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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;wcg, post: 3749629, member: 77169&quot;][USER=103058]@PaulTudor[/USER]:&nbsp; I started with talers about 15 years ago and I &quot;cut my teeth&quot; in the same way you did.&nbsp;&nbsp; I have made my share of regrettable purchases but it is all part of the learning experience.&nbsp;&nbsp; You don&#039;t often see that side of things on these internet forums, but I know we have all been there and done that.&nbsp;&nbsp; Opinions are cheap and if you are on the fence on a purchase, reach out to a forum member via a PM to ask what they think.&nbsp; A response might take a few days, but they might see something that you are blinded to.&nbsp;&nbsp; I built some very trusted allies that way.&nbsp; </p><p>Regarding the scarcity vs quality argument, I am drifting more to the latter the longer I am in the hobby.&nbsp;&nbsp; There is nothing wrong with a mid or lower grade scarce coin.&nbsp; In fact, I have a NGC F-15 taler that is still a favorite.&nbsp; However, I personally avoid problem coins (tooling, mounts, scratches, polishing, etc).&nbsp; If there are known issues with the coin, I know my eye will go straight to the problem whenever I look at it and it thereby distracts too much from the enjoyment of owning it. A coin will never &quot;grow out of&quot; the problem, so the chances are the audience for resale is much smaller. </p><p>One way to train your eye for better pieces is simply through volume.&nbsp; The more you can see (in person or online), the more working knowledge you gradually accumulate with regards to eye appeal, availability, typical grades, typical problems, etc.&nbsp; If you are debating a particular coin, use the archives of the major auction houses or <a href="http://www.acsearch.info" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.acsearch.info" rel="nofollow">www.acsearch.info</a> to compare against other examples that have sold to get a better feel for price, scarcity, appearance, etc.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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