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For the EACers— how practical are the various EAC “surveys” to the common collector?
Longacre
Posts: 16,717 ✭✭✭
I consider myself to be a common collector of early copper, and not one of the “big guys” in the EAC world. I read the latest issue of EAC’s Region 8 newsletter, and there was an interesting question and comment, which I will copy below:
“Question: You always mention "The Sheldon Series","1/200 Survey", "The List", "The Score", and "Common Cents Report". I haven't figured out where these are found. My new password doesn't access these areas. What am I missing?
The Editor of Region 8 then responded:
[T]he items you mention are lists of collections that are maintained by individual EAC members with different degrees of attention. These individual members make sporadic appeals for updates from old members and lists from new members. These appeals will appear in PW with a variety checklist. You are solicited to report the single highest grade coin of each variety you own in your collection. Your collection gets ranked by completion and by condition against other collections. The list maintainer publishes reports with names of collectors and details about their collections and is typically only distributed to those collectors who have shared information about their collections. These reports generally come with the understanding that they are not to be shared or used for any untoward purpose.
The 1/200 survey is for half cents. I have never collected half cents so I have never participated in that survey. John Wright does (or did) a listing of middle date cent collections. I stopped participating in that one a few years back. Most recently Red Henry did an early date cent listing but he stopped a couple years ago and that effort is in limbo right now as far as I know. A late date cent report ‘Common Cents’ is currently done very well by Joe Gladkowski who also lists late date CUD coins.
In the not too distant future I expect to launch an online version of these lists which will be part of the members area of the EAC website. I expect it to work much like the PCGS registry sets where you can upload pictures of your coins.”
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For the EACers in the house:
(1) What do you think about these surveys? Are they accurate?
(2) For someone like me who does not collect CC pieces, what practical use do the surveys have?
(3) Is there any way to use the data in the surveys and make educated guesses on the relationships between rarity and fair market values?
(4) Do dealers use this data in any way, or in a different way than collectors might use it?
“Question: You always mention "The Sheldon Series","1/200 Survey", "The List", "The Score", and "Common Cents Report". I haven't figured out where these are found. My new password doesn't access these areas. What am I missing?
The Editor of Region 8 then responded:
[T]he items you mention are lists of collections that are maintained by individual EAC members with different degrees of attention. These individual members make sporadic appeals for updates from old members and lists from new members. These appeals will appear in PW with a variety checklist. You are solicited to report the single highest grade coin of each variety you own in your collection. Your collection gets ranked by completion and by condition against other collections. The list maintainer publishes reports with names of collectors and details about their collections and is typically only distributed to those collectors who have shared information about their collections. These reports generally come with the understanding that they are not to be shared or used for any untoward purpose.
The 1/200 survey is for half cents. I have never collected half cents so I have never participated in that survey. John Wright does (or did) a listing of middle date cent collections. I stopped participating in that one a few years back. Most recently Red Henry did an early date cent listing but he stopped a couple years ago and that effort is in limbo right now as far as I know. A late date cent report ‘Common Cents’ is currently done very well by Joe Gladkowski who also lists late date CUD coins.
In the not too distant future I expect to launch an online version of these lists which will be part of the members area of the EAC website. I expect it to work much like the PCGS registry sets where you can upload pictures of your coins.”
**********
For the EACers in the house:
(1) What do you think about these surveys? Are they accurate?
(2) For someone like me who does not collect CC pieces, what practical use do the surveys have?
(3) Is there any way to use the data in the surveys and make educated guesses on the relationships between rarity and fair market values?
(4) Do dealers use this data in any way, or in a different way than collectors might use it?
Always took candy from strangers
Didn't wanna get me no trade
Never want to be like papa
Working for the boss every night and day
--"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)
Didn't wanna get me no trade
Never want to be like papa
Working for the boss every night and day
--"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)
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Comments
1) What do you think about these surveys? Are they accurate?
They are accurate as far as they go. The data only comes from those collectors willing to share such information.
(2) For someone like me who does not collect CC pieces, what practical use do the surveys have?
Not much. I find them interesting just for the "drool" factor.
(3) Is there any way to use the data in the surveys and make educated guesses on the relationships between rarity and fair market values?
Looks like that data is used by the research oriented EAC-ers to make population estimates, but I believe there are many more pieces in collection outside of the EAC membership, so the estimates are limited and probably not too accurate.
(4) Do dealers use this data in any way, or in a different way than collectors might use it?
Some EAC sellers use this data for pricing, based on the guesstimates of population and rarity. I don't know what, if any benefit the average collector could gain by using the survey data.
My OmniCoin Collection
My BankNoteBank Collection
Tom, formerly in Albuquerque, NM.
<< <i>I'm an EAC member, but I am in no way one of the "big guys". Heck, I probably have one of the smallest collections among EAC members, so I am no expert. The following is only my opinion, and that from very limited experience:
1) What do you think about these surveys? Are they accurate?
They are accurate as far as they go. The data only comes from those collectors willing to share such information.
(2) For someone like me who does not collect CC pieces, what practical use do the surveys have?
Not much. I find them interesting just for the "drool" factor.
(3) Is there any way to use the data in the surveys and make educated guesses on the relationships between rarity and fair market values?
Looks like that data is used by the research oriented EAC-ers to make population estimates, but I believe there are many more pieces in collection outside of the EAC membership, so the estimates are limited and probably not too accurate.
(4) Do dealers use this data in any way, or in a different way than collectors might use it?
Some EAC sellers use this data for pricing, based on the guesstimates of population and rarity. I don't know what, if any benefit the average collector could gain by using the survey data. >>
Thank you, Mr. Fartte. Very informative!
Didn't wanna get me no trade
Never want to be like papa
Working for the boss every night and day
--"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)