Where would your collection be without the internet?

Shamika · December 3, 2005 6:44AM

I must admit, I probably wouldn't even be collecting. No major coin shows within 300 miles, no decent coin shops within an hours drive... Thank goodness for the web.

DNADave · December 3, 2005 6:46AM

I wouldn't have ANY sticker dollars.

michael · December 3, 2005 6:46AM

if i had a collection it would be the same no more no less

lordmarcovan · December 3, 2005 6:46AM

I'd have my detector finds and that's about it.

Having lived in a number of numismatic backwaters, I remember the bad old days of sight-unseen mailorder all too well.

Before the Web, it was the NumiNews classifieds for me. And later, Teletrade.

lordmarcovan · December 3, 2005 6:46AM

Oh- and assembling a date set of holed large cents would have been a lifetime endeavor, not a matter of a few years.

Boom · December 3, 2005 6:48AM

Assembling a set like mine would have been damn near impossible.

mozin · December 3, 2005 6:49AM

Traveling to major coin shows is expensive, and coin shops are useless for me. The internet is what keeps me collecting.

TorinoCobra71 · December 3, 2005 6:49AM

Seriously Lacking, The internet has been the source of about 80% of my collecting interests over the last 10 years.......

TorinoCobra71

Shamika · December 3, 2005 6:52AM

<< <i> Oh- and assembling a date set of holed large cents would have been a lifetime endeavor, not a matter of a few years. >>

No, it would have taken more than a lifetime I believe.

ROBERTB · December 3, 2005 6:54AM

Where would your collection be without the internet?

Probably in the toilet.

BillJones · December 3, 2005 7:01AM

About the same place it is now. I buy almost all of my coins at shows.

The only items I have purchased on the Internet in a big way were the modern commemorative sets in the cherrywood boxes with the Proof and Unc. coins in them. I bought a few of those sets at the large shows, but most of them had to come from the Internet.

Given the current price of gold, my timing was decent, but if gold goes down, these sets might become losers again.

But just for the record some of them are pretty scarce, both because of the small number issued at the end of the series (The Smithsonian set was the last one with only coins in it.) and the number of sets that have been broken up for slabs.

my3cents · December 3, 2005 7:09AM

all I would have would be the lincoln cent collection I started with

BBN · December 3, 2005 7:30AM

I wouldn't have some of my MS66 buffalos. Nor my 1794 cent or some of my MS SLQs for that matter. The local dealer never runs into 1700s US coins, nor does he get too many MS66+ bufs or MS SLQs. Basically my current collection would be as good quality as it is.

Rollerman · December 3, 2005 7:42AM

I would have four less coin's than I do now. No, that's not right, I would have gotten them from some other source besides the net. I have a number of shops within a 20 minute ride and do 95% of my business with them. The remaining 5% is coin shows and the dozen or so coins that I bought off Ebay (8 of which I have resold as they weren't what I wanted!)
Bottom line? MY collection would be just as it is right now without the net. However, I do enjoy looking at this formum nearly everyday and it adds greatly to my enjoyment of the hobby.
Best wishes, Pete

tjkillian · December 3, 2005 7:50AM

The internet is much more than just eBay. From the folks I have met on this forum, I have made many significant purchases. I would not have had a chance to even meet them if it were not for the internet. The internet has greatly expanded my selection of coins and my knowledge about coins. I have also made some nice friends who also like to collect. EBay has allowed me to sell my excess coins for a greater amount than I would have realized from a dealer.

The internet has been great.

Tom

NumisOxide · December 3, 2005 7:50AM

It would be pretty much limited. The internet has provided me and everyone else with unlimited sources to buy coins from. Before I got really into coin collecting, the only place I bought coins from was my local coin shops, and also coins that were passed down to me from my dad and grandmother.

The internet is not just a source to buy coins from but it also is a place that holds a lot of knowledge. I've learned a lot about numismatics and I'm thankful that the internet was here to teach me.

Coxe · December 3, 2005 8:08AM

I remember when Teletrade came out and was just a telephone bidding operation. I was still able to amass a fairly decent number of good coins over those years, sight unseen. I actually applaud their cataloguers for their accurate lot descriptions back then. My best coins coulld also have been still had through traditional catalogues and show lot viewing. However, my favorite part of the hobby, cherrypicking varieties, has been definitely enhanced by the internet. It's a lot more fun that just hitting the shows for that.

mgoodm3 · December 3, 2005 8:09AM

Sucky.

pursuitofliberty · December 3, 2005 8:16AM

Since half of the time I have been collecting was before the internet, and probably about half the collection I had then was sold over the internet, which then funded purchases and upgrades I often found via contacts I made on the internet, and probably half the knowledge I have learned about coins has been made a lot easier by the internet, well ...

... it wouldn't be half of what it is today!

dwssws · December 3, 2005 8:22AM

it definitely would not be where it is today or where it is hopefully going to be taken

DaveG · December 3, 2005 8:24AM

I would have almost all the same coins I have now, as I buy my coins at shows.

However, I would know many fewer fellow collectors and dealers!

Conder101 · December 4, 2005 1:32AM

I started buying Conder tokens in 1992. By 1998 when I started seriously on the internet (and not just compuserve or the bulletin boards) I had acquired about 100 pieces. In the seven years since then my collection has grown to 700 different pieces, probably about 80% of which have come from internet purchases. You just don't find these things at shows or local dealers. (Unless you live in Great Britain.)

MAD4MORGANS · December 4, 2005 1:50AM

My wife would have a new car, we would have put a new roof on the house, and we could maybe have AFFORDED to send our daughter out-of-state to college.

But I do have some pretty shiny coins!!

edsondl · December 4, 2005 2:10AM

I doubt if I would have ever started collecting if not for the statehood quarter folders that I bought on eBay in 1999. 95% of my stuff through the net.

GTS · December 4, 2005 4:22AM

My collection would be in some dealers case right now. Without the Internet,I doubt i'd even collect coins at all.The Internet has been the greatest contributor to the Numismatic industry since TPG's and Slabs.
GTS

dan1ecu · December 4, 2005 4:38AM

I wouldn't be collecting, either. Where I live, there aren't too many coin dealers.

Also, I wouldn't know nearly as much as I do now were it not for the Internet.

Dan

PerryHall · December 4, 2005 5:10AM

Before the internet, I bought most of my coins from mail order dealers such as J.J. Teaparty, David Lawrence, Bowers & Merena, etc. Now I buy from internet dealers which also happens to be the same dealers. So not much has changed except that I can get instant updates on inventory and pics of the coins before I buy.

BAJJERFAN · December 4, 2005 5:48AM

I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't have a Registry set.

Baley · December 4, 2005 6:26AM

my collection without the internet would be much like my collection was before the internet.

the one I put together as a kid (very modest collection, all common and cheap and worth maybe a thousand dollars total)

Without the internet, mainly eBay and this forum, my interest in collecting coins would be neglible.

I'm busy enough as it is.. no time to travel and shop for coins. the web is much more efficient for me

mgoodm3 · December 4, 2005 6:30AM

cosmicdebris · December 4, 2005 6:39AM

<< <i>

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mrcommem · December 4, 2005 7:20AM

I probably would still would have assembled my classic silver commemoratives but as for as my Dahlonega Type Set, I don't think I would have even met or done business with Jack Hanc@ck or Doug Winter without the internet.

LindeDad · December 4, 2005 7:49AM

All I would have is the yearly mint and proof sets. I have more coins now than the local dealer. That is slabbed coins they have cases full of over graded and over priced RAW stuff.

cho10 · December 4, 2005 7:56AM

<< <i>Where would your collection be without the internet? >>

If I were not able to use the internet I doubt that my collection would be as complete as it is.

nwcs · December 4, 2005 7:57AM

If it wasn't for ebay back in 2000 when I had a whim to look at a few coins I would not have re-entered the hobby at all. In addition, I likely wouldn't have gotten interested in digital photography. And if the net was to go away tomorrow I'd probably still be in photography but likely not much into coins.

66Tbird · December 4, 2005 8:03AM

Very small collection indeed. Thank you Internet

ILikeDimes · December 4, 2005 8:05AM

not sure where my collection would be, but my bank account would probably have about 20k more in it.

WaterSport · December 4, 2005 8:06AM

Pretty much the same here. I had a nice circ Lincoln collection prior to the internet missing the 22 No d and 09 svdb. The internet not only allowed me to get upgrades, but the best price for the 22 no D and 09svdb. It also allowed me to find proofs!

WS

boucharda · December 4, 2005 11:21AM

Being able to read this forum and do my research make the internet invaluable. And...I have bought a few coins in the process

rip · December 4, 2005 11:28AM

Great question! Wide variety of responses...
My collection would be in the drawer where I throw all the silver and wheaties I get in change.

Peaceman · December 4, 2005 11:33AM

If it wasn't for the internet... I think you could be buying your favorite coin right now for 10X less than it's selling for right now.... The internet has brought the demand to the hobby, plain and simple.....

OKbustchaser · December 4, 2005 2:30PM

I believe that I have bought a grand total of 11 coins from sellers I learned about over the internet. Most of my purchases still come from the same people I bought from before.

Jody526 · December 4, 2005 4:49PM

My collection would be here, with me, at my house.
Most of it was purchased, over the years, through mail order, or through circulation collecting.

I do think that my hobby has become more interesting, and informative, due to the internet, though.

Where would your collection be without the internet?

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