Modern Coin Mart contest entry
hrlaser
Posts: 1,133 ✭✭
Modern Coin Mart essay contest entry.
(Note: I am posting this here, because the contest rules specify that one's essay entry must be posted on an online forum where one has at least 25 posts. To the best of my memory, this is the only one for which I can make that claim).
My abbreviated background:
I've been collecting, buying, and selling coins since I was a child in the 1950s. Back then, my interest in coins was kickstarted by my Grandfather, who would travel from Detroit to So. Calif., where my family lived, for a visit.
On each of their visits, my Grandparents always gifted me with a Silver Dollar. Grandpa was, by trade, a very talented, old-world tailor, making custom suits by hand for rich guys, who paid him in Gold, but back then, in the early part of the 20th century, Gold coins were worth face value, so they were spent. Although he saved a few he sent to his Daughter, my Mother, he never gave any Gold to me. Instead, he gave me Morgan and Peace Dollars, which no longer circulated in the mid to late 1950s, although as anyone reading this who's old enough should know, lower denomination Silver coins did, until 1965.
Although none of the cartwheels he gave me were key dates, and they had all seen circulation, Grandpa spurred my longing to know more about coins: their history, their designs and designers, mintmarks, mintages, values, and all the other things a kid of my age could absorb.
There was a hole-in-the-wall hobby and coin shop I walked past every day, to and from school. That tiny shop was heaven to me. Even though I never had more than a buck or two (if I was lucky and saved my allowance) in my pockets at any one time, looking was free, and occasionally, I'd check out the tiny shop's coin display case, and buy an Indian head cent, or a heavily-worn SLQ, or WLH, although even those coins, along with Barber and Mercury dimes, and plenty of Franklin Halves still circulated as pocket change in the 1950s.
Even upscale department stores had coin and stamp departments, although I could rarely afford anything they sold, I still have the free literature and sales brochures they handed out, along with my childhood collecting books.
I bought (or was given) those books, which were written specifically for kids and pre-teens, and bought my first Red Book in 1957. Occasionally, I'd buy an issue of Coin World, which lead to a subscription, and I'd plow through every issue, and peruse every ad, learning as much as I could absorb.
As the years flew by, my interest in coins waxed and waned. Through High School and College, my late Dad and I often ordered yearly Proof and Mint Sets from the U.S. Mint, which was done back then through the mails. Later, we attended a few coin shows at the old Long Beach Convention Center.
In College, my attention turned away from coins, to buying records, and, of course, to girls. My coin collection sat quietly in a closet, waiting for me to return to it years later.
I still own every coin given to me by my Grandpa, and my Parents.
As the years passed, and Silver was removed from circulating coinage in 1965, Silver coins quickly vanished from circulation, although I can still vividly remember the Kennedy Half buying frenzy when that coin was released, just months after JFK was slain. There were liteally lines at banks with people buying singles and rolls of the new 1964 Kenendy Halves, and socking them away mainly as keepsakes, and, for those who knew the value of Silver, as a store of value, since, as we all know, except for those found to this day in Silver Proof Sets, the 1964 Kennedy Half was the only year that coin was struck in 90% Silver for circulation.
Fast forward a few decades. My Dad passed away in the mid-1980s, and my Mom in 2005. With her passing, I inherited a tidy sum, although it didn't make me a millionaire, it was more money than I had ever had in my life, and I could buy things I had always wanted to own, and some of those things included coins.
Jump to 2008, and, in these forums, with the Mint's release, and John Nanny's discovery of the 2008 Reverse of 2007 ASE, and thanks to a Freedom of Information Act filing to determine just exactly how many of that first error ASE had been struck (the Mint's reply to the FOIA filing was "46,318"), I tried, in vain, to rush in an order and hope to get lucky and score some at issue price, as many of you did, but, alas, all I received were the regular 2008 ASEs.. the window of opportunity to get them at issue price slammed shut faster than the blink of a day or so.
eBay , and these forums, went into a frenzy over those coins, and prices were rising, albeit slowly at first, because no one really knew how many existed, until Michael White, the Mint's PR flack, said "47,000." A lot of eBay sellers still use that number, even though it's a tad high.
So, I was turned on to John Maben's company, MCM, thanks to postings in these forums, not only by the regular posters, but by the man himself.
Unable to get any directly from The Mint, I bought some from MCM. They were selling NGC First Release-labelled examples of that first error ASE in MS69 for $99.00. and, if memory serves correctly, MS70s for $199.00. I missed out on those prices literally by one day, but bought a bunch of MS69s at $140.00 each, before the price went up again.
MCM is located in Sarasota, Florida, and one could probably stand in front of their building and spit to NGC's offices.
That purchase led me to facebook, which I joined a bit later, and to MCM's page at
http://www.facebook.com/moderncoinmart
I voraciously read everything on their fb page, and also perused their Web site store, http://www.moderncoinmart.com which was re-vamped a few months ago.
I knew i was dealing with real pros, who had vast knowledge of numismatics, especially "moderns."
They also conduct a LOT of contests on their fb page, both random chance drawings, and essay contests, a number of which had multiple winners, and I scored and won multiple, valuable coins from them, including Gold, and rare, graded ASE sets and singles in the past year or two.
In 2012, MCM's President and CEO, John Maben, a frequent contributor to these forums, co-authored (with Eric Jordan), a wonderful book entitled "Top 50 Most Popular Modern Coins."
Because of my heavy participation on their fb page, Mr. Maben sent me gratis, an autographed copy of this fascinating, beautifully-written book.
One may or may not agree with the authors' "Top 50", but it's obvious from the first page, that they are experts in the field of modern coins.
I still check out MCM's fb page daily. When I first "liked" that page, there were about 5000 fellow "likers". As I type this, on 26 August, 2013, that number has jumped to almost 27,000.
Based on reading postings on their page, it's obvious that their fb audience varies wildly from seasoned Numismatic pros, to rote novices - from the well-heeled collectors with deep pockets, who can buy pretty much anything they want, to those for whom spending $50.00 on a coin is a stretch, and everyone in-between. "You can't always get what you want" but drooling is still free..
MCM is far from the only coin dealer from whom I've ever made purchases or entered contests. They have a lot of competition, but for me, there's something very special about the way they do business.
I've attended numerous Long Beach Coin and Collectible shows, and met and talked to hundreds of dealers and collectors over the years. While I haven't seen them at a Long Beach show, MCM does attend and display at many other coin shows. Competition for collectors' and investors' money is hot and heavy, and MCM has plenty of competition, but without trying to sound like a cheerleader (which is probably unavoidable), all things being equal, if there was a coin that multiple dealers were selling, I'd go with Modern Coin Mart.
You could do an objective analysis that compares several exactly-identical bullion products from APMEX, G'ville and Provident with MCM and when you factor in all costs MCM would still be cheaper, albeit those items would need to be selected and not at random. Further, MCM is usually not the cheapest if all you look at is the single item price, but if you are a "big" buyer the volume discounts and free shipping usually puts them ahead of the pack.
MCM also has a heavy presence on eBay, so there are multiple ways to buy coins from them - their own Web site, eBay, or for the Luddites out there, over the phone.
My dealings with MCM have been nothing but 100% positive.
The staff couldn't be friendlier. The folks in the shipping department couldn't be more capable. Every shipment I've received from them, all of which had to travel close to 3,000 miles, arrived in utterly perfect condition, whether it's a coin or multiple coins, bullion, or books.
As mentioned earlier in this novel, my first MCM purchase was five years ago - the rare 2008 / 2007 error ASEs. Those slabs arrived, each in its own tiny ZipLok bag, with the MCM logo printed on it. I'd never before seen a dealer use those, and I found the tiny ZipLoks for pocket change at a local crafts supply store, so I bought myself a box, and use them when I sell coins (or whatever will fit into them) on eBay.
If you're looking for a dealer who carries "moderns" of all description, from singles to sets to "monster" boxes, and a pretty cool selection of world coins, MCM probably has what you want, in whatever grade your wallet can handle. They do a huge volume of business, and available stock changes constantly, but you can give them your want list, and be notified when the coin(s) you want, in the grade(s) you want are in stock.
I've never dealt with a more professionally-run coin retailer in my life, whether in person, at a show, on the phone, or online.
Disclaimer: I do not work for Modern Coin Mart. I am not a relative of anyone who does. I have no affiliation with them, other than participating on their fb page, and as a customer, and occasional prize winner.
Harv Laser
(Note: I am posting this here, because the contest rules specify that one's essay entry must be posted on an online forum where one has at least 25 posts. To the best of my memory, this is the only one for which I can make that claim).
My abbreviated background:
I've been collecting, buying, and selling coins since I was a child in the 1950s. Back then, my interest in coins was kickstarted by my Grandfather, who would travel from Detroit to So. Calif., where my family lived, for a visit.
On each of their visits, my Grandparents always gifted me with a Silver Dollar. Grandpa was, by trade, a very talented, old-world tailor, making custom suits by hand for rich guys, who paid him in Gold, but back then, in the early part of the 20th century, Gold coins were worth face value, so they were spent. Although he saved a few he sent to his Daughter, my Mother, he never gave any Gold to me. Instead, he gave me Morgan and Peace Dollars, which no longer circulated in the mid to late 1950s, although as anyone reading this who's old enough should know, lower denomination Silver coins did, until 1965.
Although none of the cartwheels he gave me were key dates, and they had all seen circulation, Grandpa spurred my longing to know more about coins: their history, their designs and designers, mintmarks, mintages, values, and all the other things a kid of my age could absorb.
There was a hole-in-the-wall hobby and coin shop I walked past every day, to and from school. That tiny shop was heaven to me. Even though I never had more than a buck or two (if I was lucky and saved my allowance) in my pockets at any one time, looking was free, and occasionally, I'd check out the tiny shop's coin display case, and buy an Indian head cent, or a heavily-worn SLQ, or WLH, although even those coins, along with Barber and Mercury dimes, and plenty of Franklin Halves still circulated as pocket change in the 1950s.
Even upscale department stores had coin and stamp departments, although I could rarely afford anything they sold, I still have the free literature and sales brochures they handed out, along with my childhood collecting books.
I bought (or was given) those books, which were written specifically for kids and pre-teens, and bought my first Red Book in 1957. Occasionally, I'd buy an issue of Coin World, which lead to a subscription, and I'd plow through every issue, and peruse every ad, learning as much as I could absorb.
As the years flew by, my interest in coins waxed and waned. Through High School and College, my late Dad and I often ordered yearly Proof and Mint Sets from the U.S. Mint, which was done back then through the mails. Later, we attended a few coin shows at the old Long Beach Convention Center.
In College, my attention turned away from coins, to buying records, and, of course, to girls. My coin collection sat quietly in a closet, waiting for me to return to it years later.
I still own every coin given to me by my Grandpa, and my Parents.
As the years passed, and Silver was removed from circulating coinage in 1965, Silver coins quickly vanished from circulation, although I can still vividly remember the Kennedy Half buying frenzy when that coin was released, just months after JFK was slain. There were liteally lines at banks with people buying singles and rolls of the new 1964 Kenendy Halves, and socking them away mainly as keepsakes, and, for those who knew the value of Silver, as a store of value, since, as we all know, except for those found to this day in Silver Proof Sets, the 1964 Kennedy Half was the only year that coin was struck in 90% Silver for circulation.
Fast forward a few decades. My Dad passed away in the mid-1980s, and my Mom in 2005. With her passing, I inherited a tidy sum, although it didn't make me a millionaire, it was more money than I had ever had in my life, and I could buy things I had always wanted to own, and some of those things included coins.
Jump to 2008, and, in these forums, with the Mint's release, and John Nanny's discovery of the 2008 Reverse of 2007 ASE, and thanks to a Freedom of Information Act filing to determine just exactly how many of that first error ASE had been struck (the Mint's reply to the FOIA filing was "46,318"), I tried, in vain, to rush in an order and hope to get lucky and score some at issue price, as many of you did, but, alas, all I received were the regular 2008 ASEs.. the window of opportunity to get them at issue price slammed shut faster than the blink of a day or so.
eBay , and these forums, went into a frenzy over those coins, and prices were rising, albeit slowly at first, because no one really knew how many existed, until Michael White, the Mint's PR flack, said "47,000." A lot of eBay sellers still use that number, even though it's a tad high.
So, I was turned on to John Maben's company, MCM, thanks to postings in these forums, not only by the regular posters, but by the man himself.
Unable to get any directly from The Mint, I bought some from MCM. They were selling NGC First Release-labelled examples of that first error ASE in MS69 for $99.00. and, if memory serves correctly, MS70s for $199.00. I missed out on those prices literally by one day, but bought a bunch of MS69s at $140.00 each, before the price went up again.
MCM is located in Sarasota, Florida, and one could probably stand in front of their building and spit to NGC's offices.
That purchase led me to facebook, which I joined a bit later, and to MCM's page at
http://www.facebook.com/moderncoinmart
I voraciously read everything on their fb page, and also perused their Web site store, http://www.moderncoinmart.com which was re-vamped a few months ago.
I knew i was dealing with real pros, who had vast knowledge of numismatics, especially "moderns."
They also conduct a LOT of contests on their fb page, both random chance drawings, and essay contests, a number of which had multiple winners, and I scored and won multiple, valuable coins from them, including Gold, and rare, graded ASE sets and singles in the past year or two.
In 2012, MCM's President and CEO, John Maben, a frequent contributor to these forums, co-authored (with Eric Jordan), a wonderful book entitled "Top 50 Most Popular Modern Coins."
Because of my heavy participation on their fb page, Mr. Maben sent me gratis, an autographed copy of this fascinating, beautifully-written book.
One may or may not agree with the authors' "Top 50", but it's obvious from the first page, that they are experts in the field of modern coins.
I still check out MCM's fb page daily. When I first "liked" that page, there were about 5000 fellow "likers". As I type this, on 26 August, 2013, that number has jumped to almost 27,000.
Based on reading postings on their page, it's obvious that their fb audience varies wildly from seasoned Numismatic pros, to rote novices - from the well-heeled collectors with deep pockets, who can buy pretty much anything they want, to those for whom spending $50.00 on a coin is a stretch, and everyone in-between. "You can't always get what you want" but drooling is still free..
MCM is far from the only coin dealer from whom I've ever made purchases or entered contests. They have a lot of competition, but for me, there's something very special about the way they do business.
I've attended numerous Long Beach Coin and Collectible shows, and met and talked to hundreds of dealers and collectors over the years. While I haven't seen them at a Long Beach show, MCM does attend and display at many other coin shows. Competition for collectors' and investors' money is hot and heavy, and MCM has plenty of competition, but without trying to sound like a cheerleader (which is probably unavoidable), all things being equal, if there was a coin that multiple dealers were selling, I'd go with Modern Coin Mart.
You could do an objective analysis that compares several exactly-identical bullion products from APMEX, G'ville and Provident with MCM and when you factor in all costs MCM would still be cheaper, albeit those items would need to be selected and not at random. Further, MCM is usually not the cheapest if all you look at is the single item price, but if you are a "big" buyer the volume discounts and free shipping usually puts them ahead of the pack.
MCM also has a heavy presence on eBay, so there are multiple ways to buy coins from them - their own Web site, eBay, or for the Luddites out there, over the phone.
My dealings with MCM have been nothing but 100% positive.
The staff couldn't be friendlier. The folks in the shipping department couldn't be more capable. Every shipment I've received from them, all of which had to travel close to 3,000 miles, arrived in utterly perfect condition, whether it's a coin or multiple coins, bullion, or books.
As mentioned earlier in this novel, my first MCM purchase was five years ago - the rare 2008 / 2007 error ASEs. Those slabs arrived, each in its own tiny ZipLok bag, with the MCM logo printed on it. I'd never before seen a dealer use those, and I found the tiny ZipLoks for pocket change at a local crafts supply store, so I bought myself a box, and use them when I sell coins (or whatever will fit into them) on eBay.
If you're looking for a dealer who carries "moderns" of all description, from singles to sets to "monster" boxes, and a pretty cool selection of world coins, MCM probably has what you want, in whatever grade your wallet can handle. They do a huge volume of business, and available stock changes constantly, but you can give them your want list, and be notified when the coin(s) you want, in the grade(s) you want are in stock.
I've never dealt with a more professionally-run coin retailer in my life, whether in person, at a show, on the phone, or online.
Disclaimer: I do not work for Modern Coin Mart. I am not a relative of anyone who does. I have no affiliation with them, other than participating on their fb page, and as a customer, and occasional prize winner.
Harv Laser
"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, I won't be laid a hand on.. I don't do these things to other people.. I require the same of them.."
- John Wayne, "The Shootist" (1976.. his final film)..
- John Wayne, "The Shootist" (1976.. his final film)..
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