Customer Reviews

The Expert's Guide to Collecting & Investing in Rare Coins: Secrets Of Success

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I read "Gold Rush: How to Collect, Invest & Profit With Gold Coins" by Mitch Battino and Arlyn Sieber (see my review of that book) prior to reading this book by Q. David Bowers. I'm glad I did because while the Gold Rush book was a very big disappointment, it made me realize just how truly good Mr. Bowers book is.

I have to be honest, coin books are generally NOT books that you read from beginning to end and find that you can't put down. This book is an exception - I couldn't put it down and I read the entire book from beginning to end.

Although I've been collecting for years, one thing I enjoyed about this book was that some of those obscure numismatic terms that other authors assume you know, Mr. Bowers will stop and take a sentence or two to explain the term. I really appreciated that.

Plus, where the Gold Rush book failed in the "How to Collect, Invest, and Profit," this book did an excellent job of showing how to do just that. It is not a price guide with outdated prices. It is an excellent reference guide with information that will never get old. This book will still be great 10 years from now.

This book has excellent chapters with hands-on advise and great stories to help explain coin market cycles, determining coin prices and value (not a list of coin prices like other books but goes into things like grading, rarity, and demand), history of the coin market and predicting the rare coin market, techniques for buying and selling, and chapters on collecting advise for everything from gold coins, commemorative coins, to paper money and tokens and medals. The only thing I would point out as that this book sticks to the U.S. rare coin market and does not discuss World coins.

I own more than a few coin books and this book has shot up to the top of my list as the "must have" book. Whether you are a new or experienced collector or investor (aren't we all really both), you will enjoy and profit from this book.

In the future, when I'm asked by new collectors what is a good book to get, this will be the book I recommend.

This is a must have book for all coin collectors. It discusses the difference between investors and collectors and how one can become the best of both worlds, a COLLECTOR/investor. A wise collector can result in one becoming an investor as an after thought. The book is loaded with coin-related information that is too much to mention here but all valuable. The book has the history of the US instilled as part of the coin information. This is a book hard to put down. I have read many "coin-related" books but seldom find one interesting and informative enought (at least for me, to see my way thru from cover to cover. This book is a rare exception. BUY!

This is the best "general information" book about US coins I have ever read. As usual with Mr. Bowers`s books, it is well written, higly readable and full of useful information. It is not to replace a handfull of notable numismatics books (Green's encyclopaedia, Ruddy's Photograde, etc.)- it shows you what American numismatics is like - and you are ready to consult and read the classics. Truly a wonderful book, much more than tells the title.

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"The Expert's Guide to Collecting & Investing in Rare Coins" is definitely worth reading. It is autobiographical and contains the secrets of his 60 years of success as collector, investor, numismatist, grader, dealer, auctioneer, ANA board member, and author.

Cramming six decades of numismatic life experiences into a single book is tough, requiring mental and spiritual strength. Doing this in a comprehensive, coherent and organized manner is unquestionably a laborious, taxing, onerous, and difficult task. Such a demanding project could only be achieved by the formidable Q. David Bower.

Mr. Bower is one of the most prolific numismatic writers of all time, he has written over 30 books and numerous articles and columns.This is by far the most important of his works and possibly the best ever, the quality of information & wide-ranging content makes it the cream of the crop, flower of the flock, pick of the bunch --whatever you want to call it.

It is full of valuable expertise, candid story telling, dealer & auctioneer trade secrets, smart buying and selling techniques and recommendations, and detailed descriptions of every US coin by type, complete with a close focus on: Rarity, Grading, Quality, and Value of coins. It also includes his recommendations and insights on Conferences, Life & Internet Auctions, Library, Protection and Conservation of Coins, Tokens, Medals, and Paper Money.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I Recommend this Book.

See my other reviews.



Official A.N.A. Grading Standards for United States Coins
High Profits from Rare Coin Investment
A California Gold Rush history: Featuring the treasure from the S.S. Central America : a source book for the Gold Rush historian and numismatist
A Guide Book Of Us Morgan Silver Dollars: A Complete History and Price Guide (Official Red Book) (Official Red Book)
The History of United States Coinage
The United States Gold Coin Collection
Silver Dollars and Trade Dollars of the United States: A Complete Encyclopedia
The Numismatist's Bedside Companion (The Numismatist's Companion Series)
A Guide Book of Modern United States Proof Coin Sets: A Complete History and Price Guide (Official Red Book)
The Inside Story Of The State Quarters (Official Whitman Guidebook)
A Guide Book of U.S. Commemorative Coins (The Official Red Book)
Coin Dealer Newsletter: A Study in Rare Coin Price Performances
American Coin Treasures & Hoards
Recollections of a Mint Director

Very informative, well written guide in investing in coins. The author possesses unquestionable authority on the subject and has a remarkably well-honed ability to write on an academic topic in an exciting manner. He is sharp-witted and enjoyable. The book is very complete and most importantly - relevant and timely. If you wish to invest and collect coins this is a must have guide.

This book is a tome of valuable and perhaps profitable information!!!
The best thing about this book is its layout. I read the book pretty much cover to cover, but the great thing is that after you have finished the book you can go back and find specific things very easily! I recently started investing in proof coins and wanted to brush up on some of the finer points. In this book it is simple to find a specific topic and read until your heart's content.
The depth of this book is also astounding, Mr. Bowers has so much experience and his command of the history of coins is amazing. If you want to expand your knowledge of coins, this book will open a flood gate of information!
The only downside is that I do not think that this is a book for a beginner in the field. It will overwhelm them with it's sheer size and depth of information. A Red book is a good starting place.
Thank you Mr. Bowers for a book that I will read for a VERY long time to come!

I purchased this book for my ex husband as I know he is interested in coins. Not knowing what I was buying - I chose this book as it looked interesting and had "expert's guide" in it.
When my ex got the book - he called and asked me if I knew about the author and I said no. He told me that the author is one that he follows as he (the author) is very knowledgeable about coins and Morgan dollars. He was impressed with my choice.
He didn't have this book so it was a win win situation!

This reference book offers general history on various rare coins. It also offers some tips on how to find the best deal and sell for maximum profit. Overall, I would say that this book is more leaning towards the historical aspect of rare coins. So if you are interested in finding out the history behind each coin, this is the book for you.

I WISH I HAD DAVID.BOWERS AS A NEIGHBOUR. I'VE READ ABOUT 30 DIFFERENT BOOKS ON RARE COINS FROM COLLECTING TO INVESTING AND THIS IS BY FAR THE BEST!

Mr. Bowers Does it again... This is at least his Fourth iteration on this subject; "Collecting rare coins for profit-1975";"Common Sense Coin Investment: A Revealing Look at Profitable Coin Investment Opportunities-1982";and "A Buyer's Guide to the Rare Coin Market- 1992" and they have all been good and well worth reading, but this one is by far the best! From the basics and common sense, to deep insights gleened from over 60 years in the business, Mr. Bowers puts it all together and presents it in a well organized and very readable format the invites..., No encourages you to read from cover to cover (even if you don't collect colonial coppers or Broken bank notes) In all an outstanding and very readable reference!