Chris Perkins

I imagine it's ok for metal detectorists as reference, but for collectors of modern milled, with just one or two remaining high priced crowns it's not much good for most of us.

Absolutely, they're even trying to flog last years!: http://cgi6.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...&sort=3&rows=50

Doesn't matter who owns them, it's the managers that make things work. I laughed out loud when I saw that Spink, est 1666 had an ebay id! Not that there is anything wrong with selling on ebay....But it really does nothing for their upperclass, leaders in the field of numismatics image. Despite the raz mataz, vast knowledge and the money behind them, they are mortal.

That could be purely because football is more popular, and more people go to the games...So there is a bigger potential for trouble.

They would probably never even consider it, because they all have noses that are very turned up at the end, and probably still think that a banner goes across the high street to advertise the village fate! I find all too frequently that long established institutions are pretty rubbish with web related things. Until recently the Spink website was poor. Like many large companies/institutions they are very behind the times. Have you seen that Spink actually have an ebay id and sell books through ebay? It looks about as professional as Del boys Reliant Robin. The fact that we get a similar volume of hits per month and that cross linking improves search engine rankings would probably escape them. In the past I have asked big companies about cross linking, and I usually get turned down politely in a 'What are you talking about' fashion, if I get a reply at all. The promlem is that coin experts know nothing about the internet, and that web experts know nothing about coins, that makes it difficult for those two people to really come together and make something that really works....I am perhaps one of the first to have a little understanding of both. So watch this space, when I'm a millionaire, I'll make bigger waves than Spink ever did in their 300+ year history When they ask me to link to them, I'll consider it!

Oscar Wilde said that Rugby was a game for gentlemen to play, and rufians to watch, and that football was for rufians to play and gentleman to watch. That was quite true in his time, but I can't help thinking that since he said that, things have merged, and now it's just rufians all round!

Not a lot of modern milled, and the site is pretty rubbish to navigate so I'll allow that link to remain

Yes, tell me about it! It costs me £15 for the postage on 20 copies of the Coin yearbook, so I have to sell a few before I start to make a profit. Spink is heavier and the company very inflexible, so you see where I'm coming from. It would make sense for me to drive there, collect a few collections/books at the same time. But these things take presision arrangement and a car a little more reliable than my 1981 Triumph TR7! (although it has only covered 36,000 miles in it's life and is a super example). Actually I was thinking of getting a newer car for that purpose, but just imagine the petrol and boat costs from the Czech border, let alone the time aspect. The Collectors Coins and other titles are sent to me post free, thanks to Mr Marles and his publishers generosity.

I suppose I'd take 20 at first, postage is not cheap either!

Hey, that's like English German!

Ok, next time beautfiul Carol at Coin News contacts me about the next ad, I'll make some design changes!

The next step would be to keep the correct begining and end letters and just fill txe sxxxe wxxh x's! That would be confusing.

I can't afford those great big full colour pages boasting that I must buy £1,000,000 worth of coins this week! I thought about taking the piss and doing a small black and white ad....'I must spend £50 on coins this week' What do you rekon?

At about 4pm on the 1st September I got the below email from eBay, and have written some thoughts (in brackets) where most appropriate. Please be aware that I am not ever this offensive and never use the language below normally. This has really annoyed me, as you can possibly tell! The email: Dear Chris H Perkins (chrisperkins@freeuk.com), We appreciate that you chose eBay to list the following item(s): (Yes, because you're making lot of money out of me aren't you) 2947818379 New - SAFE Signoscope T2. Watermark detector. 2947827215 *NEW* 32 page large stamp stock book. 3043250566 100 Acid Free 46mm transparent Coin Envelopes 3043252282 100 Inert plastic Coin capsules. Choose sizes 3043254924 Aluminium case for up to 5 Lindner coin trays 3043255847 *NEW* Aluminium carry case for 261 Coins. 3043454799 10c (Japan) 1870 VF and a Burma 1 Mat 1852 3043455125 2 Anna (India EIC) 1841 in around Fine grade. 3043455610 5 Cent (Canada) 1858 in VF Condition. 3043456153 Straits settlements 1845, & Ceylon 1870 coin. 3043456429 Half Farthing (UK) 1844 in VF Condition. 3043456859 Hong Kong Gothic Cent 1865 and 5C 1873. 3043457373 Bombay and Calcutta 2 Annas EF 1862 and 1875. 3043458142 2 Anna (Calcutta, India) 1875 in UNC/AUNC. 3043458568 2 Anna (Calcutta, India) 1875 in EF+ Grade. 3043458908 Sixpence (UK) 1757 in Good-NF Condition. 3043459953 Cent (Straits Settlement) 1875 in UNC/GEF. 3043630963 Cayman Islands silver Proof set 1986. V Rare. 3043873381 Coin trays. Highest quality chemical free. However, your listing(s) were in violation of eBay's policies. We would like to take this opportunity to let you know what part of your listing(s) are not permitted. Although members may place a simple link to their web page in the description portion of an eBay listing, the following links are not permitted: (So now I have to work out which of the below I was doing Illegally!!) (1) links that advertise specific items or features on another web page. (erm possibly) (2) links to other auction-style sites. (nope) (3) links to sites offering the same merchandise for the same or lower price than the initial bid set in the eBay auction. (Don't think so) (4) links to sites offering merchandise prohibited on eBay. This includes links from general viewing areas to websites that bring the viewer to adult content without first viewing a disclaimer or adult verification page. (Certainly not) (5) links to third parties' web sites without the permission of the third party. This prohibition includes linking to IMAGES hosted on others' web sites without permission. (not me 'Guv') We realize you may not have been aware of this rule, however the above links cannot be placed in eBay listings. Therefore, we have ended this auction(s) and all fees have been credited to your account. (Well isn't that very nice of you, perhaps you don't realise the time it took me to list those auctions and the fact that some of the items were being listed for someone else. Perhaps it would have been slightly more friendly if you could have asked me kindly to change them? Perhaps you would like to stick one of my coin trays sideways where the sun doesn't shine? Or is that also against your rules, as you don't yet own the Sunlight?) (Why the bloody hell couldn't you just have asked me nicely, so I could change the listings to comply with your precious bloody rules!?) Please view our guideline page for a better understanding of our auction policies and how they affect the way you list your items: (No) http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/community/png-list.html For information on infringing, prohibited or questionable items, please view: (No) http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/community/png-items.html For more information on why eBay has ended an auction, please visit: http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/community/png...endauction.html Any future listings that are not in compliance with our Linking guidelines will be ended early and repeated violations may jeopardize your account status. We value you as a member of our community (Yes, because you make money out of me, and for no other reason) and wish to continue this relationship. Therefore, we respectfully ask that you abide by eBay's Listing Policies and User Agreement in the future. We thank you in advance for your cooperation. (Just a minute...In advance for what cooperation? You stopped the bloody listings without asking me! Give me a chance to cooperate in advance and perhaps I would of.) Regards, Customer Support eBay eBay Trust and Safety eBay International AG ------------------------------------------------------END I have complained to them in no uncertain terms and demanded they re list my items and let me ammend them or I will revoke my over 3 year membership. Please feel free to add any other eBay experiences to this area. (Please try to keep it relatively clean! And maybe there are some people out there that can also provide me with evidence of eBays human side, but I doubt it!) Chris Perkins www.predecimal.com

I saw Richard Lobel at a coin fair recently, didn't realise he was American. He knows his stuff and he's a good business man. I'm sure collectors buy from him, or he wouldn't be where he is. But surely they must mostly be new collectors, because most of the prices are ridiculous, and the items are not very special. (read: crap) I expect he sells the good stuff off the website and the stuff on the website sells slowly to new collectors.

I got one copy practically for free because of a trade arrangement, I can't sell them 50% cheaper, but I will see what I can do if I can get them. Unfortunately Spink don't make it that easy for me! You have to have a VAT number and all that rubbish, and I don't yet. And when I do, it'll be a German one. Some companies just say 'Yes, have some books, pay for them when you can'....Others want your soul first.

Thanks very much Mark, I'll be a newbie with a proper Camera, so I will refer to your tips when the Camera is delivered! I'm so please I was clever enough to start this forum!

I got my 2003 copy in the main Belfast WHSmith, they had a few. I got the 2004 from a friend in the trade (practically free!). If I offered the 2005 when it's out, how many of you would promise to buy it from me?

They look like proofs....Master JMD, it's difficult to try to explain what a proof looks like, if you've never seen one. You need to buy a couple so that you know. You are also very unlikely to find any proofs among piles of circulated coinage.

You were waiting for that weren't you. I bet you had a little post it not stuck on the side of the monitor that said 'Pull up Master JMD on language because he made a rule against it'! You are, like your Cat name sake..Dissssspspicable, which is great!

I didn't mean to imply that it was just escapism, always. Thoughts of space and the universe are very interesting, and pretty much everyone thinks about that at some point. You cannot say Sylvester, that focusing on the small Earth is escapism from thinking about the big picture. We live on the Earth, and for us in day to day life, it might as well be all that exists.

Well, we seem to waste mor eof our time talking about them, than anything else!

The fact that you have seen 5 in your short life doesn't mean they are all blank. Anyone out there with more 'Cash' knowledge??

The other side is blank? Could it just be very worn? I don't think I've come across a blank one before...Not they I pay them huge attention usually.

Yes it's a Chinese 'Cash' coin, the symbols should tell you the province and the ruler which enables rough dating. I can't make that one out at all. Most of them I find are dated 1790's - early 1900's.