What percentage of active coin collectors read hobby books.... 0

[GoldFinger1969]

On 3/25/2023 at 6:37 PM, Quintus Arrius said:

The last time I paid a visit to the main building of the New York Public Library (now encumbered with the name, the Stephen A. Schwartzman Building) all the card catalogues had been removed and the storied "Rose" Reading Room tables were filled with people staring at lap tops. Any available books were used as decorations for the massive walls.  No one touched them. It is my understanding newspapers have been dispensed with in favor of on-line subscriptions.  Last I heard, books were relocated to underground stacks (among great controversy.) When's the last time anyone heard the expression, "Publish or Perish?"

The Midtown Manhattan Library on 40th Street -- which used to have the rows and rows of books (not the storied 42nd Street one with the lions which mostly had documents, parchments, and reading rooms) -- is now largely a digital repository like from STAR TREK or something.  It's now the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library.  

I go there to use their limited-use Bloomberg terminals.  Can't print or take snapshops...cheapskates. 

[Zebo]

More and more libraries are moving to digital. It’s a shame in some respects. 

[RWB]

On 3/26/2023 at 1:49 AM, GoldFinger1969 said:

Many of the books we deal with here -- including yours, Roger -- are NOT available on Amazon or from other established sellers. 

Print runs for numismatic books are tiny, but so is the market. There might be, say 1 million coin collectors in the US, but the number of people looking for a specific subject or  more generalized information is small, and the proportion who actually buy and read a book is smaller, still. Amazon and other sellers also demand a large discount which further limits book availability.

[RWB]

On 3/26/2023 at 1:52 AM, GoldFinger1969 said:

Stavros Niarchos

Wasn't that the evil inventor of the Daleks in Dr. Who?

 

[World Colonial]

On 12/25/2022 at 1:01 AM, GoldFinger1969 said:

I'm going to disagree with you on that, QA....but it DOES take time to learn how to narrow the focus.  The key is to keep refining the search with the drop-arrow choices....just don't type in the box in the far left and expect to have a narrow focus.

It took me months to figure out how to use it efficiently and I'm still not sure I'm operating at peak efficiency, but I can usually bring up a bunch of relevant sales in a minute or two whereas it would take 10-15 minutes a few years ago.

If you need help, PM me.   FWIW, I punched up some Roosters but mostly very short descriptions of 2-4 sentences, nothing at all like the U.S. descriptions for high-priced or famous coin types. 

Heritage is easily the most user-friendly site of any I have ever used.  It's easier for US coins versus non-US because of the DB structure, organized by series whereas non-US is only by country and probably less useful for ancients.

When I put together that thread analyzing the Heritage archives, it took me between one and two hours analyzing all US series for multiple price ranges.  This isn't possible for any others, with the only two seemingly having a DB at all being Stacks Bowers and GC.

[GoldFinger1969]

Am I looking in the wrong area or do the GC auctions -- even of very expensive coins -- NOT have any lengthy descriptions beyond a few sentences, if that ?

I mean...the HA archive and current listings often have 2-5 pages (sometimes more !) on tons of stuff, including the coins I track (Saints, Liberty Head DEs, Morgans).  I see a fraction of that for comparable coins on HA.

Maybe GC just uses what the submitter sends them ?  I am sure it is HA creating those excellent historical analyses I read.

[roadbike]

On 3/26/2023 at 1:49 AM, GoldFinger1969 said:

Have the economics changed with online books ?  I would think the lower cost might expand the audience.

Many of the books we deal with here -- including yours, Roger -- are NOT available on Amazon or from other established sellers.  Others are out-of-print or you have to buy used copies.  The information on these books, even decades old, is still valuable IMO.

I wonder if large online auction houses would consider a book section where they sell numismatic books for a fixed price. Previous iterations of Stack's Bowers offered many numismatic books at a nice price. Many were written by Dave B. It was one stop--buy the book and come back to buy the coin. Worked very well. They had a nice selection at the NYC store...

[GoldFinger1969]

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Edited June 23, 2023 by GoldFinger1969

[zadok]

On 6/23/2023 at 3:00 PM, GoldFinger1969 said:

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...ok, u have lost me here....

[GoldFinger1969]

Ignore that jibberish....I meant to type this:

Hey Vets..does anybody have the 1982 United States Gold Coins book by David Bowers ?

Was wondering if it is still useful and/or had good pictures or interesting commentary that still might be relevant.

 

[zadok]

On 6/23/2023 at 3:04 PM, GoldFinger1969 said:

Ignore that jibberish....I meant to type this:

Hey Vets..does anybody have the 1982 United States Gold Coins book by David Bowers ?

Was wondering if it is still useful and/or had good pictures or interesting commentary that still might be relevant.

 

...ill ck my library n see if i have that book...fyi, stacks bowers 16 august auction of continuing fairmont hoard coins has a run of 48 mint state saints u mite want to peruse....

[jesbroken]

I have bought and sold coin books for 20 years and maintain a fairly large inventory of books that I constantly read and reread. For the last several years I have been attempting to become proficient in the collecting of early cents and half cents. I have over a dozen books in that regard and hardly a day goes by that I do not read one. My Dr. Manley copy of half cent die state book is falling apart, as much to faulty glueing as to use, which it has most certainly been used. 

I made the mistake many years ago of only reading the portion of the books that I was interested in at that time and did not truly become proficient in the series, but after reading and studying Rick Snow's IHC Attribution Guide books it became clear of what I was missing. I then returned and reread the books I had skipped thru and benefitted greatly from the deed. 

I hope others will take up reading regarding our hobby and reap the benefits that follow. 

Jim

[GoldFinger1969]

On 6/23/2023 at 6:00 PM, zadok said:

...ill ck my library n see if i have that book...fyi, stacks bowers 16 august auction of continuing fairmont hoard coins has a run of 48 mint state saints u mite want to peruse....

Those Fairmont Coins just keep dribbling out and out and out and out and out.....

[zadok]

On 6/23/2023 at 11:12 PM, GoldFinger1969 said:

Those Fairmont Coins just keep dribbling out and out and out and out and out.....

...its a very large accumulation of US gold coinage...u will notice i did not call it a collection....

[GoldFinger1969]

On 6/24/2023 at 9:24 PM, zadok said:

...its a very large accumulation of US gold coinage...u will notice i did not call it a collection....

I think the sellers of this hoard need to talk to a block trading desk of a Wall Street firm.....always best to unload a huge overhang ASAP and all at once or in a specified time frame....not drip-drip-drip over months or years. 

[zadok]

On 6/25/2023 at 12:18 PM, GoldFinger1969 said:

I think the sellers of this hoard need to talk to a block trading desk of a Wall Street firm.....always best to unload a huge overhang ASAP and all at once or in a specified time frame....not drip-drip-drip over months or years. 

...this is by design, mostly so as not to over saturate the market n maintain stability in the proceeds....