CollectiveCoin is shutting down in March 2017
TopographicOceans
Posts: 6,535 ✭✭✭✭
I receive this email today.
I had some coins listed for sale, but never sold any. I didn't know if there was a fee when you sold? All of my prices were rather high.
It was a good site, but without any revenue it didn't work out for them. Too bad.
https://collectivecoin.com/relayer
Dear Collectivecoin member,
I have some sad news to report. Nick and I have decided to close down Collectivecoin.com in March 2017.
We began Collectivecoin 3 years ago as a tool for collectors to easily gather and share their coins online. Our goal was to build it into a combination showcase/marketplace that everyone could use.
I’ve had a lot of fun watching it slowly grow, and I’ve tried my best to publicize its usefulness and features to the larger coin collecting community. Unfortunately, while there are a few very enthusiastic users (and I thank you!) the site has never gotten much traction, and currently only gets 25-30 visitors per day.
The costs to run Collectivecoin have grown much more vigorously, from less than $100 when it began to just over $300 per month currently. I did consider requesting donations or offering some sort of subscription option, but I don’t like the thought of constant fundraising and I’d feel worse if I took someone’s money and still had to shut down later. We would consider handing the site off to someone who has the funds and energy to continue to run it, but haven’t gotten any interest in that option so far. Let me know if you’d like to discuss it.
I chose March so that everyone has time to finish up any business on the site and save any pictures that they may need.
Please feel free to continue using Collectivecoin until then, and I’ll update this list if anything new comes up. I truly am sorry to end what I feel is an improvement over most other image hosting options out there, and I really appreciate all of you helping the site grow with images and suggestions for improvement.
Yours, Matt Lenore (scubafuel)
Comments
Looks like we spread the news at the same minute.
This is terrible news...I loved Collectivecoin and never understood why it wasn't more widely used. Intuitive user interface and coin-specific...not sure why people continued to put up with problems on other image hosting sites. I will definitely miss it.
To answer the question in the original user's post...no, there is no fee for selling coins on Collectivecoin. I sold a couple of coins on there and had several other 'let me know if you ever want to sell this' messages on coins in my collection.
Hope someone does step up that's interested in possibly taking it over. If anyone is thinking about developing an Open Registry system as has been discussed in other threads, this certainly would seem like a good start with all the code there for uploading/classifying coins.
Never heard of it before.
Neither did I .. shame... poor PR ,marketing ?
Never heard of it before. Too bad
Coin's for sale/trade.
Tom Pilitowski
US Rare Coin Investments
800-624-1870
Does anyone know if the owner posts here on these forums? Or does anyone have contact info for Matt Lenore?
I have a fair amount of webmaster and coding experience, as well as marketing and PR. Maybe I could help him, or take even take the reins. Seems a shame to shut it down. I suspect that a change in his business model could make the site self sufficient.
Scubafuel is his name here
Proof Buffalo Registry Set
Capped Bust Quarters Registry Set
Proof Walking Liberty Halves Registry Set
I am very sorry to hear about this. I have been a collectivecoin evangelist on these boards since I started using the site shortly after it began. I guess I didn't do enough!
Thanks! I found his email address and sent him a message.
Sounds like a cool site, but since nobody's heard of it I guess we know why it is unsuccessful.
Owner sounds enthusiastic to get somebody else's help so maybe it can be saved.
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
It was a great website, and I appreciate Matt and Nick keeping the site going as long as they did.
I stopped by quite often during the first few weeks, admired their efforts, but saw the same coins sitting there and nothing else added, so I eventually gave up. No accusations there . . . just regret they will not be around.
Drunner
This was my exact thought as well.
I got the same email. Never sold anything there but have browsed other people's listings from time to time.
I know it's gotta be tough to promote a coin site when the big animal in the room for selling is so established. I know Alan at Coinzip works super hard to promote his site. Maybe collectivecoin can get some tips from him.
My Ebay Store
I've got to admit I didn't go there often, but liked to browse occasionally. Hoping it can be saved... I have always enjoyed variety and having choices of how to entertain myself.
I remember when it started it seemed to have so much promise. Not sure why it never took off. I hope it works out for site creators.
Great transactions with oih82w8, JasonGaming, Moose1913.
It was a great site for managing your collection, for storing particulars, and uploading photos. Better than any other site I know of.
I'm really bummed it had to shut down. A damned shame.
Lance.
People involved with coins to any serious degree not only heard of it but also used it.
An invaluable site for managing either a collection or an estate.
I saw the other thread first....did not know what 'Collective Coin' was... now I understand. Too bad it has not generated more interest....Could have been a good venue to buy coins....
Cheers, RickO
It is SO simple to use.
They had drag and drop images years ago.
If people started using it now, perhaps it could stay.
The capabilities of their software made it a pleasure.
I'm not part of it, but if I were younger I sure would be.
Sad news. I enjoyed viewing coins on that site.
Always sad to see a business close that had potential.:(
Amazing to me that dealers haven't asked about advertising there.
Sounds like a matter of economics. How many would be willing to pay a $10 monthly fee to post photos and sell there?
I just sent Matt a link to a knife forum that charges a buck to sell a knife on the honor system.
There is no better place to keep an OFF SITE record of your collection. With pictures, cost, notes, etc. on ANY grading service OR ...raw.
An executor with the link to the site and your password would give them a very concise way to determine the value of your collection.
This may be a lost cause, but it sure won't be because of the site itself.
Good deal dsessom... I for one enjoy the site! Lots of very cool coins posted!
AB
Maybe because there were only 25-30 visitors per day.
I offered to pay something to keep it going. I would have no problem with an annual fee of $50-100. The site is that good.
I'll bet a little promotion could bring in traffic and make it appealing to dealers.
Here's a link to much of my bust half collection. So easy to peruse.
https://collectivecoin.com/lkeigwin/mk7nRhYjRX6v2jqyKlgZ
Lance.
So START the rates LOW LOW LOW and let it build some eyes.
I have been on the site. I like it a lot. I am not a computer guy but would think the high cost of running it would be because of all the storage space required to store photos. While charging sellers, I think there should have to be a fee based on how much space a user occupies to show their collection.
I certainly would think something could be thought up or put together to save the site, but it would have to start with charging a fee for anyone using I would think.
That's a great set of bust halves Lance.
And collective coin does a great job of being able to display them - and to link them to this forum.
The site is better that Photobucket and imgur but those have broader appeal. Collective Coin is just about coins.
I looked at it when it first started and it looks like there are a lot more coins for sale on it now than I remember in the beginning. Hopefully someone can help breath some life into it before it is too late.
I'm sorry to hear that. REally the easiest place to post photos and copy them to forums. I frequently check the for sale list.
A great site - somebody should really take it over!
Sunshine Rare Coins
sunshinecoins.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html
Great website, hope someone can save it!
Many members on this forum that now it cannot fit in my signature. Please ask for entire list.
I can take it over if they are willing to sell. Will try to get a hold of them when not typing on phone...
My Type Set & My Complete Proof Nickel Set!
Basically an alternative to Photobucket (or any other image hosting site) but coin-specific. Really slick site, too bad it's going under.
Check out my iPhone app SlabReader!
Thank you everyone for your comments and advice, both in this thread and by PM. I'm currently pursuing a couple options that will hopefully get the site on firmer footing. Please continue to send suggestions my way. I'll be at FUN next week, so I'm happy to discuss over a beer as well.
Regards, Matt (scubafuel)
I'm a recent newcomer to the site (just in the last 6 months) but I can say it is terrific and also quite simple to use. Best of luck to you Matt to figure out a way to keep it up and running. I'd make a call to David Hall or Don Willis before I'd let it go under. It seems like a perfect complement to the PCGS platform if it can't make enough $$ to stand alone. Just a thought.
What might be a revenue source would be hosting for eBay sellers?
Yep, I've never heard of it either. Sorry to see it go, though.
Glad to see some people are interested in possibly keeping it going. I started using it as my photo host to link to boards, but also really liked the collection management too.
Last week Stack's Bowers announced that they had purchased CollectiveCoin.com. The site appears to still be up.
http://blog.greysheet.com/2017/03/10/press-release-stacks-bowers-galleries-acquires-collectivecoin-com/
I was one of those who had never heard of CollectiveCoin, and i missed this Post the first time around, but I saw it this time, and took a look at the site. I will give it a try, as it looks like it will be staying around for a while. I am currently using Heritage's MY Collection feature for this. Will see how they stackup against each other.
I have been using Collectivecoin.com for a while and i enjoy it. BTW- on the Stacks website they have a link to Collectorcoin.com. Hopefully they will put some bucks into it and expand its use as well as market its use.
It may nothing to do with your site, so do not take it personally. Right now I list on three different sites and they are not integrated. In other words, I have to list and delist everything on up to three sites every time something sells or is put up for sale. If I could have used this service doing an electronic extract from one of the three other sites I would have used it, other wise it would be yet another place to manage.
P.S. PM me if you want to sell it.