What Resource(S) Do Use To Learn About Coins?

Internet, print, club, LCSs and shows. Age: still able to sit up and take nourishment without assistance.

I'm surprised LCSs and shows weren't included in the poll. They've provided a far more effective introduction to many
of the uncompromising realities of numismatics and bullion buying and selling than I was able to find anywhere else.

Freddy, I am not infallible.
Part of my reason for this poll is to uncover ALL resources wherever they may be.
Sadly, a good number of collectors must depend upon the Internet for information and ebay for sources for coins.
And, as great as the CCF is it cannot be all things to all people [ try as it does though ]

MV-- I wasn't pointing the proverbial finger. I was just trying to promote LCSs and shows as useful info sources.

I should qualify that, though. I'm lucky enough to have a couple high-quality LCSs and a good show (10x/yr w/ 50+ reputable vendors) near me. I've talked
with other CCF'ers who have only a bad news LCS and no good shows near them. Bottom line = only reputable LCSs and show vendors serve as the good
info sources. The "others" may provide little other than bad experiences.

And Freddy, do you not also agree that when we find a great LCS or local coin show with decent vendors that we share
our discovery with those in the same area?
No harm, no foul.
Sadly, it is those very same CCF members who are in areas far away for dealers and shows that need to learn of all available resources.
Yet another point to this poll: to identify these resources.

Getting to the ripe old age of 50 this year. I have always used books and magazines, that is all there was when I started. Of course the internet is a big part now but books will be a something I will always use.

I even found a copy of Walter Breen's encyclopedia that will coming to my library this week. If I only could figure out a way keep it.

My primary references are still my ink-on-dead-trees printed catalogues. The Internet is secondary, except for those coinage series I don't have a book for yet. I'm also a member of two coin clubs and have learned a great deal from there, especially about exonumia.


Polls remain active until they are closed - mods and admins can close polls, you as the OP of the poll might be able to as well; if not, you can certainly request your poll be closed. Or the poll might eventually be archived by the admins. Otherwise, they stay open.

I think it depends on what you collect Ben. The three main studies for my interest were written in 1918, 1977 and 1984.

Yes, the first two are now available online (or as pdfs), but I'm afraid I still prefer print. You can't easily compare three pages of illustrations with a pdf, whereas a book, well, you just stick a finger between the pages you want and flick back and forth! I make notes in my books .. where I've seen a coin, who now owns it.

And some books are still not available electronically, my contacts aren't online 24 hours a day (and I don't always want to suggest to them I'm interested in a particular coin!) and filtered? Yes. But that can be both a good thing (avoiding irrelevant material) but also bad (in that you may never read that impostant detail everyone since has overlooked)!

I primarily use the internet. It is a nice free source to see what is out there.

When I realize I am interested in a particular subsection of collecting, I have pursued books or reference catalogs.

But if it were not for the internet, I would not have been exposed to those subsets in the first place.

It helps if there is a widely accepted reference book, and if it is reasonably priced. Unfortunately a lot of numismatic literature is out of print and/or expensive.