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Coin Books - Scott Travers' Top 88 Coins to Buy and Sell: 44 Winners and 44 Losers
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List Price: $13.95
Our Price: $7.75
Your Save: $ 6.20 ( 44% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: House of Collectibles
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Average Customer Rating:   
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 332.63
EAN: 9780375722219
ISBN: 0375722211
Label: House of Collectibles
Manufacturer: House of Collectibles
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 208
Publication Date: 2007-07-10
Publisher: House of Collectibles
Release Date: 2007-07-10
Studio: House of Collectibles
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: A must-have for the coin collector or investor
Comment: I would have given the book four stars but for one issue (and it's minor.) The winners should have been in one part and the losers in another. But there was a winner on the left page and a loser on the right page.
I found the book highly useful. I'm not a coin collector. To the extent that I love history and money, I love coins. They have a history. They are a part of history. Some are indeed beautiful. But my interest is that of an investor. And this book is great for either the collector or the investor.
It gives a brief glimpse into each coin. It shows a picture of the coin and tells you why it's either a winner or a loser. Also, it tells you the approximate price you can expect to pay for it. You probably would want a more up-to-date guide as to buy and sell prices to accompany the book.
Be sure and note the condition of the coin. The book makes clear what condition you should buy. You would want to avoid anything but those in most cases.
Also, a most valuable glossary is at the back of the book. I find all the terms used in coin collecting completely offsetting as I know so little about it. This glossary is a great guide that you can quickly go to.
I promise you, this book will help you to avoid the many mistakes that we all make in buying coins.
Highly recommended.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Top 88 Coins to Buy and Sell
Comment: I enjoyed the book, however the author is obviously an expert in coin collecting. Several things were mentioned that really don't apply to the "NEW" coin collector.
Customer Rating:
Summary: An introduction to coin investing
Comment: Should you buy the second edition of this book? At $13.95, YES! Is it well written? Yes. If you are planing to spend serious money and are looking for specific advice on what coins to buy or not buy, this is the book for you! It covers all price ranges. It's easy to read and fun to read! It's a popular book and at this writing 40 new and used copies are available on Amazon.
However, it needs an aggressive editor who knows coins! Hopefully, a future third edition will include that! Unfortunately, there is no Table of Contents and no Index in this book. The pairings of Winners and Losers could be improved upon. Winner #17 Better-date silver dollars and Winner #38 1885-CC Morgan dollars graded Mint State 65 should have been paired up with Loser #18 Generic Morgan dollars graded Mint State 65, 66, or 67, Loser #25 Common date Peace dollars graded MS 63 & 64, Loser #26 Picked-through rolls of uncirculated silver dollars, Loser #35 1887/6 Morgan dollar graded MS 64 and higher, and Loser #44 1924-S, 1925-S, and 1928-S Peace Dollars graded MS 65. The explanation for the last loser alone is worth the price of this book! Needless to say, Scott Travers is not advocating that you complete your sets if you are investing in coins!
Another example of the need for editing is Winner #9 Proof 66 nickel three-cent pieces could have been combined with Winner #35 Nickel three-cent pieces certified as Mint State 66 or 67.
Commemorative coins are also scattered throughout the book. Examples are Winner #2 Lafayette dollars graded MS 65 and Winner #15 Isabella quarter MS 65. But, one wonders why not MS 64 coins at half of the price? Examples of losers are Loser #2 Iowa commemorative half dollar MS 65 and Loser #34 Sets of 1946 through 1951 Booker T. Washington commemorative half dollars. Given the explanations, one wonders whether MS 66 & 67 coins would be worthwhile? And there goes the idea of owning a complete collection! There's also worthwhile advice on Buffalo nickels and gold coins.
One controversial loser. Loser #24 is Proof coins priced excessively high because their business-strike counterparts are scarce. It gives the example of the 1877 Indian cent with 900 issued as being excessively priced at $15,000 in Poof 65 RED. However, why not recommend an 1877 Indian cent in PF Red/Brown for $6,500 as opposed to paying $28,500 for the 1877 in Mint State 65 RED or $11,000 in MS 65 RB? It appears Scott Travers is advocating that we don't mix uncirculated and proof coins in our collections. But how does that advice against proofs match up with his Winner #5 1856 Flying Eagle cent in Proof 63, 64, or 65? Or Winner #12 1936 Walking Liberty half dollar in Proof 65 currently priced at $6,000, a much newer coin with more than four times as many coins issued (3901) as the 1877 Indian?
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Editorial Reviews:
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Some people hit the jackpot when they buy collectible coins; others lose a bundle. Scott Travers is the master at picking big winners and spotting real losers. The New York Times called him the "preeminent consumer advocate in the numismatic field." In short, he’s the expert that hobbyists and investors can trust.
• These 88 coins, 44 “winners” and 44 “losers,” show you how to tell what’s worth buying and what should be avoided
• Learn how to judge all the elements – big and seemingly small –that make some purchases smart and others downright dumb
• Fully illustrated, with examples from the earliest U.S. coins to those being minted today
• A unique and fun to read guide for every coin collector and investor
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