From the 50's: "Buy the Coin, Not the Whitman".

braddick

I wonder if collectors from the 50's and 60's were faced with that trite saying from the old grumps? I can see it now, little Johnny is putting together a set of Lincolns and popping them into his coin folder when a salty dog at the coin shop leans over and into him saying, "Collect the coin, not the Whitman holder".

For some, the PCGS or NGC or ANACS holder is simply a way of verifying the authenticity of the coin and grade and it's a great way to store the coin.

And, unlike little Johnny who probably got ripped when it came time to sell his Whitman folder of coins, today's 'coin holder' allows a more even playing field when it comes time to trade up or sell.

Maybe we can all resist the temptation of using this hyped up, overused catch-all saying to educate the new members of this hobby and take a more hands on approach to education.

Bulldog

I wish I knew, How many Cokes I bought with pretty Mercs? Looking back, is always 20-20

LucyBop

If Only I would have just went to the bank and bought roll after roll of Frankies!!!!! Nobody cared for them when I was very young. Nickels were widely used in the Jukeboxes!!!

dbldie55

This makes no sense. Did a whitman folder imply value? This is similar to saying "Collect the coin, not the eagle certified coin album". Don't know anyone saying that.

MrKelso

<< <i>If Only I would have just went to the bank and bought roll after roll of Frankies!!!!! Nobody cared for them when I was very young. Nickels were widely used in the Jukeboxes!!! >>



I remember the the table Jukeboxes at Rosie's Diner ( the one Bounty paper towels did there commercials in) were a nickle for 2 songs. And a Franklin would get you a big Juicy cheese burger fries and a small coke on tuesday's lunch special. Gee even Rosie's diner is gone, They picked it up and moved it to Chicago.

Elcontador

The big thing at that time for us kids was to complete our Whitman albums. Coins like the 50D Nickel and 55S Cent cost far more than they do now in all grades. I was able to find all Mercury dimes in change, sans the 16D, the 21 & 21 D & the 42 over 41, and ditto re silver Washington quarters, sans the 32 D (I did find a 32S, which I still have).

Unc. rolls of coins were also very expensive and if you had "serious money," you'd buy a set of uncirculated War nickels. I actually found some IHC, Liberty Nickels, and an occasional Barber Dime and Quarter in change.

I picked up rolls of G-VG IHC for $9 at coin auctions (which years later were traded for my 09 IHC in PCGS 65 RD). We didn't pay much attention to 19th Century type; only the real old guys were into those coins

shirohniichan

They might have said something like that if the kids were paying more for coins in Whitman folders than for just as good or better ones in a no-name folder.

braddick

<< <i>They might have said something like that if the kids were paying more for coins in Whitman folders than for just as good or better ones in a no-name folder. >>



Yep. And I wonder how many altered 1914-D's were sold or fake 09-S VDB's.

Poor Johnny. Didn't even find out until much later in life when he THEN sent his coins in for grading!

IrishMike

Pat, the coin was worth the same inside or outside of the Whitman. Not only that it was educational. I am still filling my whitman (intercept album now) with raw IHC's. The plastic ones that I am collecting do not give me near the enjoyment and those old timers that helped me fill that lincoln whitman got pleasure from watching me get excited every time they found that "S" mint that was missing. They wouldn't have stuck me with a phony 14D. My first whitman was started in 1956 and the intercept was started in 2001. To each his own. I still buy the whitman along with the coin. And to answer your question, no they would be worth more sold seperately than in the whitman.

Yep I am one of the old timers, gone full circle.

braddick

Mike,
You're right. The difference bewteen now and "then" are we now have options.

I'll take choices over no choices anytime.

IrishMike

Pat, as long as they are both for the right reasons, no argument from me.

cladking

It seems likely too that part of the difference between now and then is that
the curmudeons were collecting the moderns just like the kids so the low grade
examples in circulation didn't seem nearly so alien as clad does today.

Libertad

shirohniichan

The analogy doesn't hold up. If there were dealers out there telling the kids to avoid "second tier" penny boards and selling Lincolns in Whitman folders for twice what they went for raw, then I could see the comparison.

Libertad

It was that way, Shiro! The old fogey's had theirs in stiff fiberboards, that creased permanently when you flexed them to pop out one and replace it.

The really good ones went into the Whitman, and the duplicates and more worn went back into the cigar box.

So the Whitman was the 'really good ones' hoard.

It held the cents tightly so you could caress the Lincolns with the pencil eraser and shine them up properly. If anybody had a loupe or a lens, it was the goofy science teacher and he/she/it wasn't really cool enough to collect.

Gilbert

For some, the PCGS or NGC or ANACS holder is simply a way of verifying the authenticity of the coin and grade and its a great way to store the coin.

I've been heard. Thanks Braddick - the first time I've seen this acknowledgement within the first thread regarding the good and bad of slabbing. salut!

Rotts

PLOMK

shirohniichan

Isn't Coin World selling its own do-it-yourself "slabs"? If I could find a way to print the labels well enough, I'd make my own grading system (lowest grade SL [slug] and highest SY [super yowza]).