Beginners' Questions about Coin Collecting

Coin collecting is an extremely popular hobby with people of all ages. Children tend to gravitate towards pretty or unusual looking coins, while adults are generally concerned with the financial value of their collections.

Some people build strictly a grassroots coin collection, acquiring those coins that they happen to stumble across, while others buy in bulk and eagerly anticipate new limited edition minting. However you choose to build your collection, you may have many questions about the hobby.

This article will address some popular questions and concerns that first time coin collectors may have.

What is numismatics?

Strictly speaking, numismatics is the study and collection of money and related financial objects or documentation. Examples include not only coins but also paper money, checks and stock certificates.

In practice, however, the word numismatics is commonly used to mean simply coin collecting. Those who practice numismatics are numismatists.

How should I handle my coins?

The short answer is as little as possible. Even the smallest fingerprints on an un-circulated coin can cut the value dramatically. If you must handle a collectible coin, do so only from the edge.

If you need to lay the coin down, use a velvet pad if available. Minimally, use a soft, clean cloth. Handle extremely high value coins only with surgical gloves and a protective facemask.

How should I clean my coins?

You really should have no need to clean the coins. Collectors look for authenticity, not shiny newness. Even damp wiping with a clean, lint-free rag can leave hairline scratches on the coin, lowering its value dramatically.

If it is strictly necessary to remove dirt and debris, ask other coin collectors to recommend a commercial coin cleaner that removes the dirt without scratching the coin or losing the luster. Ask to see coins that they have cleaned before using their advice.

How should I store my coins?

The goal for coin storage is protection from temperature extremes and humidity. You also want to protect your coins from fingerprints, dust, dirt, and chemicals. Some form of dehumidifying equipment is recommended, even if it is just silicone gel packets.

Low value coins can be kept in almost any container. However, higher value coins require special protection. Your goal for high value coin preservation is a container that is as airtight as possible, which also displays the coin so that there no need to remove it from the container.

Many commercial storage options are available. Ask for recommendations from your coin dealer or others in the hobby.

How are coins graded?

Grading coins is an extremely complicated process. Only trained professionals can do specific grading. However, it is a good idea for any coin collector to have a basic understanding of how grading works.

There are 13 standard grades for circulated coins, ranging from the AG-3 "About Good" to AU-58, or "Very Choice about Un-circulated). Uncirculated coins are graded from MS-60 to MS-70, depending on quality and flawlessness.

In practicality, MS-70 is more of an ideal than a realistic grade. A good book on grading will teach you the basics on recognizing the differences.

Some experts utilize different or additional systems, so it is always vital to make sure that you are speaking the same language as the expert with whom you are dealing.

MIKE SELVON

View all articles by MIKE SELVON

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How To Spot Profitable Keywords

How do you find potentially profitable keyword phrases for your web pages or AdWords campaigns

What factors should you consider when trying to determine the profitability of a particular phrase? Here are some suggestions:

- the frequency of which your keyword phrase is searched on

- the number of other web pages competing for your keyword

- how your keyword phrase is written

- how much Pay Per Click advertisers are willing to bid for your keyword

- how closely matched your product is to your phrase

- does your keyword phrase include a product or brand name

The 6 criteria above will go along way to determining how profitable a term will be for you.

So let me take you through each of the criteria in a bit more detail and explain further how each one can help you determine the potential of the keyword ...

1. Keyword Phrase Search Frequency

The higher the frequency that a keyword is searched on, the higher the probability that it will be profitable as it will drive you more traffic. Lets face it, if nobody ever types it in a search engine, it is not going to make you any money!

2. Competition For Your Keyword Phrase

Just because a search term is heavily searched on doesn't mean it's going to be profitable for YOU!

There is no point in optimising for traffic from highly searched on keywords IF there are already thousands of other sites doing the same ... because you'll simply find it difficult to compete and your pages will have very little hope of ranking highly in the search engines.

For a keyword to be profitable, it must attract enough traffic to make you money, whilst not having too many pages competing for it!

3. How The Keyword Phrase Is Structured

This is a key point. When you do find a keyword phrase that receives a lot of searches each month, and the phrase is a "question", you have potentially found yourself a highly profitable keyword to make a lot of money from.

If you discover a highly searched on term that starts with "why", "how", "where" or "which", you've discovered an opportunity to provide the searcher with a "really targeted benefit".

4. How Much Google AdWords Advertisers Are Paying For The Keyword

If advertisers are prepared to pay a lot to display their advert against a keyword phrase, it must follow that its valuable and therefore should be profitable ... makes sense does it not? Marketing online really does not have to be complex ...

5. How Well Matched Your Product Is To Your Keyword Phrase

There's no point in identifying a potentially profitable term and then using it to sell a product that isn't closely matched to it.

6. Include A Product Name

Phrases that include a specific product name or brand name are likely to be high converting keywords if you're going to use them for affiliate marketing, because people already have been pre-sold on the product as they know of its existence before they search on it.

So there you have it, you now know what to look for when researching keywords that will potentially make you a lot of money using the 6 tips above.

The best keyword tool I have come across, and I've tried a few is Brad Callen's Keyword Elite.  It's an excellent tool!  The good news is he is releasing Keyword Elite 2 very very soon, click on the link to take a look!  And take a look at my Keyword Elite 2 bonus as well!

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