I'm not sure how this book will help the typical novice coin collector. I do think more than one kind of coin should be mentioned in this book to give a broader perspective of the coin collecting hobby. Coin Collecting for Dummies did teach me a little bit about the basics of currency collecting, but nothing that I will retain. It also completely left out Challenge Coin, medallion and token collecting, etc. I see those as coins too. Does it have to be a form of US currency to be discussed in this book? I don't think so. I believe Ron Guth was one dimensional and a little bit of a self promoter. Maybe someone more diverse could've done a better job teaching people about coin collecting.
Always interested in coin collecting and thought this book was a good place to start! I was right, this book has opened my eyes, coin collecting is more than just buying what you like or buying "old" coins. But learning to love coins and how to grade them (more art then science)what to buy and when and why. I believe this to be a great beginner/intermediate book. Thank you Ron Guth
This was one of my first purchases on Ebay. It is exactly what I was looking for and I love that it was only $3 in comparison to over $23 at the bookstore.I got it quickly and it has made a perfect gift.
The "Dummies" series are a great way to get a quick education on a subject. This one is good. The only missing element is the business side. In coins there are two parts... the Hobby, and the Industry. Collectors are the Hobby folks, and have fun with coins. The Industry is the coin shops, dealers, and investors. Not a whole lot on the Industry side... but this was written more for the Hobbyist. So overall, I would call it a good reference. coiNuts
I'm a novice at coin collecting, and this book answers a lot of my questions and puts it terms that I can understand. I have thoroughly enjoyed it, learned a lot from it and will read it again & again.
i havent really started reading this book yet; but ive been looking throught it and it has alot of photo examples. it aslo lists all of the American coins made so far and gives you an estimate on how much a certain type of collection would cost. so far its a very good book. great for beginners.