PDA

View Full Version : Coppercoins and my involvement in coins going forward.



coppercoins
07-18-2013, 04:50 AM
I know some of you might be wondering just where I am with coins and such, and I have the answer.

Back in mid-2012 I retired from the scene, completely fed up with having a dream I would never realize and having piles of coins I would never go through. I got tired of the expectations that the public at-large had of me, and just threw my hands up in the air. Progress seemed impossible, any energy I had to put into it seemed futile. I was done, and had no plans to continue - ever.

In August I decided to shut down lincolncent.com because I could not keep up with the orders. I was down to only being able to fill orders and send out coins on the weekends, and this was causing problems, especially since some of the orders did not appear in my in-box, and I didn't have time to look into the code and figure out why. I was done with this too. Nobody around to help, no way to fix it, so call it quits.

In December I decided to sell off everything and get out of coins altogether. Nothing numismatic that I wanted in life was working out, I was bummed, and I was ready to get rid of it and lead a simple life. I started sorting through everything and realized there is MUCH more to the hoard I have than I thought. It's pretty massive. I never found the time to inventory all of it so it could be sold...so I still have all of it.

By May/June a couple of things had changed. I still had no interest in being in the numismatic limelight, and I still had no interest in receiving packages from anyone unless I bought the coins and they are mine. Requirements at my full-time job led me to HAVE to learn a new code base...and a long-time client of mine CANNOT find a replacement to maintain the website I built for him. Two and two went together, and I just cannot get away from being a programmer. but in studying this code, I could see in my mind's-eye a new coppercoins developing, so I decided to start writing.

Second thing is that I do believe that I will have good help a lot closer than I ever imagined. Things are turning up to look like I may eventually be able to redevelop coppercoins and redevelop the online store and get back in the business...and it's looking more realistic than ever before. I can say that I will never get back into accepting packages from people. I am done with that. But the website will eventually be redeveloped...a new book could be on the horizon...and things are looking bright in the future of coppercoins.com.

Just a few points of clarification:

1. As stated...I have retired from attributing coins - permanently. Please do not ask me.
2. I still will likely not be attending coin shows for at least the next three to five years, and a that it could be limited to Florida shows only.
3. I am working on a loose time schedule with coppercoins and have no expected completion date. Please do not ask when I expect to be done, and do not ask to view what I have completed. It will be published all at once.
4. IF - that is IF - I am going to publish a new book, I am on a loose time schedule with that too, and have NO expected completion date.
5. If lincolncent.com opens back up, it will be done right, and will be operated with much more care than before. Orders WILL go out the day after they are received. No exceptions (except for non-mail delivery days).

trails
07-18-2013, 04:58 AM
I am glad that you have re-thought things over. You are needed in numismatics, even if it is in a limited capacity.

BJ Neff

hasfam
07-18-2013, 05:15 AM
I sense you have a genuine peace about all this, which is very good. Your maturity in numismatics is probably not as important or even as noticeable than your maturity with numismatics in context with the rest of your life. It's not always about the knowledge, but the whole person. I will say I have a growing respect for you from the tiny little bit that I have gotten to know about you as a person over the years.

Scott99
07-18-2013, 06:11 AM
Glad to see you not giving it all up! Looking forward to what you have in the works. I think it's a smart idea to do this on a loose time frame as to not overwhelm yourself with expected completion dates.

coppercoins
07-18-2013, 06:22 AM
Bottom line is that things can change, circumstances can change, and people can change. With the circumstances before me at this point in my life, I would be stupid NOT to push for the dream I've had in my mind for the past 15 years. That dream is to write the benchmark numismatic website that all others would follow, and to have all the capability of that website at my fingertips so I could use it to keep track of my own collection of coins - and enjoy doing so.

Whether anyone else followed along has always bee on my mind, but has never been as important as doing my best to make what I have more complete and more understandable to anyone who follows me. "Legacy" has always been an important word in my vocabulary. I suppose that's why it burns me up to see people collect a hoard of junk and leave it behind with no notes or explanation as to why it's worth more to a bank than a collector.

The new website, when completed, will have tens of thousands of words of written content that the current site does not have, COMPLETE price guide and value analysis, a method where each subscriber can have complete information about their own collection at their fingertips, and links to social media so collectors can follow the daily continued development of the website for as long as Bob and I are available to continue the effort - hopefully for dozens of years into the future. THIS is what I want, and it's looking more realistic as I progress into "MVC" programming using PHP and CodeIgniter.

The structure - from a technical standpoint - of coppercoins has ALWAYS been very sloppy. Beginner mistakes everywhere, and a 'form' of writing code that makes the lack of full understanding I had in 2000-2001 of writing code in proper form blatantly obvious. Adding to that code or trying to edit it is futile. It's not worth the effort, so I am writing the site all over again from scratch, and will be able to complete more, and much faster than if I kept any of the old code alive.

So, to that end, I work a few hours a week on bringing out a new layout, new graphics, and new structure and code, which is why I might come here asking a few questions about what you would like to see - so I can plan my way of doing things around the needs of the collectors at large.

copperlover
07-18-2013, 06:53 AM
This is good news to collectors across the country. You have been really brutally honest about your goals and with that better results must come. Thanks for your work to date.

Lucien

admrose
07-18-2013, 07:26 AM
Glad to hear you've struck a balance that I still cannot find, and my marriage is worse off for it.

The numismatic community, especially Lincoln cent collectors/hunters, need an expert like you around. They've grown too few and far between these days and the future doesn't look particularly bright for our hobby. Lincoln cents are not a issue that most people decide to focus on due to their comparative lack of value when matched against older, discontinued issues. I'm glad you have chosen to study them and I have made use of your site many times for my variety hunting.

coppercoins
07-18-2013, 07:31 AM
You're welcome. Trying to work this on a deadline of any sort would be nothing more than stressful and impossible to keep. I just have to do what I can when I can, and when it's finished - I'll announce it.

Same thing for any book I might be coming out with. I have the desire, I have the contents in my head, but laying it out, gaining ad revenue, scheduling it for print, pre-selling it, and distributing it might be a whole nuther ball of wax entirely. I will definitely have to plan that carefully. One thing, though...I WILL NOT offer it for sale until it's at the printer and I expect delivery within a couple of months. There will be no pre-sales based on an idea.

mjakovich
07-18-2013, 07:38 AM
I am relitavely new here as a member but have read for a while, I found coppercoins through internet search as well as this and some others and have found them invaluable sources of information and answers.

Sometimes an enjoyable hobby starts to become a burdomsome job, the origonal mission lost. It is good to see after taking some time away you have found your way, after all a hobby(no matter how much of an obsession) is something that is done for one's own enjoyment and not making progress on your own things while helping others move foreward whith theirs is frustrating. I wish you well on your goals and look foreward to seeing what you come up with.

Dont mess with my happy!
Mike

BadThad
07-18-2013, 09:06 PM
Good to hear you're back and motivated! GOOD LUCK

acloco
07-21-2013, 09:25 PM
CopperCoins - you are torn between your passion and the rest of your life, which, after you have considered carefully, are all part of you. Welcome to the club.

Never say never. Never give up.

willbrooks
07-21-2013, 09:33 PM
Never say never. Never give up....

...and never surrender.
By Grabthar's hammer....
http://content8.flixster.com/photo/63/96/51/6396514_gal.jpg

simonm
07-21-2013, 09:42 PM
...and never surrender.
By Grabthar's hammer....
http://content8.flixster.com/photo/63/96/51/6396514_gal.jpg

...You shall be avenged! (Galaxy Quest is one of my faves.)

Great news, Chuck. Thanks for the update.