Some more truism about numismatics

[MikeKing]

This is a partial response of mine to a post I had deleted.

It's intent is to make collectors think.

 

This IS a collector board, not a dealer board.

 

1. Very, very few dealers ( and this particularly applies to dealers with mulitmillion dollar inventories, and further, particularly applies to dealers of so called 'high end' coins), are numismatic connoisseurs.

 

2. The ability to recognize a PQ coin is irrespective of grade unless it's stated 'This coin is PQ for the grade'. Ultra large mega money dealers very very very rarely understand what PQ really means, in the sense of a true connoisseur, and take the fools road to eye appeal (i.e., high grade and pretty colors).

 

3. While it is true that PQ in one person's mind may not be PQ in another's, that become irrelevant in educated recognition of PQ, which many many major dealers lack entirely.

 

4. This is not an anti-dealer thread, it is a pro-dealer thread, celebrating those absolute FEW who, independant of their inventory's price level, truly understand the particular numismatics of the coins they sell and are able to recognize a coin in terms of it's grade, it's relevance within the whole market and grading system, it's relative rarity in an of itself as well as in an of that which is imparted by its condition and whether or not it is PQ irespective of grade. And also to know therefore, what is PQ for the grade.

 

5. While you, the collector, are ultimately responsible for your purchases or trades, I highly doubt there is a collector here who hasn't made stupid mistakes in trusting the kinds of above mentioned 'negative dealers'. Additionally sometimes you have to trust a dealer for whatever reasons that instill that trust in you, and you find that you have been treated improperly or paid an inappropriately low amount for your coins.

 

In this case scenario, if you're smart, you'll learn from it, you'll pass through the illusion of words of fairness that misinformed you, the methods that attempt to and succeed in undermining your own self confidence and the plain and simple mistakes on your own part in participating in certain transactions.

 

Granted, some people must be better than this than others, but I sincerely doubt that there isn't anyone immune to such mistakes, and the only way to develop numimatically is to take these mistakes and use them as a vehicle for understanding.

 

 

 

[braddick]

 

 

I'd only add, "If you're dumb, surround yourself with smart people, and if you're smart, surround yourself with smart people who disagree with you."

[bsshog40]

Good advice Mike. I may not be right all of the time when buying, but I'm dumb only once.

[carson city]

Never under estimate the arrogance of the (CAC) COIN POLICE !

[MikeKing]

carson city...don't take levitra while you're on nitrates for a heart condition.

 

 

[carson city]

Thanks for the Heads-Up !

[rrantique]

Great post Mike K