What was better back in the day with numismatics; before the internet?
PocketArt
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I wasn’t an active collector 20+ years ago before the advent of the internet. I enjoy the advantages we have today in terms of sharing knowledge, having various venues to buy, and sell. However; I’m curious to what was enjoyed, and lacking today in our hobby that may have been lost from years past. Anything?
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Local Mom and Pop coin shops.
Dealers making a money buying a coin as an VF and selling as a XF.
Nothing.
brick and mortar coin shops...internet killed them...now a 200 mile round trip for me if I want to see one
Almost everything was in-person, and the coins were examined without impediment from plastic holders that obscure the edge and sometimes other parts of the coin, Grading was neither more nor less reliable, but it did not have the "aura" of infallibility that seems to have drilled into the brains of present collectors. Plus, arguing with the seller or buyer about condition was part of the pleasure and learning of the hobby. (This latter meant that a true AU coin with nice surfaces was usually higher in cost than a baggy UNC - "MS60-61 today.")
The enjoyment of searching for a coin that was rare, or at least rare in the area.
Great question. Not sure I can say what was better prior to the Internet all all that goes along with that... Part of the question should include the change in collectors' perception of rarity, condition rarity leading to a shift in how coins are now collected. This would include buying and selling as well.
Information that is readily available as to US coins has increased... And so has the ability to track buying opportunities and the frequency that certain coins appear on the market. I am not sure if this information has translated well in determining valuations. Part of the disconnect could be explainable in terms of demand and the subjective component associated with grading. And the resources on the Internet serve to capture trading, grading, TPG and stickers but somehow the coins with their individual characteristics that set them apart rarely enters the discussion. This begs the question of what is actually being collected...
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
This and the bid boards.
I do like having images available on line to view at my leisure, but the B&M was the place to be for viewing and education.
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The local coin shops.... they were great, with bid boards and people sitting around discussing coins and stories about coins. Also, focus on numerical grades was much less and this unbelievable passion, and premiums for, tarnish, was non-existent. Cheers, RickO
Junk boxes
I would have the to say big Convention's, I remember going to Fairlane Town Center show in Dearborn MI (Detroit suburbs) in 1979, I managed to pick up some nice rolls of DCAM Morgan's, I have never been to a larger show since, and never found anymore rolls like that. (Six full rolls)
Fighting the Fight for 11 Years with the big "C" - Never Ever Give Up!
Member PCGS Open Forum board 2002 - 2006 (closed end of 2006) Current board since 2006 Successful trades with many members, over the past two decades, never a bad deal.
A good follow up to this question would be life before registry sets
i miss the personal touch of the mom & pop shops that dotted the area. then again with the internet it opened up more of the world to us, just saying.
Numismatic Scrapbook, Coin World, national and local shows were all adversely impacted or destroyed by the internet.
The bigger impact is that the internet generations don't give a hood about rare coins
The end is near!.
There was one local show per year with all fresh stuff you had never seen before, unlike the monthly shows now with most of the same old stuff. It was exciting to attend. Now, if you miss it you know there's always another one next month.
Prices for uber quality coins wasn't so crazy like today. But then again, finding uber quality coins was a lot more difficult.
Presentation in custom Capital Plastics holders.
I read the coin magazines cover to cover. Now, not at all.
Insert witicism here. [ xxx ]
Rarity... As the internet has really proven what's really rare and what's not we once thought was.
I've seen this elsewhere
pre-internet, Elvis' 78 rmp RCA records were considered to be scarce.
Now they are are as common as dirt and sell for less than they did 30 years ago.
Hmmm ... sounds like the "rare" 1950-D nickel
Research is easier now, there was more money banging around in the 90s. There is something about the physical evidence of a physical hobby that is superior to the theory, image, the hype, etc.. It all depends on the sharp, tough minded people as allies in hobby honesty vs. those who take advantage of others. I'm not sure all in all it has gotten better.
Not all of the Elvis RCA 78 RPM records are common... but many are such as Heartbreak Hotel and Too Much. I tend to agree that they do not fetch the money they did 20 to 30 years ago.
Rare pre war Blues records have fared better.
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Believe me, it is much better now. About the only thing that was better pre-internet was CoinWorld and the bid board at my local coin shop.
Complete Set of Chopmarked Trade Dollars
Carson City Silver Dollars Complete 1870-1893http://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/showcase.aspx?sc=2722"
I wouldn't have returned to collecting coins if not for the internet, specifically eBay and this Forum.
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
I agree but feel the opposite. I think rarity is much better today because there's more accurate information on what is truly rare.
In the old days, many collectors had never even seen a monster rainbow Morgan toner. Now, everyone can appreciate coins like the Sirna Moose whereas before they could be numismyths.
Thanks all for sharing some interesting nostalgia, and reflections from the past. The closest B&M is about a 40 minute drive, and in Ft. Wayne, IN. I usually spend no less than an hour looking, sharing, and asking questions. One of the pleasures of my collecting experiences for sure.
Biggest difference is in the average collector's mindset. 30 years ago collectors COLLECTED. They bought for their "forever box". Today everyone wants to be a dealer. Instead of collecting, it's all about "How much can I sell this label for?" No one seems to care about owning the actual coin.
Dreaming. Now it's a freakin' nightmare.
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
Is it thread-crapping to mention one thing that WASN'T better? I just found this out while I was going thru a lot of old checkbooks that date back over 40 years. By comparing my check date with the arrival date in my coin inventory of Mint products like plain old mint sets and proof sets, I am surprised to recall that it took >> months << for the orders to be filled. I saw one year where I sent the Mint my check for a proof set in early January, and the set arrived in July! Don't see that too much any more.
Based on what I read here OKBC, this is frequently the mindset, however, be careful with "everyone" and "no one"
Counting you and me, there are at least two of us, and I can think of a few others around here too.
Still, we're probably R6 or better, nowadays
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
As I kid, I was at the (only at times beneficial) mercy of a handful of mentors, primarily at the local coin shop. Today, it's SO much easier to get detailed information about coins, and SO much easier to get willing access to knowledgeable people (e.g. these Boards).
Here's a warning parable for coin collectors...
About the mindset collector vs dealer .... as I have evolved from one to the other.
I now see, handle, personally own, and sell way better quality major error coins that I could ever do by just collecting.
The best thing a collector can do (IMO) is sell off all the low end accumulated coins and the the coins that no longer interest you (even if it's a loss), and put that money into fewer better quality high eye appeal coins.
How about the anticipation waiting for the arrival of coins you paid for after just reading a written description? No pictures! Of course, sometimes the surprise was not good and I had to send some back. This was usually solved with the dealer apologizing and quickly returning your money. After weeding out some questionable dealers I still had a large list of people I had confidence in buying from.
Plus going to coin shows was great.
Successful BST deals with mustangt and jesbroken. Now EVERYTHING is for sale.