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RIP Jim O'Donnell, Found Dead on Sept. 15

CoinosaurusCoinosaurus Posts: 9,614 ✭✭✭✭✭
Bill Bugert just announced via the E-Gobrecht that Jim O'Donnell was found dead on 9/15 in his NY apartment.

O'Donnell was always one of the mandatory tables to visit at the major shows, and I will miss him.

He never touched a computer and insisted on doing business the old-fashioned way until the end, relying on his well established network and customer base. He was the guy that never changed, who had lived in the same East-side apartment for forty years.

He loved to recount past transactions and great coins he had handled; and while you weren't always 100% sure you were getting the straight scoop it was always very entertaining.

It would be great to hear from his other clients, I am sure Roadrunner and MrHalfDime dealt w/him for a long time.

Comments

  • EagleEyeEagleEye Posts: 7,676 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Jim O'D was a very knowledgeable dealer of Seated Liberty material. I met him in 1987 and since then at every show we at least said "Hi". Since we don't deal in the same stuff, I had few business dealing with him. He did scare me once when I witnessed one of his epileptic fits. Something like that is hard to ignore. I thought he "bought the farm" then! This was back then in the early 1990's. I think he liked to live "Under the radar" as far as business went. I don't even think he had a business card.
    Rick Snow, Eagle Eye Rare Coins, Inc.Check out my new web site:
  • 291fifth291fifth Posts: 23,896 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I dealt with him many times over the years when he used to attend the Michigan State shows. I'm sad to hear of his passing. I always enjoyed talking with him.
    All glory is fleeting.
  • I never realized how many coins I bought from Jim until I went through my coin folder looking at the receipts written on the back of his business cards. He sold me a lot of seated coins but he specialized in rarities of all kinds - like the 1815 half, 1913S dime and an 1880 business strike nickel that I also purchased from him. He was a character and as many of you that know him, I have heard many of his coin stories repeatedly. The last time I saw him was in Baltimore where we had a conversation along with John Frost (of BCCS fame). It is now burned in my memory. I had many long conversations with him over the years. I'll miss him.
    In the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king.
  • numismanumisma Posts: 3,877 ✭✭✭✭

    Very sad news. I bought and sold early type with him at shows. He had a great eye for the early stuff and was truly knowledgeable. I too witnessed one of his seizures. It was at the Santa Clara show about 4 years ago. Scary scene. Rest In Peace Jim......... You were one of the good guys and will always be remembered as such.
  • seateddimeseateddime Posts: 6,169 ✭✭✭
    this is upsetting news to hear.
    I seldom check PM's but do check emails often jason@seated.org

    Buying top quality Seated Dimes in Gem BU and Proof.

    Buying great coins - monster eye appeal only.


  • << <i>hm >>

    YES!! FIRST SHOTT TOO

    EDITED TO SAY SORY GENTS, HAVE ONE ON ME
  • MrHalfDimeMrHalfDime Posts: 3,440 ✭✭✭✭
    This is very sad news indeed. Jim was a great friend and a mentor of sorts to me. I have known Jim for perhaps twenty years, and I never passed up the opportunity to sit and chat with him, to marvel at his many stories, and to learn yet more about the Liberty Seated series which he knew so well.

    When I first met Jim O'Donnell, a mutual friend introduced us, introducing me to Jim as "an expert in Liberty Seated half dimes". I was mortified. Whatever I might have known about half dimes paled in comparison with what Jim had learned over his many years as a dealer. Jim looked at me with a doubting stare, and decided to quiz me on the spot to see if I was, in fact, an expert. He asked "Which of the Civil War Philadelphia dates (1863, 1864, 1865, 1866, and 1867) was the rarest?". I hesitated because I knew that most 'experts' at that time deemed the 1864 to be the rarest, but I did not agree, yet was reluctant to express my theory when being quizzed. I haltingly answered "Well, most people would probably say the 1864 was the rarest, but I think it is the 1865". Jim smiled, extended his hand, and said "You really are an expert, aren't you". From that moment on, Jim and I became best of friends.

    I recently sent Jim a letter about a coin he had that I was interested in, as I knew that he did not have a computer, did not email, and virtually never answered a telephone call despite the many business cards he had given me over the years. I never received an answer. Sadly, now I know why.

    Yes, it was difficult to watch Jim when he had an epileptic seizure, but he tried to never let that get him down, and quickly regained his composure and resumed life as normally as he could afterwards. He was sincere, friendly, fair and honest, and I always enjoyed my many dealings with him, and particularly our many numismatic discussions. The hobby has lost one of its giants, and he will be sorely missed.

    Perhaps later I will post some of my more interesting memories of Jim, after his loss has had time to sink in.
    They that can give up essential Liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither Liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin
  • WTCGWTCG Posts: 8,940 ✭✭✭
    He was very knowledgeable in the coins he dealt in and almost always had a pleasant personality. The news of his death was talked about at the Long Beach show but it was unconfirmed then.

    He was one of the last, if not the very last of his kind in the business...dealers will know what I mean.
    Follow me on Twitter @wtcgroup
    Authorized dealer for PCGS, PCGS Currency, NGC, NCS, PMG, CAC. Member of the PNG, ANA. Member dealer of CoinPlex and CCE/FACTS as "CH5"
  • CladiatorCladiator Posts: 17,918 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Never knew the guy personally but it sure sounds like he was one of the good ones. Wish I had known him now. Epilepsy can really suck and it can be horrifyingly scary to watch for someone not familiar with it. What many folks don't know is that once the siezure is over, if the person didn't physically hurt themselves by banging into something, there are virtually no ill effects. They go through a short post-ictal phase where mental capacity is not 100% and are often very tired afterwards but it's not quite the nightmarish thing that on lookers often think.
  • CoinosaurusCoinosaurus Posts: 9,614 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>He was one of the last, if not the very last of his kind in the business...dealers will know what I mean. >>



    Jim didn't much care about pop reports, registry sets, or whatever the latest fad was, even grading services. He had his own idea about what was rare & desirable and stuck to it, and it worked for him.
  • roadrunnerroadrunner Posts: 28,303 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I had heard rumor of this unfortunate news last week but was hoping it was not true. Jim was always a gentleman and often was at odds with the slick methods of selling and buying coins that had come to pass over the last 20 years. But he always remained true to his old time roots. The stories he told of what he ran across in the 1950's, 60's and 70's was always worth the listen. With Kam Ahwash and other old timers gone, Jim was one of a vanishing breed of collectors that thought much differently about coins than most do today. While he knew the value of a buck better than almost anyone, he didn't make that the primary focus, at least not with me. I valued all the insights he gave me over the years. There were many specific times in the 80's and 90's when the market was slow at major shows when the only thing to look forward to was chatting with Jim about "seated." Everytime I flip through old auction catalogs like Norweb for example, I see coins that Jim bought, such as his Norweb 1871cc quarter in MS64 for what was a bargain price ($26K). He knew how to spot value and hold on to it until the market value caught up with him. I'm sure that exasperated many a dealer looking to score on him. I wonder how many, if any, ever did.

    I remember my last coin transaction with Jim where I flipped him an undamaged 73cc dime in G/VG that I had bought at a local shop. While I made a fair profit on that coin I left 50-100% "on the table" as a way to say thanks for all the information he shared with me over the years. We didn't discuss anything about the deal so he was not aware why I was leaving him plenty of room. He probably thought he took advantage of me that day but in hindsight, it was me who got the lion's share because of what I learned from him.

    We'll miss you Jim.

    roadrunner
    Barbarous Relic No More, LSCC -GoldSeek--shadow stats--SafeHaven--321gold
  • dorkkarldorkkarl Posts: 12,692 ✭✭✭
    oh, that is horrible, just totally horrible! good guy, have bought several coins from him. condolences to his family & friends.... ...

    K S
  • MidLifeCrisisMidLifeCrisis Posts: 10,504 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Very sad indeed.

    I stopped by Jim's table at Baltimore conventions a few times over the years...always pleasant and friendly. I bought a 55 DDO Lincoln Cent from him once. He had two 64s on display, one RB and one BN and I was trying to choose. He recommended I buy the BN even though it was quite a bit less money. I listened to his recommendation and bought the BN and loved it. And I did well on it when I sold it a couple of years later. Clearly he had a good eye and was interested in building good relationships with his customers. One of the good guys.
  • CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 31,499 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Never knew the guy personally but it sure sounds like he was one of the good ones. Wish I had known him now. Epilepsy can really suck and it can be horrifyingly scary to watch for someone not familiar with it. What many folks don't know is that once the siezure is over, if the person didn't physically hurt themselves by banging into something, there are virtually no ill effects. They go through a short post-ictal phase where mental capacity is not 100% and are often very tired afterwards but it's not quite the nightmarish thing that on lookers often think. >>



    If I might offer some advice from personal experience, if you witness a grand mal seizure, don't try to do anything during the initial thrashing other than to pad the person's head with your hand or foot if it is banging against something.

    After the thrashing has ended, roll the person on their side with their head facing down at an angle so that saliva and phlegm can drain from their mouth. If they are laying on their back, it can interfere with their breathing.

    Never try to open their jaw to free up a tongue or lip caught between the teeth. You can't, and might injure the person by trying. Never put anything in their mouth.

    Be patient. It will pass, but it helps if somebody can watch the person until they come around.

    TD
    Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
  • CladiatorCladiator Posts: 17,918 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>Never knew the guy personally but it sure sounds like he was one of the good ones. Wish I had known him now. Epilepsy can really suck and it can be horrifyingly scary to watch for someone not familiar with it. What many folks don't know is that once the siezure is over, if the person didn't physically hurt themselves by banging into something, there are virtually no ill effects. They go through a short post-ictal phase where mental capacity is not 100% and are often very tired afterwards but it's not quite the nightmarish thing that on lookers often think. >>



    If I might offer some advice from personal experience, if you witness a grand mal seizure, don't try to do anything during the initial thrashing other than to pad the person's head with your hand or foot if it is banging against something.

    After the thrashing has ended, roll the person on their side with their head facing down at an angle so that saliva and phlegm can drain from their mouth. If they are laying on their back, it can interfere with their breathing.

    Never try to open their jaw to free up a tongue or lip caught between the teeth. You can't, and might injure the person by trying. Never put anything in their mouth.

    Be patient. It will pass, but it helps if somebody can watch the person until they come around.

    TD >>

    Good advice. I say that both as a certified EMT with in the field experience dealing with seizures and as someone who has a very close relative with epilepsy. The old myth is to stick something in their mouths...even a finger...bad move. I've seen epileptics die because the "something" that was put into their mouth logded and they suffocated. I've also gone on calls with two patients....1 seizure patient and one amputation patient who just had their finger bitten clean off by the dude having the seizure.
  • QuarternutQuarternut Posts: 1,479 ✭✭✭
    Truly an old time dealer...he handled rare coin after rare coin over the many years accumilating unmatched knowledge especially for the seated series, but in the Bust series as well.

    You would never "cherry pick" a coin at Jim's table, but you were assured to find almost any rare variety and key date you might need or want for sale.

    Rest well Jim, you will be sorrowly missed...image

    QN

    Go to Early United States Coins - to order the New "Early United States Half Dollar Vol. 1 / 1794-1807" book or the 1st new Bust Quarter book!

  • orevilleoreville Posts: 11,771 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Whoa. I did not know that Jim passed away.

    We have had more than our share of losses this year?

    I put Jim in the same class as Jack Lee. Great oldtimers!

    Very sad to hear. I will say my blessings for both Jim and Jack next week.
    A Collectors Universe poster since 1997!

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