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 Replies: 18 / Views: 5,330 |
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Valued Member
Canada
135 Posts |
Hi Everyone, First post here on the forums... I must admit, I have been reluctant to wade into the thick of things for a while, but I figured I would break out of the shell tonight! I've been collecting NCLT coins for about 4 years. Up until a year ago, I was collecting mainly "back-issue" coins, but I seemed to fill most of the gaps in the collection. Recently, I've been focusing almost solely on current-issue releases. Over the past two months, I've made two observations about current RCM product. I thought I would post these comments here, to see if I'm going crazy / experiencing "burn-out", or if anyone else is in the same boat. Observation 1: Packaging quality - Is it just me, or is RCM packaging quality somewhat stagnant, and in some cases, headed backwards? Two cases-in-point: Royal Winnipeg Ballet Coin (Great coin, really, really cheap looking package), Hockey Canada (Again, super coin, but the plastic "baggie" seems like it doesn't belong). Observation 2: Online presentation of RCM colored coins appears better than in-hand quality. Again, is anyone else noticing that the online presentation of colored coins appears more dynamic than the actual in-hand coin? By dynamic, I am specifically referring to coin detail (colors, ridges and contours of images). Two items are top-of-mind here: Colorized Wait for Me Daddy, and Ice Dancer. These coins simply appear "flat" in-hand. Am I going crazy? Experiencing RCM "burn-out"? Anyone have another explanation (holiday insanity perhaps)? |
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Valued Member
United States
300 Posts |
Ice Dancer coin had a snow streaked look that I didn't see in the RCM pic. Liked the Casa Loma stained glass more than the representations on the mint pages. Only other I got was the 4 generational coin of the Royal Family--wish they had a similar one back in Victoria's last days. |
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Pillar of the Community
 Canada
2360 Posts |
$25 for $25 fell short of my expectations.
Packaging bad with cardboard - Superman,
no place for the COA, what is with the ziplock. blastofffireworks
Edited by SilverDon
12/23/2014 05:57 am
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
746 Posts |
It appears the trend this past year has been focusing on quantity over quality. They just keep cranking them out to no avail.  Pricing is off too and much too high! There is no attempt to adjust the price according to the spot price of silver/gold.  I'm going to wait until the trend reverses, before I make anymore purchases.  |
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Valued Member
Canada
393 Posts |
I've been pretty happy with almost all the NCLT I've purchased this year except for the Canadian Space Agency coin. Expected better packaging for the Hockey Canada coin. I guess the jersey like covering got scrapped at the last minute. Whenever possible, I try to buy directly from local dealers stock but that is somewhat difficult for low mintage items or if there is a huge delay in shipping. In recent years the RCM has been crowing about the growth in NCLT sales and how this has dramatically effected their bottom line when compared to profits from bullion and circulation coins. Perhaps they should focus more on customer service and addressing some of the complaints from collectors, otherwise they will be in for a tough year even with a projected 300 new products for 2015. |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1502 Posts |
Been collecting for nigh on 10 years, and selling too, but I'm done. For me, it's been a downward slope for the RCM in terms of quality since around 2012. Way too many releases, way too many errors and issues between marketing and production, and way too many colours, rocks, glass, borderline Canadian associations, and other gimmicks. Heard the RCM spent north of $50,000.00 on just designing the new logo too.... The beauty and meaning behind RCM's NCLTs are too becoming too diluted. Smells more and more like the Franklin mint now, a private mint. A shame... Loved the RCM... |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
867 Posts |
@ blastofffireworks! I hope you enjoy participating here. With regard to the recent evolution of the mint's products, I'll try try not to be too negative. After all "'tis the season to be jolly". R.I.P. RCM... Edited by NuMoosematist
12/23/2014 10:45 am
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
2019 Posts |
I am not a big fan of the "new" paper boxes , I perfer the good old Maroon clam shells as the boxes seem to be a bit cheap looking and scatch very easy, But eveyone is different. BTW does anyone know what month the RCM puts out their yearly reports? |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
2366 Posts |
@poboxw  |
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Pillar of the Community
 Canada
5395 Posts |
The RCM is making way too many products these days and the quality is abysmal to say the least. I think next year I will just save money and order stuff through Alibaba , getting so you can't tell the real ones anyways............bah Humbug Grinch  !! |
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Moderator
Canada
10458 Posts |
I was disgusted, when I saw the new "proof-like" uncirculated coin sets in 2011... The gall of the RCM, to just use Winnipeg Mint strikes for these sets, but charge the same amount as they have done for their older proof-like sets... was just pathetic. "Discovery follows discovery, each both raising and answering questions, each ending a long search, and each providing the new instruments for a new search." -- J. Robert OppenheimerContent of this post is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses...0/deed.en_USMy eBay store
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
It seems that NOW is the time for you to branch into other areas of numismatics.
Typical symptomatic.
How 'bout finding out more about Canadian 1859 die variety Cents? That is a well researched topic that requires some numismatic interest from the reader.
If you are into gold, how 'bout 1912-13-14 $5 and $10 coins?
If you are into silver, how 'bout a nice type set of dollars 1935 to 1967? If you wish to be a silver stasher you could do worse than stashing silver bars.
If you want to go into ancient coins, Calgary Coins are probably the best help for a Canadian collector. That is where I ended up. Investigate VCOINS as well.
Above all, please just stay here in the CCF, whatever you decide!
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
5395 Posts |
Well put Sel. The Canadian series is very under researched and represents marvelous opportunities for the numismatically inclined.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
6768 Posts |
And what about to support a bit RCM and to buy truly proof NCLT beauty? Is all the collecting in chasing after "yesterday" in order to find some coin from the past? Just think this way: all these scarce, unusual etc coins in their time were just the coins, pay means, nothing serious. Sure, understand the current day by learning the history, but do not stuck there. And of cause the above doesn't delete the excellence of designs and craftsmanship of any coin - Silver Dollars, 50c pieces, Large pennies....all of them. |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
2019 Posts |
Quote:And what about to support a bit RCM and to buy truly proof NCLT beauty? While some of us are are quick to judge what the RCM does or doesn't do (me included) we all wait in anticipation for news of each release although maybe not as enthusiastically as past releases.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3789 Posts |
When and as I first expanded my collecting of modern coins, I did admire the wide range of themes that the RCM puts out and it was a point of interest for me in adding to my collection. But then the ugly part of collecting RCM coins made me put on the brakes big time- the rapid after market or secondary market drop in prices. Seeing coins 6 months later going for 20-50% of their original listing prices made me just stop and slow down. Nowadays, I simply make a wish list, track the coins and track their prices from when they list and then their auctions to determine what price I feel is fair market value and that I feel comfortable with. This has in turn spread to my other coin purchases, lately if I like a coin, it has to be available for auction from a reputable dealer and many times I throw out low ball prices until I get what I want. In the past I didnt mind paying a dealer price that was less than the RCM issue price but as I started to notice prices dropping, thats when I changed tactic. Interestingly enough and not surprising, coins from other mints, I do the same with them, whether it be the US Mint, Perth (which I really do not buy from anymore) and Australian to name a few. I think the mints around the world are just now making too many coins with too high prices not in line with whats really going on in the hobby. |
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Replies: 18 / Views: 5,330 |
Posted 12/23/2014 05:56 am
