POLL: What is the MOST important quality you look for in a coin?

TheLiberator

In response to one of my latest threads about price vs rarity, I decided to make an informal poll. I know you only have so many choices, but pick the one that MOST influences your decision when buying a coin. Notice I did not put whether you "like" the coin or not since that can be made up of all kinds of things. I also did not include whether it fits into your budget because that is a given...I hope!

fivecents

Rarity.....Yes definetly rarity.

BigGreek

I voted "condition" but I think you miss one important choice: easthetics
By this I mean beauty, as a given collector sees it. Personally, I'll hold
a coin regardless of rarity, grade, etc. if I think its a beautful coin.

RYK

I voted historical value, but absolute rarity is up there, too.

jdimmick

I think you left out an important one:


Eye-appeal!!!!!!!

dorkkarl

<< <i>What is the MOST important quality you look for in a coin? >>

why, SHAPE of course!

actually, none of the factors you mentioned is my most important. the most important factor for me is, #1 do i need it? #2 how would it fit w/ the rest of my coins.

K S

LincolnCentMan

The MOST important quality I look for is eye appeal.

David

TheLiberator

I intentionally left out eye appeal and beauty! This is just because is so subjective and is usually made up of a combination of the things I have mentioned (design elements, toning, lustre, rarity etc.) I am trying to get a bit deeper and see what other factors are comming into play.

Hedger

Has to be strike for me.

TheLiberator

added strike

zenny

The problem is that eye appeal is a combination of factors, any one or several of which may be the determining factor for any one coin.

For me it's usually a combination of condition/toning/lustre/strike, but not necessarily in that order, and not necessarily to the exclusion of other factors that may come into play for a particular coin, depending, often, on the particular design elements of the coin itself.


edited to add strike, as well......

Cameonut

For me - it has to have "eye appeal"

ER

Eye appeal is the FIRST and MOST important factor/quality for me.

TheLiberator

<< <i>For me - it has to have "eye appeal" >>



Yes...true but eye appeal is also "mind appeal." Maybe you like shiny beautiful coins. Yet, you might pass on a 2004 ms 68 lincoln cent infavor of a shiny Red two center. Why then? Rarity? Design? Lustre? That is why I left eye appeal off. Myself, I love all coins..shiny, dark, rainbow, etc. HOWEVER, my MAIN factor would have to be rarity. If I could afford some of those ground up chain cents, I would take it over a shiny 09s vdb any day! BUT..that is not right or wrong, it is just me. So, eye appeal for me is mostly defined by rarity.

I suppose I should have titled this thread "What most defines eye/mind appeal for you!

p.s. Added one for you Dorkkarl!

LeeG

Strike and Lustre for me. Lee

klorineforbrains

That it is problem free.

fcloud

You forgot the number on the holder.

airplanenut

The answer I wanted wasn't there... the most important quality is that I like it. I can like super high grades, and I can like super-worn grades. The best coins in my collection are the ones that made me say "wow" when I first saw them... and they still do.

Jeremy

ldhair

<< <i>ones that made me say "wow" >>


My thought as well.

Bear

I wonder If a person can make a living suing other folks.

Seems a might tough way to go. Cant make too many friends doing that.

DHeath

Jeremy and Zenny have it right. I have to like the coin well enough to want to own it. That makes all purchases a matter of taste. In my case, my preference tends toward high luster, mark free, well struck coins. There are some series, particularly Barbers that look great in circ, and in that series, sometimes a nice problem free VF is attractive. Early dollars look great in high VF as well. Some series look like crap in VF. Rare and ugly doesn't excite me.

TheLiberator

So...people love their shiny, unworn coins I see!

Hmmm...now where did I put my putty and jar of dip....

dorkkarl

<< <i>p.s. Added one for you Dorkkarl! >>

i voted for it!

K S

BigMoose

Mint Luster!

chuckfarthing

* whether or not it fits with my other coins

If I need it to fill a hole then it's important.

KlectorKid

Toning, but hear me out on this. Im in search of proof seated halves and dollars, and if the coin is blast white im not going to buy it. Alot of these old proofs have been dipped and I do not want a generic proof, I want an colorful original pr64/65 cam or close with a mintage under 800 coins. I feel that people are going to wise up eventually and relize that white is not what they want their 150+ year old coin to look like. Just, look at dipped Draped bust or Flowing hair coins if you dont belive me, I cant stand them white and I know alot of other collectors agree with me on these and would pay more for a original coin than a blinding white one.

ER

Bottomn line: collect what YOU like, be it toned coins (AT or NT), white coins, dipped coins, colorized coins, holed coins, corroded coins, bent coins, scratched coins, counterstamped coins, repaired coins, replicas/copies, or original (whatever that means) coins. That 's what so great about this hobby, there is something for EVERYONE. You don 't have to justify your collecting style to anyone but yourself. JMHO.

Baley

I voted "historical value", but it's really a combination of all the choices.

JrGMan2004

I put Toning, though in a different sense... because I like original grey toning on old circulated silver coins Though, I guess "Whatever fits with my collection" would have been a good choice, since there are several important qualities... condition/damage, color, and price... though, for other purchases, I'm looking for condition rarities...

dorkkarl

i'm surprised that "whether or not it fits with my other coins", despite being added to the poll late, has roared into 2d place!

that's a good sign!!!

K S

TheLiberator

<< <i>i'm surprised that "whether or not it fits with my other coins", despite being added to the poll late, has roared into 2d place!

that's a good sign!!!

K S >>



I am surprised by that too! Neat!

mgoodm3

i generally tend toward higher grades, but have to look good too.

Jdurg

For me there are a lot of factors so it's really hard for me to narrow it down to one. When I look at coins, I take into account the overall look of the coin, the lustre of the coin, the level of toning/corrosion on the coin, the price of the coin, and my need to have the coin. Metal content is also somewhat important because psychologically, I have a hard time putting down a few hundred dollars on a coin that doesn't contain any silver or gold, or only a tiny amount of silver. I know there are other factors, but deep in my brain I have a rough time letting out all that money. I also only by coins that I'm specifically looking for. If I don't collect it, or it's not part of something that I want to purchase, I really don't care how good a deal I'm passing up.

michael

eye appeal


michael