Poll: What Do You Do When Someone Posts A Coin You Don’t Like?

CalGold · July 3, 2008 7:52AM

*Thanks to Blackhawk for coining "rusty wahser" some years ago

Connecticoin · July 3, 2008 7:59AM

It depends.

Typically I would post nothing, unless the coin was clearly overgraded, or the poster discloses the purchase price and it is clear he/she may have significantly overpaid for the coin. In the case of overpaying for the coin, I think it would help to let the poster know, as he/she may have a chance to return it.

AngryTurtle · July 3, 2008 8:03AM

This poll is @#$@# up, I cant answer both "A" and "D" at the same time.

lcoopie · July 3, 2008 8:06AM

it depends on if they ask for an opinion
or are just posting a coin they are proud of

also,
when you post a coin you have
you have to be ready for any type of response
from polite and educating, to rude

claychaser · July 3, 2008 8:07AM

Here's a "Pop-1"

notwilight · July 3, 2008 8:11AM

I generally answer the question they asked. If they ask for honest feedback, I give it to them. If they ask for a grade, I give it to them. If they aren't clear what they want and I don't like the coin, I generally don't post.

I do NOT do the following:

Tell them that I don't like that series so therefore their coin sucks.
Tell them that is isn't up to my collecting standards.
Give them a terse one word negative like "pass" or "crap".
Use their post to further my own opinion about some related issue such as "Modern crap is a waste of money" etc.

I didn't check any of the "I quit beating my wife after..." choices above.

--Jerry

NHSBaseball · July 3, 2008 8:12AM

You know, as funny as the poll answers are, this is actually a good question.

I think it depends on whether or not the poster asks for opinions. When I post a coin, I really want to know what people think, and am prepared to hear some pretty harsh assessments if they are based on something factual. I think an "I don't care for the look of that coin" or a "not my cup of tea" are legitimate as well.

On the other hand, it bugs me when someone proudly posts a new purchase and someone tells him what a total POS the coin is. Almost every coin has some intrinsic merit to some part of the collecting community.

I bought a few coins several months ago and posted them, and there was one forum member who slammed every single one of them with "humorous" remarks. I have to admit it got a bit irritating.

If I really don't like a coin someone has posted, I generally just take a pass on commenting, unless they've specifically asked for opinions or grade guesses on the coin.

That's me, Mr. Wishy-Washy.

dizzyfoxx · July 3, 2008 8:16AM

<< it depends on if they ask for an opinion
or are just posting a coin they are proud of

also,
when you post a coin you have
you have to be ready for any type of response
from polite and educating, to rude >>

DorkGirl · July 3, 2008 8:19AM

I just move on and not say anything.......unless they ask for an opinion.

AU58WALKERS · July 3, 2008 8:40AM

just go to the next thread.

RYK · July 3, 2008 9:09AM

I did not have an option that fit.

If they are considering purchasing the coin, I give an honest, unfiltered opinion. Sometimes, it is terse; other times, it is a more detailed explanation.

If they already own the coin, I either say nothing or try to tactfully explain why I think they can do better next time.

ziggy29 · July 3, 2008 9:11AM

If they ask for an honest opinion of what I think of it, I give it.

If they are thinking about buying it, I advise them to pass and save their money.

If they already bought the coin and are just sharing it without any solicitation for opinions, I shut my piehole.

stman · July 3, 2008 9:16AM

Unwritten rule...... if it's from one of the good guys, and especially if they are a nice guy....... either comment favorably or no comment at all.
If from an unknown...... slam the POS.

BlindedByEgo · July 3, 2008 9:20AM

<< Unwritten rule...... if it's from one of the good guys, and especially if they are a nice guy....... either comment favorably or no comment at all.
If from an unknown...... slam the POS.

>>

I agree, but it's maybe too nice. You need to take a potshot at the intelligence of the OP as well.

blu62vette · July 3, 2008 9:21AM

Flame em!!!!!

Seriously I normally dont respond unless it seems like they are looking for something critical like a photo opinion. I am really not here to judge others coins, but I can judge the quality of their pics.

vplite · July 3, 2008 9:22AM

<< If they ask for an honest opinion of what I think of it, I give it.

If they are thinking about buying it, I advise them to pass and save their money.

If they already bought the coin and are just sharing it without any solicitation for opinions, I shut my piehole. >>

This seems to be a good balance between being brutally honest and worrying too much about hurting someone's feelings. I feel an obligation to a fellow numismatist to educate (even if I don't know what the hello I'm talking about), but there is no need to call someone stupid or foolish (even if they were).

We were all learning at some point in time, and if we're smart we still are. You can be honest and still tactful, if an opinion is requested.

Raybo · July 3, 2008 9:30AM

"Be honest"

Seems the norm in these forums

Ray

seatedcoins · July 3, 2008 9:40AM

<< Here's a "Pop-1"

>>

Claychaser...let me be the first one to say that is truly a horrible coin. It is worn down, it doesn't have the bright purples and oranges a coin of that poor quality should have, and it isn't shiny. I hope you will learn from this post and not make this mistake again.

If they ask, "what do you think" I tell them. If they say they just bought it and are proud to display it I usually say nothing.

bigmansam88 · July 3, 2008 9:42AM

I just keep my mouth shut and move on to the next thread.

Swampboy · July 3, 2008 9:57AM

What they said.

adamlaneus · July 3, 2008 9:59AM

<< Here's a "Pop-1"

>>

Yeah, that coin is so worn down, it's not even gold anymore. It all wore out.

It sort of reminds me of the clad roosevelt dime posted a few months ago that was so worn down, it looked like it was worn right through to Roosevelt's brain!

If someone posts a coin I don't like, it reminds me that it takes a broad range of tastes to support the whole coin market. Imagine for a second if every one of us purchased coins just line Mr. 'saintguru'? (I did not just imply that I did not like his tastes, I just mean that his taste seems very focused) I believe in variety enough to support other folks decisions. Often, if I don't like someone elses coin, it's because i'm ignorant of why that coin is cool to the owner.

cladking · July 3, 2008 10:12AM

If it's an old coin and I don't like it then I probably won't comment.

If it's a modern I usually try to say something nice but if I don't like
it it might get damned with faint praise. Sometimes I won't comment
even with a really great coin because the owner might think it's even
greater.

It usually depends but it sure is great to see ALL the pictures and I
wouldn't want to do anything to discourage them.

MidLifeCrisis · July 3, 2008 10:40AM

Really depends on the coin and the intention of the post.

Elcontador · July 3, 2008 10:43AM

If someone asks what do board members think and I don't like it, I'll usually say nothing and move on. However, the other day, a member raved about a coin which imo was an expensive harshly cleaned, artificially toned, POS that somehow gpt into a first world slab, and to add insult to injury, was stickered.

I posted exactly what I thought of the coin, that it was a numismatic late-term abortion, shame on CAC for stickering that POS, and shame on the TPG that slabbed it in the first place. If people rave about a coin which should be bagged, people need to know this.

Geoman · July 3, 2008 10:46AM

I post nothing, as to each their own. Something I don't particularly care for someone else might.

There are already enough people here that will post "their opinions" and that think they are right.

coinkat · July 3, 2008 11:06AM

If the image is decent, I write what I think

TwoSides2aCoin · July 3, 2008 11:07AM

I like the truth.
I had to edit out the brutality of it.

pendragon1998 · July 3, 2008 11:27AM

If they seem like they want an honest opinion and I feel qualified to give a decent one, I try and be both honest and nice about what I think about the coin.

66Tbird · July 3, 2008 11:43AM

<< *Thanks to Blackhawk for coining "rusty wahser" some years ago >>

Thank you Blackhawk for a great line. I remember the post but forgot the poster.

Bear · July 3, 2008 1:05PM

If the poster asks for opinions of their coin, then tell them

the truth in a tactful manner. If the coin is merely shown ,then

unless I had something good to say, I would say nothing.

dan383 · July 3, 2008 1:29PM

<< If the poster asks for opinions of their coin, then tell them

the truth in a tactful manner. If the coin is merely shown ,then

unless I had something good to say, I would say nothing. >>

DITTO........

To each his own , one mans junk , is another mans treasure . The tpg's are the equalizer's

Dan

ColonialCoinUnion · July 3, 2008 1:36PM

<< If the poster asks for opinions of their coin, then tell them

the truth in a tactful manner. If the coin is merely shown ,then

unless I had something good to say, I would say nothing. >>

I agree with Bear - I would also add that if an opinion is solicited about an issue or question that I know nothing about, I read without typing.

Raybo · July 3, 2008 1:37PM

<< 

<< Here's a "Pop-1"

>>

Yeah, that coin is so worn down, it's not even gold anymore. It all wore out.

It sort of reminds me of the clad roosevelt dime posted a few months ago that was so worn down, it looked like it was worn right through to Roosevelt's brain!

If someone posts a coin I don't like, it reminds me that it takes a broad range of tastes to support the whole coin market. Imagine for a second if every one of us purchased coins just line Mr. 'saintguru'? (I did not just imply that I did not like his tastes, I just mean that his taste seems very focused) I believe in variety enough to support other folks decisions. Often, if I don't like someone elses coin, it's because i'm ignorant of why that coin is cool to the owner. >>

#1 It's not a gold coin.
#2 Even if it is a worn "gold" coin it would still be gold.
#3 Rare coins are COOL no matter what the grade.
#4 Be nice.

Ray

adamlaneus · July 3, 2008 1:48PM

I suspect I know what folks will think about my authentic rusty washer.

I guess I should not single out Mr. Saint. Just because he collects the finest coins doesn't mean he has no appreciation of the lesser coins. My bad!

BECOKA · July 3, 2008 1:50PM

<< 

<< If the poster asks for opinions of their coin, then tell them

the truth in a tactful manner. If the coin is merely shown ,then

unless I had something good to say, I would say nothing. >>

I agree with Bear - I would also add that if an opinion is solicited about an issue or question that I know nothing about, I read without typing. >>

While I completely agree with all of the above, sometimes I just can't keep my mouth shut.

COALPORTER · July 3, 2008 1:53PM

<< I like the truth.
I had to edit out the brutality of it. >>

The truth is, there is no truth.
One man's junk is another man's tresure.

seanq · July 3, 2008 2:24PM

<< If the poster asks for opinions of their coin, then tell them

the truth in a tactful manner. If the coin is merely shown ,then

unless I had something good to say, I would say nothing. >>

I'll give a shoutout to notwilight's answer on the first page too, but wise old Bear nailed it above. The two key words are "tact" and "truth." How would you rather hear you overpaid for a common coin, "It's not too hard to find nicer examples of that coin, with a little patience you should be able to get an example a grade or two higher for about the same money," or "I think that dealer saw you coming and splashed a big old turd into your punchbowl"?

True story: when I was still in the early stages of assembling my clipped cent collection, I traded a couple of duplicates to another collector, who then sent a couple of coins back because they were not mint errors but damaged. I'd purchased a couple of coins like that from a dealer I trusted to know the difference, and even worse, I'd purchased several other similar coins from other sources assuming they were good. It made me sick as I took about a dozen coins out of my set and added the dates back to my want list.

In breaking the news about my trade coin, my collector friend explained the diagnostics for me, said he'd made the same sort of mistakes, and then helped me find replacements for the others I pulled out of my set. Had he instead slammed me for my lack of knowledge, or suggested that my entire set was full of damaged garbage, I probably would have given up on it.

That experience colors every reply I make to another collector in this or any forum; I don't want to be the guy that turns someone off to this hobby.

Sean Reynolds

fc · July 3, 2008 2:38PM

A. Let the poster know your true opinion about the coin, so that he/she may learn from their mistake, even though you may ruin his day, and even though you are not a recognized expert and are really not qualified to advise anyone about anything

recognized experts are the only ones qualified to give an opinion
of how a coin looks, the grade via pictures, and otherwise their thoughts?

you sir, are brainwashed just like the insiders want you to be.

BlindedByEgo · July 3, 2008 3:11PM

Truth is the last refuge of the scoundrel.

Dawg144 · July 3, 2008 3:32PM

Selecting any of the options would make me feel like a jerk...hard call, but I chose D.

If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. ~Thumper

PerryHall · July 3, 2008 7:53PM

<< While I completely agree with all of the above, sometimes I just can't keep my mouth shut.

>>

I think most of us have that problem.

mozeppa · July 3, 2008 8:12PM

i'd try to be friendly about it.

ColonialCoinUnion · July 4, 2008 12:23AM

<< A. Let the poster know your true opinion about the coin, so that he/she may learn from their mistake, even though you may ruin his day, and even though you are not a recognized expert and are really not qualified to advise anyone about anything

recognized experts are the only ones qualified to give an opinion
of how a coin looks, the grade via pictures, and otherwise their thoughts?

you sir, are brainwashed just like the insiders want you to be. >>

Doesn't the OP have a right to express his opinion too? Or are opinions which differ from your own evidence of "brainwashing"?

Poll: What Do You Do When Someone Posts A Coin You Don’t Like?

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