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- May 2004 -


Howdy Folks -

This month I had something else entirely in mind and already written for this section of the Newsletter – but well that got lost along with all the information contained in it during my recent computer problems. So instead I decided to do a piece on something that many of us know about and participate in – on-line Coin Forums. But because not all of us know about them or participate, I thought it might be worthwhile to discuss and mention them.

Some people have a disdain for on-line coin forums – others love them. I guess it’s like coins themselves – not everybody shares the same interests. But on-line coin forums are a tremendous source of information and knowledge provided you are willing to sift through the sometimes annoying dialogue. They can also be quite entertaining and provide a means for collectors around the world to communicate, share and discuss all the various issues that pertain to numismatics. Like anything else – you need to be able to separate the wheat from the chaff. Just about all of the most popular coin forums require membership before you can post.

The various on-line forums all have similar rules regarding posting and on-line etiquette. But some of them are much more relaxed than others. Some of them are not moderated at all and the environment can get as wild and wooly as the Old West at times. Flame wars – what happens when one or more posters decide to have a showdown and throw insults at each other – can be quite proliferate at times. While on yet other forums etiquette and good behavior is strictly enforced and those who choose to ignore the rules and strive to incite strife are quickly tossed out on their ear.

On-line coin forums are much like social clubs and most of them tend to attract particular people who take a liking to the neighborhood. Coin collectors, coin dealers, numismatists – there are as many different types with a particular interest as there are different kinds of coins. And they tend to gravitate to a particular forum with members who share similar interests. They may become members of any or all of the various forums at one time or another, but the majority of their time visiting the forums will be spent on those with other people like them. Then of course you have people like me who spend time at all of them. ;-}

And much like our own WINS Talk mailing list – there are primarily two different types of members – those who post and those who lurk. And believe me when I say the lurkers far outnumber the posters. And these two groups can also be broken down into subtypes – those who only post occasionally and those who post almost on a minute by minute basis. The lurkers are little different – some of them never post. While yet others may post once or twice or month. It’s pretty much like people in general – some talk a lot and some never say anything. And some never shut up. So let’s take a look at what’s out there.

Google Group – rec.collecting.coins - is one of the popular sites, but it is not moderated in any way and just about anything goes. As in any forum, some very knowledgeable people frequent rec.collecting.coins, but there are also those who are just beginning in this hobby of ours who are just seeking knowledge. Discussions can become quite heated at times – but at other times those who are willing to help and provide information come crawling out of the woodwork and are quite courteous and helpful. But woe is unto the unsuspecting poster who steps on somebody’s toes or says the wrong thing. For he will likely be descended upon like a bug amongst a flock of hungry chickens.

Collector’s Universe Forums also known as the PCGS Forum, is another of the most popular sites. Like most of the other on-line forums CU is actually a group of forums broken down into areas of interests such as US Coins, World and Ancient Coins, Currency, Sports, Autographs, Stamps, Records etc. for a total of about 25 different forums. CU is moderated by the PCGS staff and CU President David Hall also participates and answers questions. The members share pictures of new acquisitions, discuss various varieties of all denominations along with pictures and illustrations, rant about any subject that comes to mind - in particular PCGS itself and the other grading companies, and often provide valuable information to those who ask for it. The CU forum can be rather rambunctious at times and if a member speaks to disparagingly about PCGS or too often – they may find themselves banned. And at times a members post may be edited if the content is not to the liking of the PCGS staff or its President. Links to live ebay auctions are permitted and the reputation of many an ebay seller has been made or broken on this forum. This can be both good and bad for the collector – for often times the information provided about a seller is or is not completely factual. As was once said – you can’t always believe what you read.

Coin Talk - is provided by our own Peter Davis, WINS#8. It is also the Forum that provides WINS with its Business Forum. Myself, and a couple of other helpful gentlemen, one of whom is also a WINS member, help Peter out by acting as Moderators on Coin Talk. The rules are strictly enforced, more so than some forums but less than others. But a member’s posts are not deleted or edited just because somebody doesn’t like or want others to know what they have to say. While Coin Talk has some very knowledgeable members, it is for the most part made up of newcomers to the hobby who are seeking knowledge and information. A great deal of time and effort is spent trying to help these folks and provide answers to their questions. Too often a beginning collector feels intimidated and/or is too shy to ask questions in some of the other forums – not so at Coin Talk. The atmosphere is more relaxed and they feel more at ease. At least that’s the way it seems to me.

Coin World Forums - is sponsored of course by Coin World and moderated by our own JD White WINS#7. This forum has a family oriented atmosphere and again the rules are strictly enforced. The members have for the most part been members for some time – with a sprinkling of newer names. Like all of the forums, the rules are written by those who sponsor them. And Coin World is perhaps the strictest in this regard. Links to live or closed auctions and or any sales type web site ( except Coin World advertisers ) are not permitted. Not that this is a bad thing, but let’s face it – current and/or closed auctions are a hot topic of conversation. The auction can be discussed – but without a picture of the coin to examine – it is sometimes pointless. Discussions on this forum are more general in nature but sometimes will develop into one involving more detail. The Coin World forum is more like a bunch of old friends sitting around talking about their collections or some recent development in the numismatic community. The atmosphere is much more laid back than most of the other forums.

Ebay Forum - the ebay Coins and Paper Money Forum is, as one might expect, primarily about ebay - in particular the goings on regarding recent auctions and sellers. Specific information about a particular coin series or variety is discussed occasionally but for the most part these discussions are general in nature. Discussion about particular sellers, especially those whom a buyer has complaints about or one who is selling, shall we say questionable items, are strongly discouraged and usually quickly deleted by ebay staff. One of the most often repeated discussions is about why ebay does not do something about sellers who repeatedly sell counterfeit coins, unmarked copies or simply do not deliver what they offered. These discussions are permitted as long as no links are provided or names mentioned. Another popular topic is how to be successful on ebay with both buying and selling.

Coin Club - is an on-line forum sponsored by ICG. This forum is one that seems to be found by more people who are sure they have in their possession a valuable and rare coin than any other forum I have run across. A large part of the posts pertain to the subject of – what’s it worth ? Another popular topic is – what is it – with what’s it worth soon to follow. Of course there are the questions posted by those who simply wish to identify a coin they have found or been given by a family member. Occasionally a discussion of a particular variety or series will surface but they are few and far between. There are plenty of members though who seem eager to help, and no matter how many times the same question has been asked, and answer is always given. This theme is prevalent on all the forums – somebody is always ready, willing and able to help.

Coin People - is another forum where the members seem like one big, happy family. It is also run and provided by a WINS member, one who is unfortunately no longer active. The membership is made up of collectors from the US for the most part but has a healthy sprinkling of members from other countries, some of them quite knowledgeable about their particular area. There is seldom a cross word spoken here as just about everybody seems to get along quite well with one another. While everyone is more than willing to share information the primary goal at Coin People seems to be to just have fun. You can post pics of your coins just like in the other forums, but Coin people goes one step beyond – they allow you to create your own on-line storage album for your coin pics. This comes in quite handy for those who do not have a web site or on-line storage space for this purpose.

Collector’s Society - is sponsored by NGC and is composed of a group of over 20 individual forums on various subjects much like the PCGS site is structured. Like their competitor’s site, the NGC forum is made up of relative newcomers as well as some very knowledgeable collectors and dealers. If you have a question that cannot be answered here I would be quite surprised. While the NGC forum is not as rowdy as rec or the CU forum, one of the favorite topics of complaint is – you guessed it – PCGS. But for the most part those who prefer a quieter atmosphere with less conflict congregate here. The discussions can be quite illuminating and much valuable information and insight is yours for the asking. Some of the members of this forum collect very high end coins and rarities. Often the collections or an individual piece owned by one of them is the focus of a discussion in the numismatic press. It has been said that because of this there seems to be somewhat of a snobbish attitude on this forum. Well, I’ll admit – some members do come off that way at times. But for the most part, if you wish to have a serious and/or advanced discussion about coins in an on-line coin forum – this is the place.

There are several other on-line forums out there, but these are the most popular and well known. This group has the largest memberships and they are the ones most frequented for obvious reasons. Each one is unique and has its own qualities as well as drawbacks. It all depends on where your interests lie – or whether you like chocolate – or vanilla. ;-}

Well that's it folks - until next time ;-}

Doug




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