When Is It Not "Junk"

Longnine009, without getting too philosophical about it, I think it's more of a function of human character foibles than it is supply and demand. Many people share the trait that if something is pleasing to the eye, then possession of that object becomes necessary to that person. One person's garbage is another's treasure. If the object is in relatively rare supply, only then does supply and demand kick in. Of course, many other people are susceptible to the suggestion from others that an object is attractive and will go after it simply because the other person said to do so. Still others prefer to march to their own drum and make up their own minds whether something is desirable or not. For me, for example, I have no interest in Cuds nor orange peels because I don't find them particularly attractive; rather, as you stated, they are actually defects. Of course, being somewhat of a mercenary, if I have the opportunity to get my hands on a high demand coin with a Cud at a good price with the chance to make some bucks on it, I'm gonna go for it. [We need a Smily for Greed. ]

Longnine,

I always have used this rule as a guide. "If no one wants it it is junk. If even one person somewhere wants it it becomes a collectible."

catman

quote:

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Originally posted by Morgan Fred
[We need a Smily for Greed. ]

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Here you go Fred:
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/ima...street20.jpg


But seriously, look at VAMs? Weren't people paying big bucks for the Wild eye spike VAM a few years ago. Maybe they still are. They look like small die cracks to me.

quote:

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Originally posted by longnine009

What is it that makes one thing "junk" and another "highly collectable."

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Eye of the beholder. Many times I have heard people refer to foriegn coins as junk. To me, they make fantastic learning tools, and great gifts.
Others will look at coins grading below AG as junk. Again, I see potential for learning and sharing.

One man's junk will always be another man's treasure. I often will use the term junk when refering to common coins. It isn't done to be derogatory, just a bad habit.

Every dealer in America has a "junk" box. This doesn't mean that all the coins are junk, just not highly collected. Quite a few "Treasures" have been cherry picked out of some dealers junk box. A few even top the five figure mark.
If you set your mind to believe that "all" coins have value, you will never see "junk".

To me it's really simple: If you like it, it's not junk! Even if it's "total road kill" (to steal a line from Stujoe!), someone out there is bound to like it.

Rachel [:p]

As Kyra says, "If you like it, it's not junk."

My wife thinks my 35 year old mini motor home, and 40 year old softball jerseys are junk and should be sold, given away, or need to go the landfill. But, I enjoy such things. They bring back memories. Therefore, they aren't junk.