Russian Coins Showcase Catalogue for Coins from Private Collections World-Wide

[extant4cell]

There was a lot of interest, that came up in criticism of fakes project that is now running and supported by Steve. This interest is in having an image database for normal collectible, real Russian coins (regular production and Novodels). People were saying something along the lines: "Why even bother building fakes image data-base when we don't have an image data-base for real coins!"...

I sort of understand now, why it hasn't been done. I would anticipate some resistance there from dealers and collectors of catalogs , as that would be conflicting with their business / collection interests, so one needs to think how to approach this, being careful not to disturb the balance, as that would be the least thing that I would want to do. It's about making as many people happy, not sad or angry. Steve, you have the technology for this now, how would you approach this, if you were interested in doing this, so, as Russian proverb goes, it keeps wolves - fed and chickens - safe?

I'll share my business idea and my thoughts on this, and even have a proposition for Steve.

How about becoming a publisher of an annual and a master world collectors virtual and printed catalog!?

As with any business you need to set up the rules that will drive it. Let's say, "no auction or printed materials pictures allowed, use only personally taken pictures from your own collection coins in a highest possible grade for that particular type/variety/rarity of the coin. Everyone can submit as many images as they like, given that they pay $1 per submitted image in order for us to process. Submitting an image of agreed quality guaranties it's insertion into the annual virtual catalog, and it's consideration, as it will be editor's choice, into the printed catalog. Once inserted into the virtual catalog, the image is becoming a shared property of the owner and of the catalog publisher".

The virtual catalog can be published in a similar way as the fakes image data-base. It should be easy to keep the annual copies and a master catalog.

That will make it a slower process, more involved for the admin, but more interesting for collectors who would be able to leave an electronic imprint from their coins in this catalog, adding some worthiness to their coins, if they haven't done so in the past catalogs, without the need to sell their coins! This would still keep the need for old catalogs as supportive materials with pictures from the past that may prove authenticity of the coins in hands, and auction sites for the same matter.

I would do these catalogs annually, keeping electronic copies for viewing / reference, and actually printing them at the end of the year with reference to the owner (it can be a real name or their selected nick name), and start a new catalog at the beginning of the next.

The best coins from all years can be entered into the master catalog with reference to the owner, until replaced with better examples. That way, instead of damaging the catalog business, we can bring something new into this business, satisfying the need for collectible virtual coins catalog and actually printing our own catalogs!

I would be interested in driving this project with you, particularly that it may potentially bring in some money that I could use for my collection. It's not an altruistic project, if the $ sign not attached to it it would be very short lived and unfinished as we can see in many examples.

In the future, it may even turn out into a new venture of setting up an additional branch and start auctioning the coins somehow, or doing private collection catalogs for people's collections if there will be interest, possibly even combining a few collections to make it more interesting...

 

I think you need to be in partnership with someone in order to keep the drive. I know, that if I start something like this just by myself, there is a chance that the drive may pass, when you have a partner it's a lot easier as partners push each other a little, and some financial remuneration helps to keep that drive too. It won't be much money, but just enough to keep going. Would you be interested?

It would be interesting what everyone thinks about this idea? Do you think this may work? Do you have any other interesting ideas?

[rsraghead]

There is enough interest in Russian coins that I dont see any reason it wouldnt work for yall.

[one-kuna]

put my 2 kopeks in: this project is interesting however there are so many catalogs right now and few data bases on the market that one more as you propose will not make any difference in all, IMXO

[gxseries]

My advice is, when there's $ involved, it becomes ugly very very quickly.

[STEVE MOULDING]

Hi Eugene - I'll start by saying the idea is certainly interesting and I think is different from the online catalogs that currently exist. It's a collective showcase (as you said) of the best coins in personal collections around the world....not for people to go and look up examples and sales prices. That's good because as kuna said, there's plenty of that already.

 

So it might be different enough from existing online resources. For showcasing collections I'd point out that the massive SNG series for Greek coins all started with some guy in England putting together his collection into a book (nothing new...there were already plenty of other examples of printed personal collections...Weber for example) but it took off in a big way and now many institutional collections around the world have their own SNG volume(s). It's a huge and amazing reference and a lot of it is online now. You get that done in Russian numismatics and you'd really have something!

 

In this case, you're appealing to collectors who'd actually pay to get their coins into a collective online volume. I think it really would be a hard sell the first year. My standard test of viability (at least from my perspective) is: if I was approached now would I do it?...would I pay to have my coins put in a new online resource somewhere? Probably not. If the catalog already exists and is well known and I have the chance to get one of my coins in there...that could be different. Until then, from a business perspective, it would be a struggle to overcome arguments from the 'it already exists why do we need it' folks, and the knee-jerk 'it should all be free...everything should be free' people (and I like free stuff as much as the next guy, but there are real world costs and constraints we all have to live with). So...I guess if it's built and there's a real value proposition for collectors, there might be a chance for it to work. But it would not be easy and I wouldn't count on making any money any time soon?

 

My 2 drachmas.

 

[rsraghead]

I think it will work. Seeing what otherd have tends to make you work harder at getting your own

[STEVE MOULDING]

So, would you pay to list your coins? If yes, why? If not...why not?

 

[rsraghead]

If involved iñ a store, yes. People veiwing the quality of my collection would speak volumes as to my knowledge of the coins I sold.

As a member of a club, yes. It is my opinion that people as a whole like to be affiliated with high standards of greatness.

If I had a substantial collection I would look for any place to show it off. Compared to the cost of thr coins, the cost of having them published would be negligible.

As a novice collector no. Not enough high quality coins.

[rsraghead]

I hope I answered your question.

I beleive if pricing was rated on the number of coins used that even some novices have coins they are proud enough of to pay a nominal fee to have posted in print side by side with the great collections

[squirrel]

as usual, I am confused.

 

How is this different than omnicoin?

[rsraghead]

They were also considering a once a year printed book

[extant4cell]

Hi guys! I am playing around with a database that I discovered yesterday morning and that exited me enough to submerge myself in it completely, withdrawing from communication. Steve's fakes database that we worked on, really gave me a bit of a "gold rush" rush... (in a good sense). Now, that's great response and great questions. For the last 24 hours all I've been doing in my thinking space, was thinking about how it may work. That's what I think:

 

It would be a database of some handpicked quality examples of coins that would cover all periods, not necessarily all variants (there are specific printed catalogs for this, like this one: http://coins.su/forum/index.php?showtopic=102869&hl= for example, that Michael just printed for 2 kopecks, it has great responses, and that I just ordered from him for $40. I remember when he just started his obsession in 2009). No need to replace the catalogs. And as you see not everything is free. I don't mind to pay for someone's hard work and for persistence, particularly when it is in the end a high quality product. Another example is Sincona 7. I paid for it good money (after sale) and love it. Yes, I hate to part with my hard earned "roubles", in a month I forget about it though, but love what I got in return. That's human nature I guess. And I know that I would love to see my own coins in some sort of quality publication. I keep catalogs where my coins left a trace. Only wished there were more or those.

 

One thing I can promise, is that I will not favor any on my coins over anyone else's. That would defeat the purpose. Anyhow, one thing is to talk about it, another to see... Let's see what happens. Hope to show you an example really soon.

[rsraghead]

I'm looking forward to it.

[extant4cell]

Surprise, surprise... I introduced the idea on CFN (Russian forum) and it was shot down by those, who usually shoot ideas that don't come from them or with their blessing... Didn't expect anything else... They want me to pay them for images of their coins... As it's not going to happen, I'll let them be for a while.

 

Here is an example from the data-base, I have created "free" account, so unfortunately I have not discovered the way to publish it for public view. If I can not do that, I'll look for other platforms, or would have to pay. One other thing, this platform converts Russian text into jibrish after first edit manipulation. So may have to look for a platform that supports both. Any suggestions?

 

 

[rsraghead]

I hope you find a way around that 1.

I dont speak Russian or jiberish! LOL!!!!!!!

[extant4cell]

Here is another one to try.

 

Database of coins

 

https://MyTaskHelper.ru/apps/aqVy9BlivjCQjdbMucQ1BN/widgets/bVIhqvJfjdDl8TjJxAy-vd?view=bVIhqvJfjdDl8TjJxAy-vdMake sure you try to use "Поиск" (search), "Фильтрация" (Filtering) and "Группировка" (grouping together). Although I need more entries there, but you can get an idea.

 

 

Coin Entry Form

 

https://mytaskhelper.ru/widgets/aqVy9BlivjCQjdbMucQ1BN/bVIhqvJfjdDl8TjJxAy-vd

[rsraghead]

I like that one

[extant4cell]

I guess it's a basic data-base to keep your collection in order. Very similar to Excell spreadsheet, only on line and with better filtering system... It can be utilized in different ways. Steve and all, thank you for your insiteful comments. I am not so much about making money. Have my job for that. This is a hobby, and I'd like to keep it that way. I think I found a way I may be able to host the data-base now without costing me a leg and an arm, and I may just pay for it myself, so the original idea is off the table. I'll get back to you in a new topic on this, once I am ready. Cheers!

[STEVE MOULDING]

...Steve and all, thank you...

anytime.

 

The taskhelper site looks nice; easy to use! I like the "click a column" to sort. One thing...yesterday when I clicked on a coin in the gallery view it made an enlargement. Today that doesn't seem to work anymore?? (or maybe I was on the single coin page when I did this? ...though now there doesn't look like any way to get to single-coin view??)

 

Steve

[extant4cell]

Hi Steve, I switched off the enlargement for the moment, experimenting with options. I don't like that it opens in a different page. Need to figure out what to do with this, I like when it is enlarged in the same window on the top of the page, but will need to figure out how to do that. It's all working moments that I'll get to as the time goes by. I paid for the database service a year ahead now and will start working on it. The database is in the early stage of development and I am planing to rebuild it in a bit different way, including more info. I don't want to rush with it, as it won't be easy to change the form options once many entries are made. Give me a little bit of time. I am also working on a web page at the moment where this database will be incorporated into. I'll show it to you in a week time, once it's up and running.

[robtgossard]

Guess there is nothing that can match the feel of the coin in your hand and perhaps that’s why there hasn’t been a compelling demand for such a catalog. True people have been buying and selling coins on eBay, and companies have been making a catalog of coins and offering them as mobile apps, there still remains a gap which is, as I see, more of a ‘will’ issue than a ‘skill’ issue.

[extant4cell]

first two of VKGM tables of Paul I coins are entered.

https://mytaskhelper.ru/apps/aqVy9BlivjCQjdbMucQ1BN/widgets/bVIhqvJfjdDl8TjJxAy-vd?view=bVIhqvJfjdDl8TjJxAy-vd

Login: Russian

password: coins

[rsraghead]

I like it, but am really unfamiliar with the 1796's. But I love how easy it is, the 1797's are great