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Coins and Cows

bidaskbidask Posts: 14,029 ✭✭✭✭✭
So my wife and I attended a fundraiser for Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital in St Louis this evening. This hospital has served children in need for many years regardless of ability to pay. Bill Cosby was there to provide entertainment.

After we served ourselves with some fine food and drink, we found a table of people that still had 2 seats. We sat down but little did we know it was a table of bluebloods among them being the Dierberg family, Jones family and other prominent St Louisans.

My spouse began small talking with one of the wives and I sat and listened to the men at the table who were talking about cows. I overheard one man remark how he had just bought a cow for $150,000. A very special well bred cow. When another asked him what's it worth he said about 25% of the price paid.

Having sat there awhile only listening, as we did not know these people, I nonchalantly asked him why he would pay so much for a cow?

He turned and looked at me and said "some of us have made so much money in our business that it doesn't matter what the price paid of the cow is and that owning such a special breed was a hobby that he has fun at. ( his hobby is replete with ranches too)

His response gave me pause to think about coins and that it truly is only a hobby.image
I manage money. I earn money. I save money .
I give away money. I collect money.
I don’t love money . I do love the Lord God.




Comments

  • LongacreLongacre Posts: 16,717 ✭✭✭
    For someone like me, an excessively rare cow simply cannot be appreciated. But I guess that is what makes the world go around.

    Yesterday, I was speaking with a professional tag sale coordinator, and she said she went to an antique coffee grinder convention in Maine a few months ago. Now no one loves antique coffee grinders more than Longacre, but I cannot imagine driving to Maine to attend an entire convention about these things.
    Always took candy from strangers
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  • exactly
    my ebay items BST transactions/swaps/giveaways with: Tiny, raycyca,mrpaseo, Dollar2007,Whatafind, Boom, packers88, DBSTrader2, 19Lyds, Mar327, pontiacinf, ElmerFusterpuck.
  • MeltdownMeltdown Posts: 8,990 ✭✭✭✭✭
    If the hamburgers are good, I guess it's money well spent.
    image
  • DennisHDennisH Posts: 14,011 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I've watched two different cows (dairy versions) sell for over $1 million each. Of course that was before the federal Tax Reform Act of 1986, so I don't expect to ever see number three.

    Coin collectors don't have the market cornered on odd hobbies that can involve large amounts of money... but at least ours can't die in the trailer during the trip home.
    When in doubt, don't.
  • " die in the trailer on the way home"

    1st thought I had along the same line, but not near as humorous as yours.......image
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  • BAJJERFANBAJJERFAN Posts: 31,330 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>" die in the trailer on the way home"

    1st thought I had along the same line, but not near as humorous as yours.......image >>



    Those cows are like the Budweiser Clydesdales and probably get treated better than most people do.
    theknowitalltroll;
  • TwoSides2aCoinTwoSides2aCoin Posts: 44,619 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>If the hamburgers are good, I guess it's money well spent.
    image >>



    LOL, now that is a barn burner !

    Got Milk ?
  • lkeigwinlkeigwin Posts: 16,893 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I can understand weird hobbies and the excessive money involved. People outside ours are convinced we're nutty. But I'm struggling with the cash cow thing.

    How long do cows live, anyway? And are these rare ones paraded about like dogs or horses at a show? Or do they pretty much just hang around the farm? Is it fun to look at them? Or is it just pride of ownership and someone else cleans up after them? Do you think there's value after death, like from pricey leather goods?
  • TwoSides2aCoinTwoSides2aCoin Posts: 44,619 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Sorry, couldn't resist.



    Stefanie
    image >>



    That piece ain't no bull !
  • DennisHDennisH Posts: 14,011 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>How long do cows live, anyway? And are these rare ones paraded about like dogs or horses at a show? Or do they pretty much just hang around the farm? Is it fun to look at them? Or is it just pride of ownership and someone else cleans up after them? Do you think there's value after death, like from pricey leather goods? >>


    In ultra-extreme cases dairy cows have been known to make it to 20 years, although the last several are as pampered pets. Under normal circumstances, 5-10 years is more like it.

    Rare show cows are indeed paraded around a ring like dogs or horses (and bathed and clipped and groomed and fluffed and powdered), and they're every bit as tame and gentle as dogs are. Inside the ring at all times is at least one 'shovel and bucket' crew whose main tool is a large, shallow plastic tub that looks like something you'd use during an oil change at home. When a tail goes up it's the signal that it's time to go to work. Their job is to try to get there before the you-know-what starts to drop, and catch it before it hits the sawdust.

    World Dairy Expo starts Sept. 29 in Madison, Wisconsin, and the focal point of the 6-day event is the cattle shows. There will be about 1,500 cattle paraded through what is mainly used as an ice hockey rink the rest of the year, and during the selection of the all-breeds Supreme Champion on Saturday there will probably be 10,000 people in the stands. It's quite a spectacle.

    Roughly 80% of all hamburger sold in the U.S. is former dairy cows.
    When in doubt, don't.
  • garsmithgarsmith Posts: 5,894 ✭✭
    Sorry bidask but this story sounds like a bunch of bull image
  • There was a great interview in the book Friday Night Lights with one of the local Odessa businessmen about the crazy things that they had bought with oil money before the oil bust of the late 1980's hit- he was talking about spending millions of dollars investing in genetically engineered "supercows".image
    "College men from LSU- went in dumb, come out dumb too..."
    -Randy Newmanimage
  • DNADaveDNADave Posts: 7,307 ✭✭✭✭✭
    One might argue that all coins are really only "worth" face value, no matter what.


    I have an employee that can not be convinced that any coin is worth more than face. She looks at silver dollars and says "that's a dollar" and isn't impressed at all with my type set.
  • Type2Type2 Posts: 13,985 ✭✭✭✭✭
    This is funny my friends say why do you buy a nickel for $200.00 I say for my collection. image


    Hoard the keys.
  • BAJJERFANBAJJERFAN Posts: 31,330 ✭✭✭✭✭
    image
    theknowitalltroll;
  • Would it be in bad taste to invite the person you bought the cow from over and feed them a nice thick steak? From...

    I would rather collect coins, my coin won't die on me. It seems that owning rare cattle or horses is simular to musical chairs. You don't want to be the one holding the rope when the music stops.
    Witty sig line currently under construction. Thank you for your patience.
  • bidask.... I enjoyed your Coins and Cows post !! At first, I thought that you were discussing how rare and valuable MS 67 Wisconsin Extra Leaf statehood quarters are with your diner friends !!!!! Coins and Cows... Get It ?? Have a great day !!
    Specialized Investments
  • image
    imageQuid pro quo. Yes or no?
  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Now I want a burger... image Cheers, RickO
  • coinkatcoinkat Posts: 23,850 ✭✭✭✭✭
    great thread... a $150K COW... who knew?

    Since antique coffee grinders were mentioned, I think it would be okay to mention beer steins.

    Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.

  • BAJJERFANBAJJERFAN Posts: 31,330 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>great thread... a $150K COW... who knew?

    Since antique coffee grinders were mentioned, I think it would be okay to mention beer steins. >>



    If that cow would ever win the Preakness she'd be worth about $15 mil.image
    theknowitalltroll;
  • BAJJERFANBAJJERFAN Posts: 31,330 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>image >>



    Looks like the cow ate the extra leaf off a that kerter. image
    theknowitalltroll;
  • coinkatcoinkat Posts: 23,850 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Could Cow racing be the wave of the future?

    Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.

  • BlindedByEgoBlindedByEgo Posts: 10,754 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Amazing. I'm thoroughly cowed.
  • TwoSides2aCoinTwoSides2aCoin Posts: 44,619 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>image >>


    Forgive me for laughing. This is some serious cow pie
  • BAJJERFANBAJJERFAN Posts: 31,330 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Cowabunga..................
    theknowitalltroll;
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,888 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Coins with cows! Here's an ancient one. (A Roman provincial AE27 of the emperor Hostilian, 251 AD.)

    image

    Explore collections of lordmarcovan on CollecOnline, management, safe-keeping, sharing and valuation solution for art piece and collectibles.
  • BAJJERFANBAJJERFAN Posts: 31,330 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Cows may come and cows may go, but the BULL in this place goes on forever.
    theknowitalltroll;
  • TwoSides2aCoinTwoSides2aCoin Posts: 44,619 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Cows may come and cows may go, but the BULL in this place goes on forever. >>



    PCGS hired me to MILK the clock.
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