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<p>[QUOTE="1916D10C, post: 3296210, member: 97585"]To all the folks on CoinTalk, to those lurking who are not even registered, and especially to those who have become interested in the hobby of Numismatics through YouTube Videos,</p><p><br /></p><p>We all know about how Youtubers are posting videos to make money from views, ads and audience. There is a large population of YouTubers posting such videos on various topics of Numismatics. We seem to have had an enormous influx of enthusiastic newbies in the past few years coming into the hobby and joining CoinTalk after watching YouTube videos, often ones promising that one can get rich finding certain coins in circulation. I have no problem with new folks in this hobby, we were all new at one point, and we need more folks in this hobby. What I DO have a problem with is absolute nobody's, with zero experience in the field, posting videos with clickbait titles and downright false claims that mislead and start new folks off in the field with unrealistic perceptions and expectations. Some of these YouTubers are downright PREYING on the younger crowds and the uninformed. There is a common pattern with the self proclaimed experts and their videos, and in this thread I am going to attempt to address the pattern and the most common innaccuracies that I have seen.</p><p><br /></p><p>Below is a list of some of the general examples of mendacious claims I have witnessed while browsing YouTube, and I will address the key takeaways from each and every one below as a separate point. I have also attached to this post several examples of the types of bogus and concocted videos I am referring to.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>A. False information and misleading statements about errors, types of errors, and their values.</b></p><p><br /></p><p>This is by far, in my experience, the most commonly seen form of misinformation that is rampantly and furiously disseminated on YouTube. Flashy, all capital letter titles claiming certain errors are worth thousands, or even millions (yes you read that right, millions) of dollars grace a flamboyant, expertly constructed thumbnail. Typically the errors displayed in the videos are minor errors that the poster has found, and often is followed by claims that they are worth large sums. Other videos, however, sometimes are put together almost entirely with photos of certain well known errors, such as the 1955 Doubled Die Obverse Lincoln Cent, taken off of Google images or Numismatic websites. The poster then narrates the video and discusses the errors in detail and quotes values, and often shares questionable Numismatic sites to "learn more". Often, the poster will indicate through verbal clues that he has never owned, examined, or even seen such Coins in-hand under a loupe.</p><p><br /></p><p>The key takeaway here for the less experienced to understand is when they come across such a video, that, as with anything of value, not all error coins are equal. Remember the United States mint makes millions of coins each year, and errors are certain to slip under the radar of quality control. Common minor errors, including, but not limited to, die breaks, chips, cracks, machine doubling, and lamination, unless extremely dramatic or of a rare variety, are often only worth a small premium over face value.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>B. Sweeping claims that a certain date of coin (often a commonly seen date) is worth large sums of money.</b></p><p><br /></p><p>Many of us have seen it. Someone posts a video in similar fashion as described in point 'A', example: "YOUR 1958-D PENNY CAN BE WORTH FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS!!!" The narrator then goes on to elaborate and displays a slabbed coin in an incredibly lofty grade and state of preservation, such as MS68, and instructs viewers to check their change because they could be sitting on $50K.</p><p><br /></p><p>The key takeaway here to the newer folks, is that it is next to impossible to find any true rarity in circulation, be it a condition rarity such as an MS68 Kennedy Half, or equally unlikely, to find a high profile, documented rarity, such as a 1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent. You are far more likely to hit the jackpot on the 6 spot Powerball. Condition rarities are just that: A coin not normally seen in such a high state of preservation. Out of millions of coins made, only a small handful, usually less than 20 or so, survive in such a state. A slight trace of circulation, the slightest blemish on such a coin will bring it back to the value of a common coin. This is where investing in a Red Book will assist you in accurately determining estimated values of coins.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>C. Videos intended to educate folks about Coin grading.</b></p><p><br /></p><p>I have seen videos constructed entirely of photos of coins pulled from Google, and the narrator then reads a description of said photos, and thus "teaches" the audience how to grade a certain series of coins. While this can be helpful regarding circulated coins, it is completely worthless in the controversial world of Mint State Coin grading. The best way to learn how to grade coins is by looking at as many as you possibly can in-hand, and most Numismatists are constantly learning this art. If you want a book that definitively and explicitly describes coin grading from a fresh and modern perspective, and written by a respected individual within the hobby, invest in "<i>The Art And Science of Grading Coins</i>" by Jason Poe. I can guarantee it is far more factual and educational than any YouTube video you will ever watch.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>D. Videos highlighting prominent Numismatic rarities, and implying it is possible to find one in circulation, such as The 1894-S Barber Dime, and 1913 Liberty Nickel.</b></p><p><br /></p><p>The key takeaway here should be pretty obvious by now if you have read this far. As similarly discussed in point 'B'-- Your chances of finding an 1894-S Barber Dime in your change or in rolls are pretty close to nil, even with the few not accounted for. The 1913 Nickels are all in private hands.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>E. Videos explaining different methods on how to clean Coins.</b></p><p><br /></p><p>The Key takeaway here is that under no circumstances should a beginner attempt to clean their coins, especially not using the "household chemical" methods as displayed in many YouTube Videos. Cleaning and conservation of coins is a risky venture, even for advanced Numismatists. For a newer collector, it is incredibly easy to destroy any value a Coin has through inexperienced cleaning attempts.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>F. Coin Roll Hunting videos, giving a skewed representation and implying it is easy for one to get rich and make money by finding Silver, errors, and rarities in rolls and circulation.</b></p><p><br /></p><p>This is another extremely common type of video that gives new folks unrealistic expectations about this side hobby of sorts from serious, conventional Numismatics. Again, flashy titles with fancy thumbnails suck the intrigued newbie in, and the videos are often filled with promises that one can make good money through roll hunting and can find rarities, errors, etc.</p><p><br /></p><p>The key takeaways here for the less informed, is that while Silver, errors, and rarities can and do still exist and float around in circulation, it is far from easy to find them. You may go to the bank and purchase a box of halves, nickels, pennies, etc, and you might find a few Silver coins, but it is highly unlikely that you will happen to get a box with hundreds of Silver coins or an error worth thousands. What most of these YouTubers fail to show in their videos, is the amount of work required to Coin Roll Hunt. Trips to the bank, dumping thousands of dollars in coins, and often, searching through box after skunk box to beat the odds and get a handful of Silver coins. It can be fun, but know your odds.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>G. Live Streams of prominent YouTubers Coin Roll Hunting and selling groups of rolls to subscribers, and whatever is found in that group is sent to the buyer.</b></p><p><br /></p><p>This is one point not exactly about misinformation, but how some prominent YouTubers often use their channels to prey on their younger and uninformed crowds. Not all YouTubers do this, but I know of several who do. Pretty much, the racket works like this: The creator of the channel will schedule and broadcast live streams of themselves Coin Roll Hunting to their audiences, and then will set aside groups in various numbers of machine wrapped rolls. The host will then announce that if subscribers send them a predetermined fee via Patreon or Paypal, and pay for the groups of coin rolls, they will open the rolls and send them what is found in the rolls. Usually the fees are $15-$20. It is effectively a new spin on the old eBay "unsearched roll" scam, combined with a vibe akin to that of gambling. The reason why I say this is a racket is because I've watched such feeds, and many younger folks and people that don't know any better throw their money at these people, to only get a mere fraction of their value back from the coins.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>List of the most common and egregious channels that I have witnessed broadcasting Numismatic misinformation:</b></p><p><br /></p><p>Couch Collectibles</p><p><br /></p><p>HalfDolla'MakeYaHolla'</p><p><br /></p><p>QuinsCoins</p><p><br /></p><p>TreasureTown</p><p><br /></p><p>RobFindsTreasure</p><p><br /></p><p>SilverSearcher</p><p><br /></p><p>JD'svarietychannel</p><p><br /></p><p>JB'sCoinsInc</p><p><br /></p><p>Stack attack</p><p><br /></p><p>DigginDave</p><p><br /></p><p>MyGoldCoin</p><p><br /></p><p>FactsVerse</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>In conclusion, as ambassadors to this exciting and fulfilling hobby, it is our duty to the newer and younger folks to root out and curb the rampant misinformation and dispell the false, misleading information about Numismatics being spread all over the internet, and particularly on YouTube. I hope this post serves as a warning to all who read it, to take any information not from trusted sources with a grain of salt.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>If anybody else has anything to add, comments, critiques, etc, please share it in a reply.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Sincerely,</p><p>John</p><p>1916D10C[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="1916D10C, post: 3296210, member: 97585"]To all the folks on CoinTalk, to those lurking who are not even registered, and especially to those who have become interested in the hobby of Numismatics through YouTube Videos, We all know about how Youtubers are posting videos to make money from views, ads and audience. There is a large population of YouTubers posting such videos on various topics of Numismatics. We seem to have had an enormous influx of enthusiastic newbies in the past few years coming into the hobby and joining CoinTalk after watching YouTube videos, often ones promising that one can get rich finding certain coins in circulation. I have no problem with new folks in this hobby, we were all new at one point, and we need more folks in this hobby. What I DO have a problem with is absolute nobody's, with zero experience in the field, posting videos with clickbait titles and downright false claims that mislead and start new folks off in the field with unrealistic perceptions and expectations. Some of these YouTubers are downright PREYING on the younger crowds and the uninformed. There is a common pattern with the self proclaimed experts and their videos, and in this thread I am going to attempt to address the pattern and the most common innaccuracies that I have seen. Below is a list of some of the general examples of mendacious claims I have witnessed while browsing YouTube, and I will address the key takeaways from each and every one below as a separate point. I have also attached to this post several examples of the types of bogus and concocted videos I am referring to. [B]A. False information and misleading statements about errors, types of errors, and their values.[/B] This is by far, in my experience, the most commonly seen form of misinformation that is rampantly and furiously disseminated on YouTube. Flashy, all capital letter titles claiming certain errors are worth thousands, or even millions (yes you read that right, millions) of dollars grace a flamboyant, expertly constructed thumbnail. Typically the errors displayed in the videos are minor errors that the poster has found, and often is followed by claims that they are worth large sums. Other videos, however, sometimes are put together almost entirely with photos of certain well known errors, such as the 1955 Doubled Die Obverse Lincoln Cent, taken off of Google images or Numismatic websites. The poster then narrates the video and discusses the errors in detail and quotes values, and often shares questionable Numismatic sites to "learn more". Often, the poster will indicate through verbal clues that he has never owned, examined, or even seen such Coins in-hand under a loupe. The key takeaway here for the less experienced to understand is when they come across such a video, that, as with anything of value, not all error coins are equal. Remember the United States mint makes millions of coins each year, and errors are certain to slip under the radar of quality control. Common minor errors, including, but not limited to, die breaks, chips, cracks, machine doubling, and lamination, unless extremely dramatic or of a rare variety, are often only worth a small premium over face value. [B]B. Sweeping claims that a certain date of coin (often a commonly seen date) is worth large sums of money.[/B] Many of us have seen it. Someone posts a video in similar fashion as described in point 'A', example: "YOUR 1958-D PENNY CAN BE WORTH FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS!!!" The narrator then goes on to elaborate and displays a slabbed coin in an incredibly lofty grade and state of preservation, such as MS68, and instructs viewers to check their change because they could be sitting on $50K. The key takeaway here to the newer folks, is that it is next to impossible to find any true rarity in circulation, be it a condition rarity such as an MS68 Kennedy Half, or equally unlikely, to find a high profile, documented rarity, such as a 1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent. You are far more likely to hit the jackpot on the 6 spot Powerball. Condition rarities are just that: A coin not normally seen in such a high state of preservation. Out of millions of coins made, only a small handful, usually less than 20 or so, survive in such a state. A slight trace of circulation, the slightest blemish on such a coin will bring it back to the value of a common coin. This is where investing in a Red Book will assist you in accurately determining estimated values of coins. [B]C. Videos intended to educate folks about Coin grading.[/B] I have seen videos constructed entirely of photos of coins pulled from Google, and the narrator then reads a description of said photos, and thus "teaches" the audience how to grade a certain series of coins. While this can be helpful regarding circulated coins, it is completely worthless in the controversial world of Mint State Coin grading. The best way to learn how to grade coins is by looking at as many as you possibly can in-hand, and most Numismatists are constantly learning this art. If you want a book that definitively and explicitly describes coin grading from a fresh and modern perspective, and written by a respected individual within the hobby, invest in "[I]The Art And Science of Grading Coins[/I]" by Jason Poe. I can guarantee it is far more factual and educational than any YouTube video you will ever watch. [B]D. Videos highlighting prominent Numismatic rarities, and implying it is possible to find one in circulation, such as The 1894-S Barber Dime, and 1913 Liberty Nickel.[/B] The key takeaway here should be pretty obvious by now if you have read this far. As similarly discussed in point 'B'-- Your chances of finding an 1894-S Barber Dime in your change or in rolls are pretty close to nil, even with the few not accounted for. The 1913 Nickels are all in private hands. [B]E. Videos explaining different methods on how to clean Coins.[/B] The Key takeaway here is that under no circumstances should a beginner attempt to clean their coins, especially not using the "household chemical" methods as displayed in many YouTube Videos. Cleaning and conservation of coins is a risky venture, even for advanced Numismatists. For a newer collector, it is incredibly easy to destroy any value a Coin has through inexperienced cleaning attempts. [B]F. Coin Roll Hunting videos, giving a skewed representation and implying it is easy for one to get rich and make money by finding Silver, errors, and rarities in rolls and circulation.[/B] This is another extremely common type of video that gives new folks unrealistic expectations about this side hobby of sorts from serious, conventional Numismatics. Again, flashy titles with fancy thumbnails suck the intrigued newbie in, and the videos are often filled with promises that one can make good money through roll hunting and can find rarities, errors, etc. The key takeaways here for the less informed, is that while Silver, errors, and rarities can and do still exist and float around in circulation, it is far from easy to find them. You may go to the bank and purchase a box of halves, nickels, pennies, etc, and you might find a few Silver coins, but it is highly unlikely that you will happen to get a box with hundreds of Silver coins or an error worth thousands. What most of these YouTubers fail to show in their videos, is the amount of work required to Coin Roll Hunt. Trips to the bank, dumping thousands of dollars in coins, and often, searching through box after skunk box to beat the odds and get a handful of Silver coins. It can be fun, but know your odds. [B]G. Live Streams of prominent YouTubers Coin Roll Hunting and selling groups of rolls to subscribers, and whatever is found in that group is sent to the buyer.[/B] This is one point not exactly about misinformation, but how some prominent YouTubers often use their channels to prey on their younger and uninformed crowds. Not all YouTubers do this, but I know of several who do. Pretty much, the racket works like this: The creator of the channel will schedule and broadcast live streams of themselves Coin Roll Hunting to their audiences, and then will set aside groups in various numbers of machine wrapped rolls. The host will then announce that if subscribers send them a predetermined fee via Patreon or Paypal, and pay for the groups of coin rolls, they will open the rolls and send them what is found in the rolls. Usually the fees are $15-$20. It is effectively a new spin on the old eBay "unsearched roll" scam, combined with a vibe akin to that of gambling. The reason why I say this is a racket is because I've watched such feeds, and many younger folks and people that don't know any better throw their money at these people, to only get a mere fraction of their value back from the coins. [B]List of the most common and egregious channels that I have witnessed broadcasting Numismatic misinformation:[/B] Couch Collectibles HalfDolla'MakeYaHolla' QuinsCoins TreasureTown RobFindsTreasure SilverSearcher JD'svarietychannel JB'sCoinsInc Stack attack DigginDave MyGoldCoin FactsVerse In conclusion, as ambassadors to this exciting and fulfilling hobby, it is our duty to the newer and younger folks to root out and curb the rampant misinformation and dispell the false, misleading information about Numismatics being spread all over the internet, and particularly on YouTube. I hope this post serves as a warning to all who read it, to take any information not from trusted sources with a grain of salt. If anybody else has anything to add, comments, critiques, etc, please share it in a reply. Sincerely, John 1916D10C[/QUOTE]
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