Alex in PA.

My purpose in asking about a Trade Dollar book here and on other message boards, is to try and nudge collectors into cooperating to produce a really good, thorough guide to the series. This includes background, series history, economic influences, hub and die varieties, chop and other "regulation" markings, and final disposition.

A reasonable approach might be to produce a solid, long-lasting basic volume including necessary identification and measurement standards, plus the best 25 or 30 varieties. (These are the kinds of things that draw attention to the series.) Then prepare a digital catalog of all the varieties as a supplement that can be revised from time-to-time.

Maybe that’s dreaming – to expect collectors to cooperate is almost as hard as getting any two to agree on a “grade.” But I think it is not only possible, but highly advantageous for current and future collectors of Trade Dollars. The series is short, with many die varieties, and the number of specialty collectors is small. These imply that there is only "one shot" at getting it right, and that any book should be designed to last for 50 years.

The other piece that I feel is important is to learn from the mistakes made in the original VanAllen-Mallis books and the latter inundation of microscopic “varieties.” These merely clog the pipeline and confuse potential buyers/collectors.

I’m interested in publishing such a “Collectors’ Guide to Trade Dollars,” but it must be a truly beneficial and cooperative effort.

RWB

Did you see how many bank (re)wrapped rolls his stash contains??? He’s got HUNDREDS tied up in Sacs. Not good. Not a wise use of time or resources. 

1908 No Motto Wells Fargo MS 65.

@Newbie 1026 Finding a Cheerios SAC is a tough task.  The odds are certainly stacked against you.  I wish you luck.
Since you are new, do yourself a favor and look for errors and varieties that are already documented.  Know the exact dates, mints, and markers to identify the error or variety.  This can all be found online up front, so make a small list.  Refer back to the images of the real thing often to help train your eye.  If you stick to what has been documented, you will have less chance of pareidolia.  
Right now, you are showing 20+ SAC dollars in 2x2s.  Given the rarity of the Cheerios SAC, all of us know that these cannot be Cheerios.  Likewise, some of the coins in your pics show a fair amount of wear.  Generally speaking, SAC dollars only bring a numismatic premium in mint state.  You are certainly allowed to collect however you wish, but as a newer collector... you should think about the money you have invested in 20+ coins in 2x2s (and I assume you will have more in 2x2s after all the SAC hunting is over).  Think about those coins within a context of a coin it "could" buy.  Is there a $50 coin that would bring you more enjoyment than a pile of circulated SAC dollars?  If no - stack away!  This is your hobby - just want you to be "eyes wide open!"  Good luck.

That sure is a beauty

I must disagree.  It didn't get a Proof 68 'Star' for nothing.  Just love coins that shine; that's all.

1908 No Motto Wells Fargo MS 65.

You should see the 2001-S proof with the eagle’s head up its b—- … nope!

Some people just have that lottery ticket mindset, I guess. That’s why I’m proud to live in a state with NO gambling. No scratch offs, no PowerBall, no sports books, no casinos. Nothing. And it’s NOT because I’m some kind of Baptist, either. I’m just anti-stupidity. 

1908 No Motto Wells Fargo MS 65.

I must disagree.  It didn't get a Proof 68 'Star' for nothing.  Just love coins that shine; that's all.

1908 No Motto Wells Fargo MS 65.

Good. You realize this, because…

I must disagree.  It didn't get a Proof 68 'Star' for nothing.  Just love coins that shine; that's all.

1908 No Motto Wells Fargo MS 65.

Nothing fancy here. Just upgrading my Birthyear Proof Set:
NGC image.
 

Really? They’re “errors which are not”? I knew that was big, but not THAT big. 
 
So the rest are, “Ooh. Pretty big hunk of silver. Think I’ll imprison it”?
We already see on this board that lots of people mistakenly believe slabs are airtight and watertight. Maybe they don’t even understand the product. 

A lot of the low-value coins in NGC holders were submitted for variety or mint error service but turned out to be neither. The submitter was expecting that their imagined variety/mint error would have justified the fees and was certainly disappointed with the outcome. This is a daily occurrence, and these coins eventually come to market.
I suspect that many collectors who are introduced to the hobby via modern coins issued specifically for collectors come to expect the same degree of perfection in coins made for general circulation. Thus, almost every circulating coin they encounter has some deficiency that they interpret as noteworthy when it is simply typical of mass production.

There is wisdom here. The overuse of grading services has created MASSIVE distortions in the coin market. The better firms used to RESIST this overuse by not accepting mundane coins for grading, but have decided letting you do stupid stuff helps their bottom line. The fact that the most often slabbed coins are American Silver Eagles speaks to how utterly ridiculous the grading and slabbing market has become. 

Most of those are not actually worth the asking price. The owner has sunk so much money into needless "grading" that the only way out is to sell for the coin's real value -- possibly a couple of dollars - plus the "grading" and postage spent. The result is you are being asked to pay $35 or $45 for a $3 or $4 coin.
This is a tremendous distortion of the coin collecting market and values of most ordinary coins including design type coins. It also excludes many who do not want to spend so much for a coin of which billions were made and many millions survive in uncirculated condition.

I think there are 'slow downs' as well as 'speed ups' with collectors of any type.  The COVID money is running out, buyers are spending on other priorities, etc.  

I keep reading on here that a lot of people don’t live in “good coin country” - a lack of clubs, auctions, dealers, shows, etc. Lord knows northern Alabama isn’t like south central Pennsylvania is, but nowhere is. One Saturday, I had FIVE good auctions to choose from and I hit two of them. No Internet bidding. I miss that now, but my favorite firm up there is now cooperating with an online auction platform. They farmed it out rather than doing it themselves. But I still don’t accept that the Internet is a net plus for my collecting activities. Two of my other favorite auction firms up there don’t even have Internet service available where they’re located. No cellular service, and no wired. 

It’s not that I necessarily enjoy it, it’s more that it’s a reality of collecting today. And as long as there is a return policy I’m fine with buying from a reputable source online. I would venture to guess that well over 50% of coins purchased today are online either auctions or online web sales. I’m afraid LCS will be a thing of the past before too long. Talking to most dealers these days they say if it wasn’t for walk ins to sell collections they wouldn’t have a store front. 
 
I sell online and it isn’t to rip anyone off it’s to reach customers. I have a no questions asked return policy. If you aren’t happy I’m not happy. I’m not trying to use trick photography to sell coins.