Which do you prefer? Auction catalogs: Proofs listed seperately or mixed with business strikes?

commoncents05

Looking through the Heritage versus Bowers & Merena auction catalogs, there is one big difference, the way they list the Proofs. Heritage lists them at the end of the series, all together in a separate section. B&M mixes them in with the business strikes. Which do you prefer?

-Paul

Robb

Separated.

dizzyfoxx

<< <i>Separated. >>



definitely.

Julian

I prefer the coins to be sold in denomination order and then chronologically.

I see no valid reason for the coins to be separated.

Serious collectors of series collect both commercial strikes and proofs in concert with each other.

jhdfla

It really doesn't matter to me, but I understand Julian's point in that both are a method of manufacture, and the chronological order (and of course by series) is really all that's important.

john

speety

<< <i>Serious collectors of series collect both commercial strikes and proofs in concert with each other. >>



Guess I'm not a serious collector then...

I don't agree with this statement at all. I too prefer them separated.

Justacommeman

together...but then again I have A.D.D so I guess I'm consistant : )

OnlyGoldIsMoney

Separated at birth. Keep them that way.

robec

Separated.

JCMhouston

<< <i>Serious collectors of series collect both commercial strikes and proofs in concert with each other. >>



I guess I'm not very serious either, I probably have only spent around $12K so far this year, and I don't actively collect both. My Georgian halfpenny set is bordering on being complete. While I have a few Taylor restrike proofs they are collected as a seperate series. I don't have any of the early currency proofs.

Was the statement referring to serious collectors or rich collectors?

stinkinlincoln

Separated.


I like to think of myself as a serious collector too.

messydesk

Separated within their type, then chronological, thus:
5c Nickel
+--Shield
---+-- Business Strike
---+-- Proof
+-- Liberty
---+-- Business Strike
---+-- Proof
...

It's just what I'm used to. (In other words, Heritage rather than Teletrade.)

stinkinlincoln

<<In other words, Heritage rather than Teletrade.>>

Teletrade has an auction catalog like Heritage? Or are you talking abhout their site and how they list the coins?

golfer72

I guess I am not serious then LOL. I only collect Franklin Proofs.

illini420

I too like them separated. And I disagree with the statement above that serious collectors collect both proof and business strikes. The comparatively low prices of early proof coins (i.e. low demand) would seem to go against that view... or maybe there just isn't too many "serious" collectors out there.

For me, I really like Barber coinage and collect a lot of the high grade business strikes because of their rarity in uncirculated grades. I have no interest in proof Barbers though since there is such a high survival rate and just about all of those are high grade coins anyways.

Aegis3

Together. Messydesk probably has the most important comment in the thread, mentioning Heritage. The first auction catalogs I saw were Bowers and Merena's of the 1990's, and business strikes & proofs were listed together there. I suspect most people who mentioned "separate" mentioned that for the same reason, only switching Bowers and Merena to Heritage.

Coinosaurus

This sounds suspiciously like a Longacre question.

Anyway, I don't like proofs. They kill luster. Put 'em all in the back of the catalog along with the discount merchandise, I say.

SmallEagle

Together.

Bayard1908

Separated.

joebb21

If I collect only proof coinage I dont want to have to look through the entire series to see which ones have proofs for sale or not. SEPARATED!!!!
way to go heritage.

ChrisRx

Separated. But equal.

ArizonaJack

Seperated.

messydesk

<< <i>Teletrade has an auction catalog like Heritage? Or are you talking abhout their site and how they list the coins? >>


Referring to their online catalog, although their printed catalog from days of yore did that as well.

dpoole

<< <i>Serious collectors of series collect both commercial strikes and proofs in concert with each other. >>



Separated.

They want to sell coins to silly collectors too, don't they?

garsmith

Heritage style

HoledandCreative

Definitely together. Poor to Proof all in on spot, consecutive by date and mintmark. I prefer to buy Proof but they rarely show up with the eye appeal I prefer, so I have to resort to a lower grade hole filler for instant satisfaction (Buying). To have them separate is like having another catalog or ad to look through. Mentally, a waste of time. For buying, I want to see all as quickly as possible. Contiguous is the most efficient.

For auctions, it doesn't really matter as I usually have all kinds of time to formulates bids and peruse catalogs using the valuable search tools which cut the browsing to a minimum. Of course, if lousy search tools, then together as per first paragraph.

If I collected Proof only, I wouldn't want to waste my time looking through lesser grades. Same goes for collecting coins struck for circulation, why waste time looking at Proofs. Separated, of course, would be the most efficient for a small percentage of collectors.

The boards here are represented by a much higher number of highly specialized, quality-conscious collectors so the results of a survey like this will be skewed a bit.

MrEureka

I prefer the coins to be sold in denomination order and then chronologically.

I see no valid reason for the coins to be separated.


I don't really care, but I can see how separating the coins could make the search function more effective and/or simpler for website users.