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Hi, I'm Ed and very thankful to be here.

EdtheloraxEdthelorax Posts: 229 ✭✭✭
in U.S. Coin Forum

I started collecting when I was about 9 when my dad let me look through the 27,770 Lincolns he had in our basement. He was a middle-class collector and had kept all the pennies he had gotten in change for at least a decade. I was 12 when I mowed lawns all summer for an in-home dealer in our neighborhood to save up for a 1914-D Lincoln in fine (now it would be a VF) which I paid $62.50 for. The 14-D was the only Lincoln my dad had in his complete book that was below F, because he found it roll hunting in the late 50's. A few years after that, I forgot about coins, focusing instead on cards. I was out of the hobby for almost 20 years when my dad passed, at which point I gained an interest in precious metals; my interest in coins was renewed, but with my old thinking of "fill the holes in my books" which my wife found boring. "They all look the same, but with different dates" she would say. My interest waned somewhere between the time I sold many of the best coins for a house (including both 14-D's) and the top in metals in 2011.

In late 2015 I recognized the bottom in metals thanks to a former boss of many years who taught me to chart by doing everything an investor shouldn't do. He was a day trader with more cents than sense (he let me use his top-of-the-line charting software for a decade starting when that was all new, along with the internet). It was close to that time period when what my wife had been trying to tell me had finally sunken in: "Quality over quantity," along with "collect what you like," and "eye appeal is everything."

I can point to 3 specific things (besides the wife, whose interest is in photographing coins; BTW, thank you Ray and Rob for doing what each of you guys do) that transformed me from a casual collector into somewhat of a fanatic.

First is Ebay, where I can find deals unlike any that can be had at a dealer or a show, as long as you don't get stuck with a counterfeit. I'm sure you all will hear me complain about Ebay's disregard for us in my future posts, until Ebay cares at least a little about the US laws (Hobby Protection Act). I'll save that topic for later.

Second being PCGS Coinfacts, which is where I used to study photos which helped me learn what is genuine and what is counterfeit on Ebay. Coinfacts played a huge role in my renaissance by displaying the eye candy that I fell in love with. I have spent hundreds of hours just looking at the MPL's and brown proof Indians. I am so sad about the end of one of the few things that has helped to bring new collectors to our hobby.

Third was a partial book of woodgrain Lincolns that I bought on Ebay from allegiance-rare-coins. Working on this collection has captured my attention for the last 3 years. When you are an honorable person just trying to do the right thing, sometimes you will never know the effect that you and your decisions will have had on an individual. That individual may never be able to convey his gratitude personally, but they may end up trying to be an extremely vocal advocate of the very same things that you care about. In this case it is numismatics, but that goes for everything.

I hope to be able to contribute to this forum, Thank you all for participating and for having me here.
Ed TheLorax

http://www.silverstocker.com
Anyone can PM me Any Time about Any thing.

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