Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;PlanoSteve, post: 25367753, member: 91609&quot;][USER=158028]@Kay67[/USER], first, welcome to CT.&nbsp; I see you just joined us on May 8, and since you admit to being a &quot;newbie&quot;, I want to give you some (hopefully) helpful advice.</p><p><br /></p><p>Kay, please don&#039;t take this the wrong way, but you may have an unwarranted a self-esteem issue.&nbsp; (None of us here have ego&#039;s, so we can&#039;t get our feelings hurt <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie7" alt=":p" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />)&nbsp; Let me explain...</p><p><br /></p><p>When you engage someone (or a group, such as CT, for example) on line, there are 2 significant problems with assessments:&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>(1)&nbsp; We cannot examine/see the specimen &quot;in hand&quot; &amp; this is very problematic (I, for one, will not offer an opinion as to a specific grade if I do not have the specimen in hand, preferably with a 10x loop available)&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>However, some are willing to give an assessment from a picture on a computer screen.&nbsp; These should be taken with a &quot;grain of salt&quot;; if you peruse any of the &quot;Guess the Grade&quot; (GTG) threads, you will see that the opinions generally span a rather wide range, yet all are looking at the <b><i>same picture</i></b>.&nbsp; Now, it is fun &amp; we get to see a wide variety of coins, but it really is a best guess when you cannot examine it in hand.</p><p><br /></p><p>(2)&nbsp; The internet affords responders a degree of anonymity, again problematic because some may respond with an answer without having all the necessary information, or may not care enough because they are anonymous, or don&#039;t really have the expertise/knowledge needed for that specific question.&nbsp; While CT is comprised of members with a vast amount of knowledge &amp; experience, we are still dealing with the trials &amp; tribulations of &quot;on line&quot; communications.</p><p><br /></p><p>While I agree with John that there are some unscrupulous shops out there, keep in mind, most shop owners are in it because they themselves are collectors/afficionados and generally enjoy engaging with other collectors/accumulators, especially &quot;newbies&quot;. While there are exceptions, they are in the minority, so you should feel confident the first time you go into a shop.&nbsp; The great advantage is that they get to assess the coin &quot;in hand&quot;!&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Keep in mind that while most of us collectors/accumulators admit to looking at hundreds or even thousands of coins over the years, dealers look at <b><i>multiple</i></b> thousands of coins.&nbsp; The more you see, the better you get at it.&nbsp; (Also keep in mind that even the &quot;professional&quot; grading services will not grade a particular coin the same - take a look at some of the threads on third party graders for example, &amp; discussions about resubmitting a graded coin to a different TPG in hopes of getting a better grade.)</p><p><br /></p><p>Charley&#039;s comment about finding a local coin club is a fantastic idea if you plan on continuing this endeavor.&nbsp; Be wary of coin shows (initially), as dealers can get overwhelmed at such events and lack the time to devote to newbies.</p><p><br /></p><p>And lastly, secure a copy (used is OK) of the Red Book which includes a wealth of information about all things US coinage.</p><p><br /></p><p>Have fun with it - it will take you as far &amp; wherever you want to go!&nbsp; <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie83" alt=":singing:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /><img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie2" alt=";)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in