coppercoins.com and the future...a board meeting.

[coppercoins]

Just an update on where everything is, what's going on, and what you should be able to expect over the next quarter. I have a few topics to bring up and toss out there for your reading enjoyment.

1. The "new" coppercoins.com: I have been working better than 12 hours a day for the last few weeks preparing myself and setting myself up for having no outside jobs, no outside work (client development, etc.), no responsibility to anyone other than those who order my products. The reason for this is that I plan to devote an entire month to completely restructuring coppercoins.com from the ground up. I have a number of features to add to the site, and this is the time to get that online.

Something that you people may or may not be aware of is that coppercoins.com was thrust into the limelight by word of mouth back when it started. People started visiting the site, using it, and asking questions, sending in coins and the like back when it was in its very beginning stages. Well, that wasn't the plan. I didn't intend on having but a few people come around and help out while it was under construction, and I had planned on that construction lasting about two years. That was in 1999, and the site still isn't finished to a point where it is ready to publish. Here are the features I will be adding to the site within the next few months...

A. My Collection: An area where paid members will be able to log their collection, share their collection with others (or keep it private), print lists valuating their collection, or make lists for other people to use as want lists. Basically it will be a complete online die variety inventory system that members can use which will inherently be tied to the system used on this site.

B. Attribution Help: A system based on the dichotymous key where you will answer a series of questions to round down the total possible dies in your search. This feature will show in addition to the current search.

C. News Article Archive: News articles written by a number of collectors and specialists, as well as general news topics pulled from other news sources will be in a completely searchable database of articles. Articles can be rated, searched by rating, and other people's ratings can be seen when you visit each article. Ratings can be left by paid members only.

D. Complete data archive of non-collectible doubling, typical varieties, master die doubling, and all the other things you've asked questions about but we didn't have a photo at the time.

E. Attribution Tracking: Track your packages from the day they arrive here, so you will be updated and will know where things are with your package. Whether they arrived, whether they've been looked at, repackaged, shipped (with tracking numbers), etc.

Next topic in next post.

[coppercoins]

2. The Complete Attribution Guide to the Lincoln Cent:

This guide is sorely behind schedule and to blame for that is nobody other than myself. I have had a really difficult time getting it done, and when I did finish the second packet, it was promptly lost from my system and had to be rebuilt from scratch. Worse than that, the rebuilt version is not printable because of resolution issues, so I have to rebuild it again.

The third packet has been started, but will not be completed until I rebuild the second packet for the third time. Right now I should be about ten packets into the guide, and it simply has been a very bumpy road. I hope and pray for your forgiveness and patience while I continue to struggle with getting it back on track.

It IS and WILL BE my absolute promise to myself and to all the subscribers that this guide WILL BE COMPLETED.

Here's where I am now...

I have packet #2 laid back out and ready for me to spend the hours it will take to yet AGAIN rebuild it. That should be finished by the end of this month.

I have all the dies and photos picked out for packet #3. That should take until May 15th to finish.

I have enough photos currently to work on packets #4, #5, and #6, and enough coins to photograph to complete another 15-20 packets. The overall packet content of this guide should be about 40 packets.

I have the money to pint, package, and mail them...it's not a money issue, even though the $50 per six issues ONLY covers my cost....if that.

So...questions, please direct them to me.

[aballein]

so have you come up with a price for membership and will it be flexible ie. 1 month, 6 month, 1 year etc... I ask because not everyone is into Lincolns like "we" are and it seems like a good idea to have flexible membership options for the ones who wont use the site much. It sounds like an awesome upgrade and im gonna be sure to stick around for it!

[coppercoins]

3. Attributions:

Some time next month I will need to cut off attribution service again. Bob is currently taking a break from this job, and is working on his collection and other stuff, and I am going to have to concentrate all my efforts in making money and working on this site...the meat of the site, not photographs.

I will probably announce by the middle of May when I will be shutting down attribution service, and it will probably stay shut down all Summer long, to reopen in August. I am sorely behind with my own collection, I am sorely behind in getting my own things in order, and attributions are one thing I just cannot handle while solving everything else I need to solve.

Believe me, attribution services are a big part of what makes this site successful, and I very much do want to continue doing them. I really don't mind the packages and the coins to look at. It's just that it takes a lot of my time, and right now my time is too valuable to be doing $3 per hour service. I have other things to get done that might alleviate some of the need for attributions - like rebuilding the site, working on additional photographers and attributors, and getting more community involvement in how the site is developed. All of this is coming at some point in the relatively near future.

[coppercoins]

Yes, I have considered optional pay plans. The first pay plan would be a one-time $5 charge via Paypal that allows a person unlimited access to the site for a week.

Second pay plan would be $29.95 per six months for those who may not be able (or want to ) pay for the whole year at once.

Third plan would be $54.95 for a year of unlimited access.

The six month or annual plan will include being able to:

1. View all attribution information, marker photos on the site.
2. Rate/reply to articles in wikipedia style.
3. Reserve an email address using their username@coppercoins.com, and could check email from anywhere any time.
4. Use "my Collection" and all the features associated with it.
5. Be able to enter ads in the classified ads section.
6. Receive the same benefits on uscoinvarieties.com when it opens.

[Rhubarb]

CD,

I think that I speak for the Majority of this Form: Regardless of the Price for the "Search Varieties" It is well worth the Yearly Membership. I for one have enjoyed this site for it is very informative to me.

Rhubarb

[smed]

I haven't seen Chuck referred to as "CD" for quite a while...

If/when charging for the site becomes a reality, will the forum be a paid or a free service?

[Dick]

Chuck, as you know, I am pending on the A. R. O. L C., which will be "activated "after the first of the month. My question, is will this ,(these packets), be different that the ones you refer to in your latest post, re the site? I intend to re-read the post again, to be sure of what I understand. Thanks,
Dick
Later:
Chuck, I don't know what "wikipedia" is.
Re "My Collection", I assume you mean that a listing of the coins, (preferably cents, et al), or will that include "other coins"? Seems to me that this will take up a LOT of space to maintain the data, because there are a few of the members that have a very extensive collection, and as you say, storage space is premium!
Finally, Attribution. That can be very cumbersome, unless the "sender" includes a pretty good guide, (ball park ID), to avoid the attributor having to go thru many pages of data. I mean, include the markers they use for ID,ing their coin, themselves, along with the "supposed ID". That should take quite a load off the attributor, and cut doun on the time required, as well. I don't do that, but it might be a good idea if I did. I eventually would get pretty good at identifying my coins, and the time, and money spent to get the actual ID, would warrant the cost. That is not to say I would not be "living on the forum", because I will still be there almost 24/7, due to my "working hours! I am my own boss, and a "night-owl"! I am up and checking at least until 01:30
PDST! My days include the completion of the "honey-do" list, as well as my own needs, and usually run 16-18 hours, a day. So how was your day?
Dick

[Earwig]

If you need any help let me know. I usually have plenty of spare time being im on ssd since breaking my neck and having a 3 level lumbar spinal fusion. But i feel almost like new now. So let me know im not to shabby on the ole puter. As far as membership i think some participation may drop but i myself would be willing to pay a membership fee. Near 60 bucks a year is twice what CONECA or NCADD charge even though the attribution tools are much finer. You might make CONECA put pics in there master listings and that would be good. And lets face it NCADD's site is a early 90's wreck. I think the database for collections is a great idea and would probably help us all fill those annoying holes. If there is anything i can do to help please feel free to let me know.

Eric

[Robert]

[Dick]

I haven't seen Chuck referred to as "CD" for quite a while...
Says SMED!
I used to refer to chuck as "CD", but after I saw the photo of him, after the ice storm, standing there with that chain saw, I figured I had better show a little more respect!
Thanks for the info re "WIKI". I'll give it a whirl. I do a lot of "Googleing" around, with Google Earth. I enjoy visiting some of the places I have been, in this life. I don't have the required "search engine" for the prior lives. I just rely on my memory!
Chuck mentioned the fact that Coppercoins.com received a lot of "word of mouth" notoriety, and had visitors from the "four corners of the earth", Well maybe two of them, anyway. I will admit, that when I can, I do recommend it to whoever I am chatting with, as the best site around.
Dick

[murphy]

Chuck, to steal a phrase from the movie industry that I think applies here, "If you build it, they will come"! Look at Collectors Universe, World of Warcraft, eBay, Google and PayPal for crying out loud. They are huge! And they got that way by offering the public something they want that is convenient and satisfying. You have the potential here to influence Lincoln Cent coin collectors in a big way my friend. But it does take a lot of work to satisfy the public online. Good luck. You can do it!

[coppercoins]

Q&A time...

Dick...First of all, the AROLC is a book written by John Wexler in 1996. It has nothing to do with my work. My work is what I refer to as the USCV Complete Guide...USCV being the United States Coin Variety attribution system.

The My Collection area will be mostly linked data, and won't take up much space at all. Just a few data tables and some crafty programming. There won't be any photos used, and the whole program will end up being maybe 50K of data calls.

Regarding attribution...figuring out what die the coin belongs to is my job when a coin is sent to me. Looking for markers on the coin and figuring out possibilities of dies to use is a very small part of the overall attribution process, and only takes a couple of minutes per coin. The big things are things others don't necessarily think of...like NOT submitting coins in stapled holders, and to include an inventory of what they sent and where to look for the oddity. Believe me, some of the coins that are sent in take some time to guess where the oddity is.

Smed....The forum will always be free, as will be the educational section of the site, and viewing classified ads, articles, the chat room, and many other areas of the site. The parts that will cost are the attribution photos, posting classifieds, posting articles and reviews to articles, and using the proposed "My Collection" area.

Earwig...So noted that you can help out. I will be in contact with you for sure. Thanks!

[Dick]

Chuck, I had a hunch that the two were separate works, but thought a question might be in order. It was. I hold to my statement about the two items.

Attribution. I understand a lot more, now, since joining the Forum. I also understand a bit more as to why ANACS reacted about my submission, but NOT MUCH! I did send it in a cardboard shaped holder, but no info as to what I wanted, or expected. It was my first, and I had no idea as to what i was supposed to "receive". I thought theat was what I was paying for. So now I have $30.00 slab, with a quarter in it!

My Collection: I had a completely different conception of what that would be! Can you imagine if ONLY ONE of us were to list our complete collection, however orderly it might be, how much space it would take?
Chuck, you might have inadvertantly, or maybe, deliberately have made a section that would be quite useful, for the membership! The "Q&A" time. It would be nice to be able to ask a question, but then as I consider what I have just said,.. It comes to my feeble mind, Hey, we got that already! And it doesn't need to be a separate section.
Thanks for your input. You made my day!
Dick