0
  • entries
    62
  • comments
    0
  • views
    957

Entries in this journal

Auction Madness!

... or searching for that treasure in a sea of junk! Coin Journal for the week of 03/18/2012 through 03/25/2012This week saw me with some extra time on my hands, which I put to use by searching every online auction to see what coins could be found. After looking through well over prolly 10k items, I found a few gems hiding amongst the plethora of grot. I also got a great look at the different ranges of terms and buyer premiums out there. I have a few favorites, and few that will never see me ag
SPHansen

SPHansen

0

My Precious!

... or my find of the day! Just spent 19+ hours at the computer attending auctions all over the country. I spent the first few hours checking out the goods, terms of auctions, etc, to see which ones I wanted to watch. The first auction started at 8:30am my time and ended about 11:30pm. I picked up some amazing deals... a couple more gold coins, and a nice variety of others, but this is the prize of the day. Can't wait to get it to NGC for encapulation! 1886 P Seated Liberty Dime with amazing
SPHansen

SPHansen

0

Gold Rush

... or just when I thought I would never have gold coins! Coin Journal for the week of 03/12/2012 through 03/18/2012This has been a crazy week, indeed. I spend a lot of time looking through auctions all over the country... the internet is a wonderful tool. I found many coin auctions, but I know that there would be competition for anything of real value. So, I turned my gaze to other venues, ones where you'd never think to find coins, and literally stuck gold.This weeks treasures include:1909 $2
SPHansen

SPHansen

0

Nickel Type Set Change?

What is your opinion? I wrote NGC about the nickel type set... currently, the set has only one slot for the Westward Journey nickels of 2004 and 2005. Kathy answered saying that they consider the WWJ series as a single type, and that most type set collectors would want it that way. I think that two distinctly different designs on a coin, regardless of the series name, each deserve a slot in the set. She suggested I write and get the opinions of the other collectors, so here I am. I want to hav
SPHansen

SPHansen

0

Slim Pickings

... or people wanting stupid money for mundane coins! Coin Journal for the week of 03/05/2012 through 03/11/2012This week saw a drastc drop in bargains on all the sites. Sellers putting up auctions with outrageous starting prices and insulting shipping costs. I shook my head, and went looking for some baragins in raw coins, especially those for my Bulgarian and Space Themed custom sets. I also did some selling this week, and made a dollar or two. Here are the treasures I added to my collection
SPHansen

SPHansen

0

Exploring New Territory

... or Finding some bargains on Heritage, Great Collections and Teletrade sites! Coin Journal for the week of 02/27/2012 through 03/04/2012This week saw several top pop additions to my Roosie proof set, and a few for my SBA set. I am still waiting for my 1881 Morgan!!! Listen to this little adventure... the coin left Oregon, sent promptly by the buyer. It spent a couple of days in transit before hitting San Antonio, and another day to get to the main Dallas sort center. The next day it was at t
SPHansen

SPHansen

0

To Oldtrader3

I don't get it... ... but I do understand. I dont see the point in Everyman Registry Sets. I am an average guy, not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, yet I manage to have several top registry sets. There are so many varieties of sets to collect that will not bust the average guys budget... short sets, modern sets, annual proof sets, etc. Any collector can afford to put together an annual proof set in pretty much the top grade. True, some sets will have coins that are expensive to us,
SPHansen

SPHansen

0

I Hear You Baron...

... and I am not offended by what you say. Everyone should be able to, and not fear speaking what they feel in our society. I try not to be a whiner, but sometimes I get upset and speak my mind. I never take offense when someone puts forward a differing opinion.. you never know when someone will convince me I am wrong. Before tonight, I never really cared about who had what coin in what set... after thinking about it, I decided to join the fray... I purchased several PCGS dimes to add to my
SPHansen

SPHansen

0

NGC / PCGS Reply

My reply to Bully Bully makes some good points... Since I started purchasing graded coins, I have always preferred NGC over PCGS. The reason is that I just like the holders better... to me they are more aesthetically pleasing. I also see that PCGS coins seem to cost more, but the reason this is so escapes me. Could it be that PCGS puts a higher FMV on their coins? Another reason I ignore FMV listings and Price Guides is that they are inconsistent and IMHO arbitrary. Also lets see if this
SPHansen

SPHansen

0

Back to the Basics

... or Time to Pay Attention to My Favorite Series Coin Journal for the week of 02/20/2012 through 02/26/2012This week turned out to be a boon for my Roosie collection, adding several perfect coins to the gaps. As I was going through my raw collection to see what coins I wanted to send in for grading, I came across a very special coin; a 1881 Morgan. This coin is special because it is the very first coin that my grandmother gave to me when she saw that I was becoming a serious coin collector. S
SPHansen

SPHansen

0

To Gino

That is what is called Cost of Doing Business... ... and it is something that must be taken into account when buying and selling. I know it sucks, but thats how it is. In fact, look at other auctions, both digital and real world... I see premiums as high as 18 percent. Now, with that being said, the bullion coins are tied to the metals... I got $55-$60 for my graded PF69UC ASEs back when silver was $40 an ounce... I got $40-$50 for my ungraded ASEs as well. Now that silver has dropped, you c
SPHansen

SPHansen

0

Adding Sets to the List?

How do we get NGC to add sets to the world coin list? I have a couple of Bulgarian coins graded by NGC, and would love to be able to have a competitive set as I add more. Does anyone know the process for nagging NGC to add a set to the list? Has anyone ever done this before? To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
SPHansen

SPHansen

0

Numismatic Geneaology!

Specials coins get the special treatment... Today I sent in some very special coins to be conserved and graded. These will not be very high grades, in fact, I hope they will grade in the fine to very fine range. They are special for another reason. First, here are some of the coins I sent in: 1899 Indian Head Cent 1852 Braided Hair Large Cent 1854 Braided Hair Large Cent These are part of a very special custom set I am going to put together... what I will call my Numismatic Geneaology
SPHansen

SPHansen

0

1941 D Jefferson Nickel MS66 5FS

Just arrived! I wanted to share the latest coin to arrive... I saw this coin and just had to have it! As promised, this coin does not disappoint... the gorgeous gold toning makes this beauty a joy to look at... this coin has joined the top ranks of the favorites in my collection. To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
SPHansen

SPHansen

0

Milestones!

... or Slow and Steady wins the Race! Coin Journal for the week of 02/13/2012 through 02/19/2013This week sees several milestones for my collection, the beginning of several new registry sets, and an additional direction in my collecting habits. Overall, it has been a great week, both in collecting and my personal life. A new contract may hold a larger collecting budget in my future, so fingers crossed there! I splurged a little this week, purchasing not only bargain coins, but acquiring some h
SPHansen

SPHansen

0

Digging Deep!

... or even the FHA couldn't cramp my style (too much!) Coin Journal for the week of 02/06/2012 through 02/12/2013Another week of bargain hunting... and it really had to be bargains for me! My son is purchasing his first home (a nice condo in a great part of town), and a problem arose when FHA said the condo did not qualify for their program (of course, only after weeks of paperwork and outlays for inspection, etc.) We had to scramble to help him, when the down payment went from 5% to 20% (as t
SPHansen

SPHansen

0

Results!

Nice surprise After reading about the quickness of the grading at NGC, I decided to check on my first order.. I had hoped it would be scheduled for grading, but to my great surprise, the coins are graded and on their back already.. about a week since I mailed them.. that's awesome! Here are the results: LineItem Year Mint Mark Variety/Pedigree Denom. Grade Comments 001 2012 S CLAD EL YUNQUE 25C PF 69 ULTRA CAMEO 002 2012 S CLAD CHACO 25C PF 70 ULTRA CAMEO 003 2012 S CLAD ACADIA
SPHansen

SPHansen

0

Hang in there Ed!

You have plenty of time! Love the ATB quarters! I have my clads at NGC for grading now... regardless of the outcome, I will get a full PF70 and MS70 set for 2012... I have until December to get them, and so do you. I got my 4 certificates in the mail, too and it made my day. Funny how a simple act of recognition goes a long way My ATB quarter set is/was also number one, and will be again before the year is out... the prices are already dropping, and should be around $100 come Fall. You don't
SPHansen

SPHansen

0

Something You Rarely See Over Here

Inspired to share my Bulgarian coins Inspired by JAA's excellent and inforamtive series on his Phillipine coins, I wanted to share my growing interest in Bulgarian coins. My wife being Bulgarian, we often have occassion to travel there. I did some reasearch on their coinage, and learned a few things that interested me. First, the Bulgarian National Bank is also responsible for minting coins. You can go to the bank in Sofia, and they have a specific teller who handles proof sets and the c
SPHansen

SPHansen

0

I Think I Got It!

What do you think? I think I fianlly got the right settings for the new camera... here is the latest image... I would love to hear from my fellow collectors! To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
SPHansen

SPHansen

0

Turnaround is Fair Play!

... or how to add free coiins to your collection! Journal for the week of January 30 through February 5, 2012Started this week off with a great acquisition... 14 Roosevelt Dimes in PF70UC, from 1998 through 2011. Now, I have most of these in my collection, but needed the 98,99 and 2000. I know what they go for on eBay on a per-coin basis, and bid accordingly. I was very lucky, however, to get them at a super great price... $16.61 a piece, including a free NGC storage box and free shipping. I to
SPHansen

SPHansen

0

A New Adventure

begins today! So, my first coins for grading are on their way to NGC. Just sticking my little toe in the water this time... ordered the Proof ATB quarters from the Mint, which arrived on Saturday. Spent Sunday making sure, double and triple checking my paperwork, and sent the package out this morning. I wanted to see the results of this before I venture further into this with older coins in my collection. Now the worst part... the wait. To see old comments for this Journal entry, click he
SPHansen

SPHansen

0

I'm Glad too Moondoggy!

Inspired by a great fellow collector! I love moondoggy's set up, and am inspired to build my own tent. The set up that I lost in on eBay was priced at $15, so I wasn't about to pay $50+ for one! I purchased my new camera this morning... a Pentax K10D. I chose Pentax because my 35mm camera is a Pentax, and all the lenses (which are the most expensive parts, as moondoggy found out!) can be used with it... also, I got it for about half the price I could on any sites, even used. When it arrives
SPHansen

SPHansen

0

Sniped!

A week of last second losses, but still fruitful... Journal for the week of 01/23/2012 to 01/29/2012Seems I was very unlucky this week.. having been outbid in the last couple of seconds for many auctions. The one that really got me was not even a coin, but related to them. I put a bid on a table top light studio so I could have a real setup to image my coins. I stayed high bidder until the last seconds, and lost it. No matter.. there was another one only a couple of hours away from ending, and
SPHansen

SPHansen

0

Image Quest Continues!

Am I getting better? So, I've been on this quest to get the best possible images of my coins possible. Here I have added two 400 watt studio lights diffused, and using a really crappy point n shoot digital camera. I am going to finally spring for a much nicer SLR digital in the next day or so. I have my eye on a Pentax K10D... (because I have several lenses for Pentax SLRs) I like the contract between the field and the devices... do my fellow collectors agree? Would love feedback on this lat
SPHansen

SPHansen

0
0