With the rise of internet and collectors finding it easier to collect coins from all over the world - there's one aspect that's still somewhat lacking. That's properly design coin albums. Dansco used to manufacture them around 1960s but that's already well over 50 years ago! This actually gives rise to collecting such albums and many foreign Dansco album can command serious premium even in used condition, well easily 50 - 100 USD+. In fact a book was written about them a while back: https://books.google.com/books?id=f...ce=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false Now how can something not be replicated today? With any business model, supply and demand comes to mind. I'm sure the demand is out there but to provide limited amount of supply at the right price proves to be challenging. Fortunately technology is out there to help. With the aid of photoshop, creativity can come to place. Here are some examples around the world (designed to my taste) Japan (it would be perfect for an updated page for Dansco Japan type set) Korea Russia And of course flip books can be made as well to emulate coin albums online. In fact PCGS even got one step ahead and made it more customizable. Take for example this: http://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/Album.aspx?SetID=134748 I have to argue that the design is wrong as when the pages are flipped, the coins are supposed to be in coin orientation, not medal orientation. (unless all of them happen to be die rotation error, which will be a serious collection by its own right!) Alas, when one collect coins, collectors want to display them. The coins wouldn't stand out in a 2D display screen. But again, how complicated is making an album? Required materials are cardboard (paper), mylar sheet, some labels (ink / gold) and some screws. I would be interested in the overall manufacturing process and see how it can be done to relate to other numismatics field. May spark some interests. Until then, I guess it's another day...
That PCGS virtual coin album is pretty neat. After completing the entire album set of registered PCGS slabbed coins, PCGS should give you a free physical album for participating. Anyway, as far as updated albums are concerned, maybe it's in the same vein as NGC and other TPGs no longer offering services for entire year set slabs. I tried to get my 1940's Ireland mint set slabbed as a single large slab, but they no longer offered it since there weren't enough people buying that service.
I'm still waiting for the counterfit dansco for modern Chinese counterfit US type set coins that's just a slightly different shade of brown and made of subpar materials
I bet one configuration that would actually be economically viable is a dedicated OFEC album. You could have custom hole inserts (included with album & available separately) in a few sizes, maybe with a little dimensional play to allow for similar-but-not-quite identical diameters.
I got that book you mentioned on vintage albums. It's pretty good. I haven't seen many of the albums out there mentioned in the book, so I think the prices listed may be off. I got lucky recently and ran into a Whitman 20th century minor type set of Great Britain for 20 dollars, and it had some coins in it including silver! I think the date inside is in the early 1960s. I think digital albums are nice, especially yours, but it just leaves me wanting the physical albums even more.
Do we mean the danscos were counterfeited themselves? Or did Dansco actually make an album for Chinese counterfeit coins. Sorry, just curious
