TomGoodheart

Well, I was thinking of the 'certified' slabbers, but even there, grading and so on is only as good as the person or people doing it. As you'll have gathered Dave, I'm not a fan of slabbing. I feel it's a sign of people being willing to take someone else's word for something rather than using their own knowledge and judgement. I can see it appeals to investors, but for coin collectors, it encourages laziness in my view. Plus it makes it difficult to see the coin properly, particularly in photographs. Quite why Americans like the things, I'm not sure. But I guess centsles is just jumping on the bandwagon and giving people what they want. If by slabbing a coin he can get more money I can see why he does it.

I saw a hammered Chas shilling recently, graded by Ponterio as EF. Now that to me seems unhelpful for a hammered coin. Yes, you could say that a coin has minimal wear. But hammered coins are also judged on the evenness of the strike and flan thickness and also the fullness (and ideally roundness) of the flan. A fuller coin with some wear and a good portrait may be much more marketable than a virtually 'as struck' coin of uneven shape and with a weak portrait. Toning, which is not accounted for in grading, can make a reasonable coin much more desirable or completely horrible. This is why slabbing hammered coins seems pointless to me. As a guarantee of autheticity, fine. To protect the coin, OK. But as an indicator as to how desirable a coin will be? No real use at all. And as for centsles, well, there aren't that many Americans with much experience of the sorts of coins I collect. And he certainly isn't one of them!

I was about to bid on a coin today. Then I noticed that $100 of bidding was from one person who only ever bids on this seller's coins. Now ... I suspect I shan't bother. And am beginning to wonder if ebay is worth the time and effort. What do you all think?

Yes, I've seen those too. I checked out the NNC details for one coin and it was only what it said on the label. Personally I buy a coin not a slab and his 'no returns if you break the slab' kinda puts me off. However the coins I've looked at (the Charles I ones) all seem acceptable and have sold for the sorts of prices you might expect (ie no bargains!) I did bid on one (and didn't win) and probably would bid again if I saw something I liked. The grading is like the slab to me, I makes up me mind whether I think the coin is ok and would fit my collection. I don't care if someone self-slabs and grades a Fine coin EF, I just rate coins as attractive or not and an improvement on what I've got, or not. His coins rarely seem to have much in the way of toning, which is a minus point in my eye, but I've not noticed anything awry with the coins themselves.

To be honest, I don't know. I have discussed these replica coins on EnglishHammered-L, CoinForgeryDiscussionList and obviously it's an issue on ForgeryNetwork.com. I have also talked with other collectors by email. And that's part of the problem. The buyer community is fragmented. We tend to congregate with people of similar collecting habits or on general coin websites like this and the same subjects are discussed in half a dozen different places by 100 different collectors. There is, as far as I know, no one voice where issues can be highlighted in the knowledge that everyone that might be interested will read it. The BNTA is just that, a trade association. I have dealt with several of its members over the years and found them to all be reputable folk. But I'm not sure that membership of a trade association is necessarily a recommendation. It just means you trade in an area and is no guarantee that you are knowledgable about everything that might pass through your hands. The big auction houses are known to have collections of counterfeit and replica coins but those are essentially for their own use. It's rare for them to give ordinary collectors access to these and so they aren't likely to be too interested in joining up with collectors even though (or perhaps because!) they have a wealth of knowledge. There are of course the BANS scattered around the country. But I have to admit that, though invited, I have never attended a meeting. I'm not sure how many collectors are members, but I suspect not a huge proportion. I suppose that, since we're discussing a problem on ebay (though clearly it exists elsewhere, that's certainly where these things can easily be found) one of the ebay groups might be useful. But as I think I've mentioned before, the one that discusses forgeries (Coin Forgery eBay) appears inactive. Lawrence Chard wrote a jolly good eBay guide on counterfeits, forgeries and the like and another on WRL replicas. There are other sellers who have written guides to spotting fakes but .. who reads them? Us perhaps. But the people who really ought to? Not so much it appears.

Someone actually did do something! Worthless pewter junk I had to laugh, though I can't imagine the eBay people will be too pleased!

Yes, I think that was my frustration talking! But I do feel that if some youngster (and we've had a few as members here) forks out a decent wodge of pocket money on what they think is a representative example of a coin and then a few months later find out at a coin fair or from a dealer that they have been swindled that is quite likely to discourage them. And for the hobbby to continue we need new collectors to take an interest. And we've seen with slabbing, a proportion of collectors are delegating the identification and authentication of their coins to a third party. It only needs a few replicas to be mis-authenticated and confidence could start to go. As for knowledgable collector, well there's a coin on eBay at present currently listed at £230. If you're not a knowledgable collector that seems to me to be a lot of dosh to be throwing at a coin! And if you are, why are you bidding on something that shouts "replica!"?

I really don't think there's a lot we can do, except be very suspicious of old coins that appear too perfect. If they look too good to be true, they very likely are. While that's true, I have noticed that there are increasing numbers of (modern) cast copies of very ordinary late hammered coins appearing on eBay. I might be suspicious of a rare variety or a much better than normally found example, particularly being listed by someone with a record of only selling jeans, but an ordinary coin? And if I'm just starting out and want a space filler? Yes, there is a Henry VIII testoon currently on sale for a relatively low price that looks better than any I've seen before; but without the coin in my hand it's difficult to tell. The main reason to be suspicious in that case is that the seller apparently can't be bothered to visit a dealer to confirm his coin's value but is happy to let it go for quite a bit less on eBay. But the 'average' duff 'coin' goes for around £30. A decent profit for someone that has perhaps spent a few quid making it. And if you're sensible enough to refund all money and act polite if a buyer questions their purchase, you avoid most negative feedback allowing you to continue scamming many others. No, it's a bad business that harms the hobby far more than the individuals who are unlucky enough to buy one of these things. Eventually any coin of any value to a collector without a photographic provenance going back at least 30 years could become unsellable. What happens then to Joe-average collectors like us? Either we're priced out of the hobby or left with a collection nobody else will want.

I think the problem is Aard, it isn't so much us or people like the collectors here but the investors you mention that are into 'high value'. Plus of course auction houses and subsequently newspapers like to go on about how much a coin has made. Which then makes people think all coins have to be worth something, when the truth is most are just so much scrap metal. And that all coin collectors are made of money and will give it away at the drop of a hat. As for inflated prices, well that's kind of relative. When there's only a handful of any item, whether it's a coin or a beanie toy, and there are plenty of people who want one ... You or I might think the prices are insane, but to those collectors who end up paying less than they had hoped, it's cheap. Bottom line is that if there's a way to make a fast buck, someone will find it. Even if they have to do it in a factory in China.

Not sure I can help much. I'm essentially a collector. Now obviously I have sold things to raise funds for more purchases. Ebay in my experience has been hit and miss. Occasional coins will do very well (or at least make a profit) but many barely make what I buy for; even though in some cases I've had the things for many years. But then perhaps that's not surprising since when I buy cost is not the major consideration! What I have found acceptable is part-exchange; where a dealer has a coin I want and is happy to accept mine against theirs. In terms of pure sales, selling privately to another collector (who will appreciate what I'm selling!) is probably best. But that requires you to be in touch with others with similar collecting tastes. So it depends on what you're selling Coindome. Occasional items, I'd recommend private sales. But for a large number of coins, or a collection, I just don't know. I do know a few people sell on commission. The dealer lists and features your coins and then passes on part of the sale price. That saves you the business of listing and so on, but there's no guarantee of when (or even if) your coin will sell. And of course, you don't get the full price. An eBay shop might also work if you have time to wait for things to sell. You have more control that way, but the number of people who have a cheque book (and so can save you PayPal fees) is shrinking. Finally, listing them somewhere like here might work. There's a chance someone might want what you've got? Oh, and good luck!

Not so! When you add a playlist to your iPod, it will add it in the order it is sorted by in iTunes. So if you've sorted by title in iTunes, it will add them that way on the iPod. Not so ornery after all. (The same must work for pictures too?) OK, it might order them. But unfortunately the Apple Store guy told me the Touch can't/won't display the name of picture files which is something I need (when you have 500 reference pics of coins you want to know what each is!) A 'pocket computer'? Not so much. As for ornery .. that's perhaps subjective. My daughter has just lost her entire playlist because she tried to load some Spanish lessons from a CD onto her iPod using iTunes. Apple. You either love it or hate it.

The bear and staff one is a fantasy 'coin' that can be bought at Warwick Castle. A popular kids souvenir for £1 or so. My daughter has one somewhere, along with a 'Viking penny' they produce at Jorvik in York. Lead free pewter/ white metal. Sorry. The To Hanover I don't know. Maybe someone else can help. I'm afraid the pics aren't very clear.

Some months back I started to take a hard line with sellers - anything I wasn't 100% happy with went back. Since then I have returned 5 coins for a refund, only one of which caused problems as the seller stuck by his 'no returns' policy. This went to appeal through E-bay's dispute resolution process and in the end I got my money back. Incidentally, I cannot understand why e-bay set 'no returns' as a default i.e. you have to go to some effort to change it. Many sellers completely overlook this clause when inserting items for sale and few seem to stick to it when the chips are down. As I understand it, under the Distance Selling Regulations you have a right to return goods bought at a distance - and therefore which could not be inspected before purchase - within 7 days for a full refund. If eBay suggest that sellers can refuse to accept goods back then I believe they are in error. Of course, if we have any legal experts here who can confirm or deny this it would be appreciated! Regulation summary

Yes, it's true setting your own value is the way to do it. But it kinda pains me to think I might be paying more than I needed to because the seller has pushed up the price himself! Why not just set a reserve? The coin is still at what I consider to be an acceptable price so I may yet try for it. But I'd feel a lot better about ebay if I was buying coins for £10. But with prices approaching £100 any hint that I might be being ripped off and I start thinking twice about that 'Place bid' button. I guess I need to be more dispassionate, decide what I consider to be a fair price and stick to it. But I doubt I'm the only one that looks back through old sales and thinks "Gosh. That looks quite reasonable now. Why on earth didn't I bid on that?"! Agreed, although without the buyer details in full I can no longer see whether all their other purchases are postcards or car parts for a few ££ made to push up their feedback rating. Nor can I see if they 'win' lots of items from a seller but never receive any feedback or have a record of always being the underbidder. (As you can see, I don't like ebay's 'improvements' much!)

If you can, take a picture of the three best of the oldest ones and post them here with an estimate of how many coins we're looking at. That will give us an idea of how worn they are and what sort of collection it is. I should perhaps warn you that my Dad picked up nice examples from change. Many people did. None of them were worth much. But then there are those that actually buy coins for a collection, in which case, they may be worth more. Or you can strike lucky with a scarce date. Whatever you do, don't clean them! And if they are particularly shiny, best hold them by the edges to avoid marking them.

*sigh* Having looked into it further it appears that not only does itunes resize your images for Apple devices (not a problem) but it also chooses to rearrange them into the order in which they were taken. Which is no use to me at all. I need them in alphabetic order according to title. And apparently it won't do that. Why is it that Apple make the most amazing hardware in the known Universe but tie it in to the most ornery, illogical and unfriendly piece of software? I loathe itunes with a vengance. It's like it was designed by the demons of Hell to torment us. And that's only on the basis of what it does to my wife's 1st gen Shuffle. That and how it totally screwed up all the music on two pcs to fit its own incomprehensible preferences. Another 'No Sale' for Mr Jobs then. (One of those Creative Zens looks good. Drag and drop and a reasonable screen. Though I did have this fantasy of picking up my email while sitting in Costas sipping cappuccino .. But that adds wifi capability (and maybe a 5" screen) to the 'wants' and consequently £££).

I was (naively perhaps) hoping that it would automatically resize the pics to fit the screen. And only when you zoom would it enlarge the overall pic to whatever size (definition) your original image happened to be. It would be very time consuming if I had to resize every image to optimise it!

Mmm .. OK. I'm re-thinking things! Because, seed sown, I started to think it would be pretty handy to be able to access my reference pics of coins wherever I happen to be and something like the iphone (or actually the ipod touch) could just as easily store images (.jpegs) as music. And mapping or picking up email would be icing on the cake. So I wondered, does anyone here keep loads of pics on their ipod? (I need about 100MB storage) Are they easy to access (I can scroll through pics on my laptop in seconds just by holding down the right arrow). Does the file name display (as it does in Windows Photo Gallery) because I'd like that? Can you zoom, does the image turn with tilting the ipod and most importantly, what is the quality of the displayed images (I want to view images from 600 x 300 pixels at 96 dpi to 1742 x 848 pixels at up to 600 dpi)? Anyone know? Because I'm so Luddite none of my friends has one to try out!

For most of these commemorative medals it's very difficult to fix a value. Some were struck in precious metal such as silver in which case they are worth (at a minimum) scrap price. But most are cupronickel or another base metal in which case they are not worth a great deal simply because so many were made. And unlike coins of the realm, there's nothing to stop people producing them even now, years after the event! If they were designed by a well known sculptor, made by a well known company, are particularly attractive or associated with an item of historical interest such as an actual invitation to the ceremony in Carnarvon castle, then their value will be greater. I believe there will always be someone somewhere that wants an item. But to realise a decent price you need at least two people to compete for it! I'm sure there are some who collect Investiture medals and possibly there are books that tell people which ones are scarcer, but it's a specialist area really. The majority of modern commemorative medallions are just souvenirs I'm afraid. Worth more to the person that bought them for sentimental value than actual cash. Sorry.

OK. I've checked out the extra options and do seem to have the ability to tidy up posts. I don't know if Chris has given anyone else mod powers. I'm on here at all sorts of hours most days and if not, then normally at least a couple of times a week. But I don't always read every new post or visit every area of the board, so if anyone does spot any spam feel free to pm me. I'll check it out as soon as I'm here and do what I can to tidy things up.

I noticed a few more spam(bot?) posts from 'guests'. Now I'm sure that "in the past" there was a moderator for each board with supervisor privileges that could delete such things. Plus Chris used to regularly weed out both posts and URLs. But now I'm not sure it's happening. Has anyone heard from Chris since the last "Where is he" post?

Oooh the power! I feel dizzy already! Chris Perkins, on 19 August 2010 - 09:55 PM, said Don't break anything. I'll do me best!

I was meeting some friends in an establishment called 'The Cock Inn' (I know, I know...). I hadn't realised my predictive messaging was on and when I re-read the message it was directing my unsuspecting acquaintances to 'The Anal Inn'. Honestly, how does 'cock' become 'anal'? LOLOLOL! While sometimes being able to refer to my (numerous) reference photos of coins would be handy I'm not so bothered that I'd currently go down the smartphone route. However, that said, it was nice to have a phone that could pick up emails when we were away on holiday recently and received an email from daughter in South America. Now that technology I approve of!

Oh and congrats on the new house! (And apologies for moaning!)

Well, I'm sad enough that I'm here fairly regularly these days so *fingerwave* if it's not technical (I'm still waiting for my membership of the Luddite Society to arrive but since it's coming by mule, who knows when that might be!) I'm happy to bugger things up I mean delete spammy stuff! The only other area I've noticed a lot of rubbish in is Coin Collecting Software which was spammed on 2 August if memory serves me correct.