Driving At Full Speed Toward A Cliff...

So Mr. Roger, did you make this decision as a dealer or as a collector? Are you saying to other collectors that coins are not worth their/our time, money, and efforts to collect, or are you saying to collectors that they will not make money off of them? I would compare this to a good ol' neighbourhood deli going vegan or organic as a health or pro-animal statement. In contrast to my ever-strange analogy, I think your customer base will remain the same, just without the "trimmings", so to speak.

Another question: what was your original reason for including NCLT offerings to your customers in the first place?

I do get your point about the saturation of the coin market; it's too much.

Personally, the only NCLT coin I liked in the last 5 years was the Wolf Niobium coin (the first one in the series; the rest were fugly), but it is way overpriced at over $100. The only NCLT I own is the 1952-2002 Jubilee coin, and two proof silver ounces if those count.

I disagree here. Actually 3 years ago I thought the same.
But that my point in the first my post in this thread:
with "too many" you will over-flood your collection.
Best (non-realistic) example:
would you be happy, if RCM will issue monthly Gold Superman coin, and you will score to get it for half of issue. It will be boring cheap set....

Mr. Libertad, your assumption that I participate on this site as a dealer is grossly incorrect...

I am speaking here as a collector and am speaking of my own collection of NCLT. I collected themes (Geology and Landscapes), including the Canada Wonders, Klondike and Leduc Oil Discovery, right up to the Great Lakes Series... but I am really sick of the RCM emailing me every day, and phoning me at random times of the day, asking me if I want to catch some "last minute" deals...




Have you ever seen my table at a coin show? I only do two shows, each twice per year. I don't actively buy and sell NCLT; if someone approaches me wanting to unload NCLT, I direct them to another coin dealer... if there is NCLT at my table, it is because I was forced to buy it as part of a larger collection. I do examine the coins for varieties (machine doubled dates) because that is what I do and enjoy. Otherwise, I generally try to wholesale NCLT (the big auction lot of PL sets and Specimen sets at the Bell auction was one I consigned), except for pre-1968 PL and rarer specimen sets. I never order NCLT at the mint, to resale to "my customers". There was NCLT in a case at my table at the most recent Coin Expo, because a friend (the same person who later gave the ancient coins seminar), was selling all of his NCLT, and I told him to sell to collectors first, before selling everything else to a dealer at the end of the show (yes, I gave my friend an entire case, for the show)... At the next show I do (Spring Nuphilex in March) - the NCLT you will see in my case, will be from my own collection...

For the record, I rarely ever post here with my "dealer hat" on, except on threads directly pertaining to Nuphilex and Coin Expo, usually asking folks to drop by and say hello. Ask people who know me, including other dealers... I am a collector, not a dealer. This is not how I earn my living - I buy and deal coins to further my own collection, and to learn and share knowledge with others (which is why I write the CN Journal column on varieties). Just as of now, the collection I speak of no longer contains NCLT...

I've been an OCD type get one of everything collector all my life. As of 2014 I have about 50 2014 coins stacked on my desk that I haven't had time to go through, examine, catalogue and enjoy. For 2015 dated coins I have finally said enough is enough. I will probably continue collecting silver dollars and maybe finish up any series I'm in the middle of but that's it for me. I'll be focusing on completing/upgrading my circulation collection instead.

@SPP-Ottawa: Thanks for the thought-provoking post.

IMO, the collecting of modern NCLT can be compartmentalized to the extent that a "melt down" in the segment - something I believe is on the horizon - will not have a significant and/or lasting adverse impact on the collecting of circulation/business strike coins.

Part of my reasoning is based on the fact that I don't believe that modern NCLT coins bring as many ongoing collectors into the hobby as some others do. I agree that they attract a diverse mix of new buyers, but many are short-term "collectors" who do not build meaningful collections and do not extend their collecting back into circulation issues. Many acquire a few NCLT pieces of interest and then gradually leave the hobby for any number of reasons - ongoing expense, poor ROI, lack of additional coins similar to the theme that initially pulled them in, etc. The fact that assembling a meaningful collection of circulation issues also requires more study and time than buying new issues also serves as a barrier between the two collecting segments.

I enjoy history in general and I enjoy learning about the history of my northern neighbor. For that reason, I generally limit my NCLT purchases to the RCM's commemorative silver dollar series and to coins of other denominations that bridge the history of Canada and the US (e.g., the War of 1812 silver $4.00 coins of 2012-13). Regarding the silver dollars, I like their foundation in the circulating silver dollars of Canada that began with the 1935 King George V commemorative issue - because of this, they seem less like NCLT to me than most other coins.

Of course, we all need to collect what interests us and makes us happy. But I don't fear for the future of the "traditional" coin collecting hobby because of the current abuses being played out in the modern NCLT area.

Your Bateman print is pretty cool SPP Ottawa.

Check out this nice painting by Dan Smith. Like having a giant toonie...
http://www.ducks.ca/how-you-can-hel...s/dan-smith/

Thanks for the clarification. I have seen your table at the Coin Expo, which is why I thought you were a coin dealer...? Hence my questions.

I think SPP has summed it up pretty nicely.

The biggest problem is simply too many issues. This puts pressure on collectors who want a whole bunch of the brand new releases, but are sitting on a hoard of previously purchased coins. Often times collectors end up selling many of their "old" (5-20 years since issue date) coins in order to afford the new ones.

The secondary market for RCM coins is generally quite grim with a few exceptions. There simply aren't many people looking for the "not hot" back issues of RCM coins. If they buy them, it is often at a significant discount to the issue price. Factor in the time/fees/dealer wholesale margin into selling and it's a significant loss for many. Eventually collectors will get fed up and be very picky with what they buy from the mint, if they buy at all.

Granted, coin collecting is a hobby and no one is owed breaking even on their purchases. Like any hobby whether it is woodworking, snowmobiling or video games, there are costs associated with each. Some are much higher than others. If the financial cost to the average collector becomes too high, it will drive them toward their existing, or even new, less expensive hobbies.