MancFrank's Chump - Change Challenge

[GateGateGo]

Inspired by Nons' thread & given my lazy nature, I thought I'd start a thread to showcase my low - rent acquisitions, rather than post each separately. Feel free to stick yer own stuff here too - only rule is less than £30 cost for each item (don't wanna get jealous now, do I?  ). Hopefully, I'll get to learn summat & y'all can critique my purchasing acumen, too.

First up, 1945 Half Crown - fiver delivered - gVF / nEF?  

 

[GateGateGo]

1929 Half Crown - £14.50 delivered - nEF?

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1946 Half Crown - £12 delivered inc Florin, Shillings & Sixpence) really pleased with this (and its companions - will photo 'em later). UNC?

 

[Stuntman]

The most important question is are you happy with all of them?  

Some might say you've overpaid slightly for the first two, but if you like them I wouldn't worry.  I agree with you about the 1946 coin(s) - as I said in your other thread!

I haven't posted any photos on the forum yet, mainly because my photography skills are very poor in comparison to the high standards here.  But one day, one day...

[GateGateGo]

Yes, I'm happy so far - everything has been as expected (or better) on arrival. As for price / value, all I have to go off is what seems to be happening in 'the market' generally (and specifically, for these, Ebay) & having seen coins of similar and in some cases, lesser quality go for more, I don't think I can grumble.

Damn books haven't turned up as yet - and nor, for that matter, have my two Vickie Half Crowns.

I don't claim to have any particular skills behind the lens of a camera (and these are camera 'phone shots, remember!) but I think they pass muster. Give it a try - you might surprise yourself  Higher res shots of my stuff may be found here, should anyone wish to take a peek:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/128616359@N08/with/23586349803/

[Paulus]

Hi Frank, yes I am keen to see higher res pics, but Flickr appears to be down (from your link) at the moment

[GateGateGo]

Try again, Paul - seems okay now.

[GateGateGo]

1900 Half Crown (at last!) - £16 delivered - much nicer than the dull photos provided by the seller suggest - inclined to give this a slightly bold VF.

[GateGateGo]

1936 Half Crown - £5.50 delivered - n/aEF?

 

[Nonmortuus]

Hi Frank, it looks like you have caught buyeverythingasitus. I really, really suffered with it when I first started collecting (and still do now to a degree), sorry it seems to be contagious!

I pretty much did as you are now, bought things I liked and tried to get my head around the grading. It helped for sure but I also feel I probably did not spend my funds as wisely as I could. Going to the monthly coin fair has helped a lot as you get to see so many different coins in all grades and prices brackets.

I am still way way off all of the experts on here and still make plenty of mistakes but as I posted when you joined it really is worth saving the £10/£15 buys unless you find a cracker that others have missed and go for some higher grade (EF) stuff. I have stuff I bought early on that I really liked at the time but have found myself wanting to upgrade it. Also what I considered EF has changed as time has gone on. I see coins on some of the facebook groups I would have bid on in the past that I know just let them go by.

People like Paulus, Coinary, Rob (and all the others that hae offered my advice so far!) are all really helpful so do not be afraid to get opinions on stuff before you buy.

It looks like you have made a nice start to your collection but once you get a really nice gEF to Unc coin in your collection you will want more like them Keep the pics rolling in!

[GateGateGo]

Hi, Nons.

I agree entirely - well, my 'itchy finger' was never gonna allow me to avoid 'the contagion' really, was it?  

I'm genuinely happy with what I've bought thus far but readily accept that my opinions on what constitutes a wise purchase will not be the same twelve months hence (been here before - sorta - some time ago, I'd have been happy with a mid '70s Greco EG 450 Les Paul - a - like. Now, nothing less than at least a '78 - '80 Tokai LS80 will do!). I know that we're in 'silly season' on Ebay right now, but what I've tried to do thus far, is go for coins that 'float my boat' whilst also allowing for a (small) profit if & when I flip 'em. That might seem cynical to some, but money's money, & I like my hobbies to be as close to self - funding as possible

For now, I'm having a great time just buying stuff with more intrinsic interest than bullion bars & coins and learning as I go.

[bagerap]

I like buying in January Frank, there is less competition over most price levels. Even so, the first week of the new year has been better than usual for me, buying mainly tokens at prices I could only dream of in summer. I'm rather partial to your vicky half crown, and it probably won't owe you much ( if anything) when you come to move it on.

[Mr T]

Agreed about the 1900 half crown - if I got one in that condition for that price I'd be pretty happy.

[GateGateGo]

Hi Bagerap, Mr T

Glad you like - it has good lustre and tone 'in the hand' - first one I actually bought, too - largely on impulse! It's fair to say that everything I've bagged so far looks far better than my photos would suggest - I need to work on my technique, that's for sure.

Ebay is a funny 'ole place - I've seen coins that even this rank newbie wouldn't touch go for seemingly ludicrous sums but there are good buys to be had, too. I'm afraid I had a minor slip and crossed once more into 'the dark side' this evening & bagged a nice looking, PR69DCAM 2008 silver Brit...

[Mr T]

6 hours ago, MancFrank said:

Ebay is a funny 'ole place - I've seen coins that even this rank newbie wouldn't touch go for seemingly ludicrous sums but there are good buys to be had, too.

It sure is - I find ebay Austrlia to be a pretty mediocre place to buy Australian coins, but a decent place to buy world coins, yet every so often there's some quality Australian stuff listed too.

[Nordle11]

Is the CAM part the same as the CAC service?

[GateGateGo]

There are often bargains to be found well hidden on distant shores, Mr T.

Oddly, Aus is one of the few places I've never bought anything from - which is odd, considering there's a fair bit of MIJ guitar - shaped goodness lurking (although not usually on ebay). Plus, exchange rates are favourable, too - guess not so much for you, huh?

That DCAM signifier is just the PCGS contraction of 'deep cameo', Nordle. I'd certainly class quite a few of my bullion Brits as cac(k), though

[Nordle11]

Thanks for the info! 

[Mr T]

8 hours ago, MancFrank said:

Plus, exchange rates are favourable, too - guess not so much for you, huh?

I don't want to talk about it!

[GateGateGo]

6 minutes ago, Mr T said:

I don't want to talk about it!

I'm sure I'll get my comeuppance for pointing that out. Not least because the gimp I scored that 2008 Brit off has sent it via Herpes - I mean 'Hermes' (it's a job creation scheme for the terminally fu*k - witted masquerading as a courier co).

I'll probably find it smashed & corroded 'delivered' behind one of my bins in 2019...

[Mr T]

It's all good - generally I don't buy from overseas because I don't like the wait more than anything. I've mostly bought books from the UK this year anyway and the were books which were always going to be slightly pricey anyway...

[GateGateGo]

Speaking of books, mine still haven't turned up! 

I'd imagine coins should be pretty speedy from overseas if the correct (ie, not Hermes!) delivery method is chosen - s'pose I'll find out soon enough. Also, I'd hope they'd be small enough to sneak under customs' radar - not that I condone dodging duties / taxes, mind  

Dunno what it's like over there, but being as guitars are pretty hard to package unobtrusively, I get clobbered with horrendous fees any time something arrives from outside the E.U.

[Mr T]

Yes the last few things were surprisingly fast.

As far as I know there are no import duties or fees in Australia (though I think it's being discussed for items worth over $1000).

[GateGateGo]

Lucky, that. Even if they introduce import duties, you'll still get off lightly. Here, it's 20% duty plus sundry other fees on anything over about thirty quid - including the bloody carriage charge!

* Insert sweary tirade of your choice *

Mind you, I've had an expensive enough couple of days without importing anything - I have more than that silver Brit inbound (would've been cheaper to just go to the pub, damn you, dry month...).

[Nordle11]

You don't get the hit every time though, more often than not they'll apply the import, duty etc but I've had a couple come through sans mark-up. 

Here in Spain, anything outside of Europe gets diverted to the customs office, regardless of price, and then they make you fill out multiple forms and webpages before telling you that the forms haven't been received or that the web sites are not working or a plethora of other problems. I've been stung twice like this so anything of value I get sent home to the UK and get it forwarded to me over here. The postal system here is a crock of sh!*e.