Customer Reviews

Coin Collecting for Dummies

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'd bought a few mint sets, and ocasionally thought about saving particularly good-looking coins. Someone gave me some more coins for Christmas, and I've exploded into coin collecting.

There's a ton of stuff to learn. This book covers alot of it in a very approchable way, and isn't quite as condescending as most of the "For Dummies" books. The humour is a little too frequent for the level of the content, but the book is a great start for the new collector.

There's a few sections the book could have done without, like the chapter on record-setting auctions. It would've been great to balance it with a section on the most underrated coins, or the best bargains.

If you're interested in getting started, this book is for you. For anyone with experience, it's probably not appropriate.

For any of you who are interested in coin collecting, or if you happen to inherit somehow a collection of coins, this is the book for you! It is filled with information on how to take care of your coins, what to look for when purchasing, selling, trading or anything else regarding coins. The book is full of knowledge that is easy to comprehend. Buy it for youself or for your kids!

"Coin Collecting For Dummies" is a book both for the beginning and advanced collector (and coin investor)...it belongs in every coin collector's library! The adage "buy the book before you buy the coin(s)" applies to this excellent volume. The book is well written, easy to understand and covers everything the collector/investor should consider before, and while, collecting/investing. It is never to late to learn from the information in "Coin Collectring For Dummies"! Humor is sprinkled throughout the book which keeps information that is sometimes academic from being too dry. The beginning collector can easily feel that he is "on the wrong side of the table" (dealer versus collector) and the information in "Coin Collecting For Dummies" definitely "levels the playing field". The cost of this book is far less than the price of many coins...not reading this book will definitely "cost" the collector/investor with money ill spent! A must read!

Coin Collectors For Dummies is a paperback guide for beginning to intermediate coin collectors. With humour and style, author Guth explains numismatics, buying coins, choosing coins for your collections, U. S. coins, selling coins, and the part of tens containing the following: (1) the ten most valuable U. S. coins, (2) Guth's favorite ten U. S. coin designs, and (3) Guth's ten favorite web sites for the coin-collecting websurfer du jour.

Sprinkled with cartoons, black and white illustrations, homely tales and guides, Coin Collecting For Dummies is the quintessential user-friendly coin collector's guide. An added perk: many bits of fascinating coin history are introduced, often in silvery-grey highlighted boxes. Coin Collecting For Dummies is a fascinating, entertaining, and educational collector's guide.

Nancy Lorraine, Reviewer

Guth is a great expositor on the hobby/obsession of coins and coin collecting. The history of U.S coinage is one of the most interesting storie in the world and deserves a wider audience. It also deserves a great book, a story to capture the imagination that would also capture the hearts of the readers. Alas, this book is not that creature. But it is a great guide for beginners or anyone interested in the notorious ins and outs (including trading, on-line dealers, honesty and prices) of coin collecting. The allure of the hobby (sport?) is captured in his infectious passion and the humorous tales bring the reader back down to Earth.

By all means purchase his new book, THE 100 GREATEST U.S. COINS (co-authored with Garrett), a coffee table work that redefines the notion of presentation. It is a gorgeous tome, with history, prices and best of all, incredibly beautiful photographs of these noteworthy coins. One is almost transported into the numismatic section of the Smithsonian by this book.

...be smarter and purchase something which at least contains helpful information. Unfortunately, I did waste my money on this book and found it totally unorganized and of very little practical help. I've been curious about many of these so-called "for Dummies" type of books. If this is an example of one, you could do much better by either contacting the American Numismatic Association (ANA) at their website at
<http://www.money.org/index.shtml> or a wonderful and little known website entitled: "Coin Facts" which is found at <http://coinfacts.com/>. The Coin Facts website is the best reference source I have found for coins----I've been collecting for over 25 years. Even better, the websites are free to browse and print from. In addition, every state in the US has a state coin association and they always love to help folks---especially young persons. I've found great enjoyment not only in coin collecting but MEETING the many interesting folks who engage in this endeavor. You don't need to purchase any book which denigrates the reader even in its title--especialy when it gives such poor and disorganized material.

I intended audience for this book is people getting into the hobby of coin collecting. As such, it covers a lot of ground in about 400 pages. It is written to be interesting, engaging, fun and informative. It accomplishes these tasks and gives anyone a good grounding in coin collecting. While there are other books I would get a along with this one, this is a wonderful place to start for people of all ages.

This is a great book to read - even for non-coin collectors. The historical data is fascinating. Well written, good touches of humor - informative and educational. I think it's appropriate for anyone from beginning to experienced collectors and just about anyone who's interested in money.

This is a good book for young or beginning coin collectors. It is also a great tool for any coin collector to refer from time to time. The description of the book is accurate. Everybody has to start somewhere in their hobby of choice, and this is a great way to learn more about many different aspects of numismatics.

Ron Guth is an apt and affable guide whose knowledge and love of his subject shine through on every page. He does a good job explaining how coin collecting works, how to get started, how to know the value of coins, and how to acquire them. He also gives much of the history, folklore, and facts behind coins, particularly U.S. coins. I would have liked to have read a bit more about U.S. currency (paper money) and a bit more about non-U.S. collecting; But that's really a testament to how much I enjoyed Guth's writing. I would highly recommend this book to any beginning-to-intermediate collector of coins.