Merc's in upcoming B&M Sale - Horrible Photo Skills 101 or Intended Neglect?

marcmoish

Just noticed this sale is online already - some nice Merc's here with most key dates to boot - anyone know this collection (Sweet & Swan) ?

Does this mean there may be some hand signals come Baltimore ?






Marc

JrGMan2004

I saw some Sweet Collection pedigreed coins back just before FUN... I thought that was the coolest thing, seeing "Sweet Collection" sounded like a Teenagers collection... haha

Fairlaneman

A couple did catch my attention.

What does everyone else think about the pictures ? They looked like they were done quickly to me, no attention to coin detail and some out of focus.

Ken

marcmoish

Ken,


That was exactly what I was thinking - in fact I've changed the heading to this thread accordingly. To say it mildy I'm horrified at how awful these coins were photographed - unless they are really that bad!





Marc

Fairlaneman

One coin that I was interested in looks like it was ran over by a car in the street and then slabbed. If the coin actually looks like the photo PCGS has some big problems.

JMHO of course.

Ken

Mark

I concur with your assessments of the pictures. Plus some of the write-ups are really poor. How many coins were "Sharply impressed by the dies"?

Here is a coin whose obverse looks strange in the picture.

Here is one of many out of focus pictures.

Here is a coin that is out of focus and whose description seems to have been written for another coin (No signs of toning???)

I HATE to be critical of B&M because I very much like and admire Mark Borckardt. I have bought from B&M in the past and fully expect to buy from them in the future. But if I owned the dimes being auctioned, I'd be very unhappy.

Mark

P.S.: When was the last time anyone received their magazine, Rare Coin Review? It seems like that stopped about a year ago? Of have I been pruned from the list of people who receive it?

Cocoinut

Boy, you look at those pictures and then use your imagination to envision how the coins might actually look. They must have hired a new photographer or bought new equipment. Either way, it's no improvement over their previous efforts, and isn't going to do much to encourage people to bid based on the pics.

Ken, perhaps you can get a job with B & M, and show them how to take decent pictures.

Jim

boiler78

I think the photos look like they were hastily thrown together!

Mark- your not the only one who hasn't rec. the Rare Coin Review in ages. I wonder if they have discontinued it to cut "costs"?

Mark

sonofagunk

Just remember if you bid at B&M on the internet, there is an extra "hidden" fee. All ties go to NON internet biders. For you to win a bid, you have to be willing to pay one bid increment higher then if you bid through another method.

Cocoinut

<< <i>P.S.: When was the last time anyone received their magazine, Rare Coin Review? It seems like that stopped about a year ago? Of have I been pruned from the list of people who receive it? >>



Mark,

The Rare Coin Review has gone the way of the dinosaur, and has been replaced by a new publication issued by American Numismatic Rarities, where Dave Bowers now works. It's called the Numismatic Sun, and is basically thw RCR with a new name and new owner - coins listed for sale, along with articles by QDB. I just received it today while home for lunch, and didn't get a chance to peruse the whole thing. If you're not on ANR's mailing list, you 'll need to contact them.

Kind of makes you wonder how much longer B & M is going to be around. They seem to be going downhill fast.

Jim

fcloud

Yea, I looked at those photos. It makes me think my close up skills are better than I thought! In matter of fact, my set has better photos! I'm great with a film camera, it is the close up digital stuff holding a lens in front of my digital that gives me out of focus. I wonder what their excuse is!

Colorfulcoins

Saw 1 coin in the sale I recognize.....the picture is really bad but I held the coin in my hand some months ago and remember how nice it was so maybe I will get lucky as everyone else will think its a dog!

marcmoish

how nice it was so maybe I will get lucky as everyone else will think its a dog!

I was thinkin along the same line .............. I too hope to pick up some "dogs"

Jim, I too received that mag today - (no merc's really to write home about huh :frown looks really nice - I'm actually quite impressed with ANR as a whole - these days they are looking pretty good - and in relation to what we're discussing - there photoi skills seem really impressive.

I will admit I'm bothered by the fact that most of the coins they are getting graded seem to be via NGC. Is it my imagination?





Marc

Cocoinut

<< <i>how nice it was so maybe I will get lucky as everyone else will think its a dog! >>





<< <i>I was thinkin along the same line .............. I too hope to pick up some "dogs" >>



C'mon, guys. We can't all bid on those "dogs"!

Marc - I think the ANR mag has a good mixture of NGC and PCGS coins, but most of the 19th century type is NGC. ANR has become one of the higher profile dealers in a relatively short time, but they're basically the "old" B & M - lots of the same people, and a lot of experience. The new B & M won't be able to cash in on Dave Bowers' name forever; they should change their name. Why retain the name of a person that most people know is no longer affiliated with the company?

If any of us win some of their Mercs, we'll have to post our own photos for comparison.

Jim

Mark

Jim and Marc:

You probably saw the thread in the U.S. Coin forum that CU is in the process of selling B&M and DHRC, among other parts of the company. I posted there half-jokingly that it would be ironic if ANR purchased the B&M name. However, I do wonder if ANR has given serious thought to this idea. Of course, there likely are some hard feelings between the principals of ANR and those of CU, so such a purchase might not be feasible.

Thanks for the info about the Numismatic Sun. I'm not sure if I am on ANR's mailing list or not. I get mail from them, including their very well done auction catalogs, so I hope that the Sun shows up one of these days.

In the meanwhile, for those who have seen the coins in person, do you want to share knowledge about which of the B&M poorly photographed coins won't howl at the full moon?? ( )

Mark

marcmoish

In the meanwhile, for those who have seen the coins in person, do you want to share knowledge about which of the B&M poorly photographed coins won't howl at the full moon?? ( )




If any of us win some of their Mercs, we'll have to post our own photos for comparison.

you can say that again.........................

Mark/Jim I was actually unaware of that pending move - it would be ironic if ANR went after B&M in fact it would be IMHO a pretty smart move. Very smart! Perhaps DB will have some say in moving over his name


Marc

lclugza

Of course if some other company other than ANR gets B & M, that company might still sell it to ANR later on!

I wonder what happened to B & M's old photographer-- I forget his name, maybe he is with ANR now? I think he photographed my icon picture.

marcmoish

B&M was sold today so that ends this thread.....and the speculation, and, and, and.......or does it?






Marc

Sold to Greg Manning see Yahoo Biz news

Cocoinut

For those who aren't aware, Greg Manning =Teletrade. I still find a good coin there every now and then.

link

Jim

lclugza

I think the B & M photographer I was thinking about was Doug Plasencia, and yes, he is with ANR now (he was mentioned in another thread).