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 Replies: 12 / Views: 1,769 |
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Valued Member
United States
227 Posts |
I'm very interested in starting a collection of Standing Liberty quarters... my favorite coin from my grandfathers collection is an XF-AU 1917P type 2 with a nice magenta toning, and its because of his collection that I'm here now. So basically I am super new to this and was wondering what kind of advice you guys might have for me to get started. First off, how should I go about with the learning process (including, especially, counterfeits)? I don't want to cut corners because the learning process is fun too, but some guidance would be good. I'd also love to have some info specific to SLQ's since that's what I'm going to be after for the most part. Next, where should I look to buy? Auctions (online/live), dealers, local shops..... what do you guys do to fill in your collections and what kind of advice can you give me for my searches? What I've already learned in a week is that ebay has good prices but also has lots of fakes and cleaned/altered coins. Finally, besides the 2x2 mylar/cardboard holders, are there are ways to preserve a collection in an economical way? I plan on buying AU coins for the most part, if that is relevant. Oh and do I need to get a microscope or something like that or would a magnifying glass do? I would like to check my grandfather's collection for mint errors. Thanks! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2269 Posts |
 Welcome to the forum! One of the first things I would do is pick up a Red Book to get an idea of what some of the quarters will cost. The second and most important thing to do is set a budget for yourself. You will find that some of the coins in that series are higher than others. The third thing I would do is find a good coin dealer in your area. He or she could be very helpful in completing a SLQ set. As for counterfeits, knowledge is the key, by studying the coins you can learn how to identify counterfeit coins. You may also want to consider purchasing a nice Dansco Album to house your collection. If you are ever uncertain about a coin you are considering purchasing, don't hesitate to get a second opinion or even third opinion. More importantly you have already taken an important step, you joined this forum. Our members will gladly help with any questions you may have. There are many years of knowledge on this forum and we will be glad to give you any advice. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1745 Posts |
I agree with everything Spider said. But would like to add, be patient and most of all Have Fun! It's not a race, so enjoy the ride. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1432 Posts |
As to your magnification question, a 10x loupe should be fine for looking for mint errors.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4415 Posts |
Welcome to the CCF!
SLQ's ... a very costly set to assemble; especially so in AU! There's a book by Cline ...
Personally, I'd suggest that you consider assembling a type set, using a Dansco 7070 album. That way, you can study each type coin as you progress with the set. Best wishes ...
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3294 Posts |
Yeah, AU SLQs will be pretty pricey for the keys, but if you have the funds or a really long time to assemble the set, I say go for it. They are a really good design.
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Valued Member
 United States
227 Posts |
Yeah lol I'm aware of the price jumps for the key dates in AU. It's a lot. But I'm in no rush... I see no reason to anyway... and coins can still be considered something of an investment, so I don't think I'd ever feel bad putting down good money for one. The Dansco album is a good idea. I've considered a type set already so maybe I can work on both. I don't really see any reason why I have to complete one before starting the other... at least it doesn't bother me. Having a type set to work on will be good if I run into roadblocks with the SLQs, which I know is going to happen for a number of reasons. The book you're referring to by Cline - is that SLQ specific or is it something else? I would definitely be interested in that. To start I will of course be getting the Red Book. Thanks a lot for the suggestions guys, if I can get good pictures of the one SLQ I have maybe I'll post it in the grading section. |
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Valued Member
United States
227 Posts |
So with the Dansco Album, my issue is having slabbed coins that won't go into the album. I might use one of those "slab-albums" like the one by Eagle, in combination maybe with a registry set online. Just some way of keeping it organized as I definitely won't be breaking slabs ever.. That then leads me to my next question... if I submit a coin to a TPG, or buy one that is already certified, will the TPG necessarily have a high-quality picture of it online? Through browsing auctions online and verifying various cert codes, I saw that a lot of them do not have pictures (both PCGS and NGC). Is it an extra charge or something - why do some not have pictures? The reason I ask is that I was thinking I could use printed color pictures of the coins to form some kind of physical album (to view them all at once instead of having to rifle through a box of slabs), and/or, form some kind of electronic album online with high quality photographs. That way I could view the collection very conveniently and still keep them in slabs or in a safety deposit box if necessary. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
For a starter as already noted get a copy of the Red Book. And you do not need the latest version. You could save a lot by checking out flea markets and/or used book stores for a few issue older one. And too you do not need a Dansco Album. There are many other brands out there and mostly cheaper than Dansco. Most on this forum are sort of stuck on the name Dansco but check your local coin stores for Whitman, Littleton, Intercept shield, US Mint and/or many others. You really should try to find coin shows in your area. They are the best place to see and/or buy coins. Also, a great place to learn about coins. In order of places to NOT buy coins is ebay, some coin stores, some on line dealers, TV commercials, miscellaneous mail order catalogs. Contrary to that though is many people do find a fantastic coin store near them. As to on line coin dealers if you stick around here a while, you hear many of them mentioned. Some good, some horrible and some great. Quote:
Finally, besides the 2x2 mylar/cardboard holders, are there are ways to preserve a collection in an economical way? I plan on buying AU coins for the most part, if that is relevant. As noted you do not need 2x2's for your coins. Most any Album is almost as good. |
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Valued Member
United States
227 Posts |
So you're saying that a mail order catalog or TV commercial is a better way to buy coins than an online dealer/auction? Why is that?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1143 Posts |
Actually he is saying that mail order and TV are some of the worst places to buy. You are much more likely to encounter over priced/ over graded coins in that situation. First thing I would recommend is learn the coins design and look at many many examples before buying one. You should have an idea of what average is for each grade. With this series the head is especially important as many were weakly struck and even unc examples will many times have almost no facial detail. So start with a book and learn all you can....then slowly buy choice examples as you find them. Its much more rewarding to slowly assemble a nice set.
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Valued Member
United States
227 Posts |
Oh OK I thought it was the other way around because ebay is... well its ebay sometimes, if you know what I mean. Cheaper usually but plenty of things to watch out for. Yeah I've looked at tons of SLQs lately and it really helps with understanding the grading. I also have educated myself on the major variations, like between type 1 & 2 as well as between 1916 & 1917 type 1. And the FH issue. I'm getting the hang of grading coins as long as they're below MS63. I use the grading section on the forum to test myself and its gone surprisingly well.. photograding with good high quality pictures can go a long way for anything below ~MS62. What I need a lot more time with is understanding what the indicators of cleaning are, and detecting them in photographs or altered images that intentionally try to mask the cleaning evidence. I am definitely poor at this skill right now and I feel if I bought anything online (uncertified) that I would be taking a large risk. I just need more examples I guess. And yeah, I totally agree with the comment that its more rewarding to assemble the set slowly. Besides I am going to be patient and wait what I really want... I'm not the hole-filler type of guy. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
Quote:
Through browsing auctions online and verifying various cert codes, I saw that a lot of them do not have pictures (both PCGS and NGC). Is it an extra charge or something - why do some not have pictures? NGC has been around for almost 25 years now, but they only started adding pictures to the certification verifier three years ago. So you have three years of pictures and 22 years of no picture. PCGS has been around even longer but They have only been linking pictures for less than two years, and unlike NGC that images every coin they slab now, PCGS I believe only links images of those pieces where the submitter ordered images. I don't think they take pictures of every one. PCGS does take nice images. NGC's images leave a lot to be desired. |
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Replies: 12 / Views: 1,769 |
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Posted 05/12/2012 08:12 am
