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        by Published on 07-28-2011 12:32 AM
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        I thought it would be very interesting to see just how rare sample slabs actually are. Anyone who collects anything desires to know the rarity of what they collect, and that number helps to determine the values.

        Often, this isn't a problem, but with Sample Slabs it's difficult to determine their populations, and many questions need to be asked and answered. In my search for the facts, the following questions came to mind:


        Do TPG companies keep a population report on just how many Sample Slabs they produce?

        Are the older Sample Slabs becoming much more expensive to buy since they’re more rare?

        Are the common samples going to become more difficult to attain at the rate they are selling, since they’re not common when it comes to what we think of as a common collectible?


        These are just a few of many questions I think that collectors may be asking. From what I see on the auction sites, the number of collectors seems to be growing as are the prices of samples.

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        by Published on 10-13-2010 01:17 PM
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        The price of Gold is SOOOO high, silver is at a 30 year high. I do think both metals will go higher in the next few months, maybe even for the next year. No one knows for sure, at least no one I know. silver seems low under $30 but who knows?

        What I have seen and what I hear often at my store and at shows from many (not all) people is that they feel gold and silver will just keep going up and up. And they like this. They are buying metals because they just keep going up. But remember "What goes up, must come down!"

        I have been writing articles for MSNS (Michigan State Numismatic Soc.) for a few years now. I gear these articles towards COLLECTORS, not investors. I would rather deal with collectors buying $10 coins than the "high rollers". Below is an article I wrote for the MichMatist in the fall of 2009. READ it, and think about taking my advice, you will have fun and enjoy the HOBBY, leave gold and silver investing to the high rollers for now.

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        by Published on 10-12-2010 04:37 PM  Number of Views: 7794 

        I posted this a few years ago on another forum; some here may recall...

        "Thanks but NO THANKS..."

        Thanks, but -- "No Thanks" is what I say to Third Party Grading (TPG) companies. I learned to collect coins the old fashioned way, by going thru piles of change ...
        by Published on 06-25-2010 07:14 PM
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        This is a topic I wrote last summer as a post on the CT forum about the Morgan Dollar. There have been quite a few people say very nice things about it, so I thought I would post it here as well so this community could read it. I hope you find it useful.

        Many times I have logged on
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        by Published on 05-26-2010 11:26 AM

        BARBER $1/2 SLEEPERS

        By Frank Colletti

        April 25, 2010

         
        It is difficult to make a list of Barber half dollar sleepers. The simple reason is that most of the series is still asleep. Walking Liberty half dollars, Bust half dollars, even Seated half ...