Posted 02/26/2013 8:46 pm
Again Nathan thanks for the insights as I sort things out. I believe your interest in toned or rainbow coins is a big factor because certain coins will really pop for you and gain your interest. For some reason when I stated (2-3 weeks ago) I decided to collect a date set of silver coins as clean as possible so I started by relying on graded coins. There was no particular reason ... the colors were nice but too subjective and didn't interest me. I had purchased a proof SE from the US mint a while back and wow! wouldn't it be great to get a coin as close to that over 100 years old. Since I was new I couldn't get too far off base if I relied on graded coins that were "better than most" in quality...hence the interest in MS63's. I needed anchor points... grade not too low...not too high ... liquid, easily sold if necessary because of independent grading if necessary. BUT as you know the variations from grader to grader and from same grader in the same grade became puzzling and bothersome. I didn't want to just buy/collect coins without a strategy. I needed SOME basis for decision making. So I bounced between two approaches...buy MS63 only by cherry picking the good ones and/or not to exceed $100 per coin and buy the best I could. The latter strategy was driving me nuts. So it became buy 63's for the best competitive price UNDER $100 ...which itself is a challenge.
My cherry picking eye was (is) simple. If Miss Liberty's face looked like it was scarred from a bad car accident I was out. She could have a few scrapes,scratches and roughness that looked like a beard...that would be OK. And believe me some MS63 Liberties had some really bad car accidents followed by really bad surgery LOL. So now, because of your comments and others, I'm moving toward raw morgans but of high grade MS63ish. I still like the clean silver look but now out of their little coffins. Thats going to become my first complete date set ... nice quality, pristine, gleaming to look at ... and that one goes to the kids. THEN or concurrently I feel drawn to nice circulated coins rather than a sanitized collection. I suppose that means XF ? not sure, to experience and wonder over the romance of "where has this coin been?" I will probably fondle them too!! oh my!.
So I guess what this all means is that I am experiencing and understanding "collecting" in a compressed fashion. Many approaches, much to learn, love the hunt.
Will stay with those great morgans... move on to Liberties and then (dare I say) gold. Do you collect gold coins? ?
Finally I should mention I think we have a local shop I can trust. Their coin guy spent an hour with me explaining how to spell morgan and I bought some from him. The place has that old shop look...untidy but home spun like a comfortable old sofa if ya know what I mean. I used to have my boat in a boat yard like that. Like going back 50 years. I loved it.
Regards
My cherry picking eye was (is) simple. If Miss Liberty's face looked like it was scarred from a bad car accident I was out. She could have a few scrapes,scratches and roughness that looked like a beard...that would be OK. And believe me some MS63 Liberties had some really bad car accidents followed by really bad surgery LOL. So now, because of your comments and others, I'm moving toward raw morgans but of high grade MS63ish. I still like the clean silver look but now out of their little coffins. Thats going to become my first complete date set ... nice quality, pristine, gleaming to look at ... and that one goes to the kids. THEN or concurrently I feel drawn to nice circulated coins rather than a sanitized collection. I suppose that means XF ? not sure, to experience and wonder over the romance of "where has this coin been?" I will probably fondle them too!! oh my!.
So I guess what this all means is that I am experiencing and understanding "collecting" in a compressed fashion. Many approaches, much to learn, love the hunt.
Will stay with those great morgans... move on to Liberties and then (dare I say) gold. Do you collect gold coins? ?
Finally I should mention I think we have a local shop I can trust. Their coin guy spent an hour with me explaining how to spell morgan and I bought some from him. The place has that old shop look...untidy but home spun like a comfortable old sofa if ya know what I mean. I used to have my boat in a boat yard like that. Like going back 50 years. I loved it.
Regards
