The coin collecting hobby: would it be as fulfilling without the bad stuff?

dan1ecu

By bad stuff, I mean shady dealers, AT coins, coin doctors, various third-party grading services that leave much to be desired, etc.

All of these things give us something to gripe about. They make the hobby interesting, exciting, entertaining, and sometimes dangerous. Are these things crucial in giving coin collectors the feeling that they are part of a vibrant community? There's kind of an "us against them" mentality, which unites us in some respects, isn't there?

What do you think? Do the negatives of coin collecting tend to reinforce the positives?

Dan

RYK

Do the negatives of coin collecting tend to reinforce the positives?

Perhaps. As an example, if there were not so many messed with 19th century coins, finding a nice original one would not be as special.

XpipedreamR

Like hitting yourself in the head with a hammer, because it feels so good when you stop?

mrearlygold

<< <i>Like hitting yourself in the head with a hammer, because it feels so good when you stop?

ARCO

I would prefer numismatics to be purer. Just millions of coins to choose from, that ALL the previous owners just left alone in Whitman folders or in little coin boxes, uncleaned, unmolested and unscrubbed with baking soda.

Still, it is pretty dam* fun just the way it is now too!

Tyler

MrEureka

All of these things give us something to gripe about. They make the hobby interesting, exciting, entertaining, and sometimes dangerous. Are these things crucial in giving coin collectors the feeling that they are part of a vibrant community?

No.

BTW, you could use the same logic to argue that we're better off when politicians lie, cheat and steal.

ccex

Coin collecting for those of us on a budget is like tiptoeing through a minefield. Some of the biggest advertisers on eBay, Coin World, and Numistmatic News are inveterate overgraders. The subjectivity of grading and large price spreads between adjacent grades of a single issue make the crackout game popular. There are always newbies to be fleeced and at least as many offers targeted toward them.

I can't imagine coin collecting perfectly regulated by good guys, and I don't see the ANA or anyone else trying very hard to keep us all honest.

The news stories which fascinate me the most are those of people who became famous - or infamous- for fooling most of the people most of the time (Cardiff Giant, P.T. Barnum, Josh Tatum, Teapot Dome, ... ACG, Enron, National Vollectors; Mint, etc.) The history of our country would not be nearly as interesting without the scammters, so the same should be true for coin collecting.

Still, there are plenty of collectors and dealers out there who eschew the short term quick buck. Most have poor taste. However, there are still enough quality collectors and dealers(and coins) worth searching for.

mgoodm3

Negatives help you learn just what positives are.

morgannut2

I vote for a new Pittman ACT to melt all the garbage coins, and while we're at it, throw in the coin doctors in the melt too!