Interesting comment by Whitman regarding coin investors and a publisher's role...

Longacre

In another thread, board member Dentuck wrote a very lengthy reply to one of my inquiries. Other than the fact that it must be nice to have a personal assistant to write such a thorough reply , I was intrigued by a particular comment. Here is the quote:

"I was once asked by a writer what Whitman does for the investing side of the equation. My answer: By serving and supporting collectors—nurturing their curiosity with new titles and book series, keeping them informed and interested in the hobby with new research—Whitman maintains and builds the "Main Street, America" foundation that Wall Street needs to function in the rare-coin market. Without a solid foundation of collectors, any investing cycle in rare coins is at risk of becoming a series of market bubbles, with no real liquidity. The existence of a strong, established manufacturer and publisher such as Whitman strengthens not only the hobby, but also the investment market."


I have never thought of the publishing world and the collecting world from this angle, but Dentuck raises a good point. Does the solid base of informed collectors provide support for those who are only interested in coins from an investment perspective? He goes on to say later essentially that knowledge is power. Do you look at a numismatic book publisher as integral to the entire numismatic market, be it the core collecting base, or the investor base? His comment about a "Main Street, America" foundation and how it relates to investors is the first that I've heard of this viewpoint.