Featured YouTube Numismatic Misinformation: What You Need To Know

Most of them do now, it's just a question if they give outside access to it. In a lot of ways it's become a look how great we are way to brag so their best gets put up.

 

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THIS I do not understand. If you've got enough disposable income to collect coins, you've long since passed the threshold for being able to afford to go to shows.

 

Eh, It depends if you mean local or major shows. I can go to my state show but no way I can go to Long Beach on my budget

 

There are plenty of legitimate reasons for this.

First of all health. Not everyone is able or comfortable enough to leave their doctors ect. You can be in the hospital and still be engaged and collecting online, I've been there before.

Second of all and most importantly cost. Plenty of collectors have a small collecting budget. Paying for travel, hotels, rental cars if you want one, food ect. Then the whole taking time off of work or waste vacation time to go to shows because the old guard thinks they should be mid week ect.

Lets put it this way. If I wanted to buy a 200 dollar coin, I could go to my computer search around and probably find one or wait. Or I could spend anywhere from 40/80 or more (if I took the train) or 300-1k+ flying for most shows. Even driving an hour or two each way will cost me 40-80 in gas. Then if the show wasn't day trip distance there's hotels, food ect. Even if I pay 150 for the coin at the show I have not only spent more overall but also a lot of my time for a fake perceived savings.

It's a complete fallacy to say if you can buy coins you can travel to do so.

 

I agree. Those with many thousands of dollars to spend can absorb the costs of attending national shows that are more than a days drive away from home. When I consider going to a non local show I ask myself if I'm going to seriously buy coins or just going to look and learn; there's a value in that.

 

This thread should be featured!

 

Completely agree. I can see the value in traveling for a grading course, but the whole I am going to travel and spend hundreds or thousands to attend a show no chance.

I always ask myself would I rather travels for days to a show and spend a ton of money or keep that money and either invest it or buy more with it.

Now if I was going to be spending 5-6+ figures at a show auction I would absolutely go, but that's above my head.

 

I couldn't agree more with your assessment of the youtube coin videos.

It took me a few whiles to realize what was going on when I first started watching them. I have collected coins off and on since 4th grade when I would walk up to the local grocer to see if he had any steel pennies. Not big time collecting, but an interesting aside to eyeballing girls and riding my bike.

What Youtube did for me, was lead me to CoinTalk. It started with watching CRH for half dollars. I did it for fun not expecting to find anything big, and would set aside the nicest of the halves each week. Not because they were valuable, but it gave me a reason to set aside money. This led me to question some of the anomalies that I was finding. Most being machine doubling. My first post to coin talk asked just that. I had found a clad Kennedy and questioned if it was doubling. The members here taught and instructed me in what I had and the difference in Die Doubling.

This then lead me to sitting back and watching what others posted and to see if I could decipher what they had before reading the members answers. Kind of learning thru osmosis.

This then lead me to the "Dark Side" which I have been eternally grateful.

So, you see, for me YouTube had a positive side.

 

I went to a coin show last year and spent more on the travel and hotel than I did at the show, probably three times more. But it was also in a city that my family also wanted to visit, and we spent more time sightseeing than going to the show.

As for YouTube, the best coin videos I saw there were about the minting process, something many of the beginners need to watch.

 

I haven't missed an ANA show in about 9 years and I've NEVER spent over a thousand going to one. I'm frequently WELL under that. And I go to them end to end, too.

My biggest spend was Anaheim, and even considering paying TWO airfares, I was STILL well under a $1000 budget. That said, my home airport IS a Southwest-served airport, and I have multiple airports from which to choose.

 

I get that. Money is all retaliative though. I'm not attacking you by any means just trying to show that your financial situation does not mean everyone has it. Something as simple as a wife being like you aren't going can prevent that.

 

For sure, which is why after I shed the second one, I quit having them. Also, finding redonculous hotel rates for Spring ANA's is my "savant skill". I don't need luxury.

 

I agree with everything you said, too, 1916D10C. Well, I fink so.

 

Which while I certainly do enjoy the humor in that joke and sympathize with the situation I think you would agree there is a travel cost

 

There is, but when I compare the costs with the benefits, it’s an easy call in the affirmative. Coin shows ARE my "vacations". It's the only thing I ever do for vacations.

 

Agree with what you have listed. I do however find some entities that are useful, accurate and entertaining. Age of the youtuber has much to do with whether or not I will click on it in the first place though. Nothing against the younger folks. I'm just too old to listen.

 

Oh, lol. I did not see that. I guess I should pay more attention. Thanks!

 

WHOA, guys, I'm incredibly honored that this thread was featured!!! Thank you, I was not expecting that at all! I'm grateful this was so well received, I'm beyond words.


John