Online Forums a Good Resource for Collectors

Most of you have heard the words “Read the book before you buy the coin” before. Let me be so bold as to update that perfectly good advice here. I suggest you join several numismatic chat forums on the internet while you read the book before buying the coin.

I suspect that very few of you reading this have joined the internet forums. Because of that, you are missing out on what I have come to think of as one of the most important “roads” to a well-rounded numismatic education. I first became aware of internet forums at Numismatic Guaranty Company when I saw my friend Dave Lange constantly on his computer writing something in a chat room. Unfortunately for me, it took over another decade more for me to join a forum. That’s when I realized what I had been missing.

The internet is your friend. It is available around the clock and connects with folks all over the world. However, there are pitfalls. You will soon discover that all types of personalities post. Obviously, you will connect with folks with personal opinions showing all levels of knowledge and skill on any subject they post about. Additionally, for many of us, communicating only in writing may lead to misunderstandings and confusion that can disrupt a meaningful discussion. Over time, what is said, how it is said, and who is posting the information will help you determine the general tone and usefulness of each forum and each member. Unfortunately, I know most of the top numismatists in the country are either too busy (life is short), do not wish to interact on the forums, or do not wish to be bothered by uninformed members who wish to argue about what they have been told rather than ask more questions that would lead them to an answer.

I am still no expert on chat rooms. From what I see, there are specialized forums devoted to specific coin series. VAM World, which deals with Morgan and Peace silver dollars, is an example of one of these. There are other major forums that try to cover all the interests. Their sites are divided into sub-forums such as ancient coins, world coins, errors, etc. If you decide to monitor (it’s called “lurking”) the forums, you will find that some of them are virtually dead with little or no traffic (I will not name a major one), while other groups could keep you busy posting every minute of the day. I have been a member of several forums over the years, long enough to have been banned from posting on a few. Now, when I read some of the posts and requests for information on a forum that I and many of my peers have been banned from answering, I consider it to be a loss for the members that remain active on that site.

I recommend you join all of the forums and carefully follow their rules so you do not get banned. They are free to join. You can read them without joining, but you will miss out on the full experience if you cannot ask questions. Anyway, after a short period of time, you’ll discover which of the numismatic forums best fill your needs. In my opinion, one is best for ancient collectors, while another is excellent for information about foreign coins and their authenticity. Each internet forum can count a number of well-known dealers and numismatists posting.

The three online groups I recommend you start with are Coin Talk Forum, Collectors Universe, and Coin Community Forum. Hopefully, some of you will read my suggestion here and join the forums. Remember to play nice. I post using the name “Insider.”

F. Michael Fazzari writes Making the Grade and Facts About Fakes for Numismatic News.

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