Instagram vs This Coin Forum
ctf_error_coins
Posts: 15,433 ✭✭✭✭✭
It is an interesting time for coins and social media for sure.
I posted this coin in this thread on this coin forum https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1069996/extreme-rarity-presidential-dollar-major-error-coins#latest about one hour ago.
During that one hour on a Saturday morning I got 2 likes and zero replies on this coin forum.
While at the same time, I also posted the same coin on Instagram. I sold the coin in about 3 minutes after posting it on Instagram. During the first one hour after posting, I received 20 likes on Instagram.
Post your experiences with Instagram and or this coin forum in a social media context.
5
Comments
I just replied to your initial post!
Perhaps you should use the bst here? Only.
My 1866 Philly Mint Set
I thank you for your input.
Your reply to me on your other post states the coin was not for sale?
My 1866 Philly Mint Set
When I replied, I had already sold the coin so it was not for sale.
I also never put a direct link to any coin I post.
Maybe you just don't like error coins or great photography.
For good or ill, I confine my coin related online presence to this forum. Clearly this place is a shadow of its former glory but that is what it is.
I use my IG space for entirely other purposes and generally don't go out if my way to make public my interest in coins.
I don't really do much else with this hobby than lurk around this forum actually.. not much into coin shows anymore, no clubs, no bank rolls.. Trips to the LCS are infrequent and generally to consign or do bullion transactions.
My main hobby is completely the opposite. I travel alot for it and am plugged into several communities of others who pursue it... with really no online activity at all.
I will say that I do follow one coin act on IG..but that's mainly because @OriginalDan doesn't post here as much as he should...😅
Hour 2 just passed.
Coin forum now at 4 likes.
But,
3 negative comments.
1 Nuetral comment.
2 positive comments.
...........
Instagram growing 37 to likes.
Cold sold instantly
1 positive comment.
It's really not a surprise or even a particularly fair comparison. They are completely different venues.
I’m not sure how to interpret the fact that the coin sold instantly on Instagram. You mentioned it a few times so it seems important.
Did you try to sell the coin here?
Did you try to sell the coin on Instagram?
Yes, selling a coin within 3 minutes of posting it is impressive no mater what the venue.
No, I do not try to sell coin here on this forum.
Not really trying to sell coins on Instagram, more of trying to have presence and appear as a big player.
I agree.
I do find the numbers interesting tho. Others may as well.
Then it may not be surprising it didn’t sell here.
Did you try to sell the coin on Instagram?
It's an interesting observation. Perhaps there is a "fresher" audience on Instagram, so to speak. It occurs to me that many of them may be seeing a double struck coin for the first time, or even an error coin for the first time.
Lots of forum members sell coins on the BST.
But did you say the coin was for sale on Instagram?
Not really altho I do price it there. I am making a presence on Instagram. Can"t believe I have 1300 plus followers.
Maybe I should try Facebook and youtube
“Not really” is ambiguous.
If you have a price, do people interpret it to mean it’s for sale?
If other coins you post with prices indicate they were sold after, it could be interpreted to mean the coin is for sale at that price.
If this is the case, it may not be surprising a coin sold in one venue where it was listed with a price and didn’t on another when no indication it was for sale was posted.
While the audience is different on both venues, it appears your post was different as well?
What's an Instagram? - says the old codger.
Member ANA, SPMC, SCNA, FUN, CONECA
Getting away from the current debate, that is one heck of a tremendous error and an ultra superb gem too! Nice to find a near flawless coin with an error. That usually isn't the case.
I can see why it sold rapidly. Neat coin.
peacockcoins
You should!!
I also find the observations interesting. It’s anyone’s prerogative where to buy/sell their coins, but obviously a larger and more diverse audience is better for business.
ANA LM
USAF Retired — 34 years of active military service! 🇺🇸
"Not really" was accurate as my main intention is building something and not specifically selling each coin I post with a description and price of course. I can do that there, I can not do that here. I do not use the BST.
If you had a price on Instagram, that means it’s for sale, obviously. You do get lots of eyes on posts on Instagram, but the few times I’ve tried selling there, coins always went quicker here. Depends on who sees it. Had a lot of kids asking if I would sell a gold coin for $100 or trade for a “rare wheat penny”, etc. the forum is more informative, but you probably can get more looks on Instagram.
The main reason I LOL'd your post was I was laughing at the tremendous amount of workload it would be in addition to what I already do
I'd try Facebook or eBay (yes even with the fees) before trying IG before selling coins. The vast majority of IG are YNs looking for wholesale deals, so things usually only sell if they're cheap there. I actually regret a lot of the sales I made on IG because I know now that people on ebay or even major dealers are willing to pay a lot more.
On the other hand IG is great for communicating with other numismatists, especially if you manage to get into a few group chats. Just avoid the drama lol.
One key difference I see between CU and IG is the age bracket. Most of the active users on IG are under 21 years old. Meanwhile almost everyone on CU is a boomer/genX. That would definitely explain why there is so much drama on IG.
Generally I am on IG a lot more than CU. I just have more friends on there than I do here. Most of us have already met up in real life at this point.
may I ask what your @ is on IG? Mine is @alvareznumismatics
My eBay page: https://www.ebay.com/usr/alvareznumismatics
Yolo, Thanks for your post. Plenty of drama on here and if not moderated, this place would be out of control.
I agree about eBay as I have a store on eBay.
I do see the age difference on the two platforms (Instagram and CU) as well. Sounds like one needs to be both places.
My Instagram handle is ctf_error_coins
About 75% of my coin buys over the last 3+ years have come by way of Instagram.
One big difference between here and there is the age difference. Here is populated by the over 40 crowd. I have found most of the activity on IG to be under 30.
- Bob -
MPL's - Lincolns of Color
Central Valley Roosevelts
I remember not long ago when you were contemplating starting an Instagram account and receiving advice from Owen Seymor, et al.
And look at you now.
"If I say something in the woods and my wife isn't there to hear it.....am I still wrong?"
My Washington Quarter Registry set...in progress
I tried IG a year ago. Initially, it was a business thing. Then it morphed into a family thing. Now, I dont do much with it at all, even thought I ended up following a couple of coin people. I find I spend more time here than on social media, but could be my demographics too(45)!
A lot more eyes on IG and the push factor for people who have been selling things you are interested in is a plus.
The algorithms seem to do a decent job of bringing things similar to things I like to me.
ANA 50 year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
Yes and I really appreciate the advice I got on this informative coin forum.
I had sooo many question as I went in knowing absolutely nothing about Instagram. All my questions were explained out professionally as always here.
The information found on this coin forum is amazing. Just a few days ago, I read a thread on this forum that got to do a search in which I found a super cool error coin that I would never have found was it not for this forum
This site really is the retirement home of coin collecting, it has its place and is a wealth of knowledge but really sites like Instagram and Reddit are the future and don’t sleep on these young bucks, the quality and knowledge is actually surprising. I’ve seen some amazing gold pieces and pieces in general go through Reddit. The hobby is in good hands in my opinion.
It's like a telegram without the wires.
Apples and pears IMHO and this observation isn't really news to me.
Good for you finding an avenue to peddle your merch on that's not as hit and miss these Forums.
Just as an aside, I have a young friend who has 206K twitter followers as of today and his merch is also flying off the shelves.
"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working" Pablo Picasso
I have a pretty good presence out on Instagram, but don't sell on the platform. I have gotten a lot of nice coins from there though. The demographic definitely skews younger there, and quite a few of them know their coins.
One of my posts on my registry set of Capped Bust halves has gotten over 800 likes. I've gotten quite a few questions about the halves, the PCGS registry and other stuff. It's pretty active. @SethChandler has gotten quite a following out there, and deservedly so. His videos are fun and informative, plus he advertises some of the coins coming up for sale.
There is another world out there. It's worth taking a peek.
10-4,
My Instagram picturesErik
My registry sets
I think the posts on Instagram are cool. It's good to know what kind of success people are getting there.
Chris has a lot of great coins. It could be nice to mix up the posts with some older coins sold a while ago.
You’re being daft, posting a coin from your inventory is begging for attention no matter how you state it
11.5$ Southern Dollars, The little “Big Easy” set
Never used IG. Not a big fan of social media. Glad you sold your coin and hope you did well.
Successful BST with ad4400, Kccoin, lablover, pointfivezero, koynekwest, jwitten, coin22lover, HalfDimeDude, erwindoc, jyzskowsi, COINS MAKE CENTS, AlanSki, BryceM
3 minutes isn’t bad but you gotta be fast on Instagram if you are a buyer. I watched coppercolor sell stuff last night and again tonight and most stuff is gone in SECONDS. A lot of higher profile accounts are like that.
I’m kinda late to the party but I didn’t know you were on Instagram but know I know your handle I will follow.
I don’t really buy errors any longer…….used to and hunt for them years back but I like to look at them.
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Instagram is a very different venue as it’s been mentioned several times. I’ve bought several from there but never
when they had it priced. No reason other than what was appealing to me was not priced so I pm’d the person.
I don’t sell on any platform but have been pm’d often. I’ve sold a few because the price they’ve offered I seriously thought they were joking……..4-5 times it’s value.
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Facebook has turned into more of groups selling. I’ve bought several things there that were priced or starting bid of
X $’s for a certain time. I was actually shocked at how many really good sellers are on Facebook as well as instagram.
Not to say I assume all are rip offs. It’s like eBay but bigger…..kinda like a super store. Good, bad and the ugly.
But if your on long enough and watch things you figure out who’s good.
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Neat error coin!
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CoinsAreFun Toned Silver Eagle Proof Album
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Gallery Mint Museum, Ron Landis& Joe Rust, The beginnings of the Golden Dollar
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More CoinsAreFun Pictorials NGC
Can you elaborate on how “posting a coin from your inventory is begging for attention” I’m lost
I enjoy IG a lot and keep it 99% coins. Have never sold there yet.
I follow forum members whenever I recognize them but not all follow me back.
"If I say something in the woods and my wife isn't there to hear it.....am I still wrong?"
My Washington Quarter Registry set...in progress
Funny... I spend more time on IG than here and I'm quite a bit older than you are. But I also have 19 and 20-something friends on IG who are building a real coin business and doing gangbusters business. One of them even has grown to having half a booth at ANA WFoM and the recent FUN show.
ANA 50 year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
They’re wildly different venues. On IG people scroll through images and can quickly like what cool thing they see. Here, someone has to read the title, be interested enough to open the thread, read the thread, and then decide if they want to click like or reply. These boards are often host to real discussions while IG is more immediate gratification and less deep thinking.
If you like rainbow toners and quickly scrolling through numismatic eye candy, Instagram is ideal for that. I never buy or sell on IG, I just use it to show off my collection and ogle that of others, yet I’ve surprisingly picked up 500+ followers in less than a year. The platform has mastered the art of dispensing dopamine hits; the instant gratification from posting a new coin and getting positive comments and likes is very addicting.
And there are some accounts that consistently deliver excellent content. @sethchandler, as mentioned above, does excellent CAC reveal videos, in addition to regularly interviewing top folks in the industry. He did an interview with @regulated yesterday focused on the FUN auction that was great (@regulated also has excellent content on IG, and his giveaways are truly epic). I also really enjoy seeing what @ElmerFusterpuck and other forum members post.
Between my family and my company this is the only social media I make time for.
But it sounds like IG is a better place to buy and sell and if I sold coins more often or for a living I would definitely be there. Plus, I mostly buy raw coins to have graded and prefer doing that in person.
Anyway, I don’t think you can compare the two. I’ve always viewed the BST as just a fringe benefit of the sole purpose we’re here, knowledge.
Dealer vs. hobbyist.
A young boy came into the shop , last week. He was with his dad. He was extremely happy about finding a rare coin. I was happy for him.
When I asked what he found, he said " a 1977 cent ". His online research led him to believe he had a $7,000.00 coin.
I pointed out how lucky he was. I said " because there were almost five billion made".
Then, I just happened to have a modern Lincoln folder almost full with about 80 cents laying on another counter. Only missing an '82 and '85 (iirc).
Showed him a 1977 in it. His face lit up when I said " Two bucks for the whole folder full ". This boy reached in his pocket, grabbed a wad of cash , peeled off two dollars and handed it over.
I looked at that wad and said " Oops. I undersold this one. Now get out of my shop". His dad laughed. They left.
I should probably do a YouTube channel or Facebook or more eBay and instagram.
Instead , I'm stuck in a B&M.
This is the best place to share. And honestly, I don't care who Sells what , whereever.
I'm having fun.
On another note: I need likes.
Be very careful with Facebook as you could be easily manipulated or deceived without knowing.
Last month I started a separate IG account (catberts_coins) to gradually post my collection pics and to see what others decide to post. It is just another social media outlet to feed my interest in coins, just like here. And yes, like others have stated, it does lean toward a younger crowd especially a new breed of young dealers. As an old dog, it's good to take the temperature of the hobby and to learn something new along the way!
"Got a flaming heart, can't get my fill"
Found you and following you.
I could stare at that 1814 CBH for days.
"If I say something in the woods and my wife isn't there to hear it.....am I still wrong?"
My Washington Quarter Registry set...in progress
Insta is pretty cool. I started 3 pages a few years ago. Two professional (non coin related) and one personal. They take me at lest an hour to post with attention to detail (raw photos cropped edited, watermarked, captioned, hashtaged, etc) and when I log in I get easily distracted. What is it worth? My pages don’t attempt to directly monetize through Instagram, just have some current posts that show our businesses are open, alive and kicking and maintaining our seat at the table for anyone interested in our services. I typically make posts to create messaging of what is important to our brand. Clearly pages are made to directly market through, level of class varies.
I basically use this forum to read like a news feed. Has some current events, tricks of the trade, stuff I wouldn’t see otherwise, even some gossip drama now and then. Whoever feeds drama I know to stay away from. I like sharing the hobby with others and talk about why coins are so interesting and what’s important about them. I’m grateful we have this oasis to hang in and completely nerd out, no place like it and it’s worth protecting. Personally, I don’t think this forum needs to be a flipping station, but I can see how some networking and side business would inevitably ensue. In my time here I’ve sold one coin through PM request and wish I hadn’t and don’t come here looking to buy coins from y’all.