As I said in the title, I would like to add a letter targeted at non-collectors who want their coins evaluated or sold on here. It would say something along the lines of (this is very summarised and the actual letter will be a lot longer) that your coin is likely not valuable (for commemoratives, tokens, etc.) and if it is genuinely an extremely valuable coin, you’re better off selling directly to a well-known coin shop or collector or putting it up at a reputable auction house than you are selling on eBay or Etsy. I might also include some paragraphs at the end detailing how to handle a genuinely rare coin and a quick guide to starting a coin collection. This would be situated at the top of ‘coin identifications and valuations’ next to forum policy. I’m not a terribly experienced numismatist, so please do send me your own ideas for what to put in the letter.
If this idea gets enough traction here, I’ll start writing a draft.
To be honest, I don't think it'll be needed. non-collectors post pictures of coins asking about what they are and what they're worth anyway, and enough people reply to them anyway and they get the answer. I think people would be put off from even asking if you tell them that their coin is "likely not valuable". When I started I might of missed loads of valuable coins, simply not knowing. It's better to let people ask themselves and get told than to just tell them to assume it's worthless.
I just think it will help de-clutter that part of the forum a bit. It’s mostly targeted to us in the UK who have gone 50p crazy and ask for ridiculous prices on common coins. Most of them have a very deluded idea of what coin collectors actually want and think that the coins getting listed for thousands of pounds on eBay are actually being bought.
Quote: "GoldenGarfield"I just think it will help de-clutter that part of the forum a bit. It’s mostly targeted to us in the UK who have gone 50p crazy and ask for ridiculous prices on common coins. Most of them have a very deluded idea of what coin collectors actually want and think that the coins getting listed for thousands of pounds on eBay are actually being bought.
So let them. I call it the idiot lottery, if they want to put a 50p up for thousands it's up to them. It'll either never be sold, or some other idiot will buy it. Ignorance is bliss I suppose. Besides the forum isn't very cluttered anyway, it's a forum, it's meant to have new stuff all the time.
I’d really rather keep it than go to all the effort of selling for just above face value. If it’s a genuinely rare one (Kew Gardens retails for just shy of £100) I would, but I really don’t see the point in trying to sell a Benjamin Bunny for it’s fair market price.
I just think it will help de-clutter that part of the forum a bit. It’s mostly targeted to us in the UK who have gone 50p crazy and ask for ridiculous prices on common coins. Most of them have a very deluded idea of what coin collectors actually want and think that the coins getting listed for thousands of pounds on eBay are actually being bought.
go ahead with your note, but its a moot point.
it wouldnt declutter the forum a bit, because no forum newb ever reads the "read-this-first" thread, they just go a head and post what they want.
I know this because I have been posting in and moderating internet forums since bbs days, 30+ years, and nothing ever changes.
Jamais l'or n'a perdu la plus petite occasion de se montrer stupide. -Balzac
