Do you think if Whitman, Krause, Red Book, (to mention a few) were available in digital editions

coinsarefun

..........to compliment the hard copies, there would be an increase in sales. Dare I say large increase!
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I find as I get older and the eyes get worse, my patience wears thin looking through various token & coin reference books
with a magnifying glass. I end up trying to research it on the internet.
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I would download just about everything Whitman, Krause and any other large reference for kindle.
BTW, you can get kindle in IOS and enjoy it on the iPad.
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Granted there a very few available to download and I have those but, I want more.
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I have been giving serious thought to having several humongous books and catalogs scanned by a company
so I may use it for myself. Has anyone done this yet?
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Granted if we do this there is always a chance for bad things to happen such as selling the digital
but......dang put a code lock on it then
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Maybe I'm alone here
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What's your opinion?

topstuf

It would be an act of altruism as it would probably increase the number of coin collectors.

keets

no.

messydesk

The average new collector nowadays is probably going to look for information online first, and find much of what is in the standard guides already available. It might be worth asking what publishers of basic numismatic information must do to remain relevant, but I wouldn't ask Krause.

Oldhoopster

I don't believe it would have a significant difference on sales if it was available in both formats

BillJones

I might find some of the secondary resources useful as on-line versions, but when it comes to the Red Book, the answer is no. I have the current edition on my desk and look at it all the time.

I have a complete year set of old Red Books and check them out from time to time as well.

291fifth

I refer to the Red Book all the time when I am responding to posts to make sure something I think is a common date really is. I like having the actual book available though I'm not sure younger collectors would feel the same way.

Coinosaurus

@BillJones said:
I have the current edition but my desk and look at it all the time.

This. Ya know, sometimes it is easier to just flip through a book than navigate through several web pages for the info you want.

mynamespat

Krause is essentially already available in an online format via NGC's World Coin Price Guide.

The redbook is available by thru their own own subscription service: https://www.whitman.com/redbook/

Here is the Redbook as an ebook for Kindles available from amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Book-United-States-Coins-ebook/dp/B07CJVDS2F

I'm confuzzled.

mannie gray

I would rather use a book for reference.
I doubt it would increase sales; possibly just cannabalize sales from printed versions.

BillDugan1959

I don't feel that digital editions would make much dfference. I vastly prefer print.

Krause catalogs were available on cd for a time, and there was no revolution.

I have to use the same reading glasses for both the print and the computer.

Zoins

@coinsarefun said:
Do you think if Whitman, Krause, Red Book, (to mention a few) were available in digital editions..........to compliment the hard copies, there would be an increase in sales.

Yes for me.

I used to collect books and had a sizeable physical library. I've since decided to downsize that area and so I now avoid physical books. I still feel guilty about throwing out the auction catalogs I receive so still have some of those floating around.

For digital books, I purchased digital PDF copies of Rulau's 1700-1900 token reference and addendum which I love searching through. It's great to be able to type in a term in the search box and have the relevant pages come up. I also love reading the ANS Magazine and Numismatist in PDF format which both have great photos and formatting. I also purchase quite a few books on the Kindle. I've also noticed that recently Kindle edition books can cost more than physical books.

I also use Google Books H&K's So-Called Dollar reference, Benice's Alaska and Yukon Tokens reference, and others.

@messydesk said:
The average new collector nowadays is probably going to look for information online first, and find much of what is in the standard guides already available. It might be worth asking what publishers of basic numismatic information must do to remain relevant, but I wouldn't ask Krause.

I'm in this camp. There's so much online that I find it easy to avoid physical books. I'm more worried about websites disappearing which I've noticed recently. I've been thinking of offering to help people with reference websites turn those websites into PDF books.

coinsarefun

@mynamespat said:
Krause is essentially already available in an online format via NGC's World Coin Price Guide.

The redbook is available by thru their own own subscription service: https://www.whitman.com/redbook/

Here is the Redbook as an ebook for Kindles available from amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Book-United-States-Coins-ebook/dp/B07CJVDS2F

I'm confuzzled.

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Thank you very much as I did not know any of this existed!

coinsarefun

Thanks for all your comments so far. I do understand the value of a book in your hands but,
I was thinking more along the lines as another tool to help with research or just looking up quick facts.
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I guess I’m lucky in one respect as my computer screen is 30” because of my drafting software.
I get to see all the details and read without any help from glasses.
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I think I will look into scanning the large token books and create a searchable pdf.

coinsarefun

@zoins I had no idea Rulau had pdf’s available. Can you give me a link as I would love to purchase one.
Is it the newest one?

Zoins

@coinsarefun said:
@zoins I had no idea Rulau had pdf’s available. Can you give me a link as I would love to purchase one.
Is it the newest one?

I'm not sure it's available anymore but it's the 4th edition (2015) which I think is the latest edition. I picked up from their website in the bankruptcy thread.

• https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1016485/successor-to-krause-publications-files-for-chapter-11

Their current website just has links to other sites now.

• https://www.krausebooks.com/

ricko

I do prefer the books to digital version, and keep a Mega Redbook and the CPG by my computer....In other interests, I have downloaded many reference materials and maintain a large digital store of information on separate drives. I also maintain a digital reference of where various sources are recorded - otherwise I would spend too much time looking for stored information Cheers, RickO

BStrauss3

@mynamespat said:
Krause is essentially already available in an online format via NGC's World Coin Price Guide.

Whether and in what form that continues post-bankruptcy remains to be seen. AIM now owns Numismaster and Penguin owns the books.

But when you go out to NumisMaster, things aren't good:

koynekwest

I'd be in favor of such a thing with everything but the Red Book. I can read this type of material much more easily on my Kindle.