Pennies...

[william 0]

I would purchase one from you Chris.

Btw Oli, try putting a comma after the second 'you' in your above post...

[Emperor Oli 0]

I didn't say I wouldn't make any mistakes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Chris Perkins 228]

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.

[Half Penny Jon 0]

The ruthless world of business.

[Emperor Oli 0]

How many would you be thinking of buying, Chris? That is to say when you've sorted out all the VAT stuff..

[Chris Perkins 228]

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

[Emperor Oli 0]

Good God, I'd just thought of that! The postage would be through the roof and would eliminate a discount, if any, from the price of the book. That's a kick in the teeth

[Chris Perkins 228]

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.

[Emperor Oli 0]

I wonder if they'd send them to you free if you put their banner on your site?

[Chris Perkins 228]

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!

[Emperor Oli 0]

Lol! Isn't Spink's Japanese-owned now? One would have thought with their stereotypical expertise with technology, they would have jumped at the chance!

[Chris Perkins 228]

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.

[Emperor Oli 0]

It is quite odd that such a prestigious company would "stoop" to that level. Is it still active i.e Do they still use it??

[Chris Perkins 228]

Absolutely, they're even trying to flog last years!:

http://cgi6.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...&sort=3&rows=50

[Emperor Oli 0]

Sheesh, that's bad! They just seem to have books on at the minute though, not coins, which is some recompense

[william 0]

Whoa, they have an ebay ID?!

Look at the price of the first one on the list, lol. I can't believe they're trying to sell that 2003 edition for a tenner, can you? Why have they bothered to register on ebay anyway? They have their own site, I don't see why they should fall to that level!

[Half Penny Jon 0]

The fact that Spink uses Ebay is beyond me. Why are they trying to sell books there when they might as well do it on their site.

[Emperor Oli 0]

Actually, I dispense of the past Spink's catalogues on Ebay when the new ones come out so the money can go towards that. I sold the 2003 last year for about £13!

[Half Penny Jon 0]

That's a good idea, I have a mountain of old coin references that I don't really need.

[Emperor Oli 0]

I sold Coin Yearbook 2003 for £8 last week but the 2002 didn't go. Anyone want to buy it???

[Chris Perkins 228]

Whoa, they have an ebay ID?!

Look at the price of the first one on the list, lol. I can't believe they're trying to sell that 2003 edition for a tenner, can you? Why have they bothered to register on ebay anyway? They have their own site, I don't see why they should fall to that level!

Perhaps they actually sell very few books through the website. i think they must just trying to sell as many books as possible any way they can, but keeping the coin side 'traditional'. Stinks of desperation to me though.

[Emperor Oli 0]

I'm surprised they didn't use a pseudonym so Spink's good name wasn't "degraded"

[william 0]

Stinks of desperation to me though.

Me too

[Half Penny Jon 0]

Ebay just doesn't go with their sophisticated image, and the fact that they actually included their name into their ebay ID is degrading.

[Emperor Oli 0]

They're just opening up other avenues of sale I suppose which you can't fault them for logically.