Box of 20: Numismatic How Come's?

JeffersonFrog

Lest anyone get incensed, these are lighthearted jabs at some of life's little numismatic ironies. No need to take any of them too seriously.

How come ____________?

1. People on eBay who sell collections in a blue Whitman album use 2-4 of their pictures for the album?
2. PCGS's Posting Rules, one of the "perpetually at the top of the page" posts, still says "updated 2/12/11" (over 7 years ago!)?
3. Copper coins are graded RD when they are really Orange?
4. There's a 70 point universal grading scale and only 30 of the grades are used?
5. God made carbon spots?
6. A way-larger-than-it-should-be number of eBay sellers seem to take better pictures of fingers and fingernails than coins?
7. There is no coin furniture?
8. Jefferson nickels are the only sets in the Registry without weightings other than Presidential Dollars and 2009 Lincoln Cents?
9. PCGS can certify Spiderman coins, but can't figure out how to certify DHNIG flips? (Wouldn't it be ironic if NGC did?)
10. I didn't learn the quality over quantity lesson when I was a kid?
11. ANACS can't resurrect the small white holder?
12. People leave drive-by disagrees here on the Boards, a forum, without explaining what it is they disagree with?
13. I forget to bid on an item, no one else bids either, it gets relisted and I end up being the under-bidder?
14. PSA (card equivalent of PCGS) has a $10, 48 hour turnaround QuickOpinion service for authenticity and PCGS does not?
15. Numismatists love provenance/pedigree unless it is a coin that used to be grade x, but is now grade x+1?
16. I get buy low, sell high and buy high, sell low mixed up?
17. People rail on the Mint, then get up at the crack of dawn and buy every coin they offer in 16 minutes?
18. Instead of hitting the BIN, I try to save $__ and place the opening bid, only to be the under bidder for over the BIN price?
19. Numismatic accessories are sold in book stores?
20. The CCAC?

The kind of weird stuff that rattles around in my head. : )

TommyType

"13.I forget to bid on an item, no one else bids either, it gets relisted and I end up being the under-bidder?"

For the same reason that whenever I stop at an empty table at a coin show, 3-5 people suddenly show up to look over my shoulder. Having another bidder or browser validates that there is something "good" about that coin or table. Sheeple.

BillJones

@TommyType said:
"13.I forget to bid on an item, no one else bids either, it gets relisted and I end up being the under-bidder?"

For the same reason that whenever I stop at an empty table at a coin show, 3-5 people suddenly show up to look over my shoulder. Having another bidder or browser validates that there is something "good" about that coin or table. Sheeple.

When I was in my 20s and living in northern New Jersey, there used to be a bunch of old guys who would start bidding every time I placed a bid on an item in the club auction. It really got to be annoying.

At one point I was elected club treasurer, and to make the monthly drawing a bit more interesting, I started putting large cents, Mint State Morgan Dollars and other old coins in the mix in place of some the usual Proof sets and silver bars, which were all the rage for a while in the 1970s. Finally I told one of these old coots, “You know, these coins are only stuff I’m looking to put in the drawing. They are only fair buys, and you are not going to be able to sell these coins at a profit instantly.” That seemed to calm them down, but it was both a complement and curse have these people bidding against me all the time.

LindeDad

14 Something for new leadership at PCGS to think about.

asheland

Some good points made...

Kkathyl

6. can also include pictures on this forum. When you post a coin picture, please start with a normal front & back then do the zooms. Otherwise I get dizzy, frustrated & confused.

Aspie_Rocco

Well said @JeffersonFrog ! I got a few laughs and agreed with a lot of that.

Onastone

@JeffersonFrog said:

4. There's a 70 point universal grading scale and only 30 of the grades are used?

The new 30 point scale has just been born!!! Imagine getting that coin back graded MS-30 and being happy about it!!!!!

Timbuk3

Interesting !!!

ricko

Some interesting observations/points made.... Any one of which could be a thread in itself. Cheers, RickO

Yorkshireman

Good stuff here.
Reminds me of “Deep Thoughts...by Jack Handy” the old Saturday Night Live skit.

Zoins

Some additions:

@JeffersonFrog said:
3. Copper coins are graded RD when they are really Orange?

Copper coins are graded BN when they are really Blue?

5. God made carbon spots?

God made milk spots?

11. ANACS can't resurrect the small white holder?

ANACS can't make a box of 20 slab box for the small white holder?

14. PSA (card equivalent of PCGS) has a $10, 48 hour turnaround QuickOpinion service for authenticity and PCGS does not?

Sports cards use a 10 point scale, but coins need a 42 point scale (all grades and pluses)?

Unknown

This content has been removed.

Zoins

@afford said:
If they don't even come close to using the 70 point grading scale why does there always seem to be threats of a 100 point grading scale looking to ruin the hobby coming soon?

I'm not for a 100 point scale in the US, but it would at least allow for removal of pluses.

cameonut2011

@BillJones said:
When I was in my 20s and living in northern New Jersey, there used to be a bunch of old guys who would start bidding every time I placed a bid on an item in the club auction. It really got to be annoying.

If you have a following, use an agent to bid on your behalf.

BillJones

This was a local club auction. It was not exactly a venue where one would get so sophisticated.

JeffersonFrog

20b. A Capital Plastic holder for my newly acquired ANACS Photo Cert costs more than the Cert & Coin did!