@Justacommeman said:
The fact that some of you can get laid with those heady backgrounds boggles my mind
m
That that video clip has burned into my retina. Evil and funny. Watch your back.
Yup. And I hear dueling banjos in the background.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
As a kid I worked in a coin store as a "gopher". Cleaning the windows and show cases. Pulling bulk coins to send to local artists that used to "keyhole" saw the designs into jewelery and generally trying to learn the insides of a coin business.
After that I worked in Cal. div. Forestry cutting fire roads in Black Star Canyon and Modjeska Canyon (So. Ca.) using nothing more than a maddock and an axe. (I wasn't the only one, we were a crew of about 30 and worked our collective butts off).
Then I got into construction, building Wild West clothing stores (So. Ca.) and later building etching and plating tanks for the semiconductor industry. Too many chemicals in that work, liked the job, but hated getting acids and cyanide on me when fixing equipment that had been in service for a while.
Since the early 80s I've spent 36 years in tech industry, doing everything from installing, repairing and selling barcode readers and printers to managing networks to managing voice networks. Currently maintaining Cisco, Avaya and Cloud voice services for a very large beauty industry company based in San Francisco, Ca. These days I see more make up in a single week than I had ever seen in my entire life before. I feel a bit like a fish on a bicycle dealing with the beauty industry, but the job helps pay for my numismatic mental illness, so I keep going back.
Have had a penchant for learning stuff. BA in Accounting 47 years ago. MBA in Real Estate 33 years ago. Realtor for 10+ years. Licensed Financial Planner for a few years. Licensed Insurance salesman for a few years. Then got the itch for retail sales, retired Sears 20 years ago. Slowly lost my hearing due to an exploding tank I happened to be on in 1967. Went back to school and became an Audiologist and retired 8 years ago from that. None has helped in coins, except I love researching the history behind them.
bob
Registry: CC lowballs (boblindstrom), bobinvegas1989@yahoo.com
@AUandAG said:
Have had a penchant for learning stuff. BA in Accounting 47 years ago. MBA in Real Estate 33 years ago. Realtor for 10+ years. Licensed Financial Planner for a few years. Licensed Insurance salesman for a few years. Then got the itch for retail sales, retired Sears 20 years ago. Slowly lost my hearing due to an exploding tank I happened to be on in 1967. Went back to school and became an Audiologist and retired 8 years ago from that. None has helped in coins, except I love researching the history behind them.
My first big test into the Theory of Shoeing and Balancing.
My first big test as a Trainer & Driver.
My first professional Racing win... and win we did.. by 13 lengths.. and my horse did it like he was a machine.
To keep it coin related... if I put a cleaned coin in my back pocket... I could after a few races add racing wear to the coin.... (((( Retired ))))
I have a computer science degree, and I worked in the software development field for 37 years, primarily in the financial services industry. I recently retired, because I frankly got a little bored moving bits around. Spent the last 10 years of my professional career working entirely in web technologies. As a result, I'm always interested in seeing how dealer's webpages are constructed. I know that sounds 'geeky', but what the heck, I am a coin collector.
Dave
Always looking for original, better date VF20-VF35 Barber quarters and halves, and a quality beer.
@Justacommeman said:
Designer and opportunist by trade. I've always gravitated to aesthetically pleasing coins. I have a background in world religion/history so it all kind of ties together.
mark
Your a candidate to collect darkside.
Indeed. I dabble. The irony is my early design training put me in the direct path of Eric Newman at good old 501 N Broadway in DT St Louis. Small world
mark
Wow that is ironic!
@Sonorandesertrat said:
I studied organ for 14 years, until my sophomore year in college. I don't play anymore, but remain addicted to 16th-18th-century keyboard music. Minored in math (got as far as group theory and advanced calculus). I have a B.A. in German and learned Spanish at home.
I bet your a fan of Phantom of the Opera!
@mustangmanbob said:
Uncle Sam came knocking, and made me a deal I could not refuse. Airborne Ranger Infantry man, toured the world, but not the nice garden spots.
Uncle came through afterward and paid for my education, and would up with a degree in Nuclear Physics, For a while I worked on SIngle Pulse Single Use Power generators (those things that North Korea et al are setting off and rattling the world a bit), but eventually moved over to semiconductors, as the size of the components has reached the atomic level. As mentioned before, one of my areas had 30+ SEMs and other types of inspection equipment.
God blessed me in this work with patent and stock option type stuff, so I have retired, and spend a lot of time on mission trips, primarily installing water systems in impoverished parts of the world. Clean water, in the village, saves a lot of lives,and time, as women (young girls) would walk for hours a day to get water, and often were kidnapped, and even best case, stopped going to school.
What a blessed journey the Lord has led you !
I manage money. I earn money. I save money . I give away money. I collect money. I don’t love money . I do love the Lord God.
I'm a simple man, acquiring my education through OJT and hard knocks. Thirty five years in the construction and maintenance field. On a trip back from the LA ANA event years ago, I shared a plane with Bill Fivaz and his wife Mary. Found out in conversation that we both worked in the same industry providing a particular food source for the masses. Anyone care to guess what we have in common?
Doesn't have anything to do with money. Was a tech helping to turn tungsten and molybdenum powder into ingots, rod, and wire. When the incandescent bulbs were looked down upon they sent me abroad to eastern Europe to set the equipment up there and get the folks there to make it on their own. Now I spend my time riding around in a golf cart all night checking the flow of liquids and gasses (retirement job).
"May the silver waves that bear you heavenward be filled with love’s whisperings"
"A dog breaks your heart only one time and that is when they pass on". Unknown
@Jimnight said:
My first big test into the Theory of Shoeing and Balancing.
My first big test as a Trainer & Driver.
My first professional Racing win... and win we did.. by 13 lengths.. and my horse did it like he was a machine.
To keep it coin related... if I put a cleaned coin in my back pocket... I could after a few races add racing wear to the coin.... (((( Retired ))))
I grow up on a harness track for part of my youth ( Northville Downs) Used to come in after the 7th race nightly. Loved it. Cool glasses dude!
m
Walker Proof Digital Album Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Started with a BA in anthropology, worked in archaeology on historic US sites for a couple of years, then went to med school. Been a country doc for 30 years now. We treat a lot of things in the office, yesterday started with a walk-in who sliced his hand open on sheet metal, stitched him up in the office and saved him the trouble (and cost)of an ER visit, ended the day draining and packing a nasty abscess on the hindquarters of a young landscaper (another ER trip avoided), in between chronic disease followups, sent one to the hospital with what I think may be Rocky Mountain Spotted fever. Been seeing some of my patients for over 25 years; I can't imagine doing anything else.
My office is near a bunch of Civil War battlefields and some of my patients do metal detecting; I've helped some with identifying coins they have found
@bolivarshagnasty said:
I'm a simple man, acquiring my education through OJT and hard knocks. Thirty five years in the construction and maintenance field. On a trip back from the LA ANA event years ago, I shared a plane with Bill Fivaz and his wife Mary. Found out in conversation that we both worked in the same industry providing a particular food source for the masses. Anyone care to guess what we have in common?
I like that the husband and wife are named William and Mary.
No, but I would like to know how you arrived at that?
Just a WAG. Lots of people around my area talk bees.
We both made our living in the CHOCOLATE business. Bill was a commodities buyer for Nestles, I managed the utilities department at a factory for M&M Mars where we made Twix and M&M's.
No, but I would like to know how you arrived at that?
Just a WAG. Lots of people around my area talk bees.
We both made our living in the CHOCOLATE business. Bill was a commodities buyer for Nestles, I managed the utilities department at a factory for M&M Mars where we made Twix and M&M's.
I kept thinking farming. Hogs, chickens, beefers, milk, honey etc.
"May the silver waves that bear you heavenward be filled with love’s whisperings"
"A dog breaks your heart only one time and that is when they pass on". Unknown
No, but I would like to know how you arrived at that?
Just a WAG. Lots of people around my area talk bees.
We both made our living in the CHOCOLATE business. Bill was a commodities buyer for Nestles, I managed the utilities department at a factory for M&M Mars where we made Twix and M&M's.
Were you in the Left Twix factory or the Right Twix factory?
Very cool. I find modern mass production fascinating. I’m sure you were a big hit in your neighborhood on Halloween, too.
@Toma said:
Going into the Army in 3 weeks as a water treatment specialist and I'm really eager to find out how/if that mos will affect my everyday life, coins included. Maybe the discipline will help me fill out some folders rather than just buying cull morgans and playing with them.
"Water Dawg', my daughter was a 'Water Dawg' the army don't go no where unless they have potable water.
I haven't touched a UH-60 transmission in 15 years, so on Monday mornings I sleep in on purpose, get up, make coffee and read the newspaper (actually do the Jumble) and wonder what the working class is doing. ~burp~
@bolivarshagnasty said:
I'm a simple man, acquiring my education through OJT and hard knocks. Thirty five years in the construction and maintenance field. On a trip back from the LA ANA event years ago, I shared a plane with Bill Fivaz and his wife Mary. Found out in conversation that we both worked in the same industry providing a particular food source for the masses. Anyone care to guess what we have in common?
I like that the husband and wife are named William and Mary.
I've worked in various capacities in IT. From database programmer in Linux to futures and forex trader when that industry had a hard on for techies. I currently run a small MSP and consulting firm.
@Raybo said:
I'm totally confused about this thread, anyone else?
When confused, just act like you know what's going on, sometimes you get clues as you play along and clarity reveals the true essence of the happening.
If coins were made out of steel, magnesium or titanium, I'd be on top of the answer list, but alas, I shall have to lurk once again.
@Justacommeman said:
The fact that some of you can get laid with those heady backgrounds boggles my mind
m
Well, I happened to be reading new posts this morning, and my wife happened to glance at your video clip, I told her it was a blog for coin collectors. Now she thinks coin collectors must be idiots (not just me, thankfully).
Member: EAC, NBS, C4, CWTS, ANA
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
BA in English, with a Myers Briggs profile of INTJ which puts me in a small percentage of the overall population that would be perfect for the CIA (but don't work there).
Seated Half Society member #38 "Got a flaming heart, can't get my fill"
Please tell me you're joking. I " HAD" a nephew who grew weed. The last time I talked to him he told me, "People think it's easy growing pot, but it's not." A year or so ago he ended up with a bullet in his head and he was thrown out of a car, doused with gasoline and set on fire while still alive over a weed deal gone bad. His dad had to identify the body. Can you imagine? I noticed you got some LOL 's. It's not funny. It's deadly. Please tell me you're joking. Nothing funny about drugs. NOTHING.
Please tell me you're joking. I " HAD" a nephew who grew weed. The last time I talked to him he told me, "People think it's easy growing pot, but it's not." A year or so ago he ended up with a bullet in his head and he was thrown out of a car, doused with gasoline and set on fire while still alive over a weed deal gone bad. His dad had to identify the body. Can you imagine? I noticed you got some LOL 's. It's not funny. It's deadly. Please tell me you're joking. Nothing funny about drugs. NOTHING.
If you go back and read my post it was made after several in posters immediately prior listed occupations that we're NASA like and over my head. My post was made in a self deprecating manner. I apologize if I offended you and I'm sorry for your loss
mark
Walker Proof Digital Album Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
I work as a freelance lighting and projection/video designer, mostly for the live entertainment and theatre industry. I also occasionally teach and work for large corporate meetings and what not. I have been collection coins since I was 10 when my father showed me his boyhood collection.
@pbj said: @Justacommeman did you ever post what your actual background is? Would like to know...
Indeed I did.
Designer and opportunist by trade. I've always gravitated to aesthetically pleasing coins. I have a background in world religion/history so it all kind of ties together.
I took some time off in 2004-2006 and daytraded and became a volunteer fire fighter. Both jobs were equally dangerous. I once left a big trade open while I went on a run. I drove the engine and couldn’t close it. I got lucky.
mark
Walker Proof Digital Album Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
@Justacommeman did you do the "real" type of day trading where you were buying and selling within seconds/minutes at high volumes based on minute predictions and fluctuations of share prices?
@pbj said: @Justacommeman did you do the "real" type of day trading where you were buying and selling within seconds/minutes at high volumes based on minute predictions and fluctuations of share prices?
Yes. I did it with a few other traders. It was a great crew. I specialized in scalps sort of as you described. Others in swing trades or longer day trades. One guy was an options savant. I was decent myself on swing options. We shared info in real time. We were from all other the globe. When the alarm went off I went for the first engine and drove. Then I realized in the all commotion that I left a trade open. Too late. The UPS man used to deliver my monthly statements
My son had recently graduated from college ( Go Blue) and is/ was an online poker savant. Between my four screens and his 12 my home office looked like NASA mission control
m
Walker Proof Digital Album Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Lots of risk in trading stocks, Mark Twain: "October: This is one of the peculiarly dangerous months to speculate in stocks. The others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, December, August, and February."
@divecchia said:
Wow, there are some real intelligent people here with many different college degrees. I only graduated high school, but feel I did fine with it.
I started working a real job at the ripe old age of 12 (there may be child labor laws against this today). I worked summers and after school for an older couple that owned a few properties in my area. They taught me all the basics of home repair (drywall, carpentry, plumbing and electrical). I worked for them until I graduated high school. Since we have a bunch of programmers here I may as well include that I taught myself to program in “Basic” in 1979 on a TRS-80 (known as the trash 80 back then) when I was 15 years old. I had intensions of going on to college to be a computer programmer but realized quickly after only one semester that college was not for me. I spent a year or so writing some programs for Massachusetts College of Art in Boston, but the atmosphere and the dress code were an issue for me. In 1984 I left Mass College of Art and decided to go to work in a local foam factory (Rogers Foam Corporation) where I used my hands and carpentry skills to run machines and build foam products from children’s toys (nerf balls, foam trucks and foam planes) to packaging for the military (tank parts and small missiles). I taught myself how to read blueprints (many prints were still blue in color at that time) and quickly moved up to setup man and then Foreman covering 2 or 3 different departments. After about 14 years of working the floors I was promoted to Production Manager where I manage second and third shift. I’ve been Production Manager for about 20 years now and really like doing it.
I’m not really sure that this helps me in coin collecting, other than looking for fully struck coins as I have a simple understanding of why coins start looking soft as the production dies start to wear out from usage, just like they do where I work.
Donato
Don't equate having a college degree with intelligence. Having a college degree only means that one learned how to navigate an academic system--learn enough to get a passing grade on an exam, etc. Based on my assessments of the people I have hired (and fired) during the last twenty years, many holders of BS degrees in the basic sciences or engineering in truth cannot do very much. Most additionally have poor writing skills. I have, on the other hand, met plenty of people who had a lot of street smarts and could get things done, but did not graduate from college.
Member: EAC, NBS, C4, CWTS, ANA
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
I wrote this blog a few months back and I think it is right up the alley of this thread. (Yikes, I need to write more!!)
I am a Naval Officer first and foremost, but a meteorologist/oceanographer and climatologist by trade. What this really equates to is that I am a risk manager, and all people listen to their weatherperson for those reasons. Do I risk not taking an umbrella? If I don't, what are the consequences? Risk decisions only build from there. Now that I am retired from the Navy, I do some consulting work for bigger decisions like "what happens if we don't protect Miami from sea level rise?"
I wrote about risks and opportunities associated with some of the tech that I work with daily in this blog. Enjoy and share as you see fit.
While finishing the last three years of my Naval career in Silicon Valley, I was exposed to parts and pieces of the tech world that I never would have been privy to otherwise. The pace of change in the valley is staggering. Research in the fields of autonomy, artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer vision, additive manufacturing and data science are just a few areas that the Department of Defense is interested in pursuing for military use. The military applications of these commercial technologies are surprisingly common. Secretaries of Defense Ash Carter and James Mattis recognize that without adoption of new technologies, our military will slowly lose dominance…and relevance. Furthermore, failing to understand how our adversaries could use these tools places American service men and women in grave danger. NOT taking technological risk is full of hidden risk.
Similarly, our hobby has fallen critically behind the technological power curve. There is of course no real comparison in the gravity between numismatic and national defense, but the lack of recognition and adaptation to technological advancement in numismatics is stunning. Whether you are a dealer or collector, failing to consider how technology is reshaping the landscape is dangerous.
Located in the heart of the world’s innovation center, Silicon Valley Coins and this blog will discuss, in various levels of detail, the good, the bad and the ugly of the intersections of tech and numismatics. An executive summary can be found below.
THE GOOD: Information availability has drastically changed the coin business. Data on pricing, frequency of sales, high resolution images and dealer competition have made the hobby more accessible to more people than ever. From a collector standpoint, it has also driven down prices for many of the more generic issues as the wealth of information quickly shows how available many of coins, even classic key dates, can be found at the click of a mouse. Just 20 years ago, most collectors would have been relegated to their local coin shop and the occasional coin shows in their regions. Now, the entire world is at their fingertips!
THE BAD: Information comes with a price, however. Much like a whole generation of young people have diminished social skills because they are texting instead of interacting in person, technology has given some collectors and dealers an overinflated sense of knowledge and expertise. There is no substitute for holding a coin in hand. Numismatics is full of subtleties. Technology can prevent those in the hobby from critical lessons in nuance and subtlety.
Conversely, non-profit organizations within our hobby that are charged with the duty of spreading the joy and excitement of numismatics are failing miserably to capitalize on technology as a marketing tool. The next generation of collector operates and interacts with the world in a much different way than many of us and it centers around social media, smart phones and computers. In any business, one is either growing or dying. There is no steady state. Go to any local, regional or national show to get a sense of which direction we are heading. Technology needs to be strategically used to engage new collectors for a lifelong passion for coins.
THE UGLY: Counterfeiting has been a problem that governments and society have had to contend with for centuries. For collectors, there is a special place in hell for those that produce fake examples of our treasures. In corporate America, companies like GE are at the beginning phases of making additive manufacturing part of their business practice. It sounds scary, but if you are manufacturer or an airline and a certain part breaks, just print a new one and throw it in! This is happening right now, and it will only continue to advance. 3D printers primarily use polymers, but metal printers are viable and being used with increasing frequency. It is only a matter of time before someone starts to use these for counterfeiting purposes. It will not be easy given the die markers and luster that coins exhibit, but I would guess within five years, the code and scanning tech in conjunction with Artificial Intelligence will be sophisticated enough to print very deceptive pieces with die markers included. This is a significant challenge with which our hobby will likely need to contend.
Despite the difficulties ahead, I am very bullish on numismatics. There is more opportunity than risk by a large margin. If you are interested in starting a rewarding new hobby or are interested in rekindling an old childhood passion in a new and exciting technological age, why not give John a call at 650.542.9595 to discuss what Silicon Valley Coins can do for you. Happy hunting!
In the past 30 years, in the field of biopharmaceuticals, I've been called research assistant, research associate, laboratory supervisor, senior pilot plant supervisor, manager of factory scale up, research scientist, senior process development scientist, associate director of technical operations, director of manufacturing, senior director of process engineering, and vice president of operations.
I find the subject of the coining, coin use and aging, and collecting processes to be related to my former occupations in interesting ways, primarily physics and measurement, and evaluation of the net effects and results of many causes and variables over time.
@crazyhounddog said:
Machinist/tool maker/welder fabricator. Build military equipment for more years than I like to think about. I've worked metal all my life.
I am happily retired now.
My favorite place to visit when I deliver goods is a machine shop, I can't explain it but it just makes me happy.
@crazyhounddog said:
Machinist/tool maker/welder fabricator. Build military equipment for more years than I like to think about. I've worked metal all my life.
I am happily retired now.
My favorite place to visit when I deliver goods is a machine shop, I can't explain it but it just makes me happy.
I have enjoyed my work all of my life. I’m sure that working metal was what I was put on this earth to do.
The bitterness of "Poor Quality" is remembered long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.
@Crypto said:
bureaucrat married to a judge. Very DC
Doing what I do I am very used to handling other people’s old money
I have been in financial services for 37 years and work for Morgan Stanley . My title is SVP
Portfolio Management Director.
I handle other people's money .
What should I do with the 100+K I have in my savings account?
My bank (1st Midwest) is now offering 2.25% for a 13 month CD or 2.5% for a 23 month CD, what to do?
I'm also thinking of throwing some funds into the PM market (platinum?) Kitco?
Should I liquidate my two annuities? (2004 & 2006)
I got a few K in a Roth so that's no biggie.
My coins?
I hope my coins will go to someone that appreciates them as much I do.
Comments
That that video clip has burned into my retinas. Evil and funny. Watch your back.
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
Yup. And I hear dueling banjos in the background.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
As a kid I worked in a coin store as a "gopher". Cleaning the windows and show cases. Pulling bulk coins to send to local artists that used to "keyhole" saw the designs into jewelery and generally trying to learn the insides of a coin business.
After that I worked in Cal. div. Forestry cutting fire roads in Black Star Canyon and Modjeska Canyon (So. Ca.) using nothing more than a maddock and an axe. (I wasn't the only one, we were a crew of about 30 and worked our collective butts off).
Then I got into construction, building Wild West clothing stores (So. Ca.) and later building etching and plating tanks for the semiconductor industry. Too many chemicals in that work, liked the job, but hated getting acids and cyanide on me when fixing equipment that had been in service for a while.
Since the early 80s I've spent 36 years in tech industry, doing everything from installing, repairing and selling barcode readers and printers to managing networks to managing voice networks. Currently maintaining Cisco, Avaya and Cloud voice services for a very large beauty industry company based in San Francisco, Ca. These days I see more make up in a single week than I had ever seen in my entire life before. I feel a bit like a fish on a bicycle dealing with the beauty industry, but the job helps pay for my numismatic mental illness, so I keep going back.
Have had a penchant for learning stuff. BA in Accounting 47 years ago. MBA in Real Estate 33 years ago. Realtor for 10+ years. Licensed Financial Planner for a few years. Licensed Insurance salesman for a few years. Then got the itch for retail sales, retired Sears 20 years ago. Slowly lost my hearing due to an exploding tank I happened to be on in 1967. Went back to school and became an Audiologist and retired 8 years ago from that. None has helped in coins, except I love researching the history behind them.
bob
WOW
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
My first big test into the Theory of Shoeing and Balancing.
My first big test as a Trainer & Driver.
My first professional Racing win... and win we did.. by 13 lengths.. and my horse did it like he was a machine.
To keep it coin related... if I put a cleaned coin in my back pocket... I could after a few races add racing wear to the coin.... (((( Retired ))))
That's how I move when I need to "adjust".
"A dog breaks your heart only one time and that is when they pass on". Unknown
I have a computer science degree, and I worked in the software development field for 37 years, primarily in the financial services industry. I recently retired, because I frankly got a little bored moving bits around. Spent the last 10 years of my professional career working entirely in web technologies. As a result, I'm always interested in seeing how dealer's webpages are constructed. I know that sounds 'geeky', but what the heck, I am a coin collector.
Dave
I'm a "nerd herder" - supervise a staff of IT and management / program / financial analysts
Wow that is ironic!
I bet your a fan of Phantom of the Opera!
What a blessed journey the Lord has led you !
I give away money. I collect money.
I don’t love money . I do love the Lord God.
I'm a simple man, acquiring my education through OJT and hard knocks. Thirty five years in the construction and maintenance field. On a trip back from the LA ANA event years ago, I shared a plane with Bill Fivaz and his wife Mary. Found out in conversation that we both worked in the same industry providing a particular food source for the masses. Anyone care to guess what we have in common?
Honey bees?
"A dog breaks your heart only one time and that is when they pass on". Unknown
Doesn't have anything to do with money. Was a tech helping to turn tungsten and molybdenum powder into ingots, rod, and wire. When the incandescent bulbs were looked down upon they sent me abroad to eastern Europe to set the equipment up there and get the folks there to make it on their own. Now I spend my time riding around in a golf cart all night checking the flow of liquids and gasses (retirement job).
"A dog breaks your heart only one time and that is when they pass on". Unknown
I grow up on a harness track for part of my youth ( Northville Downs) Used to come in after the 7th race nightly. Loved it. Cool glasses dude!
m
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Started with a BA in anthropology, worked in archaeology on historic US sites for a couple of years, then went to med school. Been a country doc for 30 years now. We treat a lot of things in the office, yesterday started with a walk-in who sliced his hand open on sheet metal, stitched him up in the office and saved him the trouble (and cost)of an ER visit, ended the day draining and packing a nasty abscess on the hindquarters of a young landscaper (another ER trip avoided), in between chronic disease followups, sent one to the hospital with what I think may be Rocky Mountain Spotted fever. Been seeing some of my patients for over 25 years; I can't imagine doing anything else.
My office is near a bunch of Civil War battlefields and some of my patients do metal detecting; I've helped some with identifying coins they have found
No, but I would like to know how you arrived at that?
Just a WAG. Lots of people around my area talk bees.
"A dog breaks your heart only one time and that is when they pass on". Unknown
I like that the husband and wife are named William and Mary.
We both made our living in the CHOCOLATE business. Bill was a commodities buyer for Nestles, I managed the utilities department at a factory for M&M Mars where we made Twix and M&M's.
I kept thinking farming.
Hogs, chickens, beefers, milk, honey etc.
"A dog breaks your heart only one time and that is when they pass on". Unknown
Were you in the Left Twix factory or the Right Twix factory?
Very cool. I find modern mass production fascinating. I’m sure you were a big hit in your neighborhood on Halloween, too.
"Water Dawg', my daughter was a 'Water Dawg' the army don't go no where unless they have potable water.
"Keep your malarkey filter in good operating order" -Walter Breen
I haven't touched a UH-60 transmission in 15 years, so on Monday mornings I sleep in on purpose, get up, make coffee and read the newspaper (actually do the Jumble) and wonder what the working class is doing. ~burp~
"Keep your malarkey filter in good operating order" -Walter Breen
William and Mary? Class of '79.
I'm totally confused about this thread, anyone else?
I've worked in various capacities in IT. From database programmer in Linux to futures and forex trader when that industry had a hard on for techies. I currently run a small MSP and consulting firm.
Smart and good-looking are not mutually exclusive!
Kind regards,
George
I am senior partner of a financial planning and investment advisory team at a household name financial services company.
When confused, just act like you know what's going on, sometimes you get clues as you play along and clarity reveals the true essence of the happening.
If coins were made out of steel, magnesium or titanium, I'd be on top of the answer list, but alas, I shall have to lurk once again.
"Keep your malarkey filter in good operating order" -Walter Breen
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
BA in English, with a Myers Briggs profile of INTJ which puts me in a small percentage of the overall population that would be perfect for the CIA (but don't work there).
"Got a flaming heart, can't get my fill"
Please tell me you're joking. I " HAD" a nephew who grew weed. The last time I talked to him he told me, "People think it's easy growing pot, but it's not." A year or so ago he ended up with a bullet in his head and he was thrown out of a car, doused with gasoline and set on fire while still alive over a weed deal gone bad. His dad had to identify the body. Can you imagine? I noticed you got some LOL 's. It's not funny. It's deadly. Please tell me you're joking. Nothing funny about drugs. NOTHING.
If you go back and read my post it was made after several in posters immediately prior listed occupations that we're NASA like and over my head. My post was made in a self deprecating manner. I apologize if I offended you and I'm sorry for your loss
mark
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
So, Insider has your occupation history been numismatics professionally?
I work as a freelance lighting and projection/video designer, mostly for the live entertainment and theatre industry. I also occasionally teach and work for large corporate meetings and what not. I have been collection coins since I was 10 when my father showed me his boyhood collection.
@Justacommeman did you ever post what your actual background is? Would like to know...
Indeed I did.
Designer and opportunist by trade. I've always gravitated to aesthetically pleasing coins. I have a background in world religion/history so it all kind of ties together.
I took some time off in 2004-2006 and daytraded and became a volunteer fire fighter. Both jobs were equally dangerous. I once left a big trade open while I went on a run. I drove the engine and couldn’t close it. I got lucky.
mark
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
@Justacommeman did you do the "real" type of day trading where you were buying and selling within seconds/minutes at high volumes based on minute predictions and fluctuations of share prices?
"I once left a big trade open while I went on a run."
Yikes! I would also think that 'making adjustments' while physically engaged in day trading could be problematic.
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
Yes. I did it with a few other traders. It was a great crew. I specialized in scalps sort of as you described. Others in swing trades or longer day trades. One guy was an options savant. I was decent myself on swing options. We shared info in real time. We were from all other the globe. When the alarm went off I went for the first engine and drove. Then I realized in the all commotion that I left a trade open. Too late. The UPS man used to deliver my monthly statements
My son had recently graduated from college ( Go Blue) and is/ was an online poker savant. Between my four screens and his 12 my home office looked like NASA mission control
m
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Funny book on day trading: https://www.amazon.com/Trillionaire-Next-Door-Investors-Trading/dp/0066620767
Lots of risk in trading stocks, Mark Twain: "October: This is one of the peculiarly dangerous months to speculate in stocks. The others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, December, August, and February."
Don't equate having a college degree with intelligence. Having a college degree only means that one learned how to navigate an academic system--learn enough to get a passing grade on an exam, etc. Based on my assessments of the people I have hired (and fired) during the last twenty years, many holders of BS degrees in the basic sciences or engineering in truth cannot do very much. Most additionally have poor writing skills. I have, on the other hand, met plenty of people who had a lot of street smarts and could get things done, but did not graduate from college.
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
@Insider2 Cool thread.
I wrote this blog a few months back and I think it is right up the alley of this thread. (Yikes, I need to write more!!)
I am a Naval Officer first and foremost, but a meteorologist/oceanographer and climatologist by trade. What this really equates to is that I am a risk manager, and all people listen to their weatherperson for those reasons. Do I risk not taking an umbrella? If I don't, what are the consequences? Risk decisions only build from there. Now that I am retired from the Navy, I do some consulting work for bigger decisions like "what happens if we don't protect Miami from sea level rise?"
I wrote about risks and opportunities associated with some of the tech that I work with daily in this blog. Enjoy and share as you see fit.
https://siliconvalleycoins.com/numismatic-risk-and-opportunity-in-the-digital-age/
While finishing the last three years of my Naval career in Silicon Valley, I was exposed to parts and pieces of the tech world that I never would have been privy to otherwise. The pace of change in the valley is staggering. Research in the fields of autonomy, artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer vision, additive manufacturing and data science are just a few areas that the Department of Defense is interested in pursuing for military use. The military applications of these commercial technologies are surprisingly common. Secretaries of Defense Ash Carter and James Mattis recognize that without adoption of new technologies, our military will slowly lose dominance…and relevance. Furthermore, failing to understand how our adversaries could use these tools places American service men and women in grave danger. NOT taking technological risk is full of hidden risk.
Similarly, our hobby has fallen critically behind the technological power curve. There is of course no real comparison in the gravity between numismatic and national defense, but the lack of recognition and adaptation to technological advancement in numismatics is stunning. Whether you are a dealer or collector, failing to consider how technology is reshaping the landscape is dangerous.
Located in the heart of the world’s innovation center, Silicon Valley Coins and this blog will discuss, in various levels of detail, the good, the bad and the ugly of the intersections of tech and numismatics. An executive summary can be found below.
THE GOOD: Information availability has drastically changed the coin business. Data on pricing, frequency of sales, high resolution images and dealer competition have made the hobby more accessible to more people than ever. From a collector standpoint, it has also driven down prices for many of the more generic issues as the wealth of information quickly shows how available many of coins, even classic key dates, can be found at the click of a mouse. Just 20 years ago, most collectors would have been relegated to their local coin shop and the occasional coin shows in their regions. Now, the entire world is at their fingertips!
THE BAD: Information comes with a price, however. Much like a whole generation of young people have diminished social skills because they are texting instead of interacting in person, technology has given some collectors and dealers an overinflated sense of knowledge and expertise. There is no substitute for holding a coin in hand. Numismatics is full of subtleties. Technology can prevent those in the hobby from critical lessons in nuance and subtlety.
Conversely, non-profit organizations within our hobby that are charged with the duty of spreading the joy and excitement of numismatics are failing miserably to capitalize on technology as a marketing tool. The next generation of collector operates and interacts with the world in a much different way than many of us and it centers around social media, smart phones and computers. In any business, one is either growing or dying. There is no steady state. Go to any local, regional or national show to get a sense of which direction we are heading. Technology needs to be strategically used to engage new collectors for a lifelong passion for coins.
THE UGLY: Counterfeiting has been a problem that governments and society have had to contend with for centuries. For collectors, there is a special place in hell for those that produce fake examples of our treasures. In corporate America, companies like GE are at the beginning phases of making additive manufacturing part of their business practice. It sounds scary, but if you are manufacturer or an airline and a certain part breaks, just print a new one and throw it in! This is happening right now, and it will only continue to advance. 3D printers primarily use polymers, but metal printers are viable and being used with increasing frequency. It is only a matter of time before someone starts to use these for counterfeiting purposes. It will not be easy given the die markers and luster that coins exhibit, but I would guess within five years, the code and scanning tech in conjunction with Artificial Intelligence will be sophisticated enough to print very deceptive pieces with die markers included. This is a significant challenge with which our hobby will likely need to contend.
Despite the difficulties ahead, I am very bullish on numismatics. There is more opportunity than risk by a large margin. If you are interested in starting a rewarding new hobby or are interested in rekindling an old childhood passion in a new and exciting technological age, why not give John a call at 650.542.9595 to discuss what Silicon Valley Coins can do for you. Happy hunting!
siliconvalleycoins.com
In the past 30 years, in the field of biopharmaceuticals, I've been called research assistant, research associate, laboratory supervisor, senior pilot plant supervisor, manager of factory scale up, research scientist, senior process development scientist, associate director of technical operations, director of manufacturing, senior director of process engineering, and vice president of operations.
I find the subject of the coining, coin use and aging, and collecting processes to be related to my former occupations in interesting ways, primarily physics and measurement, and evaluation of the net effects and results of many causes and variables over time.
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
Delivery driver for the last 25 years, before that I worked for Eagle Foods starting in 1972.
Are there any members who work with things in their jobs that can be used on coins? Example: Any jewelers who use a laser to refinish jewelry?
My favorite place to visit when I deliver goods is a machine shop, I can't explain it but it just makes me happy.
I have enjoyed my work all of my life. I’m sure that working metal was what I was put on this earth to do.
My bank (1st Midwest) is now offering 2.25% for a 13 month CD or 2.5% for a 23 month CD, what to do?
I'm also thinking of throwing some funds into the PM market (platinum?) Kitco?
Should I liquidate my two annuities? (2004 & 2006)
I got a few K in a Roth so that's no biggie.
My coins?
I hope my coins will go to someone that appreciates them as much I do.
Business owner - Professional Employer Organization (PEO) - Payroll, benefits, HR, safety outsourcing for small to medium sized business.