Types of Coin Collectors With Specialties

Those who collect coins are called coin collectors or numismatists. Are you an excellent numismatist? If it is so, you need to be more knowledgeable and authentic. There are many guys who love to collect the different coins which have good features.

These coins have the brilliant the historical record. However, right now you should be familiar with different coin collectors who feel free to store the hard collectibles to serve the different purposes. Coin keeping is very excellent hobby and you can spend several hours by observing coins which are designed with marvelous pictures, motifs, inscription and symbols.

• In the case of the most common coin collectors who visit different places for garnering beautiful coins just because of making fun, they collect coins in carefree mind without putting much pressure on the financial issue. At any point of time, a casual coin collector can start his hobby. If you are like minded, you can start now. There is no specific time range for beginning this hobby.

• At the same time, you need not pay much attention how to keep the coins in safe if your main object is to make fun by collecting different metal made coins. To be frank, common coin collectors like to find the old fashioned coins which are now useless and having no value in present scenario.

• The next category is the curious coin collector. This type of person always hankers after good and well designed monetary units in the shapes of coins for satisfying the curiosity. If you are fallen under this category, you must follow the guidelines to get the cost effective and brilliant coins of different ages.

• You will have carefree mind to buy these hard currencies from different coin shops. You will have no obligation to spend money to purchase these solid metal collectibles if these are less expensive. You will be computer savvy and you will log at the different sites to pull up the information regarding the originality of these collectibles.

Without any specific reason you will buy coins if you are fallen under this group of coin collectors. Eventually, suppose you are an advanced coin collector and you have the wish to keep coins with much protection. You must own up the responsibility to search extensively in the internet or in the open market to find the best quality coins which will be magnificent and glamorous in design.

The coins belonging to the specific period will be much attractive to you if you are an advanced coin preserver. Coin preservation should be conducted with much care. You need to take the special measures to place the gold or silver coins in the accessories.

Irsan's passion is to write on variety of subjects. Please visit her latest website at homedics massage chair which contains the reviews and deals on human touch massage chair and other information about massage chairs.

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Bachmann Model Train Accessories - Why Your Collection Might Be Worth a Small Fortune

When you think of collecting quality model trains, Bachmann trains are one of the first brands mentioned by experienced collectors. Bachmann accessories, specifically Plasticville USA, have become collector's items. For those of you who are new to the world of model trains, you're probably thinking, "what the heck are Plasticville accessories, and what makes these products so darn special?"

Bachmann Industries was founded in 1833 and sold specialized vanity and ornamental products. However, contrary to popular belief that it has manufactured model trains for over 150 years, this company did not actually make its first model train until 1952, after it had achieved some success with its scenery and accessory products under the Plasticville USA brand.

Most people do not realize that Plasticville products mark Bachmann's first venture into the model train market. After World War II, executives at Bachmann wanted to expand their expertise with plastic products, so they chose miniature plastic fences hoping to capitalize upon the popular holiday trend where consumers enjoyed displays underneath the Christmas tree.

Bachmann's plastic fence kit was subsequently unveiled in the November 23, 1946 issue of the "Saturday Evening Post". Ironically, the advertisement showed the fence next to a Lionel model train along with other toys made of plastic. The following year, as Bachmann continued to market this "Christmas fence", consumers began to realize this accessory would be perfect for the model train layout. The company, realizing a consumer trend developing, quickly seized on this angle and began marketing its product for model railroad hobbyists.

Throughout the 1950s, Bachmann expanded its Plasticville line to reflect the changing times. However, these items were not collector's items yet. It would take a full two decades before fans and enthusiasts began to covet the Plasticville charm and nostalgia, which then created demand especially among the rarer accessories. This collector's market has continued to thrive vigorously. There is a robust market for Plasticville products on eBay. No longer do collectors have to rely purely on model train shows to find and acquire these coveted items. In addition, the Plasticville Collector's Association was formed in 1999 and still remains the only organization of its kind dedicated to this specific Bachmann accessory.

Although Plasticville 1950s products have become collectibles, the demand does not necessarily hold true for the company's modern products currently available on the market. Today, Plasticville products are manufactured in China since Bachmann's parent company is Kader Holding Company Ltd. of Hong Kong. In addition, these products are not made the same way they were during the post-World War II era, as the material used for the plastic has changed. Many of the 1950s accessories were even re-issued as reproduction pieces for Plasticville's 50th anniversary in 1997 with the only difference being that these products displayed a "Made in China" etching.

So, inspect your collection carefully to ensure it is an original Plasticville product that was manufactured in the United States. If you discover your product is an original, you may have several Plasticville aficionados eager to acquire your collection for a pretty penny!

Gabriel O. Delaney is the author of "Model Train Secrets Exposed" which teaches you everything you wanted to know about Bachmann model trains, including valuable information on how to save the most time and money with this hobby.

To receive Gabriel's free gift, "The Secrets of Successful Model Railroading", and "Building Your First Model Railroad" video tutorial, visit http://www.ultimatemodeltraintips.com.

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Four Large Must Have Musical Boxes for Music Box and Antique Collectors

Large musical boxes have been in existence since the 1820's. For the music box and antique collector, there are four large musical boxes which are particularly unique and "a must have" for any collection. They are the mandolin music box, piccolo music box, orchestra music box, and the rare revolver music box.

Mandolin Music Boxes

Mandolin music boxes are strung with four strings, which are the same as those of a violin. The resulting sound is one of romance with the notes drifting softly in the air. These music boxes typically are not difficult to find since a large number were made. Finding a music box such as this would be a special addition to the music box and antique collector of inlaid music boxes, ballerina music boxes, musical jewelry boxes, and more.

Piccolo Music Box

While piccolo music boxes are an octave higher than most music boxes, if the music box and antique collector can withstand its rather shrill notes, it too can be a collectors jewel. Since some of these music boxes were made with a harmony arrangement that accompanied the high pitched notes, the sound becomes much more pleasing.

Orchestra Music Box

This music box is unique and has everything. The music box is an interchangeable one with bells, drums, and organ. Some even have dancing dolls inside which move in time to the music. It would be a fun music box to have for any antique or music box collector.

Revolver Music Box

The revolver music box is quite rare. It is much more unique and impressive than some of the ballerina music boxes, musical jewelry boxes, and wooden keepsake boxes seen today. David Tallis in ?Music Boxes: A Guide for Collectors states: "Perhaps the most impressive piece of machinery in the musical box field is the Revolver Music box. Invented by Amedee Paillard at St Croix in 1870, it consisted of a set of cylinders fixed on a rotating shaft so that any one could be brought into contact with the comb at time. There are three illustrations of revolver boxes in Nicole Graham Webb's book, one being a fine mandolin box by Nicole Freres. It has six cylinders, each playing six airs; a repertoire of 36 airs without table or drawers. However, they were so difficult to make that very few are to be found."

For the music box and antique collector, the mandolin music box, piccolo music box, orchestra music box, and revolver music box would be excellent collectible items. Why not add then to your collection today?

Copyright 2006 Monique Hawkins

Established in May of 2005, http://www.My-Music-Box.com is a music box gift store specializing in products such as inlaid ballerina music boxes for ballerina rooms décor, whimsical carousel music boxes, and musical jewelry boxes. The company provides interesting information for music lovers of all ages. Owner Monique Hawkins is also the author of the blog "What You Never Knew About Music" http://whatyouneverknewaboutmusic.blogspot.com, and owner of the eBay store "Monique's Music Box" at: http://stores.ebay.com/moniquesmusicbox/ Monique can be contacted at (540) 858-2885.

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How do I sell my Coin Collection?

So, you feel it is time to sell your coin long-time collection, or you have inherited a collection and you know nothing about coins and you want to sell them. As with the sale of anything, you want to make sure you get a fair price. Sounds simple enough, right? In the area of numismatics, when it comes time to sell, offers for your collection can vary greatly. The following tips will help guide you to getting a fair and reasonable offer. I will talk more on the term "reasonable" a little bit later. Coin Dealers, like any other profession, number in the thousands. From part-time single person businesses to huge companies that buy and sell millions of dollars of coins annually. And like other professions and industries, we have a few crooks. By following the general tips in this article, you should be in a better position to realize your collections value. So here we go!

First and foremost, you need to know what you have. Why? If you do not know what you have, how do you know you are getting fair value? If you have thousands and thousands of wheat cents, I am not saying you need to inventory them all. In fact, it may not be worth your time. The chances of finding a key coin are slim at best. But you should know how many pennies you have. How? Simply weigh them. Wheat pennies come to about 148 pennies per pound. The same rule can apply to other common coins such as pre 1965 Roosevelt Dimes and Washington quarters as you may just a bullion price on these. For the rest of your collection, you may want to count the number of each piece. Make sure you have a complete list of your collection.

OK, time to contact a dealer? No, not yet. How do you know you are getting an honest one? Before contacting a dealer, you need to do some homework. Does the dealer belong to any organizations and clubs such as ANA or BBB? How long has s/he been in business? What is their reputation? Check out a couple of dealers before you make that call. Also, just because they advertise in a major coin collecting publication, does not make them honest. I know of one dealer who advertises in a major publication and sells cleaned coins as BU/Unc originals. Most novice collectors would not know the difference.

Now that you have done some research, it is time to contact the dealer. This can be done in many ways. You can give them a call or if you are the shy type, just send them an email. In your email, identify yourself and that you have a collection for sale. Include in the email the inventory you completed. This may come as a shock to many, but some dealers will NOT want your collection. Many dealers specialize in certain types or series, or just may have too many coins in their inventory. If your collection is an average collection of common coins, you may be disappointed to learn that many, if not all of the big dealers simply do not want to bother with you. It is too time consuming to sort the common collections and the margins are too small. Do not fret, all is not lost. Many smaller dealers will welcome the chance to obtain your collection. Many of these dealers work in mail-order only and may have only email or a PO Box as contact information. While they may appear shady, these folks generally are quite reputable. As before, contact the dealer and ask if they are interested. If they are not, just move on to the next dealer. If they are, ask them for their "buy price" list. Many dealers will publish a list of what they are willing to pay for certain coins.

After some hard work, you have a couple offers on the table. The offers are not anywhere near what you expected. Remember what I said above about a "reasonable" offer? Here is the painful truth. Coin Dealers are in business to make money. Sure, many of us chose this profession because we love it, but like everybody else, we still have mortgages, car payments, and college for kids, etc. Many people will look in the latest Coin Prices magazine to come up with an idea of what there collection is worth. Magazines such as Coin Prices are really a list of prices of what you can expect to pay a dealer for a specific coin, not what you can expect to get paid. Markups can range from 20-50% or more for smaller denomination coins such as wheat cents. As I mentioned earlier, some dealers just may not want what you have. Also, many, if not all dealers, reserve the right to revise the offer on inspection of the collection. If you think all your Morgan Dollars are BU, but they are really AU, this would make a huge difference in price. Grading is highly subjective. Also, for larger, more diverse collections, a dealer may spend a considerable amount of time reviewing the collection to ensure a fair price.

So, what to do? Take the best offer and run? Maybe, maybe not. If this is an inheritance, and you have no emotional attachment, you can just sell and never look back. If this is your collection of 50 years, well this may be painful. You can continue to contact different dealers and wait for a better offer. If you feel your collection is really worth more, you can always consign it for auction. With some of the fees the major auction firms charge, it may not be worth it. You can also try your hand at eBay but unless you have a strong feedback profile, many buyers will not bid on your items. You can also locate eBay members who will auction off your collection for you for a percentage of the take. Sometimes this works out well and sometimes not.

For now, let's assume you have a reasonable offer and you decide to sell. By the way, this should be a written offer sent via the mail or sent via email. Many times, the buyer may be located in another city/state. No buyer will send you a check until they have seen the collection. If the collection is large enough (many, many thousands of dollars), some buyers will come to you. If not, your very viable option is to send the collection to the buyer via mail. Yes, that is right, via the mail. Wait you say, that sounds risky. It can be, but if you take precautions, you will have no problems. First, package the collection up very well. Make sure there are NO LOOSE coins jingling around. The sound of jingling coins is music to a thief's ear. So be sure to wrap them up well and tight. When sending via the mail, the USPS is fairly safe. Usually, you will want to use USPS Priority Mail. Contact your local post office as you can usually get free boxes. Generally, you will want to use the Flat Rate options as you can ship up to 70 pounds for under $10.00 (not including insurance), but ask your local postal clerk for options. For your protection, you MUST insure your package and pay for delivery conformation. Include in your package an itemized list. Most dealers will appreciate this as they will audit the shipment to the list. If all is well, you can expect a check in the mail in no time.

In summary, here are the tips

1. Know what you have, prepare a comprehensive inventory

2. Research some dealers before you contact one.

3. Talk to dealers before sending coins to gage interest

4. Send your coins. Package them well and insure them

5. Review the offer

6. Collect the cash!

As always, happy collecting!

Keith Scott has been a collector for over 30 years and owns a small internet-based coin store at http://www.mountainviewcoins.com.

Visit his website, http://www.mountainviewcoins.com for a history of US coins, metal market updates and news about your favorite coins.

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Action Figures

What is an Action Figure?

An action figure is a figurine made of plastic or other materials, and usually based from characters of a comic book, movie, television program, or video game. These are usually advertised towards boys. Action figures that can be redress are referred to as action dolls.

Action figures are popular with boys because they symbolize traditional masculine traits. Today, it is not only advertised as children's toy but also as an adult collector item.

Popular Characters turned into Action Figures

G.I. Joe is the first ever action figure toy launched. It is produced by a toy company named Hasbro. G.I. stands for 'Government Issue'. The initial product offering symbolizes the four (4) U.S. Armed Forces branches - the Soldier (Army), Action Marine (Marines), Action Sailor (Navy), and Action Pilot (Air Force). There are two different G.I. Joe action figure lines: the original 12-inch line which started in 1964; and in 1982, a 3 3/4-inch line complete with vehicles, play sets, and a story between the G.I. Joe Team and the evil Cobra Command.

The Transformers is an animated action series portraying a war between giant robots who could transform into vehicles, animals, and other objects. It was written and recorded in the United States and animated in Japan. The series was based upon the line of transforming toys created by Takara, a Japanese toy manufacturer. It was later developed into the Transformers line by Hasbro. There are also 'Dinobots' - transform into Dinosaurs, and 'Headmasters' - transform into a tiny robot and controls the body.

Batman is a comic book superhero created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger that first appeared in DC comics in 1939. He is also known as the Dark Knight, the World's Greatest Detective, and the Caped Crusader but he is popularly called the Bat by his fans.

Superman is a very popular comic book superhero that has millions of fans worldwide. He is branded as the man of steel and is widely considered to be an American cultural icon. The character was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1932. The character's appearance is unique and iconic - a blue, yellow, red costume with cape and a letter "S" shield on his chest.

Spiderman is another popular fictional superhero from Marvel Comics. The character was created by two writers, Stan Lee (writer-editor) and Steve Ditko (writer-artist). He is an orphan raised by Aunt May and Uncle Ben.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle (TMNT) is a popular television series back in 1987. It is originally a character in a comic book created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird published by Mirage Studios in 1984 in New Hampshire. Later, a toy company in California collaborated with the creators to produce an action figures based on the ninja turtles.
Along with popular TV series, and action figure line, the Turtles' likeness could be found on a wide range of children's products - breakfast cereal, cameras, linens, video games, towels, school supplies, toy shaving kits and many more.

Discover more about popular action figures today. Visit http://actionfiguremarket.com now!

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The Fabulous Bakugan 7 in 1 Maxus Dragonoid - Top Toy Christmas 2009

The Bakugan 7 in 1 Maxus Dragonoid is one of the best selling and most popular toy of the year and is excellent for the 'special gift" for Christmas 2009. It is one of the biggest and most powerful Backugan so far and certainly a very 'cool' toy to have especially as it aimed at the 5 to 15 year olds.

For those who are unfamiliar, Bakugan is an inventive strategy game based on the popular Japanimation TV series, "Bakugan: Battle Brawlers. The series is about a group of kids battling duals using cards and monsters. It pits a variety of "Bakugan warriors" against each other for points. The Bakugan themselves are magnetic, spring-loaded marbles which, when exposed to a metal 'gate' card, burst open to reveal a fearsome warrior. The usual outcome from this is your kids thoroughly enjoying playing and owning a 7 in 1 Maxus Dragonoid and very quickly becoming a Bakugan geek. and enthusiastic collector.

What is also great about the Bakugan 7 in 1 Maxus Dragonoid is that it contains many components offering the opportunity to play many combinations of the game which makes the Maxus Dragonoid very cost effect as it offers so much fun and entertainment.

The set contains one Bakugan warrior (named Neo Dragonoid) and six Bakugan traps (Grakas Hound, Dark Hound, Grafias, Brachium, Spitarm and SpyderFencer.) These pieces can be combined together to form this massive Bakugan monster.

The transformation process is a bit complicated, but the set includes clear instructions which make assembly easy. Each of the seven Bakugan that compose Dragonoid can be used individually in the strategy game. The set includes a special ability card, which comes in handy when planning a strategy to topple the enemy. However, to play Bakugan properly, several other Bakugan marbles/cards are needed. These are not included in this package. Kids who are new to Bakugan might be better off with one of the various starter packs and then build their collection.

What's in the Box: One Bakugan warrior, 6 Bakugan traps, ability card and metal gate card. A little note for parents and kids: There are 3,342 Bakugan items available comprising of action figures, games and battle sets. So kids get your Bakugan 7 in 1 Maxus Dragonoid and join the battle

For lots more information on the Bakugan Maxus Dragonoid and other Bakugan toys visit http://www.squidoo.com/bakugan-7-in-1-maxus-dragonoid, one of the hottest toys in town.

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Collecting Marx Toy Soldiers, Action Figures and Playsets - Classic Toys from Louis Marx and Company

Do an instant survey about things collectors usually collect, and for sure, you would come up with a list that would include toy soldiers and playsets from toy manufacturer, Louis Marx and Company. No wonder about it. Collecting Marx action figures is one of the most popular hobbies and past times of some people, especially those men who spent their childhood years playing with Marx toys.

If little girls were so fond of their Barbie dolls and their mini-kitchen playsets, little boys back in the day were into playing with toy soldiers made by Marx. To some, the action toys are trademarks of being a boy, underlining adventuring, bravery and extreme physical abilities.

It would be noteworthy to know the origin of Marx action figures. To begin with, the toy soldiers were designed and manufactured by toy maker Louis Marx and Company. The firm was one of the oldest toy companies and was primed to become the world's largest toy manufacturer in the 1950s. Louis Marx was the man behind the company and the toy soldiers, action figures and playsets. He was a United States-born toy assembler who had been into toy making since his youth. He started his career by working as staff, and later as a manager, at Ferdinand Strauss, a maker of mechanical toys.

Louis entered the US Army as a private soldier in 1918. Two years after, he resumed private citizenship and revived his career in toy making. Louis was so attached to his military life that he named all his sons from the names of the generals he knew. He later proceeded to establish Louis Marx and Company and made a mark by having his own trademark figures.

In the 1930s to early 1940s, the toys were made of metal alloys. But because the onset of World War II prompted the US and European countries to spare metal reserves to give way to the manufacturing of military weapons, plastic versions of the action figures started entering the market in the late 1940s.

Collecting Marx action figures certainly is one of the most interesting and worthwhile hobbies people can do today. Though the action toys can be considered novelty objects nowadays, they surely are still hot collectibles. Some say that people would never grow tired of the toy soldiers and playsets as long as there is always thrilling battles to be waged between the forces of good and evil.

You can find terrific deals on Marx toy soldiers and Marx playsets at: http://toysoldiers.collectiblesnook.com/

Jenni Kerala is a writer, collector and Ebay addict who loves to find interesting and beautiful collectibles - especially vintage and antique items - on the online marketplace.

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