Rob

So what do you use to open png, tif, gif and bmp files? I can't remember what Baldwins used (png?).

I'm not that desperate. There is life outside of coins and eBay................ quite a lot, in fact. Rest assured that if something ticked an important box I would not miss it. It's really more about things that I can see a profit in.

I'm my own worst enemy. Missed a couple dozen bids so far over the holiday period because the reminder comes in 6 or 7 hours before it ends, meaning I've forgotten all about it by the time it is due. A few bargains missed for certain, but, c'est la vie.

.rar is a file type rather like a .zip archive - it holds compressed versions of files which then have to be uncompressed. If you're using Windows, I thought that .rar files were recognised? On my Mac I long ago downloaded a free utility (UnrarX) which uncompresses them. Maybe there is a Windows version too? Would there be any chance of having these various file extensions on a sticky (in useful references) that people can add to together with a solution to opening the files? Someone sent me an image with a psd(?) extension a while back, but neither I nor the windows program on my computer recognised it, so the image had to be binned. It wasn't the first unopenable file received as Baldwins also format their files in some unintelligible way. Obviously the problem is proprietary software, but nobody is going to buy every available program just to view an image which may not appear. Something along the lines of Adobe reader which allows you to read only would be useful.

Talking of bisons reminds me of the time a guy went fishing and caught a whale. No good though, no frame with it.

Another word of wisdom. Nobody is useless - They can always be used as a bad example.

Courtesy of my youngest. Proof that light travels faster than sound - Some people appear bright until they open their mouth.

You can pick them up quite cheaply in decent condition. It's very rare that examples sell for over £100 (Tim Everson's collection being the exception where the combination of the person who wrote the book coupled with some decent provenances pushed a few pieces very high), with VF to gVF examples appearing for tens of pounds. Like Peter, I would subscribe to the idea that although £2 for 4 is only the cost of a pint, for the cost of a round you could get something that you would want to keep long term.

Happy New Year everybody.

Silver isn't that dense. It's only 15% denser than copper and about same amount less dense than lead. Gold is a different matter being 80%+ denser than silver. Far more likely is copper or bronze with a silver dip.

Looks like he is a regular at the above establishment.

Part of the problem is that they are continually trying to portray a known figure, whose looks are already well known. If you are introducing something completely new there is no fixed image with which to compare. Comparing the above for example might lead you to say the 1999 sower was different, but acceptable/not based on individual artistic taste. Comparing with the original leaves the second one with a handicap. What would be more interesting would be a modern competent artistic rendition of a Picasso. i.e put on canvas what Picasso couldn't(?).

I agree Dave, trouble is they would f*ck it up! Look what the French have done to Roty's beautiful Sower It's a bit like replacing artistic competence with a join the dots book.

We're never going to agree on this. It's just a shame - to me - that the wider British public seems to have had its natural insularity reinforced over the decades by outsiders such as the egregious Rupert who promote xenophobia. For once, he is not the main culprit in my eyes. The seeds of anti-European rhetoric were sown long before he became the owner of the gutter press. It goes back to the decision to join the Common Market, which in a short time morphed into the European Union. That is not what people signed up to. At the moment we have a group of politicians that are self serving. The vast bulk of European citizens are nationals, not Europeans. The system cannot work until someone from Paris or Rome or wherever stands up and says that people elsewhere are being severely disadvantaged to the benefit of their home town/area/country(which should have been abolished by this point). It could even be argued that the same people in the best areas of the EU should be proactive in simultaneously lowering their own conditions whilst raising others'. It ain't going to work because nobody wants it.

As I see it, the EU forms a powerful enough block to over-rule our politicians, but has no interests in promoting the aims or desires of the British public. Everything is subservient to the self-promoting Euro-politician who have Europe-wide aspirations instead of national ones. Same species of animal, just a bigger version.

I'm only interested in a new issue if it was engraved by a new designer. Unfortunately the Olympic 50ps had 26 out of 29 designs by previous unknowns. If the new coins aren't by new designers, I don't need any examples - says he living in hope. I usually end up a year in arrears anyway before I find out who did the work.

Wonderful.

That doesn't explain why there are also J1 shillings with crosses in the field too. I've even seen the odd Chas 1 shilling with a cross, but generally speaking it ended with J1

She wouldn't dream of giving eBay listing fees. Free listings only for the missus with all expenses covered by the minimum acceptable price. Now, if it was possible to align eBay fees with the customer service provided by bypassing FVF and Paypoo fees.............

Thanks. I will experiment for the future.

I think the situation might have resolved itself. A bid has been placed by the person who was unable to do so in the past. I suspect it was possible all along as I haven't been able to change anything yet.

I'm soooooooooooo happy that all I require is an example which is at or near the top of those available (by my own assessment).

There are divergences in both directions.

Still doesn't explain why someone in Canada is allowed to bid on an item that is not permitted in the US. It can't be the not allowing international postage thing that's to blame as there is no box to tick and Canada is (and always has been) an international destination. Additionally, she successfully sold to a US buyer a month ago. I know why I can't be ar*ed with eBay any more.

Perhaps I should have said does it ring normally when compared with others?