VAM_it

Perhaps VAM-IT is an unworthy cause.....many may think its supposed to be easy? perhaps you have figured that is near or far date...so its VAM X....so what is the purpose? WHILE don't don't have to know...the EXACT answer.....sitting back does not increase any one's knowledge....Figuring out the process is the intent......Perhaps you intend that others will perform the research for you...and you learn nothing......but the out come....its a loss for every one.......
the Purpose of this thread is to share the WAY we DECIPHER how to figure what vam-it is.....IF YOU WILL NOT PARTICIPATE....then why is it worth asking you for your time? your thoughts or your guesses...? REMEMBER.......your reading gives you thought to promote understanding........so don't just sit by the side lines.....
This is not a foot ball game.. to wonder who wins or looses.. /BUT rather to introduce you to VAMMING.....the game is not weather you got this VAM correct or not its about you contributing. WE learn from all of this...This site is a collective sight.......not my own opinions.......And you MUST RESPOND.......Or its unworthy of your time....

Gene, While I appreciate your efforts towards this topic, I will admit, my effort has been half hearted and while I have NOT given my all, I do appreciate ALL you are doing...

I am NOT very good at attributing Morgan Vams, I have no excuses, I have learned along the way, Thanks, I SHALL return....

The Idea of VAM-IT is to acquire the process of attribution..ITS not post all the the pick up points, so you don't have to even look or question..... if that was the case there are no questions, and no learning....in the another category one can as others have done simply "ASK" what VAM it may be
but this is not the point of this thread.....The posts are meant to get you to research the general points, which may vams have....There are other points that separate them from the general commonalities...
the research and questions the fine points of the coin are essential
to attributions.......its what separates a VAM from a VAM....
In this last VAM-IT an 1884-0 was presented..Clues are.Far date Clashed N & T and a DIE CRACK.......the far date and the CRACK alone attributes the coin......as VAM 23A LDS........Those points were posted with clear pictures....

SOME HAVE SAID: WHAT'S WRONG WITH VAM-IT is that one must post all of the PICK UP POINTS............if so then you are not examining the coin, as many a good find is found on line from just the picture alone....it is us who review the coin, where ever we find it.. and there WILL NOT BE.....HERE ARE ALL MY PICK UP POINTS...
The point of this thread is......To understand when you look at a coin, "How to look and research what you see"......And there will be questions.....If you have questions, which are asked on the other catagories and photo's are requested....This is not happening here...
If your expecting it to be all laid out for you, then you are not learning any thing.......And this is not the point of this thread...
It is meant, that a coin be introduced.....get the general points of interest....and then look for the secondary features that will show us
the identity of the attribution...In some cases as I have posted,, the secondary points, clear attribution points that IDENTIFY the VAM assignment number...

Gene, I realize that you had a very purposeful and virtuous intent when starting this thread..... I do not mean to seem cruel or nasty by saying this.... but you know me... I often cannot get my point across without seeming so.... please try to read between the lines here:

If you look back through all 17 pages of this thread, (as I have), look at those who have attempted to give answers..... twohawks, Bryan, SeatedNut, SuperDave, Morgansdad, and vamaddict..... it would be naive to think that you might be teaching these folks anything here.

There are others who have added comments, but not really tried to attribute any of the coins.... mitchhailey, VamsforMoney, Sunny in NC, Jefferyice1, myself, and then there are an unknown number of lurkers.

My point is this: You cannot teach a class if there are no students.... if you think that there are students here, you are wrong.... either folks already have vamming skills superior to your own, or they just do not care enough about it because there is no motivation to learn it.

Motivation is owning the coin.... it is financial gain... it is holding the coin in hand and knowing that it is mine..... Nobody cares what coin you own, nobody cares what coin is in the picture that they will never hold in their own hand.... there is no motivation in expending time and effort in knowing such a thing.

If there were rewards in guessing or researching (such as 'correctly identify the VAM and you win it'), then yes, you would have 'students' (if you wish to consider them as such)..... as soon as the rewards dried up, so would their participation though.

Your target audience is extremely small to non-existent..... folks who really want to know or learn how to attribute vams are very far and few between..... I know that it may be a bitter pill to swallow, but collectors are collectors because they want to be, because they are genuinely attracted to, and are interested in, knowing the sort of stuff that you wish to share..... there really aren't that many folks around that feel as you do.... the demographic parameters are stacked against you.... it is a new age, a more materialistic age.... Those baby boomers who were nurtured by their parents to appreciate the joys of collecting are a dying breed.... gen-X and beyond are interested in what can be gained with the least expenditure of effort, and this is not to say that it is a bad thing, but just a different thing, a generational thing.

If you prefaced the thread with 'show your Morgan, and we will tell you which one it is, how rare it is, and how much it is worth', then you might have a 'class'.

Do not be down hearted by what I say here, just take all things into account, look at the clues and the results of this thread so far, and decide for yourself how to best satisfy your own desire to pass on what knowledge you wish to pass on.

I might suggest allowing the the coin holder to post his/her own photos, and rather than tell him/her what it is, ask them questions, give clues, and point them in the right direction, (like you are doing here, but with the coin that he/she has in hand, not the coin that you have in hand) and let them come to their own conclusions about what VAM they hold.... if their interest is more than just making a quick buck from the coin, it will become evident by their persistence, and their return questions of you.

your words are wise Zee, there are many who are interested but fail to even participate..Few question to find understanding. With out questions there can never be understanding...
While this site continues to grow, there is a small quantity who want to learn but fail to reach out.....lets hope that as we grow there be more who reach out..

I totally agree, instead of all the bickering about what we can do one way or another should be focused on helping show others what attributes to look for first to narrow the big list down to a small list and then go from there. That is one reason I have tried to stay out of most of the conversations about it and just give my opinions on what to look at to attribute the coin. I do have a few people I deal with in private that seem to have the mindset to want to learn what to look for instead of wanting to get into the politics of VAMming and jut go along with what ever happens we are going to have fun while it lasts


I have actually had contests doing this but the VAM may not be the prize but I showed attributes of a specific VAM and told them if they can attribute it, they would win a prize and I have yet to have a VAM not ever guesses correctly. I felt they not only won the contest and got the prize, they also gained some knowledge while they were looking the VAM up. I am sure they saw others while looking for the correct one that they will remember also next time they see it

Please tell me that you didn't take my comment as it being directed towards you again, I only quoted your response because I had actually done just what you was talking about and had gotten positive responses from it. I wasn't even talking about this one particular thread or even this one particular forum, I meant as a whole there seems to be more politics going on than there is trying to help others learn the hobby. I mean look at the post above mine, here we have a new person that wants to learn but is getting turned off by all the discussions going on about what is bad with the hobby and how to turn it around in just about every thread that comes up about VAM's (this is what I call the politics of the hobby). No one wants to join in on something that is only going to bring more drama in their life when thats what we try to find hobbies to get away from, all the drama we have to deal with day to day. Everyone wants to know where its heading instead of enjoying it while we can. I have no idea where its heading just as no one else does and that is why I try to not comment in those types of discussions. I am sure 50 years ago no one would have thought baseball cards or even more recently that beany babies would pretty much be extinct. But I can still sit down with some of my elders and listen to them talk about looking for that one special card and all the memories they have with their fathers and friends while searching for it, and thats what I think its all about, the memories and the enjoyment you get out of it while you are participating in the hobby. The memories will be priceless even if coin collecting falls to the same fate as other well known hobbies has done in the past and I am going to enjoy it as long as I possibly can. I guess I just hate to see someone that is interested in a hobby that I am so passionate about and then get turned off from some of the things they have read that seems to be something that will only bring more drama in their lives

right on Byran, exactly why I read this thread, and stay off of it. I am a NO Drama kinda girl, unless I'm writing about it. :)