. As green said, the history in most books really add to the fun.

 

It's not a 'beginners' series to collect. Assuredly, some in the series are affordable to the beginning collector but the vast number of examples greatly exceed the budget of most novice collectors. I, myself, didn't get into the series until later in life, though I loved and lusted for the series as a youth. Books help me choose wisely......something I probably wouldn't have done in my youth.

 

I could be wrong, of course, but such coins, or rolls of low-end common widgets, are not what the book suggestion/recommendation is for (or at least shouldn't be). Coins such as these can be excellent for the entry level collector to get his/her hands dirty with, and offer much in the way of learning opportunities; those with a budding interest in coins would be doing themselves a favor (generally speaking) by taking this route, but the reality is that not all will. There are those more than happy to jump in face first to more expensive and/or risky areas of this hobby, and this is who could be well served by first investing in quality reference materials, be it books or free online websites. I fully understand that there should be no "one size fits all" approach to collecting, and that there really is no right or wrong way to enjoy this hobby, so this is all, of course, just one man's opinion.

 

I understand that some beginners jump in the deep end without knowing how to swim. I don't recommend that either. All I'm saying is that those wading into the shallows and getting their toes wet might do well buying cheap, low end coins. Literally getting the feel of them. Some here on this website seem so mantra driven that they think every beginner needs to read war and peace sized books prior to buying simple entry level material. Your first coin should be a circulated vdb, not a svdb. How badly can you do buying a 1985 proof set or a few buffalos in the dollar range? Having coins in hand while reading may motive more then simple reading.

 

Who said that?

 

Davenport, Bitkin, Seaby, --they are only good books because they have attribution numbers everyone agrees on. The pricing information in them is useless, but that's not why a serious numismatist would want to own them. Aside from attribution, pretty much everything else is better obtained from the internet, especially relevant pricing information and NGC/PCGS population numbers.

 

With that answer, I support any type of free and accessible learning prior to blowing $130 - $150 on a book, without seeing a single commemorative half in hand.

See, that's wise, have some hands on coin experience behind your belt, prior to investing in a serious series, with serious books and serious coin prices. Makes sense to me.

@green18 As an intermediate or more experienced collector, did you already have any of the more affordable commemorative coins, prior to purchasing this book?

 

My advise to beginners is to avoid this thread. :>) Both sides are right and both sides are wrong. Everybody, please go back to the way it works for you. The newbie's will find their way without us. Perhaps even more easily.

This thread reminds me of Congress. After all the lamenting, nothing gets either settled, or gained.

 

I'm not about to dig thru all of your long rants to point out what you just want to argue about.

 

I'm about to dive into Sutler tokens which are expensive and I have almost no knowledge about them. I've poked around on the internet trying to turn up what I can for free but it looks like the standard reference sells for $100. I've seen Sutler tokens selling anywhere from 1 to 7 times as much as the book. I'll buy the book before I buy any of these tokens because I don't know enough about them.

 

No problem. Thanks anyway.

 

All this makes be think of how lucky we are today. Before the internet was very helpful, it was really tough to get answers. You might find something you thought was special but it was hard to get it in front of the right people to figure out if it was something special. Today we can reach out to those with a great understanding of a series and get answers.

 

This specifically reminds me of my college psych classes. They gave extra credit to participate in a study. The one I did was studying how people give others advise that was markedly different then what they did in their own life. They had me give an example of how much time I devoted to daily activities and then compared it to what I recommend for others. And yes it was also markedly different. This was not a "others could learn from my mistakes " study as much as a "do what I say and not what I do in my own life" study.

I think we have two groups of people in this discussion. Those who advise what they personally did and those recommending things for others they personally would not do.

Personally I would spend $50 or so buying either circulated commems or a few unc btw's before spending $130 on a book. Just to see if I liked them.

Edit. The whole point of taking the psych classes in college was the 90% women ratio

 

I did. But none before I purchased Q. David Bowers book A Guide Book of United States Commemorative Coins.

 

I see. Currently, that's a $10 or less, "Buy it now" or "Kindle" item, I think. I'm not sure how useful its content might be. I have a friend in Florida, who was looking for a Stone Mountain Half raw upgrade. Just to toss a few ideas his way, I located an AU53 ICG for him. It was $50 and had a nice golden toning to it. Beyond that, I have always tried to focus on non-commemorative circulation coinage.

 

C'mon Toronto! All the estate sales you've been to have been awesome haven't they? LOL!

IDK why I read through this thread but it started out good. I have to agree with Doug on this one. Auctions and estate sales SUCK. You drive to where ever it is, the coins and better stuff are always auctioned last. I guess they assume making people wait for hours and hundreds of feet of tables of household items will get you to buy more.
Then you find out you've got company at the end. Ten, fifteen, twenty people or more who have waited a long time. Emotions will vary but count on plenty of it. Some excited, antsy, some maybe pi$$ed off and all determined to not go home empty handed. At that point you may as well have stayed home, put a bid in on ebay and done something else with your time.
The bad part is, despite over-inflated prices, the auctioneer often takes an absurd chunk of the sale. Despite a good turn out and healthy bidding, the family still 'technically' loses.

 

I have this book too. I've read most of it. There's good info in it though it will come across as a bit dry to the average collector. Probably best to focus on sections, as it is a large book.

 

You just have to walk in really and truly caring about that family. Leave all reason by the door on your way in. Bid with your heart. Bring a snack and a mickey for the long wait. Lounge around on the antique furniture items, until they get to the coins.