lakecountrybeer.com

By Robert L Taylor, JD

Hobbies: Coin Collecting

So You Are a Coin Collector!

Tell me: Are You Still Collecting Raw Coins?

Take any Coin in Your Collection, and Tell Me What it is Worth. To do so, you have to make a Decision about the Grade of the Coin. I will Assume that You are an Expert at Grading a US Coin, so, you have arrived at the correct Grade for the Coin You Selected.

Obviously, the Grade Determines the Value or Worth of the Coin. And, Once you have the Grade of the Coin, Any source for the Price or Worth of a Coin will Tell You the Value. (e.g.: greysheet, Red Book, Black Book, Coin World, etc.)

Whether you are Getting Ready to Place a Book Value on Your Collection, Getting Ready to Upgrade or Sell one coin from Your Collection, or Getting Ready to Buy or Upgrade a new Addition, the Grade of the Subject Coin is All Important. The Grade is Everything. Nothing Matters More than the Grade of a Collectible Coin.

Now, assume that You are Selling this Coin, and Represent it to be the Grade You Decided Upon. You have Priced the Coin According to a Reliable Price Guide. What percentage of all Coin Collectors will Accept and Believe the Grade You Assigned, even if They could Examine the Coin In Person?

Probably a small Minority! Why? Because the Grade of a Coin is the Most Important Identity Factor, and determining the Grade is a Difficult Process. This is True, Whether Buying or Selling. If the Grade is not True, or Correct, then Money Will Be Lost Lost to the Seller if the Grade is too Low; Lost to the Buyer if the Grade is too High.

There is nothing wrong with Buying and Selling Raw Coins. Even if they may come from pocket change or bank rolls. But once you Decide to Make them part of your Collection, they need to be Graded by an Independent Professional Coin Grader.

This is so because You Need to Know the Value or Worth, of each coin, as well as the Total Collection.

But, you say, its Only my Personal Collection, and I am not going to Sell it now, or ever. Great, I say, but do you also Never plan on Upgrading any of those Coins? Whenever you want to Sell a Coin in your Personal Collection, you have to Sell it with a Grade and a Price. This means you have to Represent to someone else, the Grade of the Coin. You Must Do this because you have to put a Price on the Coin. When that Coin has been Professionally Certified and Graded, you have Eliminated the Biggest Argument Point. Knowing the Grade Makes Everything So Much Easier. Te Price is a Given once the Grade is Established.

Dreaming about owning a Coin with the Highest Grade (in any Class), as we flipped through the pages of our Red Book, has occurred to every one of us from the Start of our Coin Collecting days. Each one of those Dream Coins Passed the Test, and met the Requirements of the Coin Grading Guide established by the ANA (American Numismatic Association).

What most Coin Collectors dont realize is that there are only four (4) well known and respected Companies who offer Independent Professional Coin Grading, and Follow the ANA Official Grading Standards For US Coins. These Companies are: 1) PCGS; 2) NGC; 3) ANACS; and 4) ICG. These are the companies to be used when those Raw Coins need to be Graded.

Get the Highest Price for Coins You are Selling; Get the Best Price for Coins You are Buying; and Get an Accurate Appraisal of Your Collection. Collect Certified and Graded Coins! Dont Play Games with Buyers and Sellers over the Grade of a Coin. Know the Grade of Your Coin!

Have fun collecting your Perfect Coins!

Robert L Taylor, JD

2006 Copyright

About the Author: Robert Taylor is a retired Lawyer, with a passion for collecting US coins, since the age of 6. To share his Passion, he created

ThePerfect-Coin.Com

featuring US coins and

PerfectDollarCoins.Com

featuring US dollar coins – all certified and graded by PCGS, NGC, ICG, & ANACS.

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=220948&ca=Recreation

By Nicole Dean

Patriotism is more than being a proud citizen of a country. It is also knowing the history and respecting what others have done to make the present freedoms possible in the land in which you live. During the various patriotic days celebrated over the course of the year, teach your kids why they are important.

The patriotic day we most often think of is the fourth of July. This is the day that Americans celebrate their independence from British rule. The thirteen original colonies were now independent states that could govern themselves. Many people died in the quest for that independence. Explain to your children the history of the American flag and the song composed about it by Francis Scott Key. Instead of buying flags to wave at the local Fourth of July parade, let them make their own. Show them a picture of the current flag and the flag of the thirteen colonies. Explain to them what the stars and stripes represent. They can choose which flag to re-create and display at the parade. Choose a piece of fabric used to make flags from the craft store and some quarter inch dowels to use as the pole.

Take a trip to Washington, D.C. We did this one year during the summer. Visit the Smithsonian Institutions. In the Museum of American History, children will get an education in the events that have shaped this country. They will also be able to view the actual flag that Francis Scott Key wrote about. The flag spans the entire length of the room in which it is housed. A huge glass partition allows people to view it without disturbing the restoration going on. Children can also see various equipment, artillery, and uniforms worn by soldiers throughout American history in each war in which we fought. History lives again at the Smithsonian Institute.

Memorial Day is an occasion to celebrate those who fought and lived and those who lost their lives in foreign and domestic wars. People place flags and flowers on the graves of loved ones who served in the armed forces. Take your children to the gravesites of their relatives who fought at one time or another in a war. Tell them the story of that relative, so they in turn can tell their own children one day. This is an important family tradition worth starting.

Children can get creative with family history on Memorial Day. They can make a collage of old family photos to remember those loved ones who are no longer with them. Show them how to use care with fragile pictures. If the pictures are falling apart, they may need to be placed between self-laminating sheets to protect them before they are added to the collage. Have the children explain their handiwork to the family. Display the collages in a prominent place for all visitors to see.

On Arbor Day, show your children how to plant a tree and explain the significance. Without trees, we would have no oxygen to breathe. When forests are cleared for building new homes and other structures, we lose hundreds of valuable trees. The goal of the government and environmentalists is to get these companies to plant a new tree or two for each one that is lost. By planting trees of your own, you are helping the environment to continue to thrive.

Patriotic activities give kids a chance to learn about the history of their respective countries and their families. By helping them to remember those who have gone before, you give them a connection to the past. Their future will be brighter.

About the Author: Nicole Dean invites you to

showkidsthefun.com/themes-all.php

— a free website filled with activities to make memories with your children.

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=138746&ca=Parenting