Mad Marty Collection . . . . .

ZoidMeister

I was doing some research last night on a few Mad Marty ANACS sample slabs that I happened to pick up along the way. Most every thread I found in my searches were circa 2012 or earlier and all images seem to have "expired."

I've never corresponded with Mad Marty but he seemed to be quite the altruistic fellow. His last activity on the forum was in 2019, about a year before I joined.

I know little to nothing about him. I am curious to learn more about him and the esoteric collection of exonumia he seemed to own. I'm also curious to see your Mad Marty Collection pieces.

The only images I have on this phone are cropped, omitting their labels. I'll dig these up later today and take full slab photos.

So without future ado, here are a couple of my Mad Marty Collection examples. Post yours and give us all an account of your recollection of the man.

Z
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Tagging a couple long term members that I know of who might be able to contribute:

@CaptHenway @Zoins @coinsarefun @1northcoin
@braddick @ricko @PerryHall @GaCoinGuy

And the man himself @MadMarty

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ZoidMeister

@GoldenEgg @COCollector @Downtown1974 @Bullsitter @MWallace @illini420 @DCW @jwitten @RichieURich

MWallace

I remember MadMarty, but don't have any info on his sample slabs.

ZoidMeister

@MWallace said:
I remember MadMarty, but don't have any info on his sample slabs.

I'm curious if he was also a dealer or just an "average" forum member.

I'm not getting a lot from my research, but his collection slabs seem to be legion . . . .

Z

MWallace

He hasn't been on here in over 3 years.
I'm sure others will have more info.
Here's his avatar and the last post about him I found:

https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1065101/where-is-madmarty

1630Boston

Marty Kuklinski ?

ZoidMeister

@1630Boston said:
Marty Kuklinski ?

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No idea . . . .

1630Boston

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PerryHall

@MWallace said:
He hasn't been on here in over 3 years.
I'm sure others will have more info.
Here's his avatar and the last post about him I found:

https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1065101/where-is-madmarty

I remember him giving out sample slabs with this Cook Island coin but that's about all.

Connecticoin

@1630Boston said:
Marty Kuklinski ?

Yes. A few Mad Marty memories:

1. The Mad Marty collection of Cook Islands Dong Dollars, of which he created registry sets for. I can no longer find any Cook Islands registry sets now.

2. The “Marty Hoard” of wildly toned proof Jefferson nickels - they toned from flat pack proof sets stored in a hot, humid attic. PCGS graded these initially but then started bodybagging them for AT ostensibly after seeing too many of them.

3. His friendly competition with board member “Russ” in cherrypicking DCAM proof and SMS Kennedy Halves

4. His discovery one spring of a package several proof Morgan Dollars near his front door that were buried in snow all winter. He previously thought they were lost in transit.

Those are the ones off the top of my head. My sense is he just lost interest or stopped being active in coins in the early 10s. Same thing happened with @Saintguru.

goodmoney4badmoney

I remember a rubber chicken that used to attend coin shows.

Mr_Spud

Mad Marty gave me this coin in a slab with From the Mad Marty Collection on the label
He gave it to me at a coin show and it was the only time I ever saw him in person. He used to run around the coin shows with his rubber chicken so he was pretty easy to spot. He was ultra friendly and liked to clown around a lot. He was also famous for showing everyone how to make cameo proofs show their contrast more using his lampshade trick to diffuse the lighting. This was when people were first trying to learn how to photograph coins and post images on the forums and no one had yet figured out how to photograph proof coins properly. He was always very welcoming to new forum members, an all around great guy.

ajaan

Huge Jimmy Buffett fan. He still lists on eBay. You probably can contact him through there.

braddick

MadMarty; Russ, and LucyBop.
All loved half dollars, especially Franklins and Kennedy halves.

Beautiful personalities and actual contributors to these forums.

seanq

I recall Marty was also a pioneer in lowball collecting, I think he had a complete set of Morgan Dollars in the PCGS registry well before PCGS added lowball sets as a distinct category. He also was one of the members who awarded official You Suck™ awards for cherrypicks. I bought a few coins from him and I think I have a Dong Dollar somewhere in one of his slabs. He and Russ were two big parts of what made this forum so special.

Sean Reynolds

Barberian

@braddick said:
MadMarty; Russ, and LucyBop.
All loved half dollars, especially Franklins and Kennedy halves.

Beautiful personalities and actual contributors to these forums.

They protected eBay bidders from losing thousands of dollars bidding on fake coins with their "scumnuker" activities. Some of the bidding in the fraudulent auctions they stopped were hilarious. Bidding going into the millions of dollars just to "nuke" an auction of a counterfeit coin.

jesbroken

I have a dong dollar as well someplace. Never had a lot of interaction with him, but remember him well as a post that I always read.
Jim

Cladiator

The rubber chicken was classic. Marty and Russ always reminded me of Norm and Cliff from Cheers lol.

ZoidMeister

I'm still looking for my Mad Marty slabs to photograph. I have also heard references to said mythical "rubber chicken." Someone's got to have photos someplace.

I need to know more about this guy. I mean, how does one get their own "branded" ANACS slab series if one isn't an (in)famous character? He seems pretty enigmatic to me . . . . .

Anyway, until I find photos of my Mad Marty slabs, here is one that I found on the bay . . . . .

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I did visit the website that's listed on his slab. Seems he is doing some fundraising via art cards. Still not much to go on.

Z

@ajaan said:
Huge Jimmy Buffett fan. He still lists on eBay. You probably can contact him through there.

1630Boston

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1630Boston

I don't know for sure but believe he was Marty Kuklinski based on these registry sets
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GaCoinGuy

MadMarty is an interesting character, to say the least.

In fact, the first coin my wife ever bought for me without my prior knowledge is a MM inspired Cook Islands 5 cent piece with the same idol as the dollars. She had seen it and thought it was funny, so she got me one; she just didn't realize that the one she saw the picture of was a dollar.

ajaan

@1630Boston said:
I don't know for sure but believe he was Marty Kuklinski based on these registry sets
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That is his name.

ZoidMeister

He seemed to have an interesting fixation on those Cook Island Dollars.

I think he and I would get along just fine . . . . . .

One of my "proof sets", not inspired by Marty Kuklinski . . . . .

Z
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1630Boston

@ZoidMeister
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Funny crazy Mad Marty stopped by to say hi!
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From
Charmy's 2015 CHICAGO CENTRAL STATES Coin Show w/tons of Pics!!!
Started by The Penny Lady, April 26, 2015

1630Boston

JOHNNY RUSSLER & MAD MARTY KUKLINSKI
DJs – “THE BIG BURRITO RADIO SHOW”
Mad Marty (Kuklinski) and Johnny Russler revive their Trop Rock Music Association nominated show the Big Burrito Radio Show. It’s back to the roots of the Big Burrito Radio as Marty and Johnny bring their antics to the airwaves as the spin the best of todays and yesterdays trop rock tunes.
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The Big Burrito Radio Show airs Wednesday at 6pm and Friday at 10am
https://radiotroprock.com/

Swampboy

I remember a thread where Mad Marty found an AH JFK at a shop and he was messaging Russ with the cell phone image right here on the Forum. '09 or so?
I bought a few of his low ball Morgans and later made out when I sold them on eBay

Anyone know if Mad Marty made this image?

ZoidMeister

@1630Boston said:
@ZoidMeister
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Funny crazy Mad Marty stopped by to say hi!
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From
Charmy's 2015 CHICAGO CENTRAL STATES Coin Show w/tons of Pics!!!
Started by The Penny Lady, April 26, 2015

Awesome, thanks. He's obviously better looking than I . . . . . .

Z

Goldbully

Found a pic of MadMarty's chicken.

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The Mad One took that chicken everywhere.

ChangeInHistory

I have a few Mad Marty medals and some weenie coins around somewhere. Fun guy and a solid numismatist.

I texted with him a few weeks ago, he's doing okay but he hasn't done much in coins the last few years.

oreville

Mad Marty was a fun guy posting on these boards. Do not know why he stopped posting here.

I have one of his sample slabs. I do not even remember how I acquired it.

1630Boston

TorinoCobra71

Dont forget the NGC MadMarty DONG DOLLAR and 5c

I got these in exchange for two PCGS graded steel cents that had somehow acqired FUZZ in the holder
after grading.....PCGS wanted nothing to do with them....but MadMarty wanted them!!!

TC71

1630Boston

Maywood

Marty started out here like many of us do, relatively new to the Hobby in the beginning and somewhat of an expert in a certain area(s) after many years of diligent work. In Marty's case, he was jokingly referred to as "Mr. AU58" for his penchant of submitting coins, especially Franklin Half-Dollars, that returned from PCGS in that grade. His work paid off: he made one of the early 1960's dates in MS65FBL and promptly sold it for around $10k!! He also worked hard at photography and high grade Proof coins from the 1950-1970 era. Along with @Russ he popularized the accented hair JFK's and a few of the other varieties.

The last time I remember him being active was his rant about Proof Sets and Executive Coin Company.

GaCoinGuy

@TorinoCobra71 said:
Dont forget the NGC MadMarty DONG DOLLAR and 5c

I got these in exchange for two PCGS graded steel cents that had somehow acqired FUZZ in the holder
after grading.....PCGS wanted nothing to do with them....but MadMarty wanted them!!!

TC71

I have a raw 2000 5C piece that is a mainstay in my wallet in a 2x2.

ricko

Marty was a lot of fun when he was active here. He and Russ brought a lot of laughs. Cheers, RickO

1630Boston

1630Boston

@ZoidMeister
I sent him an email, maybe he will make an appearance here
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ZoidMeister

@1630Boston said:
@ZoidMeister
I sent him an email, maybe he will make an appearance here
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That would be insanely cool!

I finally found and photographed my "Mad Marty Collection" hoard . . . .

Sadly, no Mad Marty Dong Dollars, but I do have one in a Cook Islands proof set. Not exactly the provenance one would like, but hey, the Marty slabs I have are most likely unique.

Z

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SoCalBigMark

Mad Marty had Gurus young daughter assualt Guru with the rubber chicken, this was not recieved by Guru in the hilarity intended...Quite the opposite...

StoneyPoint

I wonder how his wife Mad Kathy is doing.