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 Replies: 32 / Views: 3,169 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1915 Posts |
I wanted to take a little time to offer up a little encouragement to you that are starting to feel a little bit frustrated with searching rolls or bags. Frustrated that you are not finding anything. Or everything you do find everyone is telling you that it is merely Machine Doubling, or your coin took a hit, or that it is post mint damage. If you are going to be a serious coin hunter you need to keep in mind, errors and varieties ARE HARD TO FIND. If they were easy, all of us would not be looking for them. They would have no value. What makes them special is the fact they are rare. For every 5 to 10 thousand coins there may only be one or two rare ones, and you are blessed if one of them ends up in the pile you are searching. I know it seems the same people over and over again are finding things left and right. While you sit there and stew/ You might think to yourself that those that keep finding things are just lucky. I, for one, do not think luck has much to do with it. I think the biggest reason the same people keep finding things is that they know what it is they are looking for. We can show you photos or diagrams all day everyday of what a particular variety or error looks like. These are merely 2 dimensional renderings of a 3 dimensional object. These things really look a lot different in hand. They come alive and jump out at you. I highly encourage each of you without a lot of experience, to go and purchase a known variety or error. Make it of something you like. If you like RPMs, buy yourself a 1953 RPM #1. Maybe you like doubled dies. You do not need to go buy a 1955 or a 1969-S, but maybe one of the bold 1995-D that is affordable. If you like errors, buy a coin of the type of error you like best. Once you have in hand a representation of the thing you are wanting, study every bit of it. Take notes. See what makes it so special. Now when you get a firm grasp of what it is you are looking for, it will make it much easier to identify while you are searching. Plus, really get to know your resources. There are countless books you can buy on every single subject when it comes to errors and varieties, not to mention all of the fabulous websites right at your fingertips for free. Then there are places like this where you can come and openly discuss things that interest you with people who share that interest. Errors and varieties make up a VERY SMALL portion of the actual coin collecting world, but we are gathering steam. We are making noise. We are being heard. People are finally recognizing that we have been onto something for a very long time. I welcome any questions or comments to this post. There are no stupid questions. Just stupid people asking questions. Uh, wait, no, yes, umm, heck I don't know. Just forget it. Ask or say anything you feel/ OK now who did I borrow this soap box from? OsacolaFlorida, was it you? Rackster? Sudz? Edited by seal006
02/09/2016 3:38 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
558 Posts |
This is a great post!! My favorite since my return!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1572 Posts |
I don't think it was me, but AMEN brother! Especially this little nugget: Quote:
I think the biggest reason the same people keep finding things is that they know what it is they are looking for. Never underestimate the power of knowledge, experience, and persistence.  Edited by Sudz
02/08/2016 11:37 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5964 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1191 Posts |
Great post and thanks for the encouragement!
How did you find your first error?
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1915 Posts |
I am not a big error guy, but my first was a clipped cent. I was given it in change. Now with varieties it was a 1953-D RPM #1. I was working with a pile of cents. I was just trying to fill a whitman folder to make a set. I really wanted nice coins in the set. So I was looking at each coin with a magnifying glass. It was like a 3x. I wanted the most perfect looking cents I could find. I turned that particular coin over and it was like BAM! What the heck is this. Took it to my LCS and asked what it was. He was actually informed enough to tell me what it was. I have been hooked ever since. That was over 20 years ago. I did not get into doubled dies until about 10 years ago. Cut my teeth with the knowledge of Charles Daughtrey, Bob Piazza, John Wexler, and our own Richard Cooper. Bumped heads with them all in my quest for knowledge. It has been a fun ride.
Edited by seal006
02/09/2016 3:38 pm
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Valued Member
United States
334 Posts |
Great advice Seal. Not to mention alot of the same people keep finding these errors are searching through 1000's of coins on a regular basis.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5193 Posts |
excellent article and great advice,just what we need once in a wile.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1915 Posts |
Quote:
Great advice Seal. Not to mention alot of the same people keep finding these errors are searching through 1000's of coins on a regular basis. Indeed, I search about 10,000 (4 bricks) of cents per week. |
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Valued Member
United States
261 Posts |
Hi Seal. Agree with all on the value of your post. Question though. How do you return the 10,000 minus a few cents you look through each week? I have read quite a few posts that many banks don't want to go through that. 200 rolls in 10,000.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
62064 Posts |
With new ones coming to the forums, I'm glad they want to know what they found. Knowing what it is will probably help them move on to another coin that is a collectable. So when I answer a question about a coin, I prefer not to say yes or no. I like to tell why I give an answer. Not just the poster benefits from this. All who read that answer will also benefit. I find images helps a lot with questions. It shows what I see on an image and what it is were are looking at. If it is something common or something unique. With this knowledge, then we can put the normal/common coins back to work and know which ones to save.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
982 Posts |
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New Member
United States
11 Posts |
Thanks for the encouragement!
I get frustrated sometimes thinking I'm tossing coins for return that may have had something I missed. I don't always know what I'm looking for, but I'm learning and that's what keeps me going.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1915 Posts |
Quote:
Hi Seal. Agree with all on the value of your post. Question though. How do you return the 10,000 minus a few cents you look through each week? I have read quite a few posts that many banks don't want to go through that. 200 rolls in 10,000. I do not have a bank that has a coin counting machine and I most definitely do not want to roll that many. I use Coinstar. Yes, I lose about $11 a week, but for me, it is worth it not to roll them. If my hobby only costs me about $11 a week, well I think that is pretty good. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3644 Posts |
Me too seal-pete I lose 10% all the time yes but I look at it differently because I have a daughter that needs gas money all the time so it's encouragemt for her to make runs for me when the coffee can is full and I get extra rolls at the same time. I have her grab me 8-10 extra rolls and she always walks away with 8-15$ because their is usually clad in there too we all win! Plus you never know what's in that return tray! So for me it's definitely worth the 10% loss I'm no where near seal but on a good week I probably go through somewhere between 4-6k coins tho I never really kept count because I obtain rolls all over the place depending where I am all week because I like to mix it up
Edited by Slamnbass
02/09/2016 1:57 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2824 Posts |
I use coinstar like machine in publix and lose the 6-10%
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Replies: 32 / Views: 3,169 |
Posted 02/08/2016 11:36 pm
