Some of us don't appreciate honesty

I saw this on FB. Yes, the truth does hurt, especially when said truth is delivered by knowledgeable numismatists who deal with far too many noobs asking if they got a good deal on some sketchy "problem coins" somebody offloaded on them at a steep price.



A comment on this post, written by someone who seems to know what can sometimes happen next in these cases, reads:

The next panel should read "Do you want to sell them?"

 

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This is how I felt when knowledgeable numismatists here at CT told me my PCGS-graded 1922 No-D Lincoln Cent was actually a "weak D," and then proceeded to show me the incontrovertible evidence that proved their claims were correct.

The appreciation only came later when I realized that I got an education in buying the coin and not the holder, and to buy the book before the coin.

 

I absolutely understand the perspective this meme portrays.

It seems like often, somebody who doesn't know much will post something and people will just pile on and attack them.

Now, I think it is necessary to educate these people and tell them what they do and don't have, and why they don't have what they thought they had. They absolutely must be taught (if they want to learn), and I don't want them leaving with some delusions over what they have.

But, there's a nice way and a mean way to do that. I can't say that I've always done it right myself, but that's our challenge as the experienced people here.

 

There are none so blind as those who will not see.........

 

Can you work in a panel with a orinary sarcastic curmudgeon numismatist doing the educating? That happens too lol.

 

Some collectors are very militant about remaining ignorant. I am in the process of leaving my local club because a loud, militant group has hijacked it. They don’t want to learn about hobby. They want to have swap meets, “ice cream socials,” chips, cookies and soda pop.

I wanted to give a presentation about the ongoing problems with counterfeits including the pieces that are ending up in certification holders. They wanted nothing of it. I won’t be around to see it, but the day will come when somebody will come to a meeting and stick some of them with some counterfeit Chinese made “silver dollars.”

Those things are out there and some of them are very dangerous. Buying common dates in circulated condition will not protect you. Those pieces are the stock and trade of the Chinese counterfeiters.

 

I agree with you. These days collectors have to spend time educating themselves on counterfeiting. It would be unwise to spend good money on coins without learning how to spot fakes.

 

That club sounds like easy picking. Could be a source of my next retirement fund.

 

If they are that against becoming educated, I'd be extremely surprised if they didn't already own a bunch of them!

 

There is too much knowledge available at little or no cost. If they don't want to avail themselves of it, then they'll learn from Natural Selection:

 

I think something people are quick to do is tell people their coin isn't worth anything or is no big deal. If the person is excited and just likes the coin regardless of value, they don't need someone jumping in to say it's junk.

 

yup, you're coin isn't worth anything
oh
and by the way
I'll give you $5 bucks for it shipped !!
lol

 

Thing is, we were all new collectors once and we all thought our coins were treasures. That is an attitude that should be nurtured by us old guard types. Rather like putting the kids kindergarten scribble on the wall and praising it as stellar art. There comes a time soon enough that the youngster wants that art removed from the wall.

Here’s our dilemma. Coin collecting as a hobby is rapidly being replaced by Pokémon, Nintendo and all things digital. Sure there are YN’s out there, but by and large old coins don’t hold much attraction for young folks in the 21st century. And thing is…… We will all need an audience to market our coins to when that time comes….. We had better nurture these newbies.

 

Wise words my friend. Very thoughtful.

 

Not my job to teach anyone anything, especially when there is infinitely better, more accurate and readily available answers on the internet. It'd be much more beneficial to society to teach the novices how to do their own research, critical thinking and all of that stuff (the ol' “If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.”).

When I had a question, more often than not, my Dad (and Mom) would just tell me to "look it up", or just leave me in the library while they went and ran their errands, etc.

Ya can't hear if your mouth is open.

 

The problem is, people are too damn lazy to do their own research, whether it's numismatics, Covid, politics, fact checking, or anything else you can think of. People don't READ BOOKS any more. They believe everything they see on television, the internet, or hear on the radio. Nobody thinks for themselves any more or uses their common sense. In this so-called information age, there sure is a heck of a lot of misinformation, outright lies, and revisionist history out there.

 

Thats why ya got 2 ears and one mouth.
Grandpa used to say.
Listen twice as much as you speak.
Reminds me of some Foghorn Leghorn.

 

When you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk.



See you soon, id...idi...
Idiots...it's for you.

 

Not my problem.