Better yet, ipad or android tablet

[rasiel]

Developing coin software for smartphones would no doubt be useful but at the pace of adoption I think one might as well skip straight to tablets as the increased area make browsing a collection much less cumbersome. Still, one could design it to work across a variety of platforms to suit everyone.

A simple app approach would integrate an online coin software site to allow for offsite viewing and remote adding of photos and notes. This isn't very challenging. For example, on tantaluscoins.com you can post your collection one coin at a time and at the point you're ready simply create an export which downloads an entire mini-website to your computer. All this with zero coding skills from the user. You can then upload it to your device and have access to your coins. However, without a dedicated app this limits you to interacting one-way as you can't add or modify the content "on the fly".

If the main purpose is to look up coin values the main challenge is in keeping the database current with frequent updates. For the size of the potential market it sounds like a pretty risky investment. Aren't there sites that provide this info for free already?

Ras

[Peckris]

Developing coin software for smartphones would no doubt be useful but at the pace of adoption I think one might as well skip straight to tablets as the increased area make browsing a collection much less cumbersome. Still, one could design it to work across a variety of platforms to suit everyone.

A simple app approach would integrate an online coin software site to allow for offsite viewing and remote adding of photos and notes. This isn't very challenging. For example, on tantaluscoins.com you can post your collection one coin at a time and at the point you're ready simply create an export which downloads an entire mini-website to your computer. All this with zero coding skills from the user. You can then upload it to your device and have access to your coins. However, without a dedicated app this limits you to interacting one-way as you can't add or modify the content "on the fly".

If the main purpose is to look up coin values the main challenge is in keeping the database current with frequent updates. For the size of the potential market it sounds like a pretty risky investment. Aren't there sites that provide this info for free already?

Ras

As far as I know, not. There would be copyright issues for sure. Tony Clayton's site exists, but the values there are not the latest, current ones. It would be a good service, that's without doubt!, but it would have to be someone publishing their own researched coin prices / values to get around the copyright issues. Actually, I'd pay for a limited access to Spink's annual catalogue - let's say under £10 for the ability to look at up to 1,000 coin values. At the moment I get unlimited access for free at my local library!!

[ski]

i recently had an email from one of the usa slabbing/grading houses offering me an app for my iphone for access to their database. cant remember exactly now but it was something like £12 or £14 per month!!!!.

[Colin G.]

i recently had an email from one of the usa slabbing/grading houses offering me an app for my iphone for access to their database. cant remember exactly now but it was something like £12 or £14 per month!!!!.

The trouble is time and knowledge is money, and even whilst as a collector I try and offer information on farthings as part of my passion for the denomination, and will gladly help and support fellow collectors, I am also not naive enough to list my findings on rarities and my interpretation on prices, and I assume it is the same situation for other parties involved.

Why offer something for free when it takes real time and effort to update and you can get people to pay for it. It is getting the pricing right of such a prodcut that is the important part. Whilst such apps may be beneficial to a collector they also have to be beneficial to the person producing them

Edited October 18, 2011 by Colin G.

[TomGoodheart]

One of the most useful sites I have found is (was) CoinArchives where you could search and view archived auction data going back years.

Unfortunately they now charge and while the cost may be reasonable for an auction house or major dealer, I am not going (or able) to pay US$600 (443 €) a year for the pleasure.

For someone like me, while I take my collecting very seriously, the cost would need to be minimal to be attractive, whatever type of gadget (yes, I'm showing my age!) it's aimed at.

[ski]

i would agree with you colin....but £168 per annum is a lot compared to many other referances.

[Gollum]

I just asked them to make a coin collecting programme. I use their other ones for the music and films I have, it's ok once you work it out.

http://www.collectorz.com/

Edited December 17, 2011 by momo33