Collect Silver Coins

Gold has always been fascinating to us -- gold is also the first metal known to humans. Gold coins are concentrated wealth. Read this brief history of U.S. gold coins.

Production of gold coins in the United States began as early as 1795 — not long after the Independence. But there wasn't much gold around back then, so only small amounts of the gold coins were produced. For example, before 1834 the highest yearly mintage of $2.50 gold pieces was 6,812 coins.

Prior to 1849, the highest denomination produced was $10, and a ten dollar gold coin was known as an "Eagle". But as we all know, something happened in 1849: the Great Gold Rush!

Gold was found in California that year, and many thousands of people went there hoping to get rich. Instead of prospecting for gold, you could put up a shop and sell supplies to the miners -- more likely to make you rich.

In any case, enormous quantities of gold were recovered, and much of that gold was later used to strike coins. Since transporting the gold all the way to the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia was both unsafe and inconvenient, a branch of the U.S. Mint was opened in San Francisco; and now the very first 20-dollar gold pieces were also struck. These large gold coins entered the market in 1850.

Another new gold denomination was the $1 coin. This coin was minted from 1849 to 1889; it was impopular due to its small size. You don’t like it when a valuable coin gets lost! Back in those days, a dollar could be more than a day’s income for a worker.

For many years in the mid-to-late 1800s, a postage stamp cost three cents, or you could spend $3 for a sheet with 100 stamps. To make such transactions easier, a three dollar gold coin was minted, beginning in 1854 and coming to an end in 1889 (maybe the price of those stamps increased that year?).

Some of the most well-known U.S. gold coins are those designed by the famous artist Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Commissioned by President Theodore Roosevelt, he completely re-designed the looks of the $10 and $20 gold pieces.

These Saint-Gaudens gold coins, which are coin collecting favorites, were minted from 1907 to 1933; and especially the 20-dollar gold coin is famous. It is known as the “Saint-Gaudens $20 gold piece”, and the series of this coin includes one of the most rare and expensive of all U.S. coins ever produced — the 1933 $20 gold piece.

Millions of this gold coin were minted, but before they were ever distributed the President decided to withdraw all minted gold from the market. Therefore, the whole issue of 20-dollar gold coins from 1933 was destroyed. Only a few specimens survived, and one of these survivors was sold a couple of years ago in an auction to an anonymous coin collector for over seven million dollars!

So if you ever find a 20-dollar gold coin from 1933 -- consider yourself very lucky indeed.

It is surprising to me how many people I speak to who think that when they reach retirement age they will sell the family home and move to a new area that has appealed to them in the past. The idea of a Florida retirement, for instance, is one that is deep rooted in the collective consciousness. There are pitfalls in such an approach, and it needs careful consideration before any drastic steps are taken that may be regretted later.

The principal problem appears to be that people expect to be able to dramatically change their lifestyle for the positive, without taking account of possible negatives associated with the move. The classic issue is not having any friends in the area, but unfamiliarity with the area facilities and even the shopping can also make retirement living disappointing.

If you are financially able, you might want to consider buying an investment property in the area that you think you want to retire to, and try it out on vacations to see how you cope with the differences. A vacation will always be a different experience from living there full-time, but your property investment can be sold on if you find you are getting doubts about your retirement plans.

If Florida is a place you are considering, you will find that property there is exceptionally good value right now. In some areas, it is selling at less than half its previous price. While the bottom of the market may or may not have been reached, second homes there are now very affordable, and this may be the best opportunity to enter the market that you will see.

Of course, when considering a major purchase you should consult an expert for investment advice, and Ken Himmler (www.kenhimmler.com) and Integrated Asset Management (www.iamllc.biz )

will be able to advise you on the best way to approach the issue of buying another property. You should always take into account any tax issues, either present or future, which this might create, and consider which investments should be liquidated, if necessary, to afford the retirement home of your dreams.

When a bust economy offers investors little more than a shaky market, it can seem like the easiest solution is to pull out all of your money and wait for conditions to improve.  However, savvy investors know that the time spent waiting for the economy to recover is time that could be put to use earning a profit despite the tumultuous economic climate.  If you’re tempted to stick your head – and your money – in the sand, then you cannot afford to skip these alternative investments, which will offer you a tidy profit while protecting your money.

Protecting the health of your investment portfolio involves diversification - and alternative investments can offer you just that, as they include a wide range of options from annuities to commodities and even real estate.  For example, an alternative investment that’s definitely worth your time and money is a certificate of deposit, or CD.  These handy financial assets protect the principal and return a fixed rate over the life of the CD; this means that you won’t lose your hard-earned money, yet you’ll still make a tidy profit.  If investing in CDs, be sure to lock in an interest rate now on an eighteen-month term to protect against the risk of rising inflation over the next few years.

Speaking of inflation, you’ll want to make sure that your alternative investments are protected against the threat of rising prices – and a treasury inflation-protected security (TIPS) will help you do just that.  TIPS offer a fixed rate of return over the life of the investment, yet take inflation into account; this means that you can make up for any losses that are incurred with vulnerable stocks and bonds.  Unlike with CDs, financial experts recommend purchasing longer-term TIPS to earn extra yield. 

For those who are more experienced in the world of investing, an indexed annuity might offer the perfect low-risk alternative investment for stock-heavy portfolios.  As one of the fastest growing investments to date, an indexed annuity is a contract with an insurance company that guarantees a minimum interest payment over the life of the contract.  As indexed annuities are tied to the stock market, you can even earn extra yield if the market does well, which should make for a very pleasing cash flow into your portfolio.  However, indexed annuities can be extremely complicated; make sure you understand the terms that you’re agreeing to before signing the dotted line of the contract.  An experienced investment advisor can help you choose the right indexed annuity to suit your investment goals. 

Investing doesn’t have to pose an all-or-nothing risk to your portfolio, especially if you’re keen on investing during the recession.  Any time spent out of the market is money down the drain, especially if you give up the opportunity to put your money in safe alternative investments.  Don’t let the shaky economy scare you off from the markets; instead, use it to your advantage with these safe and financially viable alternative investments.

Authored by Kenneth Himmler, Sr.

Are you a sports memorabilia collector?  If so, you might be surprised at how much the value can climb by the time you choose to sell.  On the other hand, the value might go down.

Avoid Disappointment.

We’ve all heard stories about kids who get involved in card collecting.  With the promise that the sports cards are worth a great deal of money and will be worth a fortune in the future, these youngsters buy boxes of cards that are supposed to be a really great deal.  Most of these are fakes and worthless … and a waste of a young person’s long saved allowance.  When you buy a ‘group’ of sports collectible items, beware of this type of scam.  The appraisal value will be zero!

The serious sports collector realizes that an appraisal is essential.  People who are just breaking into the collectibles business are often sadly disappointed when they discover that they have sold their collectibles for less than their value. This could have been avoided with an appraisal.

Where to Have Sports Memorabilia Appraised.

Some reputable sports memorabilia appraisers include:

• AllAuthentic Sports Memorabilia — This organization is staffed with professionals who can provide references and offer instant appraisals.
• Vintage Sports Memorabilia Appraisals — Vintage Sports has a sports artifacts library for thousands of vintage sports items.  The company prefers email requests that are limited to two items, with nothing newer than 1980.
• Krause Standard Catalog of Sports Memorabilia Price Guide.
• Robert Connelly gives clinics on appraisals.  He’s a member of the American Society of Appraisers and was honored by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
• Founded in 1992, American Legends provides paid appraisals.
• Sports Memorabilia Appraisal Expert Witness provides a tollfree phone number and volunteers background information to help give reference to its value as an appraisal business.

Appraisals Will Help Establish Insurance Values.

Not only are appraisals of your sports memorabilia important to determine resale value, but if you have valuable collectibles, you will want to have your valuable insured.  Insurance companies will be more willing to recognize the claimed value if you have had an appraisal done.  Make sure you have written and documented proof.

Is the Price Right?  What are the General Standards?

There is a Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice which is recognized in courts and acceptable to banks, insurance companies, auction houses, and even the IRS.  Do not settle for the opinion of your local sports shop’s appraiser if you are thinking about selling your sports memorabilia.

If you have valuable sports collectibles, it might be worth the cost to pay for more than one opinion.  Prices change, so realize that the value will go up and down.  If you are thinking about selling your sports memorabilia and have an appraisal that is several years old, you really need to get an updated appraisal.

A Few Tips About Sports Memorabilia and Collectibles.

• Collectibles that have to do with retired players will hold their value better. This is because once retired, the player’s status is not going to change.
• A jersey is not necessarily authentic if it has sweat stains.  Anyone can wear a jersey long enough to sweat in it and try to pass it off as the real thing.
• Watch for smudged autographs, dog-eared pages in books, worn edges on cards.
• There is a system with trading cards called grading.  A graded card has a more reasonable guarantee of authenticity.  Graded cards are sealed to discourage card switching, a low tactic of some sellers.  The appraiser should be familiar with graded cards and their value.

Want to know more?  Discover some more tips about antiquing and collectibles at the Blurbosphere.

Breyer horses are at the top of the model horse spectrum. Every horse is exquistitely crafted and realistic by a series of artisans. For the horse-lover, Breyer model horses are THE horse toy. In fact, they are beyond toys.

With the exception of some special runs and fantasy horses, Breyer horses are made-to-scale and as close to the real thing in look as possible. The company also sells an utterly vast variety of models in different breeds, colors, and collector sets. Due to their amazing quality and realism, Breyer models are as popular today as they were when they were created in 1950 and have a huge following among children and adults alike. Collectors of Breyer horses are so committed that a whole world of Breyer model horse shows has sprung up.

Breyer manages to keep their collection continually new and exciting by releasing new models each year and retiring a few older models. The retired Breyer models of course become instantly worth far more money for those who have them, and you can readily find a few of them on sale at eBay or at online model horse auction sites. Many models change hands through re-sale and auctions, also. But for other people, they keep hold of their precious “retired” models and revel in the fact that they are part of the lucky ones who have them in their possession.

Amazingly, Breyer never set out to create collectors’ items or even toys. The Breyer Molding Company was a plastics manufacturer in Chicago, Illinois. In 1950, it was commissioned by the drug store chain F.W. Woolworth’s to create a replica horse to decorate a clock. This model #57 Western Horse was so well-made that people began contacting Breyer and Woolworth’s to see if they could buy JUST the horse. A living legend was born.

The collections that Breyer offers include:

• The TRADITIONAL Breyer collection makes up the “world’s ‘most asked for’ horses since 1950″ group. These are all hand-painted and each one is slightly one of a kind and realistic. These are sculpted in 1:9 scale.

• The SPECIAL RUNS consists of Breyer horses commissioned by a select group of retailers. These horse models are collectors’ dreams and are almost always limited production runs. The United States Equestrian Team Foundation the Tractor Supply Company are among the customer and Olympic equine athletes equine film stars such as Spirit are among the models.

• The CLASSICS are specially designed for authentic and imaginative play for younger collectors; they give them realistic horses and superior collectibility. These are created at a scale of 1:12.

• The WIND DANCERS are butterfly fantasy horses, and each one is made to embody a different one of the four winds. Breyer says they are “fun, spirited, and gossamer-winged, with brushable manes and tails. Their ethereal wings flutter in the breeze as they float on the gentle winds of the earth, bringing adventure and excitement to those who believe.”

Breyer also creates other accessories especially targeted at younger collectors.