Newbies and their questions

Another example that could use Mike's show and tell expertise are
the 1964 "SMS" coins. Maybe also the different forms of doubling.

 

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Good post. As for the first part, I think we can blame a lot of it on Covid-19. Many are feeling stressed and angry because of the restrictions put upon us, so find an outlet in posting without thinking, me included.
As for the second part; the coin part, I think your title should have been "Proof 1990 No S Lincoln Cent" so those that have questions about that coin would be drawn to it.
JMHO.

 

Simple question and straight to the point:

Who do you consider knowledgeable
and worth the watch on YouTube?

I have a few I really like, but I don't want to waste my time watching worthless info.

Blue Ridge Silver Hound seems to know quite a bit about U.S. coins.

I would sure appreciate hearing opinions from the ones who've been seriously deep in the coin world for years.

Thanks so much!

 

Maybe others have different ideas, but, frankly, I’ve found few videos that weren’t fountains of bad information.

 

Great thread!

 

My New Years resolution should have been to stay off the "What's It Worth" and "Error Coins" forums.

 

It's not so much a question of who is worth watching, it's whether that information will be the SOLE input into one's collecting or investing decisions.

Ideally, especially with Big $$$ at stake, you should have multiple, independent sources of information: online periodicals, YouTube, other internet websites, coin forums like CoinTalk, etc.

And if you had to choose only 1 source, it would probably be a forum like CoinTalk because if you asked if it was a good idea to pay $500 on Etsy for a common Morgan Silver Dollar in MS65...even if 1 clown chimes in here and says "sounds like a good deal, go for it".....you're gonna get a TON of CT posters here who will immediately tell you to put the brakes on it, you're heading into Ripoff City.

CT is live and interactive and can respond in real-time: YouTube and most internet web pages can't and don't.

Recognizing a ripoff or scam is easy for CT members, making judgements on coin values, grades, and "investments" is obviously much more difficult. That's why you try and learn the nuances of various posters, who is closest to your collecting habits and why. Then you can lean on them a bit more and rely on them 1-on-1 for advice.

This place is a wealth of information. Don't be upset with posters who shoot down your ideas or disagree with you -- that's how you learn. Sure, every now and then someone can be nasty or too dismissive -- just ignore it.

Like most information forums, after a few weeks and months you'll see what kind of threads most interest you...which CT members are most valuable....and how you can parce information from threads and posts to your benefit.

Good Luck !

 

Let me tell you some of these guys make huge purchases and then tell their viewer to go out and buy this coin for whatever reason in hope of driving the price up--telling you to buy rolls because you can purchases them cheaper --- there are no guarantee in life

 

My observation is that there's a certain type of person drawn to YouTube for the "get rich from pocket change" stuff, which is almost always misleading. Then they jump straight to the "I have one, I'm rich" part without any interest in learning what the valuable ones really are or why, and get mad when you tell them that they aren't rich now. My pet peeve is that the handful of "No S" coins seems to have led people to start designating coins as "No Mint Mark" in titles and descriptions, as if that somehow confers the possibility of extra value. It seems like they don't realize that other than war nickels, anything prior to 1979-80 without a mint mark is just a Philadelphia coin. Maybe I'm wrong about this, but it's just "1975 dime" or "1975-P dime", not "1975 no mint mark dime". I could also be the only person that it bothers, but it seems like this started with the proliferation of YouTube coin videos.

 

Then when you tell them to get a Red Book or another price guide and educate themselves, they get all upset. It's fine to ask questions here, but it seems like a lot of people are just too cheap to go out and spend a few bucks on a Red Book or a coin magazine. Plus you can always go to the local library.

 

Every citizen should be given a Red Book on the day they're born. Free of charge.

 

And to join a coin club or coin chat site when they enter their freshman year in high school.
I earned my coin collecting merit badge as a scout and joined a junior numismatic association when I was 13 as a result.

 

I dunno, I mean If my A/C is broke, and I have no clue, I'm looking for a forum on A/C repair, looking around, and then asking on there for some help based on pictures and a description.

I fully expect some people on their to to be like Dude, hire an HVAC guy, you'll be playing with 240V!"
While some others are going to tell me "it's your capacitor" or check your wires near the motor, and go into explaining things.

Same goes with car issues and any forum.
In general, I'd like to learn how to diagnose and fix a problem, but in the end, some people want an answer and don't care how much work you need to do to give them an answer. they post a picture with "rare error!" and then leave you guessing what they are even talking about.

And in a lot of cases, spend the next time checking in trying to argue with people's opinions.

Those aren't people that want to learn, or get an unbiased opinion, those are people that want to be validated.

It's like with the You tube videos, doesn't matter what the error coin is or how many exist and are known, there's always a percentage of people in the comments under the video posting "I have one of those! want to buy? I want to sell, I have nice coin for sell" it's inevitable. that percentage of people exist.

 

An interesting topic with interesting viewpoints and replies as well.
Here's my two cents on it.

People want to be rich and they get excited. It's that simple and it's human nature.

Until health reasons put me on disability I worked in a coin shop for about 10 years. For the most part I really loved it.
I was able to teach a lot of people new to the hobby a lot and help them pursue their passion. Often helping them IDENTIFY their passion.

It was no big deal to me to go through a pile of face value change or currency from those wanting to be rich and gently let them down.
I've seen enough "gift shop" Confederate paper money to last a lifetime, boatloads of basically worthless money from "my grandfather's souvenirs from WWII" and the like.

Where else would somebody bring these things for an opinion but a coin shop? I doubt Arbys or the dry cleaners would be of much help.

That being said coin dealers can be a truly rude lot. I can understand why. My old boss can be extremely rude but he's been in business since 1966 and been seeing this for a very long time.
In my time there I pulled a lot of people in for him by actually spending some time with them.
Still, a small percentage compared to how many will never set foot in a shop again.

One incident in particular stands out to me. Now I haven't worked at the shop since late 2017 but a lady came in one day and literally slammed 5 Washington quarters on the counter.
She then asked me if I could see the error on them.

When I examined them and replied I could not she told me she saw it on the internet. Well, I countered with the old "well you saw it on the internet it must be true" line.
This did not please here.

That's right folks she was convinced she had the rare quarters that were minted on 1947 Canadian planchets.

I told her they weren't but she was insistent and asked what I would pay her for them.
She was not amused when I told her 25 cents each.

She became a bit belligerent so I changed my offer to 20 cents each. Well, she stormed out but not before telling me and every customer in the shop that I was not only ignorant but rude.

I apologized to the other customers and went about my business.

Now I'll never claim to know everything about everything but in this case I wasn't ignorant. Rude? Guilty as charged your honor.

Fast forward to a few months ago.
I stopped in a different shop to visit a dealer I've know some 30 years. One of MY mentors actually.

We got to chit chatting and I told him of this incident. Turns out she'd been to HIS shop before ours and he told her basically the same thing.
I thanked him for sending an already upset "customer" my way to inflict her wrath on me.
We got a real good laugh out of it.

My point?

This is going to happen. Especially on a forum this large.

Solution? If it irritates you then don't bother to read the thread.
You don't even have to be construed as rude, ignorant or any other adjective that pops to mind.

If my comments don't please you then refrain from reading them. It won't hurt my feelings because I won't know.

 

@clembo Great story! I'm reminded once again of something I said on another thread, that originally was written by the renowned and revered philatelist, author, and stamp dealer, Herman "Pat" Herst Jr., that a collector has to have 3 things: A working left eye, a working right eye, and a working brain. Some have working eyes but the brain and common sense are lacking.

 

It's the retail trade. Every customer-facing business has to deal with the public for the good, the bad and the indifferent. I have seen coin dealers who were good at it, mediocre and horrible.

It really doesn't bother me when the "I've got a big rarity" folks show up here. I can ignore them just like I ignore the world's other ignoramuses.

 

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I can't find the thread for:
Your Newest Acquisitions of U.S. Coins.