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 Replies: 18 / Views: 2,608 |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
4944 Posts |
A while ago, I decided to spend the " ebay bucks" that I had saved up over three months, to buy the 2013 RedBook. New collectors are always told that they should have one, when they start collecting (I was doing fine without one, but decided I would buy the book anyway). About a week after I ordered the book, it arrived. I opened the envelope it was shipped in and quickly skimmed through a couple of pages. I put the book up on my shelf, and pretty much forgot about it. It's now been months since the book arrived, and I can honestly say, I have never used it as a reference for anything. With all of the sites, and forums that are dedicated to coins, you can find all of the information (and alot more) that is inside the RedBook just a click away. Even at coin shows a lot more people will use their smartphones to look up varieties, prices, grades (There is a PCGS Photograde APP for the iPhone). I'm just curious how many people still use a RedBook? Is it becoming obsolete in the Information Age? |
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Valued Member
United States
397 Posts |
I currently still use it as a collector who is less than 1 year into this hobby as a serious collector. While I have several sites book marked for an idea for prices and other things, I like to pick up the RedBook for mint numbers and such. Just a personal preference on my part I guess. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1195 Posts |
Mintage numbers you can find right here on CCF. Numismedia gives a ballpark estimate for price guide. Kitco gives me silver price to go on for estimating the junk multiplier at my LCS. That's all I need as a collector, dunno what else the famed Red Book would give me.  Edited by argentum
01/22/2013 01:36 am
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Bedrock of the Community
 United States
12817 Posts |
I suppose it's a matter of personal preference. I would imagine that the people that do online-only (or -mostly) for reference and such are the same that ditch printed newspapers for online versions and have Kindles and other e-readers. I'm somewhere in the middle. To me there's something nice about flipping through a tangible book, but I do like the convenience and up-to-date-ness of the online guides. I wonder if Red Book would consider an online version in a subscription format. Beckett does that for trading cards, and doing so would make Red Book's pricing information more useful (i.e., current). Would be very convenient in some sort of smartphone app. I'm sure there's something out there similar already. |
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
I agree with celtic. My take is that its a good thing to have if you like seeing some history or really just seeing all the different coins you may or may not have known about and figuring out what you like. As far as prices go for it I dont even bother to check their prices. By the time they come out theyre obsolete. I use completed ebay listings and numismedia for pricing, now if I cant find the coin in question there then I would check the RedBook price just to get an idea. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1817 Posts |
It's an outdated pricing reference by the time the next year's edition comes out in April. Really needs to updated on a weekly basis and put online and perhaps distributed in a subscription format. The editors should split the Red Book in two, one book for classic coinage up to 1964, the other for modern coinage after the clad coins start. The classic red could have trending information, specialist news like the pro edition, while the moderns could cover legislation, design submissions, the political choices made, etc. to give a more thoroughly researched view on the coins that are issued. It's all out there, of course, but not in one handy volume like the Red Book could become. Coin World puts put out an annual almanac, but the articles from year to year vary among different topics and are somewhat haphazard in presentation. The Red Book could be more than just a price guide |
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Pillar of the Community
Thailand
1509 Posts |
I don't have or need one of your Redbooks (do they have illustrations?)but a few years ago I did splash out on the Krause catalogs. I mostly use the disc downloads that came with them but I do occassionaly leaf through the hard copies just for sheer pleasure.
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
Quote:
do they have illustrations? Yea they do have pictures of most coins which is the best part about them imo |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
9158 Posts |
I use mine all the time :)
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1200 Posts |
I think a coin collector without a Redbook/Blue Guide/Krause Catalog (or an "app'd-up-to-the-ears" smartphone) is like an English lit-majoring college student without a dictionary,
thesaurus and familiar quotations guide. You may not need them very often but on the occasions when they're needed, they're invaluable. I personally prefer the books because
I'm not in love with $150 per month cellphone bills.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
I collect the Hard Cover versions of the Red Book and have all of them from the first to present. I keep a ringed version handy all the time simce I don't even open the ones in my Hard Cover collection. For those that spend so much of their lives in front of a computer monitor, I guess looking things up on the internet is just what they do. When not playing games that is. I'd much rather take the time to look up what I want, when I want, in a book and not have to even turn on a computer. True at many coin shows I see people whip out a cell phone to check a price of a coin. I've also heard dealers tell them to buy the coins on the internet since the price they see is not what they'll get here. Usually they end up putting the cell phone away realizing their not impressing anyone. I've even seen people at flea markets pull out a cell phone to check a price of an object and usually hear the seller tell them them the same thing. Go buy it on the internet. True it's becoming a computer age more and more but still not for everything, yet. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2734 Posts |
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Moderator
 United States
188037 Posts |
I keep one near me at work. I use it when I know I can find something in it faster that I can type in a search query.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
797 Posts |
I don't use mine often but I do like having it as a reference book. I do not pay any attention to the prices, but I do like the mintage info, mint mark location (if needed), variety pictures, and explanations on the coins. I am still using the 2010 version and won't update anytime soon (although it would be nice to have the more recent coins included ( ATB and newer Native american coins and such). |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2543 Posts |
Mine is in the bathroom, I read it everyday  I am constantly amazed at what I don't know about coins. I don't use it often to look up a specific coin, but more to store knowledge about coins I knew nothing about. |
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
A decent argument against the relevance of the Red Book may be made today, but Krause is going to be the only game in town for a long time to come, in its' specialty. Of course, it's available on CD.... |
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Replies: 18 / Views: 2,608 |
Posted 01/22/2013 01:32 am
