Has the enjoyment you get out of collecting increased since eBay and other auction venues came on th

SanctionII · June 24, 2008 3:45AM

Back in the pre internet days collectors were limited in how they could sell their coins (i.e. to a dealer, to other collectors at a coin club, on a bid board).

With the internet collectors can, if they choose, sell directly to a wide audience of other collectors and cut put the dealer as a middleman. This happens quite often with moderns and happens with classic coinage also.

Has the internet made your hobby experiences more fun and enjoyable?

doh · June 24, 2008 3:47AM

I think so. Certainly more profitable when it comes time to sell. I also think the Internet has made more coins available to me than would have otherwise been possible. My two cents.

MadMarty · June 24, 2008 3:49AM

Oh hell yea!!!

Longacre · June 24, 2008 3:50AM

It certainly takes more time, having to comb through website after website. In the past, a lot of people probably dealt with one dealer. That dealer was also a professional, and not some non-professional selling stuff on Ebay.

BECOKA · June 24, 2008 3:53AM

Only in the fact that I am able to better choose dealers to help me.

I think I got burned out by going the e-bay and auction route.

ziggy29 · June 24, 2008 3:55AM

It peaked for a few years after that, but then the overemphasis on slabbing, together with moon money for nice pieces, has caused it to decline over the last 2-3 years.

OKbustchaser · June 24, 2008 4:05AM

No. In fact, the influence of the internet and TPGs have resulted in such an influx of people who only seem to care what something can be sold for has distinctly decreased my enjoyment. I don't plan on leaving the hobby though.

Dave99B · June 24, 2008 4:32AM

The advent of the Internet and 3rd party grading is wonderful!!! For me, it’s made collecting coins a much more enjoyable pastime.

I remember in the 80's being on 10 or 15 dealer mailing lists, who would send out monthly price lists. You pretty much had to 'roll the bones' and hope their description and grade was legit. Boy, I returned a lot of material on those days. I also had many checks returned because the item was already sold.

Now, with a simple image available on the web, I can effectively hone in on the 5% of a dealer’s inventory that interests me. I can find out of the item is still available! Returns (and the associated expense) still occasionally occur, but are rare!

How can you not LOVE IT!

Dave

lasvegasteddy · June 24, 2008 4:36AM

i wouldn't of gotten back in if not for how the internet has changed things

Silverstate · June 24, 2008 4:41AM

What I remember:

Old Days -

Bid Boards
Local Dealers
Mail Lists
Teletrade ON THE PHONE!

Currently -

TPG's
Registry Sets
eBay
Teletrade - via Web

Times have sure changed.
I used to drowl over the Bowers and Merena catalogs as the only source of great pictures.
Now, we send them on the forums like it were nothing.

Bottomline: I really enjoy the ability to build a set of coins this way versus days gone by.
Also, coins are more liquid than they used to be. eBay & Teletrade have helped this along.

MrBreeze · June 24, 2008 4:55AM

Definitely. It has allowed me to find way more coins than I would have, otherwise. I probably would have 80-90% less coins for my particular sets. When you collect coins that aren't at every shop or show that you go to (like, for example, Morgans), the internet is a must. Without eBay and the other auction venues, I probably would have a collection of, "coins that I could find," instead of, "coins that I am looking for."

AUandAG · June 24, 2008 5:19AM

one word: ABSOLUTELY!

bob

OnlyGoldIsMoney · June 24, 2008 6:23AM

Yes. I can find the coins I want much more readily and I have been able to sell excess coins with ease.

Mark

Doogy · June 24, 2008 6:27AM

<< <i>Yes. I can find the coins I want much more readily and I have been able to sell excess coins with ease.

Mark >>

Ditto.

golfer72 · June 24, 2008 7:07AM

Teletrade has definitely increased my enjoyment

golfer72 · June 24, 2008 7:09AM

I remember the old days of bidding on the phone on Teletrade just using the description on the mailed out flyer. Funny thing is though I got several really nice coins that way. I guess I was lucky. Much better situation now obviously.

TorinoCobra71 · June 24, 2008 7:30AM

<< <i>Oh hell yea!!! >>

RWB · June 24, 2008 9:59AM

No.

coinsarefun · June 24, 2008 10:02AM

To sum it up into one word...........Yes

Stefanie

19Lyds · June 24, 2008 10:25AM

<< <i>Oh hell yea!!! >>

Ditto Kiddo!

Before the Internet, collecting was hit or miss or worse yet, wait for the next mint mailer!

Buying was hit or miss until I happened upon this place which hosts nobodies like me all the way up to Million Dollar coin purchasers!

Selling was out of the question since I never really had anything to sell anyway!

Now I do..............

vplite · June 24, 2008 10:41AM

Are you kidding me?

I can sit at my computer and view 100's of coins a day. I can compare PCGS prices, ebay prices and auction house prices, look at their pictures and past auction information, and make an informed judgment and bid. Or not bid.

I agree with lasvegasteddy, I would have not gotten back into the hobby if not for the Internet. Oh, and online auctions (which is what I assume you mean by "other auction venues.").

Swampboy · June 24, 2008 12:00PM

<< <i>I agree with lasvegasteddy, I would have not gotten back into the hobby if not for the Internet. >>

Me too.

CarlWohlforth · June 24, 2008 12:28PM

I have learned a lot because of my ability to instantly research questions on the web. There are all kinds of websites with some pretty esoteric info.

I have found collector friends over the Internet I would have never known otherwise. I have developed deeper relationships with dealers I only know superficially at shows because of the Internet.

So it has been nothing but a good thing for me.

BBQnBLUES · June 24, 2008 12:48PM

YES !!! short n sweet

NHSBaseball · June 24, 2008 12:54PM

I agree with the many posters who have answered in the affirmative. Louisiana is not exactly a coin collecting hotspot, and the internet has allowed me much greater access to people in the coin community, be they dealers or other collectors.

It has also given me the opportunity to view and buy coins that I would never have had the chance to see in the old days. The options compared to the way things were before the internet, Ebay, auction sites, and dealer websites are vastly superior in my opinion.

Has the enjoyment you get out of collecting increased since eBay and other auction venues came on th

Comments

Leave a Comment