Coin Collecting For Dummies (For Dummies (Sports & Hobbies)) (Paperback)

~ Neil S. Berman (Author), (Author)
Key Phrases: state quarters, draped bust, quarter eagle, United States, Seated Liberty, Double Eagle (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Can’t make heads or tails out of coin collecting? You need Coin Collecting For Dummies, 2^nd Edition, the treasure trove on information on numismatics. This hands-on guide escorts you through the world’s oldest hobby, helping you decide which type of coins you want to collect, keep your collection in mint condition, buy and sell coins on the Internet, find interesting coin shows to attend, and assemble and diversify a great collection.

The purpose of this fun, easy-to-access guide is to turn you into a world-class coin collector in as little time as possible. You’ll learn what coins can teach you about history and geography, develop organizational and observational skills, and learn to use analytical tools, all without event thinking about it. And you’ll learn the basics about ancient coins, U.S. coins, world coins, and the wild-and-wooly stuff that really gets your numismatic juices flowing. Discover how to:

• Start your collection correctly
• Evaluate coins using age, condition, rarity, and more
• Buy interesting coins without breaking the bank
• Locate rare and expensive coins
• Get savvy about avoiding fakes
• Get the whole family involved in your collection
• Develop a buying strategy
• Clean and handle coins safely
• Keep your collection secure at home and on the road
• Investigate tokens, medals, and miscellaneous coins
• Create complete collections of copper, nickel, silver, or gold U.S. coins

When it comes to numismatics, Coin Collecting For Dummies, 2^nd Edition is right on the money!

From the Back Cover

Covers the essentials of coin collecting at an affordable price

Spend wisely — and then keep your collection in mint condition

Can't make heads or tails of numismatics? Welcome to a treasure-trove of information on numismatics — or rather, coin collecting. This hands-on guide escorts you through the world's oldest hobby, covering topics such as how to decide which coins to collect, ways to protect them, buying andselling on the Internet, attending coin shows, to assembling and diversifying your collection.

Discover how to:

• Store your collection correctly

• Understand how age affects value

• Locate rare and expensive coins

• Get savvy with avoiding fakes

• Get kids or loved ones involved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 2 edition (January 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470222751
• ISBN-13: 978-0470222751
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #23,572 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Coin Collecting For Dummies, November 18, 2001

By	martin kaplan (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Coin Collecting for Dummies (Paperback)

"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!

54 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Be a dummy and waste your money, or..., April 12, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Coin Collecting for Dummies (Paperback)

...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.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Immensely Helpful Introduction, January 18, 2002

By	Mike Blaszczak (Mercer Island, WA, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Coin Collecting for Dummies (Paperback)

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.