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jackson64

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Journal Entries posted by jackson64

  1. jackson64
    crowded due to Veterans Day Holiday?
    I had a great day. It was Veterans Day and the start of the Baltimore Coin Convention and I was off of work, and off to Baltimore{about an hour north of me here in Calvert cty Maryland}..A beautiful 75 degree day, the last of the fall leaf color changes..just glorious. I parked a few blocks away and enjoyed a pleasant walk to the convention. The place was hopping..and huge..tons of tables and stuff to do. I checked out the pre-viewing of a few coins in Bowers and Merenas auction..I took the time to hold the finest known 1913 Liberty nickel{how cool is that} walked the bourse for 3 hours looking for a final coin I need for 1 set that I've been working on-with no luck. I did see 2 of them, both at too high a grade/price tag..$10,000 is not in my coin budget..finally, after a few smaller purchases of 4 xf-au standing liberty quarters for my circulated album set..and a couple of full liberty Barber quarters that were too nice to pass up, I ran into a nice woman{still don't know her name} who also had a table at the Ocean City coin show in October. We recognized eachother, chatted a bit and I asked if she had run across the coin I was searching for..she hadn't --but she showed me a nice NGC MS63 1917-D Obverse Walker that would make a slight upgrade for my set.We worked out a deal{my 1924 $20 St Gaudens MS64 which I had brought for this purpose and $500 for a swap....done!!} So I did not get my final coin I needed/wanted but I did get some nice fillers, a nice upgrade and some pleasant coin talk which I love.
    PS: NGC needs to get some different people at their on-site grading booth. I was a little disappointed that the NCS person essentially wouldn't even look at any coins, and didn't seem to know anything. I was twicw sent to one person by another and then back again..plus they were short with you and borderline rude. I had brought 7 coins for regrade check and around $8,000 worth of coins to be conserved and then re-holdered since they have been toning in the NGC holders. Well thats around $900 they didn't get today from me..and may never get.The workers seemed tired and aggitated and it was just the morning of the first day....they need new jobs away from the public
    MVC-915S.J
  2. jackson64

    HE WHO HESITATES...

    By jackson64,

    of all the times to curb my impulse buying..
    OK, I do a lot of impulse coin buying, that is probably why I have dozens of coins that don't fit any particular"set" but they caught my eye at the time. Well this time I should have jumped.
    I was perusing ebay yesterday, using their advanced search option to check out coins that fill holes in my albums or that elusive 1 I need to finish the main set I'm working on. My buffalo nickel album is just 3 coins shy of completion {criteria is full rims and 4 digit date} and low and behold one of the coins was there at a great price. I clicked and looked, and immediately became wary as the coin details looked to be F15-VF20 and the listing stated VG++.It met my criteria and had supersized photos which showed it to not be restored or acid treated date. I was confounded-rarely do I see one that is too good to be true, yet is still true. It had an opening bid at what was about half what it should sell for, and a buy it now which was still $100 below its "Trends" price. I stared and stared and finally placed the opening bid, telling myself if it was there today I would buy it. Alas, when I got home today I went to "My Ebay" set on purchasing my prize only to find that it was sold. Someone else saw it and did not hesitate on the "Buy it Now" option..now I'll be kicking myself every time I look at that hole, wondering why I hesitated this time when so often I don't..
  3. jackson64
    got back from vacation and had 6 coins waiting for me, a great way to kick those post-vacation blues
    I just got back from Florida with the family and instead of the usual "back to the grind blues" I was anticipating my trip to my po box. Waiting for me were 6 great coins that I had bought in the week/s before I left. First were 2 nice ship coins, one from Tonga and a superb 1938 silver Swedish 2 Kronor-still in its original mint cello!!{NGC here they come} also a 1948-D bu FBL Franklin to finish my album of MS FBL Franks..a gorgeous 1910 NGC Lincoln proof that is almost uniformly toned blue {it doesn't fit in any sets but it was just to attractive to pass up}..a 1994 PF69 SAE "first strike" that I got very cheap on Heritage and finally an upgrade for my 1917 year set. A shimmering,lusterous 1917-S Mercury dime MS66 {bought it for about 1/5th the cost of a FSB merc of this date and grade}. A virtual smorgasbord of coins, 4 of which will fit my sets.Here is a photo of that lustrous dime and a special thanks to Coindude for the great Lincoln proof he sent me from tradingslabs..Happy New Year and may we all get that coin we really want this year..
    MVC-790S.J
  4. jackson64

    Finished !!!

    By jackson64,

    completed a set..unbelievable
    I just love coins for various reasons..their art, history, design, value, and sometimes just because they are very shiny it seems. Anyhow, I have trouble finishing sets because I will get a chance to acquire a nice coin that does not fit one of the sets I am building and then I go off on a tangent and start collecting that new series. Well I know it's not a large valued set, but I am pleased to finally add the final coin to my France 20 Gold Francs Marianne/Rooster set. It was a surprisingly challenging set to finish since most of the pre-1906 coins don't appear very often. So here it is, the final one..the 1899 First Year of Issue, fresh back from NGC today PS: better, close-up photos of the obverse and reverse are in my signature set of the entire set in the World Coins category. I would recommend them as a collectible set. It is a reasonably inexpensive gold set {prices for most range from $125-$200} most dates can be found easily, and just enough of a challenge finding the few harder dates to make it fun...
    MVC-777S.J
  5. jackson64
    sorry for cutting in line but..
    I was very pleased with NGC's 48 hour service this week. I thought there might be hold ups because of the Holidays but on Wednesday I checked the site and my coin was listed as received. Yesterday it was already in Quality control and when I checked this morning it said finalized/imaged/shipped...wow..A++++++
    Sorry for cutting in line, for all of you who have been waiting for long periods of time-but this was a final coin for a set I have been working on for a while and I was impatient.I only submitted this one coin {I can't afford to send in large submissions at the 48 hour rate} and it will probably be rare for me to use the 48 hour service-but it is great to know that it is so efficient. One may never know if a quick inspection of a high-dollar coin may be necessary if you want to return a suspect/cleaned coin within a 7-10 day time period a seller allows....PS: I have added 5 new additions to my High Seas Sign. Set this week..here is the latest, a 1959 Bermuda 1 silver crown..great luster and nice soft toning at the rims..
    MVC-774S.J
  6. jackson64
    My order status still shows them in quality control
    I received my coins back today from NGC. They are the submissions I sent in of ship themed coins to add to my registry set-High Seas.I know that this site has been having trouble lately due to upgrading, but I hadn't realized that it appears to have trickled into other areas of the site. I was pleased with the grades, mostly because there were no bodybags. Since this is a non-competitive set and grades aren't that important-just slabbing and authentication are enough.Anyhow here is a photo of one of my new additions and a special thanks to rons for the beautiful ship coin of the USS New Jersey, and all of my fellow society members for your correspondance and input over the year/s..Happy holidays..
    MVC-701S.J
  7. jackson64

    Quick Shipper

    By jackson64,

    Got my Coin in the mail...
    After the long wait to find it, I received my coin in the mail today...only a few days after its purchase { I nervously inspected it for signs of cleaning, jewelry removal etc..and it looks great}. Being the final one to complete my set I think that I may go ahead and fork out the money for 48 hour service which still shows a 48 hour turnaround time. I know that NGC is busy and with all of the recent anniversary and commem releases they must be swamped with modern, economy and earlybird submissions...so I am going to pay the extra $ and cut in line. I won't feel guilty either because I sent in 6 coins for my other signature set well over a month ago as an "earlybird" submission and as of today they are finally in quality control. I may also send in 2 coins for re-grade consideration and 2 for designation review. NGC may be swamped, and their predicted turnaround times are off...but the service is what I am really paying for, and I have no complaints with them taking their time and getting it right.Anyhow I promised a photo when it came and even though I prefer the obverse design, the reverse has the date...
    MVC-689S.J
  8. jackson64
    2 years of searching and found it by luck
    Christmas came early for me. I finally found-and won-the final coin for one of my sets. The set is not a registry set, just a signature set that I started before there were signature sets. I started collecting a few years ago the France Gold 20 Francs Marianne and Rooster series dated from 1899-1914 {my wife is named Marianne and has unruly curly/wavy hair that I love}. The coins are mostly considered bullion coins by many people and are quite common and most sell for a little more than their gold value{ but then again so do a lot of St Gaudens}. The 1907-1914 coins are especially available as many are re-strikes minted in 1914, however the 1899-1906 coins are harder to find. If you go to ebay right now for example there will be about 50 coins from this series listed and maybe only 1 or 2 from before 1907. Anyhow, I have searched religiously for the final coin to my set..the 1899. The 1899 was also minted in proof as a first year of issue coin and I even was willing to bid $2000 for a proof version to finish my set..{I lost that bid in a Steinbergs auction} For almost 2 years I searched- googled gold sellers, called bullion dealers, and checked ebay's world gold-ADVANCED SEARCH 1899...and none.Tonight I was perusing ebay to see how the gold market was affecting the value of my set and ..behold...my 1899 !!! I sniped it too..not proud of that but I did. I waited until 30 seconds were left and calmly bid $101.51 above the highest bid..and 11 seconds later it was official!! I have not finished a set like this in a long while. It is one thing to finish a set when any of the dates can be found through the dozens of internet sites, but when I just couldn't find one..what a rush..I guess I'm hooked for at least another year of collecting... an image will come as soon as I get it in the mail..Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone..
  9. jackson64
    If a complete collection of every mint produced coin in 2006 cost $15,000..how much next year?
    I recently read an article stating that had you bought 1 of every coin/set released by the USMint in 2006 it would have cost you a few bucks shy of $15,000...wow. I will be the first to admit that I love the new coin designs but this seems a bit much. I get frustrated also because there is no way that I can keep up with them and collect the coins for the sets that I have been working on for years. I wonder if this constant influx of new designs and programs will start to temper collector interest. Now I hear that in 2007 not only will we be getting our usual P&D mint coins and Clad and Silver S mint coins {20 state quarters alone} also the platinum in 4 denominations,Gold Eagles in 4 , the silver eagle-- but now presidential dollars..P,D and S-proof{can satin finishes be far behind?} but they are trying to get approval to mint silver proofs of these coins too{and I'm sure a few non-proofs would follow in silver}. Let's not forget the First Lady $5 gold pieces too..MS and proof. I know your thinking..What about the Gold Buffalo/Indian head $50 gold piece?...well you'll be happy to know that they will continue it..and extend it to include the other denominations like the Gold Eagle..no kidding. Anyhow, after saying all of that I am looking forward to the release of the 2007 commemorative coin for the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown colony. I hope it has a beautiful sailing ship on one side so that I can add it to my High Seas signature set. I guess the lesson is that if they make enough designs then more people will find something that interests them, and its better for the hobby as a whole.
    PS: Maybe NGC should consider a seperate service department for people who are submitting coins that are 60+ years old so we don't have to wait while 10,000,000 new mint releases are submitted in a quest for that holy grail of modern coinage..the perfect 70!!!
  10. jackson64

    My End Of Year Review

    By jackson64,

    Some holes were filled, and some are still empty...
    Since the registry year runs from Dec.10th-Dec.10th, I guess it is not too early for me to consider my ups and downs for 2006 as a coin collector.First of all, the only sets I completed were done with 2006 updates to modern sets..ie the Sacagawea proof set and Silver/flag/proof state quarters. I did finish my Franklin half set in my Whitman album but my goal was to have an MS/FBL set..and a few of these are still a bit weak on the bell lines.I have reduced my magic number for a VF/VF+ buffalo nickel album to just 2 coins...13-S type 2 and 14-D..{surprise surprise}..half of the coins that I plugged into this buffalo set this year were cracked out of slabs..including a VF20 ANACS 1921-S { I know-insane..the coin just de-valued at least $100 bucks without the plastic holder}..anyhow, maybe next year I'll finish this set. I sold my complete Jefferson nickel proof set which was ranked #1 at this time last year. With less than a week left before the final rankings a PCGS member joined and beat my set by less than 100 points.As a supposed act of protest against the new/old nickel design I sold every one of them and almost lost my shirt{not the most popular series and with the pops of perfect 70's going up, the values just dove down}..however it could have just been a bit of resentment too. I started a Capped Bust Half Collection, bought the TOME on die varieties and decided it was a project best left for another time. I filled 2 of the last 3 holes in my gold 20 Francs Marianne/Rooster set..the 1902 and 1906..still need the 1899. I had 2 shots at the 1899 in proof to finish the set{one of my 2 signature sets} but lost out to floor bidders after winning the internet portion of the bidding.My biggest progress was made on my 2 favorite sets..my 1917 year set..only 1 spot to go!!..and my favorite set..my High Seas signature set. I have really loved putting together a set of my own design with no worry of points, upgrading,just my own tastes with my own interest and own comments of what I like about the coins that I CHOOSE to include. I am very pleased with the signature set aspect of this site and if I decide to abandon participating in the rankings, I will stay a member to enjoy the journal feature and signature sets.My newest fanaticism started about 2 months ago..Standing Liberty Quarters...I am working on an album set of XF+ for as many of them as I can..and will worry about those tough dates when that's all that is left..anyhow, a great coin year..a couple of shows, a few lucky finds, saw some old beloved coins leave and replaced by others.Now I have to consider my resolution/goals for my 2007 collecting.....hmmm..might involve a 1917 S obverse to go along with this D obverse...
    MVC-640S.J
  11. jackson64
    Bet you've never seen an AU58 with this detail..
    Bet you've never seen an AU58 with this detail, or lack thereof..lmao..I just wanted to chuckle about this and share a holiday laugh with my fellow collectors who may view this. This standing Liberty Quarter had a Title on Ebay.."Standing Liberty Quarter 1928-Certified AU58 WOW"...first of all I rarely even look at a listing that says "look" or "wow" or even "stunning"..but the price was so low I took a peek..and of course I already knew that it would be HCGS, NNC, PCG..etc etc..and this was the coin..anyhow I did some thinking..if it was at least a VF20 and I can re-use the plastic capsule {a $3 value}- they snap right open, then a $10 bid would be ok...I won it for $8...the coin appears dipped, but not cleaned abrasively..however it hovers in the vg10-F12 range{I'd give it a 12 because of a full,seperate outer shield circle...anyhow, hope everyone enjoys my new AU58 and has a great holiday season..PS: dear santa, please bring me a 1917-S obverse Walking Liberty Half in MS63..I was a Very good this year...well, maybe not that good..
    MVC-025S.J
  12. jackson64

    DISGRUNTLED ABOUT EBAY?

    By jackson64,

    still deals to be had...
    About a month ago I ran a listing on ebay for ALL of my old loose coins, some incomplete albums, wheats of course, several bu Peace dollars, some commems in their boxes,a 1999-2005 Silver state quarter set PCGS PF69,random halves-quarters, 2 bu rolls of rosy's dated 53-s and 54-s a bu roll of Jeff's 46-S, and other stuff too....anyhow, the ebay buyers are getting so jaded{especially by the "grab bag" junk sales} that with a $1000 start bid .....NOBODY BID!!! I have 700+ feedback with a 99.6% positive so I figured it was not because of any concern about me disappearing. Anyhow I had to do it the hard way...list them item by item.I am finally running the last 29 items this week{I won't give my name because this is not an advertisement} so far I have sold $3350.00 for the coins in that shoebox and the cubbies of my desk..and I still kept the state quarter set...I guess the lesson for me is to not be so lazy, and the lesson for ebay buyers....sometimes things that seem too good to be true, are still true... here is a photo of a pretty 1944 Walker that I found in a desk drawer...I am a COIN HOG..and have no idea why I bought it or half of this stuff...maybe I just wanted to hold it and look closer at it..anyhow I listed this as one of the last coins this week on ebay with a $1 start bid{ I listed all of the coins at $1} and now I'm left with about 300 wheats and a couple of dozen dateless buffalos...where does this stuff come from?
    MVC-001S.J
  13. jackson64
    I have found a better solution...
    As I was filling in my album holes with the new circulated Standing Liberty Quarters this morning that I purchased at the convention yesterday, I took a look at the 1916 slot.As with many of these old whitman coin albums it had the "hole" filled with a cardboard circle saying RARE. I have never had a problem with cracking out a semi-key date coin from a slab to fill a hole in one of my circulated sets, but I doubt I will ever stick a coin worth THOUSANDS into an album slot. So my options appeared limited..leave the spot blank{never really an option with my perfectionist personality} or buy a replica coin to fill the slot....but I chose option #3 and I like it....there is more than 1 way to skin a cat..so I hear..my solution is pictured below
    PS: those dumb cardboard circles are hard to peel out..not sure they were really meant to...
    MVC-920S.J
  14. jackson64

    Finally....

    By jackson64,

    won one I wanted badly
    Well I finally had a winning on-line bid of a really nice PQ coin{just my biased opinion}..I have had a tough time finding this 1917-D reverse Walker in an MS60-63 grade. The ones I see usually have the typically weak strike through the centers{common for this date with any of the 4 mintmarks} and very little, if any, feather detail on the eagles' chest on the reverse.There often seems to be an inconsistency to the grading of these coins...clean coins with toning and the weak strike can be either a 62 or 64...well struck specimens are rare and unless they have a lot of detracting marks get near/gem grades.I got very lucky on this one..this MS63 was purchased at between the 62-63 price and I think if I can get that tiny carbon speck removed and the coin re-graded it looks as nice as any 64..and struck as nicely for the date as any 65{ full lines on the skirt, flag, great head detail and full feathers..even a left thumb and 2 seperated fingers!!!}..regardless of anyone's opinion, it is a gem to me.....oh well, the image is too large to include with this journal entry
  15. jackson64
    didn't even spend a dime for it either...
    Ok, I'll admit that the title is intentionally misleading. I am writing this to record my own experience and so other colectors may appreciate the beautiful St. Gaudens photo.....My daughter had an art project due the other day and part of it was to pick a piece from the National Gallery of Art here in Wash. DC. I thought this would be great because then maybe I could walk down the street to the Smithsonian and look at the National Numismatic collection on display there.Anyhow time got away from us and we couldn't do both, so I was resigned to "just" visiting the National Gallery. Anyhow, to my delight and surprise the very first piece we saw on display upon entering was titled "Diana of the Tower"..a beautiful bronze sculpture which caught my eye.Looking at the lines of the figure the artistry somehow felt familiar...then looking at the sculptor...Augustus Saint Gaudens!! Since then I have been searching to see if I can find a smaller cast replica of the piece to sit on my desk where I look at my coins..but for now, here's a nice photo of the piece..
    sorry for the lack of a photo, I can't seem to get it to fit to download..anyhow the National Gallery of art website has a picture of it if you would like to see another beautiful female figure by St. Gaudens
    Diana_of_t
  16. jackson64
    a 99% FH or FB coin can be a fraction of the cost
    I remember reading a piece written by David Bowers on the "Full Head" Standing Liberty Quarters.It essentially raised the question that I have been struggling with this week. The November event in Baltimore has several coins that interest me, a few of these are SLQ's. One coin in particular does not have an official FH designation on the slab, however it does have a fuller head than many I've seen slide by. In addition to the 99% FH, as David Bowers pointed out, it has other elements that only a super strike has...full rivets on the shield, a strong shield emblem with lines both horizontal and vertical...strong eagle feather definition all the way up to the under edge of the right wing. My point is, how did the head become THE MAJOR determining factor?..even so much that an MS66 of one coin valued at $2000 can be a fraction of it's lesser MS65 FH sister valued at $15,000? One coin is superior in every aspect except the head and is of far less value? Who decided that the head was the most important and that much so? For my money the MS66 with 99% FH at less than 1/7th the price would fit my collection very nicely. And just a quick word on Full Band Mercury dimes. Check out the price difference on a 1918-D MS65 and 65FB.....$750 compared to $42,500!!! Many of these coins that narrowly fall in one group or another are so close to being FB or not that it becomes almost a judgement call.Out of 9 people 4 may say yes and 4 may say no and then comes the $42,000 opinion of 1 person....hmmmmmm...those 2 little letters, whether FH or FB can be awfully costly, and they may not even be right...
  17. jackson64
    pulled a rare/key date out of an old bullion roll!!
    I am far from being a coin dealer...the extent of my sales are selling off my old coins after I've bought an upgrade or clearing out a whole set to buy a key date-expensive coin for another set.Having said that, I am not above buying a bargain when I see it purely for the sake of a re-sale and a quick, small profit.I saw a nicely toned indian head cent proof on sale at an Amish market here for $50..which I resold for over $200 on ebay. Last week I saw a listing for 40 Walker halves{2 rolls worth} selling at around their bullion price and I took a shot and bid $200 for them both..and to my surprise I won.The coins arrived today and I was pleased by the first4 or 5 I inspected as they were nice common date coins from the 40's in xf-slider bu grades...then the 6th coin I peeled off said 1938!!! Harboring a little hope but not really expecting it, I flipped it over and behold!! a bright solid "D" staring me in the face!! Ok, it's not exactly like finding a "d" on that 1916 mercury but this is a nice xf40-45 coin with original uncleaned surfaces...a hidden treasure in my book!! What a thrill, besides the fact that this coin alone is worth more than I paid for all 40 combined, the momentary excitement of FINDING it was a rush.Anyhow, I think I'll sell these others off by small lots, see if I can make my money back on them, and have a free XF40 1938-D Walker to boot...I really love this hobby..
    MVC-084S.J
  18. jackson64

    The Last Coin in a Set

    By jackson64,

    2 years on a 20 coin set and still 1 to go
    Well, another chance to acquire the final coin in a year set that has been my primary focus slipped by.Actually, far from slipping by, I made sure I got home in time to get final bids in on the internet portion of the auction. I logged in and with no surprise saw that my earlier bid had been outbid. Five minutes remaining and I had to decide quickly how much I wanted this coin. As any collector knows this is a tricky spot...finally fill that hole in the set? is this the coin you really want to fill it? is this coin just a temporary filler until you find another..if so how much will you spend for a temp filler? will you get this much re-selling after you find a replacement? buyers fees? future re-selling fees? when will I get another shot at this elusive date/grade?
    In the end, the prospect of not seeing one in the AU55-58 area priced at $1500 or so for a long while...I bid...not enough..bid again..again not enough...finally, with time running short the madness takes over and I bid $2000..$500 more than its Trends value and $600 more than the last one sold!!! Alas, no happy ending...still not enough and as high as I was going to go. Someone else must have really wanted it badly and I hope that they enjoy it. My quest will just have to wait until I can scour the bourse at the Baltimore show in a few weeks...
  19. jackson64
    By the time they have determined the dozens and dozens and dozens of varieties...mine may be rarer!!
    I just finished reading another article on the Minnesota doubled tree-doubled die-doubled rock-random blob-floating speck- quarter dollar.I actually went and looked at the 2 I own, one in a fold album that I fill with change recieved quarters..and my PF69DCAM silver set I get each year with the flag on them and it takes a 10X loupe and serious eyesight to see the details of those tiny trees.There are so many variations now-I think 50 of just the Philadelphia mint alone-that I wouldn't even be sure what a non-doubled looked like.I commend the collector dedicated enough to find these TINY specks{ I have 20-20 eyesight and a 10x loupe and they are very small to me}. An obvious extra leaf on a Wisconsin quarter is one thing- but tiny shapeless globs? There should be a rule about an error coin having to be at least a little visible to the naked eye to be an error...heck, tons of coins from the 1800's are full of die clashes, double punched stars slight rotated dies etc etc and are ignored...anyhow...here is a photo of a SUPER RARE dime I found in my change yesterday..8 more of these and I can get a coffee refill at the 7-11.. NOTE that the reeded edge from the side of the coin is actually on the obverse and it has a double rim- stop the presses!!!
    MVC-082S.J
  20. jackson64
    the angry reply system doesn't work
    I have been buying and selling coins on occasion on Ebay for several years now. Far from being a dealer, I usely sell my old coins after an upgrade or if I see an item being sold for well under its value I warily might purchase it and re-sell for $20 or so profit. I have 878 positive feedbacks from 633 different ebayers of which 300 are sales.I HAVE 4 NEGATIVE FEEDBACKS. One was sorta my fault..sold a vg/f barber for $13 and guy didn't like it and emailed me...was out of town and got back to find about 7 angry emails and a negative feedback{ a $13 coin worth $22 and was only away for a week seems a bit much}anyhow the second was a goof up- sold a guy an MS69 SMS 1994 Jefferson nickel--NGC GRADED-- he said the coin wasn't white enough and returned it for refund..I refunded all of his money, plus shipping, but sent the refund paypal and he got charged a $2 fee..sent me a negative...finally the last 2 negatives were just from spiteful sellers...sent me garbage coins, I asked for a refund- was told no refund or not answered, and when I left a negative feedback I got one back in reply. There is a simple solution to this and it would also help with ebay frauds....make the seller leave his feedback within 24 hours of being paid. If a buyer has on good faith, bid on an item, taken the time to send money electronically or gone to the bank for a money order and mailed it...his part in the transaction is done and the seller should give feedback on his reliability and promptness.A seller's feedback is given based on his delivery time and items being as listed...I have been po'd more than twice with coins I've bought but now I don't leave negatives, it will only reduce my feedback %.....PS: I don't care if people invent their own certification services/slabbed coins..when I see an ad for an NTC MS68 MORGAN $30,000 TRENDS !!! WOW!!!...the coin still sells for $50..lmao....like we can't figure out that a $30K coin would have a $1 start bid and no reserve...thank goodness for NGC,PCGS,ANACS, and ICG...you always know what you're getting within a point or two
  21. jackson64

    working on my sets

    By jackson64,

    a labor of love
    spent a few hours this morning adding some of the coins I just got back from NGC to my Signature set....I know that I probably spent a few dollars more encapsulating a couple of them than the coins are actually valued at. Their worth to me is a different subject though...worth every penny to slab them and become part of my High Seas signature set...Of the 8 coins I added today {half dozen to add later} I included my first 2 gold coins for this set; 2 coins from the Middle East; 1 from South America; a Polish zloty "coin within a coin" design and a few Carribean coins. The real time is spent gathering info on the coin/history/ship depicted/country etc... then I get picky with the photos....like I said, a labor of love......
    this is a photo of the just added 2006 Canadian $20 Tall Ships series coin.."the Ketch"...second coin in this series with the hologram on the reverse..
    MVC-953S.J
  22. jackson64

    Small Local Coin Shows

    By jackson64,

    sometimes some very nice coins can be found..
    I just got back from a small coin show{around 30 tables} in Ocean City Maryland. What a great chance to get away, alone with my wife, for a few days to the beach. Although the weather was a bit wet for the first half of our trip, it was a great relaxing time together and I went to the coin show at the convention center for a couple of hours while she looked for end of summer bargains at the clothes stores.I found most items being sold at above trends prices, although most of the grading appeared accurate.Several vendors even had copies of the ANA grading guide right on their tables in case you wanted to check something.I only made a few small purchases..nobody had either of the 2 "main" coins I was looking for and some of the "upgrade" coins I saw could be found on the internet for cheaper. Anyhow, I did upgrade 2 coins in my Buffalo nickel circulated album..replacing an ugly 1915 and a 1931-S that had a pinscratch with 2 nice AU50's. I also bought 1 coin that I found was selling for less than half it's value-a 1917-S Obverse walker in VF30, which I will list this week on ebay...and a Canadian Silver Dollar from 1973 that just grabbed my eye and kept pulling me back until I bought it. Anyhow, not much in the way of purchases or finds...but what a great hobby, to get the chance for a weekend getaway-recharge the batteries,keep my relationship with my wife fun and fresh,and spend a little time with some wonderful people at the show with my love of numismatics......now we need an ANA convention in Nassau, Bahamas for January....aaahhhhh
    MVC-025S.J
  23. jackson64
    What a difference a day makes
    Yesterday I was bummed about the grades I received on my submissions and frustrated with the whole thing. I am probably not alone when I get feelings that my coins may not get the same consideration as someone who has submitted 200-300 coins at a time or who pays for the top tier for his 5 $10,000 coins. Anyhow, my entire attitude changed with one trip to the post office. My coin from American Numismatic Rarities came today...and it is even better than I hoped. The coin is a 1917-D reverse {very costly for my budget} NGC graded 62. I have studied this coin every time it appears in any auction for almost 2 years trying to fill one of the last 2 holes in my set and when I saw this beauty at this low of a grade I jumped. It was an on-line bid with a floor auction later and I didn't want to lose it...I bid $700 above the Trends list and fortunately I won and it didn't cost me my full max bid. This particular date is notorious for being a very weak strike in the centers..rarely do you see any of the draped flag lines across the left leg, a seperate thumb on the left hand, seperate hair/cap line and on the reverse the eagles breast and left leg are so weakly struck {on BU examples} that virtually no feathers are visible...this one has full feathers...a wonderful find and now my new favorite of my collection....I am not a good photographer but I tried to angle the camera and adjust the light so that some of the details show..but it leaves some areas darker..oh well, I can hold it and turn it in the light all I want now!!!
    MVC-022S.J
  24. jackson64

    no topic

    By jackson64,

    boring stuff..not worth reading
    Well I finally got my grades for the 12 coins I sent in to add to my signature set.They were recieved at NGC on Sept 5th it is now Oct 6th..a lttle long but I'm not that concerned about that.I am a little disappointed in the grades..only 1 69{no 70's} out of 12..the proofs range from 64-68 which is the disappointing part since 5 of these 6 coins were taken from the mint box/felt case and never removed from the plastic capsules...the other 6 were mint state coins and got varying grades. I guess I have grown a bit spoiled..the last time I mailed 15 coins and got 13 69's and 2 70's..but the last time I paid extra for faster/premium service and this time I just went with the economy/value{ they are for a signature set and not a point/ranked set}..hmmm..maybe I have learned a lesson,if you try to save money on the submission, you might lose money on the coin value...or it could just be a coincidence. I probably should have held off on writing this until my disappointment was in check...I always worry about who might read this and that I might get black listed...maybe it's just the weather has got me in a mood..drizzle with intermittent rain,gray and grayer and that damp chill that gets in your bones and my attitude it would seem
     
    on a bright note !! I leave for the Ocean City Maryland 34th Annual Coin Convention tomorrow morning...here is a nice 1806 Draped Bust half Overton 116..an old cleaning and SLABBED by ANACS VF20 details-cleaned...a coin like this classic should never be in a "bodybag" with a sticker saying essentially that it is not worth slabbing {even though a person may have paid for this service} how about just slabbing coins as authentic-no grade?
    MVC-992S.J
  25. jackson64

    The COIN!!!!

    By jackson64,

    Buy the Coin that Looks best to YOU!!
    I just finished reading a lot of my fellow collectors' journal entries and can't believe there is even a debate. A little history from an old-timer: before the TPG's we bought coins based upon their value to US-the collector..at my local coin shop I would ask if my dealer could do better on a price if it was a lower grade filler, if the coin had attributes I liked I would never ask...I probably would have paid more. I like white coins and full strikes..toned coins are ok but not my first pick..if NGC or PCGS gives a toned coin a higher grade, say a 65, it DOES NOT make it more valuable to me...but that 63 with a fuller strike and luster???..I'd pay almost as much because to my eye it is more appealing...and as for the PCGS and NGC price disparity...some of us still remember when it was the other way around and NGC coins were higher valued. I understand that the registry ranks by points for assigned grades and gives awards for the highest graded/best sets..but I want to have the best set that I can put together of coins that I find appealing..in fact I own quite a few ANACS also because I wanted a particular date from a series but don't want to collect the whole series{my 1912-S Liberty nickel for example}plus I got the same coin that would cost twice as much in a PCGS holder..for my collecting experience, it's about the coins...PS: the most valuable collection..The King of Siam set of gold coins..not in TGP holders...hmmmmm..anyhow I'm off this weekend to the 34th Annual coin Convention in Ocean City Maryland..will update my Journal early next week with my experience and finds...can't wait