The Coin Collector's Survival Manual

Recently I had inherited a coin collection. Honestly, I basically knew very little about coin collecting. I found this book to be very informative, and very helpful in learning about this hobby. I like that Scott Travers writes in a no-nonsense style. He is easy to read, and better yet, easy to understand. I think he goes well to describe many aspects of coin collecting. I like that the book takes it time in telling you about the grading of coins, where to purchase coins, and better yet the pitfalls and traps inexperienced people may fall into. I like the many pictures throughout the book and found them instrumental in understanding about grading, and how to look at coins for any possible defects. I would recommend this book to the novice, as well as the more experienced coin collector. I think this book covers many aspects of coin collecting that everyone can gain knowledge from. This is definately the ideal book to pick up for someone who is interested in collecting coins.

OK, so I'm biased. I've known Scott Travers since he was a teenager, and I've worked professionally with him on a number of projects over the years, including this book. But I'm also a former consumer affairs reporter, former American Numismatic Association Consumer Education Committee Chair and a former member of the Board of Directors of the Better Business Bureau in Chicago. Yeah, I'm a big believer in consumer education and protection. That's exactly what Scott's new book provides: absolutely crucial information for anyone who wants to buy rare coins whether for future financial gain or just to make sure you're getting a good deal today. At the February 2006 Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo I watched and listened as an unsuspecting "collector" who purchased several gold coins in an online auction was crushed to learn from several reputable dealers that his "MS68" Saint Gaudens was only MS64 at best and worth thousands less than the $8,000 he paid for it. If he'd read Scott's chapters about grading and online auctions he would have saved money --and grief. Even if you don't buy five, six or seven-figure coins, this book will help save you or make you hundreds of dollars by knowing insiders' secrets about buying and selling even modestly priced coins. COINage Magazine's Senior Editor, Ed Reiter, called this new edition "...the gold standard for coin books on consumer protection and investment." I agree. -donn- Donn Pearlman (Affiliations given for identification purposes only)

Travers does a great job of bringing balance to this book. It includes everything from what kind of magnafying glass to buy, to buying rare gold and all things in between. I felt the most helpful sections were the detailed write-ups on grading (different services, methods, and evolution of) and how to spot artificial toning, counterfitting, and doctoring/cleaning. It also explains how not to get ripped off at coin shows and by con-artist dealers. I would recommend this for beginners, as well as intermediate coin collectors.

Scott Traver's has written a number of highly useful texts on coin collecting. His latest edition of the "Survival Manual" is no exception. It contains information on a variety of topics to help the collector make wise purchases and avoid being cheated. There is a heavy emphasis on grading and detecting counterfit coins and some extremely useful tips about ordering coins on the Internet and via mail order. This book gets a bit technical -- so truly beginning or novice collectors may find it a bit more complicated than they might be comfortable with. But anyone who does or is contemplating making any substantive investment in coins should read this text carefully. Overall, an excellent book and a fairly interesting read. A great gift for any serious coin collector !

This book is really designed to help the collector become a better more focused buyer and seller of coins. The information on the coin rip-off scemes including TV sales, modern coins promoted as 'rare', etc. can be hugely valuable to those who think they are investing in coins but will never recover their outlay. The warnings about altered, over graded, ond over promoted coins can save an unsuspecting buyer a great percentage of their budget. The writing style is easy to follow and personal and never preachy. Do not invest serious money in a single coin until you read this book.