Winners announced for: Offering a prize/coin for the best/most helpful idea and/or thread.....
coinguy1
Posts: 13,484 ✭✭✭
I think this forum is a great place for everyone, whether newbie or seasoned veteran, to learn and benefit from the ideas, questions, comments, help, opposing viewpoints (and even arguments
) of others.
To that end, I will be awarding an MS65 1887 Morgan Dollar to the poster whom (in my opinion) comes up with the best and/or most helpful idea and/or post for the benefit of others.
For instance, there are many great threads here which offer help on any variety of subjects, such as imaging, terminology, attributions, advice on how to handle real-life situations/problems, information on various coins or companies, price/value information, warnings/lessons for newbies, etc.
Perhaps the winning poster will be the one who comes up with the best composite thread (from piecing together the "best of" previous threads) for information/help in a given area. Or maybe the winner will present a great new/revolutionary idea on how best to disseminate the most helpful information to the largest potential audience. I don't really know what I envision the winner doing and that will be part of the fun.
If for any reason, anyone prefers to PM me with their entries, rather than posting them publicly to this thread, that is fine, too.
This contest closes at midnight EST, Monday, September 13th. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, September 14th. Ladies and gentlemen - get to it and best of luck to everyone!
) of others. To that end, I will be awarding an MS65 1887 Morgan Dollar to the poster whom (in my opinion) comes up with the best and/or most helpful idea and/or post for the benefit of others.
For instance, there are many great threads here which offer help on any variety of subjects, such as imaging, terminology, attributions, advice on how to handle real-life situations/problems, information on various coins or companies, price/value information, warnings/lessons for newbies, etc.
Perhaps the winning poster will be the one who comes up with the best composite thread (from piecing together the "best of" previous threads) for information/help in a given area. Or maybe the winner will present a great new/revolutionary idea on how best to disseminate the most helpful information to the largest potential audience. I don't really know what I envision the winner doing and that will be part of the fun.
If for any reason, anyone prefers to PM me with their entries, rather than posting them publicly to this thread, that is fine, too.
This contest closes at midnight EST, Monday, September 13th. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, September 14th. Ladies and gentlemen - get to it and best of luck to everyone!
0
Comments
Buy the coin not the holder.
A fantastic idea. I hope there will be many threads that are so good that you will have an almost impossible chore deciding the best one.
I am offering to you, for transfer to the co-winners, if any, an AU Bust half from the Queller sale, that did not grade at PCGS because of old cleaning, but now retoned beautifully. I will bring it to Long Beach next week
Good luck to all
michael
<< <i>I will be awarding this MS65 1887 Morgan Dollar to the poster whom (in my opinion) comes up with the best and/or most helpful idea >>
Hey I nominate that guy, I forget his name, that drove more than 5 hours to teach that other coin dealer guy how to take pics of his coins as well as edit them and then actually photographed his entire inventory at the time -- all for free might I add.
I wish I could remember his name..... if he isn't the most deserving I don't know who is!
Actually it might be that same guy who coordinates that YN 4th of July coin giveaway thingy.
Michael
42/92
Mike
I had this idea sometime back:
Stolen Coin Registry - Coin Forum
Stolen Coin Registry - Q&A Forum
Great transactions with oih82w8, JasonGaming, Moose1913.
DPOTD-3
'Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery'
CU #3245 B.N.A. #428
Don
Respect your elders
Don't leave the toilet seat up
Don't pee on an electric fence.
I feel that it was extremely well done and very informational.
David
<< <i>Love one another
Respect your elders
Don't leave the toilet seat up
Don't pee on an electric fence. >>
don't forget ....
never kick a cow pie on a hot day.
09/07/2006
<< <i>I know this forum can do better than this!
It's a long time yet for the contest to end and we're maneuvering for position.
1--Research what interests you. Don't just learn the prices, but learn how to grade them. Learn the history behind them.
2--When you have the opportunity, offer to help and teach fellow collectors.
3--When you have the opportunity, graciously accept the help and knowledge from a fellow collector/dealer. Never miss out on knowledge because of your ego.
4--Never be afraid to ask for help. Someone will help you, and you can't learn from nothing.
5--Buy what you like because you like it, not because there's a game to play or someone else tells you it's what you should buy.
6--Hobbies are about having fun. Have fun.
7--Don't be rude/inconsiderate to YNs (this is mostly to some dealers) because they don't have as much money as you'd like them to spend. One day they will have the money, and they will remember those dealers who were friendly and took the time to be helpful and nice. Those dealers will receive praise and business. Remember, you, too, were young.
I think that's all I can think of today
Jeremy
The idea was to create a FF (full feather) designation for Morgan dollars. The idea beaing that Mercury dimes can get high marks without being FSB, Standing Liberty quarters can get high marks without being full head and Franklin halves can get high high marks without full bell lines. Many Morgan dollars have weak breast feathers on the reverse, but are otherwise gorgeous examples of the type. I know many of them are worn in that area, but if the wear is from normal use, then the coin usually shows wear elsewhere as well. A lot of coins are weakly struck in this area and don't deserve to be classified as AU due to a weak strike when the rest of the coin is sharply struck with crystal clear fields.
I am not certain if these exist but I see a great need for seminars on "how to avoid ripoffs and scams on E-bay". I see plenty of advertisements on how to make money on EBay but never seen one on how not to lose money. Would be a great seminar at YN meetings.
Additionally perhaps a website called coinfraud.com or something that would bring to light the myriad of scams awaiting the uninformed casual collector. Serious and legitimate collectors could link to this site from their auctions and others could report fraudulent coin deals and auctions as well.
Kind of like the Better Business Bureau of numismatics it would separate the legitimate dealer from the scammer. We could even initiate a grading system for dealers and sellers with a board of well respected people to provide consensus and rulings as to the grading.
Anyone else?
The higher up in grade you go in Morgans, the more the flaws begin to fall by the wayside obviously. However, those tiny imperfections that don't hold a coin back in grade start to stick out like sore thumbs.
Jerry
a good idea, a good thread and a nice prize.
i think that the most helpful thing any of us can do is serve the newcomers to the hobby, whether that's a YN, a fresh older newbie or a returning collector like i was in 1999. the best advice i could pass on in that regard is what i received. join a club and go to shows to get out into a social environment with other collectors. look at lots and lots of coins till you find an area of interest, then start to study it. get hooked up with a dealer and a couple of like-minded collectors and try real hard to hold off spending any serious money for awhile. hang your hat at the PCGS/NGC forums and try not to cause any trouble till your post total reaches 100!!!!
i really don't think we do enough to encourage YN's and newbies, but at the same time i think those collectors need to ask for help. to use young Jeremy as an example, i know he reached out to a few veterans like TomB and now he's off and running. the best thing we could offer might be some type of a Mentor Program for YN's to help them get started right.
that, in a nutshell would be my idea-----the F.orum M.entor P.rogram for YN's.
al h.
<< <i>For instance, there are many great threads here which offer help on any variety of subjects, such as imaging, terminology, attributions, advice on how to handle real-life situations/problems, information on various coins or companies, price/value information, warnings/lessons for newbies, etc. >>
Mark
I would suggest possibly a page on your website linking all of these helpful threads or even a member helping member HELP Forum right here on PCGS where new and old members alike can go to find help/answers to questions/ offer advice/etc. things like that.
and it sets us apart from practitioners and consultants. Gregor
P.S. Don't eat the black chip at the bottom of the bag! Its contents, like its color, are dark and evil!
In fact, I nominate Airplanenut for this prize...I know self satisfaction is good enough for him, but did anyone ever give him a gift for his great work! He truly helped people!
Charity Auction!
">"http://www.cashcrate.com/5663377"
The Internet is a great place to HELP collectors learn about coins, meet new friends, perhaps a few enemy's.
The images we see are great, and some not so great. BUT, even though it's all we have to go by, I believe too many people still take all these images as absolutes. They still go to a Heritage auction and say "How can this be a 67 without luster." When it has been discussed (add nausea)
about the quality of the images.
I also believe taking these images all over the Internet as absolutes can be corrupting the learning process. Sometimes I have to wonder when I see folks giving absolute opinions on coins if they have truly seen very many of the series in person, or if they're going by the virtual world from which they have "Learned." I'm no expert by far, but as has been discussed on here many times, Go out to the shows and look at all the coins you can. Take a drive and go to a dealer in another town, and look at what they have to offer. If for no other reason, just to see the kind of coins you've been seeing on ebay.
Now this is not intended to be a rant, although it might seem so. It's just what I've observed, and almost got caught up in myself.
Here is my concern.... I'm concerned that some of these folks are so wired into the Internet and taking advice from images that when they see the coins in person, perhaps they won't know a great coin when they see it. And then there is the Greysheet issue, but I'll save you all of that.
Cameras: I’ll try to apply this to normal digicams for the most part. SLR’s are actually easier to take good picks with. Just make sure that the camera has some sort of macro capabilities. Most of the decent cameras out there can do macro. The one thing that can be a bit deceiving is how close the camera focuses. My old camera could focus to about a ½ inch, but it has a relatively short focal length lens which meant you had to use all of that close focusing to get a coin reasonably sized on the screen. Cameras with a longer focal length lens won’t have to be as close to the coin to get a good picture.
Zoom: Use as little as you can get away with. It’s a trade off. The image quality will suffer some (some are better than others) with more zoom, but the lighting will improve because the camera will be farther away from the coin.
Shoot at the highest resolution you’ve got. You can always crop and downsize the picture later. Try to fill the screen with the coin as much as possible, use the pixels that the camera has.
Shooting modes: I always used center-weighted metering or spot metering. lessens the affect of the color of the slab when your exposure is based only on the coin. Exposure compensation is also useful. I always seem to have the images overexposed a bit on almost all coins (+ eV). I shoot in aperture priority mode exclusively (A mode on most cameras). In this mode you set the aperture (tend to go as high as possible f7 or f8) and the camera decides on the shutter speed. This allow a good depth of focus so you can shoot at and angle or shoot through a slab without worrying if the coin will be in focus. In most macro mode the depth of focus is piss-poor with most lens and the high aperture is necessary. This is also a tradeoff. the higher aperture means longer shutter speeds and is more prone to motion.
I use the self timer whenever possible. Less motion. A small tripod or camera stand is one of the most useful tools you’ve got. less motion allows longer shutter speeds without difficulty.
Lighting: the most difficult part. higher angle lighting is the best. Get the light as close to the camera as possible. Having the camera farther away form the coin allows higher angled lighting (that’s where SLR’s shine). High angle lighting helps bring out luster and will help bring out color and will light the coin more evenly. I use a couple small halogen gooseneck desklamps. The small head allows them to get in closer to the camera.
How many lights: I use one to three lights for various coins. One lamp = high-contrast lighting, three = lower contrast, more diffuse. Coins with low contrast (dark copper, darly toned) look best with one lamp, enhances what little contrast is there. High contrast coins (lustrous silver or gold) tend to look better with two and sometimes three lights. Proofs look best with 2 or 3 lights. I generally put lights across the top of the coin in the 10 to 2 o’clock range. Sometimes I’ll put one at 4 to 6 o’clock also when I use 3 lights.
Diffusion: I’ll put paper over the light to diffuse the light of the lighting is too harsh. This applies more to lighting at lower angles (lessens some of the harsh shadows with low angle light). I also use it if I want to take a picture of the mirror of a coin. Helps create a diffuse light across the whole coin/slab. The glare of the light off the slab can be removed for the most part (as long as it’s even across the coin) by upping the contrast of the image in a photoeditor.
Photoeditor: I use photoshop elements. Reasonably priced and does more than I need it to. I found microsoft photoeditor didn’t do as good a job with downsizing and reducing resolution as Adobe. A little sharpening of the image at the end can help make a cleaner pic. Just don’t overdo it. a 400 X 400 pic can be under the 50K limit of the PCGS server with a little jpg compression (don’t overdo the compression, probably better off with a smaller pic and less compression). I don’t go under about 70 (7 in photoshop) on the compression.
These are my preferences and not everybody agrees, but oh well. It’s my post.
42/92
I would love to see a threads put togather by alot of you more experienced dealers/collectors working togather to give us less experienced collectors tips in identfying problem coins.
For example My coin of love is IHC, that I'm trying to put togather a 64rb collection togather. Though my love for these coins is great, it can be damn frustrating at times, trying to determine if a coin has been doctored. Not knowing all of the methods of recoloring coins, hurts us in not being able to identify those problem coins and shy us away from perfectly natural coins. (I'm sure there are many other copper collectors in the same boat. I have had to learn about heat treated dipped copper the hard way, others do not need need to learn this way. With the proper photography, and the experienced giving/burned giving detailed descriptions of what to look at on those photgraphs would worth its weight in gold (Quite literally). And just as or more importantly, descritions of what does the picture not show us, that we would only see if the coin was in hand. The next area I got burned in, was the Dellers trick, that cost me some bucks, I still have two that I'm in still doubt over, but without the knowledge, I will allways look at those coins with suspicion instead of the joy that I would have with the rest.
The above is just a small example of what could be done if you guys work togather, the above is a dream, but it could be a reality with good forum teamwork. Help us be better collectors so we can be more confident in buying more of your guys' coins.
Ron
Bruce Scher
there is no statement in collecting coins that is more worthy of discussion than that. i have never, ever ever been disappointed by a single purchase i've made abiding by that rule. never.
i think it's the most helpful idea for ANY who truly wants to be come a coin collector (& not just a coin "buyer".)
K S
I nominate wondercoin, Registrycoin and PCGS along with the long list of PCGSers that contributed so valiantly to the 911 cause right after September 11, 2001.
That was an INCREDIBLE show of incredible generosity that we as Americans can be PROUD OF!
Helpful? The BEST? It was BOTH!
Once again, here is the honor roll of those who gave when we were really hurting as Americans! They did not wait for the rest of America to spriong into action!
Here was the original thread:
9-11 thread
I propose that the winning prize go to a new charitable fund or even a fund for various YN in the future that coinguy decides! But better that coinguy asks those who gave of themselves what THEY think!
If there is asecond prize, I nominate airplanenut for his incredible efforts and posts and threads to raise monies for various causes we hold dear here. I sleep better at night knowing that he is part of the future of America (even if he is a Democrat! LOL)!
Here is the honor roll of those that gave towards the 9-11 fund! They should be on everyone's honor roll!
#1 -Lake Tahoe Collection - $2250 - paid - delivered.
#2 -Lake Tahoe Collection - $2100 - paid - delivered.
#3 -Mike Casper - $1500 - paid.
#4 -Mike Casper - $700
#5 -Mike Casper - $700
#6 -Lazaroo (with #8) - $1700 - paid.
#7 -Mike Casper - $700
#8 -Lazaroo - (with #6) - paid.
#9 -Bcsican (The "911" pair, with #11) - $1700 - paid.
#10 -Dallis - $850 - paid.
#11 -Bcsican (The "911" pair, with #9) - paid.
#12 -Mike Casper - with the #18 coin -$1400
#13 -David Schweitz - $1000 - paid - delivered.
#14 -RegistryCoin - $400
#15 -eye - $600
#16 -RegistryCoin - $400
#17 -Key Poulan - $505
#18 -Mike Casper - with the #12 coin - $1400
#19 -TM - $500
#20 -wondercoin - $475 - paid - delivered.
#21 -TM - $475
#22 -RegistryCoin - $475 - paid.
#23 -capjohn - $475 - paid.
#24 -TM - $475
#25 -TM - $475
#26 -shylock - $450 - paid.
#27 -dpoole - $450 - paid.
#28 -Merz2 - $450 - paid.
#29 -Jimbeaux - $450 (plus $50 donation) - paid.
#30 -Shylock - $425 (plus $25 donation) - paid.
#31 -willie - $425 - paid.
#32 -Brian - $425 - paid.
#33 -Tom31 - $425 - paid.
#34 -RegistryCoin - $425 - paid.
#35 -luv2collect - $400
#36 -Shylock - $400 - paid.
#37 -goldnuggets - $400 - paid.
#38 -66Tbird - $400 - paid.
#39 -Mark - $400 - paid - delivered.
#40 -wondercoin - $375 - paid - delivered.
#41 -typetone - $375 - paid - delivered.
#42 -MrPirate - $375 - paid - delivered.
#43 -egsantos - $375 - paid.
#44 -Gerry
#45 -Viper - $350 - paid - delivered.
#46 -Viper - $350 - paid - delivered.
#47 -Iampoorman2 - $350 - paid - delivered.
#48 -TomB - $350 - paid - delivered.
#49 -Higashiyama - $350 (plus $150 donation) - paid - delivered.
#50 -David Schweitz - $400 - paid - delivered.
#51 -Instaexpert - $325 - paid - delivered.
#52 -wayneherndon - $325 - paid.
#53 -pontiacinf - $325 - paid - delivered.
#54 -davefperry - $325 - paid - delivered.
#55 -copperhead - $300 (plus $50 donation) - paid - delivered.
#56 -RockinuU - $300 - paid.
#57 -coincop - $300 - paid - delivered.
#58 -tggr - $300 - paid - delivered.
#59 -Greg
#60 -pontiacinf - $250 - paid - delivered.
#61 -cosmicdebris (from HuliganRS) - coin (plus $10 donation) $275 - paid - delivered.
#62 -rkfish - $250 - paid - delivered.
#63 -rkfish - $250 (plus a roll of State qtrs.) - paid - delivered.
#64 -JDscience- $250 - paid - delivered.
#65 -supercoin - $200 (plus $50 towards #69) - paid - delivered.
#66 -Ronyahski - $200 (plus $66 donation) - paid - delivered.
#67 -MS67PLUS (donated $160)
#68 -DeepCoin (donated two rolls) - paid - delivered.
#69 -TRADERBOBZ - $200 (see #65)- paid - delivered.
#70 -Mr. Paseo - $250
#71 -morganluver - $200 - paid.
#72 -Oak - $200
#73 -DcamMike1 - $200 - paid.
#74 -DcamMike1 - (donated $80 and a roll NY State Qtrs.) - paid.
#75 -keithdagen - $200 - paid.
#76 -PQpeace - $200 - paid - delivered.
#77 -The "Miles Standish" coin, (originally $400 by Miles) $1000, by TM.
#78 -HuliganRS (from cosmicdebris) - $200 - paid.
#79 -kranky - $175 - paid.
#80 -andy700 - $175 - paid.
#81 -rwhite - $200 - paid.
#82 -MonkaPop - $250 - paid.
#83 -dpoole - $250 - paid.
#84 -Jeffrey - $200, (plus $50 donation) - paid.
#85 -goldnuggets - $200 - paid.
#86 -spinaker - $200 - paid.
#87 -beartracks42 - $175 - paid.
#88 -goose3 - $175 - paid.
#89 -Bcsican - $175 - paid.
#90 -braddick - $175 - paid - delivered.
#91 -Flying56eagle - $175 - paid.
#92 -willy - $200 - paid.
#93 -Flying56eagle - (Cobaugh Trust coin donation) - paid.
#94 -CarlWohlforth (donated $200) - delivered.
#95 -itsnotjustme (donated $100) - paid - delivered.
#96 -davidh - $200 - paid - delivered.
#97 -anonymous donor - paid.
#98 -registrycoin
#99 -wondercoin (donated original "911" pcgs ms67 NY State Qtr.- coin #1) - delivered.
#100 -David Schweitz - $1000 - paid - delivered.
I would have to say thay it is very important to read all that you can find on numismatics, and especially everything on a given series if you are a specialist. Then go to a show and look at a lot of coins in that series. Get a feel for the Grade characteristics of that series. Take a good notice of Eye appeal factor. Learn what a nice specimen of that series is, whether brilliant or toned.
Read the ANA grading guide. Take the ANA course if you really want to speed up your understanding.
Go to as many shows as possible, and thoughtfully look at coins, talk to gracious dealers (and don't be a know-it -all). You will learn a lot, and you may make a new friend.
Try to sell some coins once in a while to get a feel for the market, the psychology, etc.
Look at coins in a special way when your buying, think of how future buyers will look at it
when your selling, think of it from the buyers perspective from his knowledge of the coin, series, etc.
Join a coin club, or meet other collectors with similar interests.
Remember to have fun. That is the main reason for any hobby.... fun, diversion, & personal development.
I would love to see a thread titled "The ten most important things I have learned from this forum" I have learned how to separate the wheat from the chaff on these boards but I am convinced that this would be a most enlightening thread. I rarely post here because my knowledge is limited but I have learned so much since lurking here and reading 10 to 15 select posts every day. I thank all of you who have helped me in my education in this great hobby.
My top ten list would be as follows:
10. Is it AT or NT? A hotly debated topic with sometimes no clear answers. I read all posts in this area and there seems to not be a clear concensus
9. Buy what you like. (I like this advice)
8. All slabs are not created equal.
7. Learn how to grade. I am learning with every coin I hold and with every picture that is posted.
6. Moderns vs Classics another hotly debated area ( See Number 9)
5. Learn who to trust in taking advice from this forum. (Some do not apply Number 1)
4. Buy books and read them.
3. Ebay and Paypal are the most appreciated as well as the most hated sites on the internet.
2. Post count is not directly related to knowledge and or intelligence but is one of the most revealing psychological components of this forum.
1. The Golden Rule never will fail you in any coin dealing or in any deal in life.
I also love to go through rolls to find coins.
BST
MySlabbedCoins
Buffnut
This is my ongoing effort towards the forums, generously hosted by Russ.
Even if I don't win, this gives me a good chance to mention that I have at least one update outstanding and as long as I am going to update the page anyone who has anything to add/change/delete should drop me a PM.