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Discussion about "Artist Edition" coins


YemonYime

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For the past few years, we've seen an increased trend with a growing number of "Editions" of any particular geocoin. First, we had Standard Editions, and then Limited Editions with some sort of variance in finish. Then we saw more editions such as "XLE" done in different colors/finishes, and eventually the ubiquitous "Artist Edition".

 

So what really constitutes an "Artist Edition"? What makes them so desirable that you might consider paying a lot extra for one? Should they be being sold for anything higher than the standard edition of the same geocoin?

 

Discuss...

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Your rather sarcastic shirt seen in another thread aside, artist's editions are a variety of a coin made as a form of full or partial payment to the artist. They tend to be of a different metal and/or enamel combination.

 

As far as the higher cost, if people are willing to pay more then it's worth what they are willing to pay.

 

Simple, really.

 

What's the issue?

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Well.. I think the discussions that have taken place many times before have determined that, an artist edition has been defined as an edition designed by, and given to the artist only, whether for payment, a gift, or whatever reason. (Usually in pretty small numbers)

 

As with all geocoins - their worth is percieved only by the collector and the person who is selling/trading the coins. When I sell on ebay, I start mine on ebay at $0.99 - its up to the people who want them to determine their worth or value. When I sell in my store, its usually well less than the 'going' eBay price, but more than the original sale price of the coin - usually because they aren't the regular versions of the coin, or weren't sold at all.

 

I love Artist Edition coins - I collect other artists AE's as well - but then, having made my living being an artist my entire life - I know how often artists are underappreciated, and I never mind seeing any artist make a living off of their work. I think its elitist to believe that the coins should only be traded, or that they should not have worth - why shouldnt the person who designed the coin be allowed to make money, or some great trades? Everyone ends up happy with the coins they want, and, someone makes a living as well - nothing wrong with that.

 

Just my 2 cents!

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For the past few years, we've seen an increased trend with a growing number of "Editions" of any particular geocoin. First, we had Standard Editions, and then Limited Editions with some sort of variance in finish. Then we saw more editions such as "XLE" done in different colors/finishes, and eventually the ubiquitous "Artist Edition".

 

So what really constitutes an "Artist Edition"? What makes them so desirable that you might consider paying a lot extra for one? Should they be being sold for anything higher than the standard edition of the same geocoin?

 

Discuss...

 

I will tell you what MINE mean to ME :D

 

I'll lay it on the line, bare my soul without regard to what anyone else thinks or feels. I still don't understand the animosity behind the AE's.

 

Either way, the ones I've received as payment for a design given to a vendor, are mine to do with as I please. The ones I did sell were almost all for charity and a few times for me. I'm a poor college student and I have bills too, plus they are mine and I live in Yimerica :D

 

Designs minted on my own, they are also a payment/treat to myself. I have made very little on my coin sales and my AE's are a my avenue to give gifts to people, again run charity auctions and help me get a little extra "cache".

 

I drew all the designs, came up with the concepts, did all the work, so the one with the special colors and metal gets to be my Artist Edition or XLE, whatever ya wanna call it. If someone designs a coin and doesn't want a special edition, then that is their choice. I do want one and I have never understood why someone would begrudge someone else that choice (not saying you are doing this, just a comment in general).

 

It is a practice that I will personally continue. I haven't done it with all my designs but I have on most of them. Besides, how else am I ever going to move to Tahiti if I can't make thousands of dollars off my AE's on ebay? :D

 

Seems to me that there are more important issues to worry about other than AE's. Besides, if you don't like the price, you don't have to hit the 'Buy It Now' or 'Add to Cart' :D

 

Well there is my 2 geocoin cents.

 

edit for spelling (again)

Edited by tsunrisebey
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We call ours APPLE (Artists and Producers Personal Limited Edition) and we never sell them so if they'd fetch a higher price than our standard editions... I guess we'll never know! We treat them as a very special edition that has to be obtained by means that doesn't directly involve currency. We trade them, donate them, drop them in caches (activated or not) and randomly gift them. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think we've ever sold an APPLE of ours :D.

 

There is an APPLE of the Christmas Snow Globe... :D

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I guess I see them as a limited edition given to the artist as payment. They have recently bloomed into a cottage-industry of their own, being a means for the artist to make more money from their designs than their original coin allotment.

 

It's a shame you can't use them to pay for taxes (or the taxes on them). :D:D

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I could be wrong, but I think the point is that it's become yet another edition of a coin.

 

When there are 8 versions of a coin done, is it really that special to have an XLE/AE (call it what you want).

 

Again, something used to mean something seems now like nothing more than a way to add antoher version to sell more coins. What Yime refers to were the days back when there was a run of coins made, with maybe an LE for locals, people who volunteered (for an event), etc. Then, MAYBE there were a few extras made special for the person who handled everything. It wasn't just checking a box on a form that says "Do you want X amount of these in every possible metal/color combination".

 

It seems in most cases to do nothing more than try to artificially create scarcity, when it fact it does the oppostie IMO. If things went back to one edition, or maybe two with a small number of <insert acronym here> for the person making the coin then maybe they would mean something again.

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I guess I see them as a limited edition given to the artist as payment. They have recently bloomed into a cottage-industry of their own, being a means for the artist to make more money from their designs than their original coin allotment.

 

It's a shame you can't use them to pay for taxes (or the taxes on them). :D:D

 

But again.. its a bigger shame that some coin folks dont think the artists deserve to make any money.

Lets consider the usual number given to artists, and the profit many coin minters make on any given run.

 

If they pay the artist $100 - they made a bundle, and the artist made LITTLE by comparison, and may have entirely accounted for the success and sales of a particular coin. If the artist takes AE's lets say 25 - thats $250 at the high end of $10 a coin base sale price. Still can be a low fee if the coin is a great seller. Why is it a horrible thing for the coin artist to make money? I guess I dont get this one.... and dont want to.

 

As for taxes yeah - thats about true. If you took a coin, even a Moun10bike into a grocery store - they wouldnt trade you a loaf of bread for it. Thats a lesson in perceived value for most coiners, IMO.

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I guess I see them as a limited edition given to the artist as payment. They have recently bloomed into a cottage-industry of their own, being a means for the artist to make more money from their designs than their original coin allotment.

 

It's a shame you can't use them to pay for taxes (or the taxes on them). :D:D

 

I find this statement ironic because I have seen a number of people buy up a number of coins or trade for specific coins only to turn around and sell them for big bucks on ebay (non-AE). I've personally sat by and watched people make more money on my designs then I have. Yet AE/XLE coins that an artist is given seems to be held to a different standard, just not understanding that???? It used to bother me but I learned to just accept it as part of the geocoin world.

 

I guess the beef that some people have with names of coins is never going to go away and there are just always going to be those who are looked at more harshly than others. Oh well :D

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To me, and AE, XLE or what ever its called, is a more limited version of any given coin. The value I think, is what people are willing to pay for it. It would also depend on an individual's likes and weather they would pay more for one coin than another. For instance, I'd give my tax return check for a Yemon Yime! :D

 

(disclaimer: sorry, I'm soooo in love with that coin!)

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AE editions can be good for everyone. The person making the coin may save a few bucks on art fees and the artist, has a chance to make a few extra bucks. One never knows what the most popular finish of a particular coin is going to be so 25 coins or so going to the artist may or may not be a good deal for the artist.

 

Putting extra value on an AE edition is up to the collector and if people want to collect them at higher cost, so be it. They earned it, they can spend it as they wish.

 

Geocoins are "art" and like any art, in time, who knows some may be worth a lot of money.

 

For us, the design is a personal thing and the design has meaning to us. Do we do finishes in lesser numbers? Yes and no. We just hope to make a finish to suit a wide variety of people and with luck we can get our money back and have some coins to give away and travel.

 

Have fun and enjoy what you collect.

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Ah yes...kealia and Yime yearn for the "good ol' days" of coin collecting...such fun times when coins and collectors were pure! No one EVER profited from a coin!

 

[/sarcasm]

 

There's nothing wrong with an artist wanting to get paid, and if it done with a special run of coins, so be it. I think it's silly people obsess so much over this.

 

:D

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Yes, it's almost as surprising as seeing you blindly defending CB - shocking, I know. :rolleyes:

 

Please read my entire post. I have no issues with XLE/AE coins. What I have issue with is having 8 versions of them made to take advantage of the obsession that some people have with coins. Run an edition of coins in a metal or two - heck even a few if you like. Don't make 4 "special/limited/etc." version for the sole purpose of gouging prices or trades.

 

Or, let's say this:

If you're going to do it, be upfront about it. Call it like it is. If you (used in the genral sense) treat these forums as a marketplace, stop referring to them as a community, or family and friends. I doubt this behavior transfers over to actual family and friends.

 

There IS a community here that looks out for each other, trades and buys/sells coins and generally is friendly towards one another and does not take advantage of each other.

 

Shortly after this post will come the "free enterprise" argument, to which we'll counter with "what you CAN do and SHOULD do are different things" and we'll go down the same road as always. There's a feature where you can ignore posts from specific people - I think it's time that a few of us use it to avoid having the SAME discussions over and over again.

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Yes, it's almost as surprising as seeing you blindly defending CB - shocking, I know. :rolleyes:

 

Nice assumption, there...I am defending ALL artists on this...or did you even read the thread?

 

Guess not...why am I not surprised? :D

 

Please read my entire post. I have no issues with XLE/AE coins. What I have issue with is having 8 versions of them made to take advantage of the obsession that some people have with coins. Run an edition of coins in a metal or two - heck even a few if you like. Don't make 4 "special/limited/etc." version for the sole purpose of gouging prices or trades.

 

If the market can bear the new coins, why not make what you and customers want?

 

You act as if the big, bad coin makers are preying on helpless victims here. If people don't want a coin, they will not buy it.

 

Or, let's say this:

If you're going to do it, be upfront about it. Call it like it is. If you (used in the genral sense) treat these forums as a marketplace, stop referring to them as a community, or family and friends. I doubt this behavior transfers over to actual family and friends.

 

I haven't seen any coin maker lying about what they will do...

 

There IS a community here that looks out for each other, trades and buys/sells coins and generally is friendly towards one another and does not take advantage of each other.

 

Who's taking advantage of anyone? Examples? Proof?

 

Shortly after this post will come the "free enterprise" argument, to which we'll counter with "what you CAN do and SHOULD do are different things" and we'll go down the same road as always.

 

Tell me...what's wrong with business as long as no one gets harmed?

 

There's a feature where you can ignore posts from specific people - I think it's time that a few of us use it to avoid having the SAME discussions over and over again.

 

Kind of like when people whip out the tired "in the old days of collecting" argument?

Edited by Arthur & Trillian
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If you dont like the AE's or have some "problem" with them, simple enough - don't buy them. The market sets the value.

 

I have, do, and will continue to. Thats my choice, and I appreciate the choices I'm given.

 

I fail to see the issue here.

 

"Old-School" collectors have to gripe about something lest they get bored... :rolleyes:

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As a collector, I really like Artist's Editions and am fortunate to own a few of them. I like having unique coins that were minted in small numbers and I'm willing (and happy) to pay a little more for that privledge. I don't think anyone is in this thing to make a million dollars, but if an artist produces something that people like and monetary success is the result of that, so be it and more power to them! :rolleyes:

Edited by ShmilyNMe
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A&T, I'm not interested in going back and forth with you yet again. We don't see eye to eye and I don't think you have any interest in an actual discussion or exchange of ideas. As such, I'm going to bow out here. I have no interest in wasting any more time on you.

 

Feel free to take this as a win, chasing me out, whatever. :rolleyes:

 

To get things back on topic:

 

rinauldi - There's no io issue, just some folks trying to have a discussion about what they like, dislike and don't "get". There are some that don't like the idea that others disagree with them and seem to get threatened over it. I don't get that at all...

 

ShmilyNMe - We're not talking about an AE/XLE, etc.- it's the practice of making MANY different versions of these to create the scarcity.

 

In any case, feel free to continue without me. I don't mind disagreements, but I have no interest in talking with folks who have no interest in other opinions if they don't agree with them.

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A&T, I'm not interested in going back and forth with you yet again. We don't see eye to eye and I don't think you have any interest in an actual discussion or exchange of ideas. As such, I'm going to bow out here. I have no interest in wasting any more time on you.

 

Feel free to take this as a win, chasing me out, whatever. :rolleyes:

 

To get things back on topic:

 

rinauldi - There's no io issue, just some folks trying to have a discussion about what they like, dislike and don't "get". There are some that don't like the idea that others disagree with them and seem to get threatened over it. I don't get that at all...

 

ShmilyNMe - We're not talking about an AE/XLE, etc.- it's the practice of making MANY different versions of these to create the scarcity.

 

In any case, feel free to continue without me. I don't mind disagreements, but I have no interest in talking with folks who have no interest in other opinions if they don't agree with them.

 

I am all for the exchange of ideas...even yours. What I don't like seeing are blanket statements that you cannot back up with fact, which you have stated more than once.

 

You state you don't like multiple versions of a coin and that's fine. You also say that the "community" you speak of needs to be protected, as it were. Why? Where are these instances of coin makers "preying" upon "helpless" collectors.

 

If you want to back out, that's fine. However, you can actually participate and answer questions directed at you.

 

Answer the questions.

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So what really constitutes an "Artist Edition"?

I took the term from my geocoin mentor, Chris Mackey, who first told it to me when he suggested that I take all my ideas for coins and turn them into actual designs. He explained them as my payment for the work I did for the mint. That they would be different from all the others and that only I would be get them.

 

What makes them so desirable that you might consider paying a lot extra for one?

They are rare and harder to get, and in some cases, much nicer looking (IMHO) than the regular editions, (Of course I'm partial to silver metals so it wouldn't matter if it is an AE or not there)

 

Should they be being sold for anything higher than the standard edition of the same geocoin?
I really don't think this question can be answered. I think it's a buyers market, most AE's are sold on ebay and they either sell or they don't, heck I still have some racer bugs because they didn't sell.
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I don't begrudge any artist their editions of coins. I do feel however if the artist edition is the nicest looking of the coins, then that is a dis-service to the buying customers.

 

I choose the best looking (IMO) metals or colorings as the regular editions of the coins. I usually do an LE for trading. For the mustangs I recently did, the LE was grey, which was not the best looking of the bunch. The Crystal Ball coins looked best in antique gold and silver. (Actually they looked best in BN, but the back didn't look great). But the Antique Gold and Antique Silver were what was offered for sale.

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Id say the AE's are a valid edition in every way! As well if the minter wants to create a Minters edition...its up to them as to what gets made and in what metal.

 

Most AE's I dont even bother trying to get, I myself wont pay the ebay prices anymore and the AE's seem to be mostly a way for the designer to bring in some more funds (for the ones that sell them), which is OK by me id say. I may not purchase that special coin, but someone will, and that coin will be special to them as it was meant to be by the designer who created it...They have one of only a few.

 

Bring on the AE's!!! and ME's XLE's, XXLE's and whatever else you feel like calling it! Its up to the designer, minter or the artists dog even! Hmmmm... ADE~ :rolleyes: Their creating it!

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In my mind the AE is where the coin artist picks out different colors than the regular coins. That's it.

 

In the end they are identical to any other LE except for the "story" of the different color or finish.

 

As for being sold for higher prices. LE's tend to be worth more in general because they are different and less in number than the standard Edition. If people like the story or the artist then the AE would be worth more than the standard LE assuming the same number of coins in the LE and AE.

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I don't begrudge any artist their editions of coins. I do feel however if the artist edition is the nicest looking of the coins, then that is a dis-service to the buying customers.

 

I choose the best looking (IMO) metals or colorings as the regular editions of the coins. I usually do an LE for trading. For the mustangs I recently did, the LE was grey, which was not the best looking of the bunch. The Crystal Ball coins looked best in antique gold and silver. (Actually they looked best in BN, but the back didn't look great). But the Antique Gold and Antique Silver were what was offered for sale.

 

I agree with what you're saying but there are several factors in play here also; 1. What I (or the artist) think looks best and what others think looks best, tends to vary. 2. In my experience only, I have always ordered the amount of coins before I have ever seen the samples (since the RJ's I have decided to alter that practice, never thought the BN would turn out like it did). Normally I save a.copper and gold for customers because I think they tend to be the most popular metals. But again, you just never know and even when you see samples, you never really know for sure until they show up in hand. Anyhow, no matter what ya do someone is not gonna be happy :rolleyes: Always learning something...

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I don't begrudge any artist their editions of coins. I do feel however if the artist edition is the nicest looking of the coins, then that is a dis-service to the buying customers.

 

I choose the best looking (IMO) metals or colorings as the regular editions of the coins. I usually do an LE for trading. For the mustangs I recently did, the LE was grey, which was not the best looking of the bunch. The Crystal Ball coins looked best in antique gold and silver. (Actually they looked best in BN, but the back didn't look great). But the Antique Gold and Antique Silver were what was offered for sale.

 

I agree particularly in this instance, but have to make a point here. I design coins (and have advised others to do the same) intending on a specific metal (or metals) to be used to aid in the strength of the design. Whatever else happens, AEs I have received were always secondary (or 3rd or 4th) best choice. Usually, they haven't been as strong as the production metals that utilized the best choice of metal. On occassion, they've taken us completely by surprise with how nice they came out. A good example might be CrowesFeat30's coin. I designed it thinking silver would be the only choice that would make it look as good as it could. My only suggestions were shiny, antique or matte silver. Later I see it produced in an antique copper that completely knocked my socks off (not an AE, just an inspiring bit of ingenuity). Lesson learned. I'll never again make the assumption that any metal will look "bad" until I see it produced first. AEs may be made in a less popular choice and we take a risk that it will not look as good as the production regulars, but every once in awhile even we will be surprised with how nice something turns out. Just don't assume it's done on purpose in every case. I have a couple AEs that still make me laugh with how badly they might have sold if they'd ever been released. :rolleyes:

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I could be wrong, but I think the point is that it's become yet another edition of a coin....

 

JAFE anyone? (Come on, you know that was funny...)

 

The whole LE thing jumped the shark when I went into the store and they had LE candybars.

 

Please excuse me while I do the write up for a SEMTO coin. Or JAFSEMTO to some.

Edited by Renegade Knight
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Ah yes...kealia and Yime yearn for the "good ol' days" of coin collecting...such fun times when coins and collectors were pure! No one EVER profited from a coin!

 

[/sarcasm]

 

There's nothing wrong with an artist wanting to get paid, and if it done with a special run of coins, so be it. I think it's silly people obsess so much over this.

 

:rolleyes:

 

As silly as someone who obsesses over arguing on these forums? Or someone who specifically makes veiled sarcastic jabs at people such as your "BURN" comment in the Trading Thread? A lot of people are equally tired of your offensive barrages here.

 

I asked for opinions on "Artist Editions", not for a reprise of your personal Cinema Boxers Chat Room vendetta(s) against me, so do this forum a favor and keep the animosity in THEIR house. :D <--- Did I do the wink right, so that I can say I was kidding later?

 

But since you opened the can of worms, I'll switch gears and get directly to my opinion about what I think is going wrong with "AE's".

 

There are countless individuals who have created "Artist Edition" coins for their own portfolio, for their friends, or even to trade for difficult coins. Since us "old schoolers" in fact do have factual knowledge, that's precisely what "Artist Editions" were originally all about. They were a way for the artist to get something exclusive for themselves as payment for their services.

 

Now it's blatantly obvious that people are using the practice of creating "Artist Editions" to purposely short-mint a geocoin and reap excessive profits. It's clearly no longer a term consistent from designer to designer. With some it's not at all about creating something special for "artistic reasons", even though they claim they're not "getting paid".

 

I'll go on record right now as saying there's absolutely nothing wrong or questionable about these individuals putting "AE" coins on eBay, even if it is for "getting paid". On eBay, the laws of supply and demand are in place very effectively, and the publicly determined price for such a coin is a perfectly fair economic benchmark.

 

However, it's one thing to let an "AE" fly on eBay to let people battle it out. It's entirely another when the designer sets a very high price for their product that's clearly excessive. That's no longer an "Artist Edition" geocoin, it's profiteering. It's a clever way to use a term that most artists came to know as something much more innocent. Now it's about a designer making a slight variation of EVERY geocoin produced, selling the standard edition for the standard price, and hyping an "AE" to the point where someone is sucker enough to pay $29.99, or $34.99, or $65.99 for. How on Earth can anyone justify these prices and claim they're just "getting paid" for their artistry???

 

Whether the readers here want to grasp this possibility or not…think of this for one horrifying moment: We, as consumers, have absolutely no proof, or knowledge of how many "AE" coins are actually being made from any vendor.

 

Us "old schoolers" (as A&T so condescendingly monickered us) have seen our share of questionable practices hit these forums over the years. So when I see the term "Artist Edition" being used to make a lot more money than I believe is reasonable...yup...I'm gonna give my opinion, because I can.

 

And since I'm sick to death of seeing "clique vs. clique" animosity here, I'll gladly end my own participation in this thread with this: Someone posed the question in another thread about why geocoins are getting more expensive. Well folks, when someone's selling XLE AE's for about $30 a pop, then that's only gonna bump the next guy's noggin into thinking he can do the same. There's your trendy inflation in action.

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AEs? XLEs? I personally don't need them. If I got a couple of different standard versions I'm happy. Of the coins I have 3 or 4 different finishes I feel like a dufus for overindulding. But that's me. What you do is none of my business and I really don't care.

 

However if I can get one in trade in place of a standard I was not able to buy, why not? In this case the overpriced version is as good a representation of the coin design as any in my binder.

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I asked for opinions on "Artist Editions", not for a reprise of your personal Cinema Boxers Chat Room vendetta(s) against me, so do this forum a favor and keep the animosity in THEIR house. :rolleyes: <--- Did I do the wink right, so that I can say I was kidding later?

 

Now it's about a designer making a slight variation of EVERY geocoin produced, selling the standard edition for the standard price, and hyping an "AE" to the point where someone is sucker enough to pay $29.99, or $34.99, or $65.99 for. How on Earth can anyone justify these prices and claim they're just "getting paid" for their artistry???

 

Hmm...

 

How and when did this become personal, and who has a Vendetta against anyone? (Last thing I knew, I was neutral, as I usually remain.) I find it best to keep myself out of the pissing contests that take place on the forums, but just so its clear - individuals are rarely the topic of conversation in chat - unless its for positive reasons. In fact, recently its been cointests, and games of Mad Gab... hardly vendetta material.

 

As for my sales? Well.. Thanks for the promotion! I always appreciate it. For the record, when I design a coin, I design ONE version, and the minter decides on metals and any remints - at that point, its out of my hands. I also choose my AE AFTER regular editions are decided upon. The only time I take multiple AE's is when there will be a remint, and I do not want to mint any more of my previous AE metal. (Hence raising those numbers of the coins minted)

 

But.. It seems you, Yime, specifically - have issues with my coin sales. Sorry about that, but, I do have a need to make a living - I take good care to do my sales fairly, ship quickly, and keep people as repeat buyers. My store prices are indeed lower than the ebay ones. :D

 

I won't apologize for selling my wares. No need to. I could sell them all on ebay I guess, so no one can take my pricing personally - but, I dont like the fees, and some people dont like bidding wars. For them, they can visit the store, and buy the item directly, and I dont lose out either on what I 'might have made' on ebay.

 

Its a shame that the week before Christmas brings out those who would rather nit pick and point fingers instead of the good feelings it should bring out. SIgh... if some of those complaining had any idea of the coins Ive gifted to friends - AE's and regulars - perhaps they could view my profits more akin to 'evening out my losses' so-to-speak.

 

Funny enough, I didnt know about any animosity - I don't get into that crap. Glad it was clarified for me here tho... nice to know.. I guess. :D

 

Anyone wanna buy an AE rant? I'll sell it cheap! :grin:

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Us "old schoolers" (as A&T so condescendingly monickered us) have seen our share of questionable practices hit these forums over the years. So when I see the term "Artist Edition" being used to make a lot more money than I believe is reasonable...yup...I'm gonna give my opinion, because I can.

 

 

I understand all the points you make YemonYime and they give me a lot to think about. On the other hand as well...all these AE/XLE's could have a purpose we aren't aware of? Maybe some of these folks are putting the money towards giving away all the Mystery coins?

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Whatever else happens, AEs I have received were always secondary (or 3rd or 4th) best choice. Usually, they haven't been as strong as the production metals that utilized the best choice of metal.

 

That's an interesting point.

 

They are a payment to the Artist, not a way of making an XLE. Guess that is where the animosity lies, since the AE's are now a premium limited edition coin and valued over the regular editions.

 

Edited for grammar.

Edited by avroair
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Whatever else happens, AEs I have received were always secondary (or 3rd or 4th) best choice. Usually, they haven't been as strong as the production metals that utilized the best choice of metal.

 

That's an interesting point.

 

They were a payment to the Artist, not a way of making an XLE. Guess that is where the animosity lies, since the AE's are not the premium coin over the regular editions.

 

When did artists stop taking some of the regular coins as payment?

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How and when did this become personal, and who has a Vendetta against anyone?

 

Regarding your Chat Room and your moderator, Arthur & Trillian, I'll leave that subject to those who know what's been said and done there.

 

But.. It seems you, Yime, specifically - have issues with my coin sales.

 

Not you, your coin sales, or even your coin designs. It's all about your coin pricing and what you're doing with "AE's".

 

Coin pricing was recently (and rightfully) called into question on this forum. So I took a look around the various vendors. Hogwild, Oakcoins, CoinsAndPins, Dorkfish, Tsun, Crake, Castle Man, The Geocoin Store, Landsharkz, The Caching Place, etc...sell all of their editions for the same price. Most of them are artists, yet I don't see "AE's" on their sites at all. I only found you and SoCal charging more for "LE" or "AE" versions. In fact, looking through your webstore and finding "AE" coins consistently priced for $19.99 and above is a bit disconcerting.

 

Collectors are obviously concerned with any rise in geocoin pricing, and most would say that pricing that high is not at all healthy to the future of collecting geocoins. If you're starting a trend, you're going to price yourself right out of the market. People are smart enough to know that the average coin costs about $5 to mint. You selling a coin that was as mass produced as your Tranquility coins for $65.99 is...what it is.

 

That's my opinion. Sorry if you took it personal, but you're a business now.

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Not you, your coin sales, or even your coin designs. It's all about your coin pricing and what you're doing with "AE's".

 

Hogwild, Oakcoins, CoinsAndPins, Dorkfish, Tsun, Crake, Castle Man, The Geocoin Store, Landsharkz, The Caching Place, etc...sell all of their editions for the same price. Most of them are artists, yet I don't see "AE's" on their sites at all.

 

That's my opinion. Sorry if you took it personal, but you're a business now.

 

Um... well, no, most of them are not artists. In fact, I have done designs - multiple - for many of the vendors listed. Several of them have my designs regularly - which is where I get my AE's. :D

 

Bottom line - if I price an AE at an excessive price, it won't sell. I sell MOST of my AE's and coins on ebay, and start them ALL at $0.99. I dont set those prices, the buyers and bidders do.

 

If I put a high price on a store item, people can CHOOSE to buy them or not. When I sell new releases, the coins sell at the normal price. (I don't inflate reg edition prices or shipping.. and we ship same or next day.)

 

I guess I don't see the concern... and I dont think I will. I dont expect to sell many coins from the store unless Im selling a new release. But, when I DO - its often at a price thats cheaper than what the same coin goes for at auction. :rolleyes:

 

Not taking it personal, but I dont think theres a need to worry about my coin sales. I don't worry about anyone elses sales methods, prices, or presales, reservations, etc... because frankly, its not my business.

If someone sells coins, all my concerns are around their speed of shipping, communication, and customer service - and of course - quality of product. :D

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How and when did this become personal, and who has a Vendetta against anyone?

 

Regarding your Chat Room and your moderator, Arthur & Trillian, I'll leave that subject to those who know what's been said and done there.

 

But.. It seems you, Yime, specifically - have issues with my coin sales.

 

Not you, your coin sales, or even your coin designs. It's all about your coin pricing and what you're doing with "AE's".

 

Coin pricing was recently (and rightfully) called into question on this forum. So I took a look around the various vendors. Hogwild, Oakcoins, CoinsAndPins, Dorkfish, Tsun, Crake, Castle Man, The Geocoin Store, Landsharkz, The Caching Place, etc...sell all of their editions for the same price. Most of them are artists, yet I don't see "AE's" on their sites at all. I only found you and SoCal charging more for "LE" or "AE" versions. In fact, looking through your webstore and finding "AE" coins consistently priced for $19.99 and above is a bit disconcerting.

 

Collectors are obviously concerned with any rise in geocoin pricing, and most would say that pricing that high is not at all healthy to the future of collecting geocoins. If you're starting a trend, you're going to price yourself right out of the market. People are smart enough to know that the average coin costs about $5 to mint. You selling a coin that was as mass produced as your Tranquility coins for $65.99 is...what it is.

 

That's my opinion. Sorry if you took it personal, but you're a business now.

 

Yime,

 

I have to say that I've worked with you as an artist, and you are absolutely top notch! You, sir, are a true professional when it comes to coin designs! I can aways rest assured that you treat my coin and my concepts with care, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate that!

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I don't get into these dicussions very much but had to chime in. And in full discloser I produce coins and for the first time on the Morpho Butterflies made and LE and XLE. The LE was sold at a high price purely based on demand. Thus I could keep the price on the rest of the coins at a more reasonable price. The XLE was not sold but used to trade for some hard to find coins, or ones I really wanted.

 

Now on to the post:

 

I was recently looking to have someone else produce one of my designs. I took it to a few of the companies Yime mentioned and one in particular said

...we can't pay you that much but we could give you an AE version and based on the sale of those these days, you could get over $10 a coin so you could make $...

So they might not sell them or price them high on their site but they certainly use them to pay the artist and don't mind making a point of it when trying to get a nice idea.

Edited by Atwell Family
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I asked for opinions on "Artist Editions", not for a reprise of your personal Cinema Boxers Chat Room vendetta(s) against me, so do this forum a favor and keep the animosity in THEIR house. :rolleyes: <--- Did I do the wink right, so that I can say I was kidding later?

 

Now it's about a designer making a slight variation of EVERY geocoin produced, selling the standard edition for the standard price, and hyping an "AE" to the point where someone is sucker enough to pay $29.99, or $34.99, or $65.99 for. How on Earth can anyone justify these prices and claim they're just "getting paid" for their artistry???

 

*SNIP*

The only time I take multiple AE's is when there will be a remint, and I do not want to mint any more of my previous AE metal. (Hence raising those numbers of the coins minted)

 

*SNIP*

 

Is this getting paid twice for one piece of "artwork"?

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I was recently looking to have someone else produce one of my designs. I took it to a few of the companies Yime mentioned and one in particular said

...we can't pay you that much but we could give you an AE version and based on the sale of those these days, you could get over $10 a coin so you could make $...

So they might not sell them or price them high on their site but they certainly use them to pay the artist and don't mind making a point of it when trying to get a nice idea.

 

You could easily sell those for over $10 a piece on eBay, and there's nothing wrong with that. Putting a coin on eBay and setting it afloat lets the market determine it's value. There's quite a difference...you aren't dictating it's retail value, the people are.

 

Let's say I got a shipment of Nintendo Wii's into my store, and then slapped a $500 price tag on them because I knew from the line outside that I could probably get away with it. Then that's me specifically dictating what those game consoles are worth while they're very popular. Those people are crazy to pay that, but most will because they're caught in the hype, and it's all the rage. Sound anything like geocoin collectors when new coins are released? :rolleyes:

 

I suppose you could say I'm preaching about taking some responsibility with keeping prices reasonable here, rather than purposely charging excessive amounts because you know you can get it. People here deserve that kind of respect for the support they continue to give back to the hobby.

 

G'night all.

Edited by YemonYime
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How and when did this become personal, and who has a Vendetta against anyone?

 

Regarding your Chat Room and your moderator, Arthur & Trillian, I'll leave that subject to those who know what's been said and done there.

 

But.. It seems you, Yime, specifically - have issues with my coin sales.

 

Not you, your coin sales, or even your coin designs. It's all about your coin pricing and what you're doing with "AE's".

 

Coin pricing was recently (and rightfully) called into question on this forum. So I took a look around the various vendors. Hogwild, Oakcoins, CoinsAndPins, Dorkfish, Tsun, Crake, Castle Man, The Geocoin Store, Landsharkz, The Caching Place, etc...sell all of their editions for the same price. Most of them are artists, yet I don't see "AE's" on their sites at all. I only found you and SoCal charging more for "LE" or "AE" versions. In fact, looking through your webstore and finding "AE" coins consistently priced for $19.99 and above is a bit disconcerting.

 

Collectors are obviously concerned with any rise in geocoin pricing, and most would say that pricing that high is not at all healthy to the future of collecting geocoins. If you're starting a trend, you're going to price yourself right out of the market. People are smart enough to know that the average coin costs about $5 to mint. You selling a coin that was as mass produced as your Tranquility coins for $65.99 is...what it is.

 

That's my opinion. Sorry if you took it personal, but you're a business now.

 

Why is this any of your business? If you don't want to buy or sell AE editions..then don't. Problem solved.

Edited by TheNumber1Bop
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After reading this thread I debated posting at all. But I have a mouth . . . . so my thoughts . . .

 

- Whenever someone comes to me with a design they would like me to mint. I require first choice of the finishes / metals. I make those choices based on what I think my customers; (my most valuable asset) will appreciate most. I make my choice(s) then the artist chooses.

 

- Ultimately AE's are just another version of a given coin - THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER.

 

- As a coin seller I always like selling more coins rather than fewer coins. With a given design I price it based on a number of factors: what it costs to make, including what i have to pay the artist, how popular I think it will be, and how many I think I can sell (related to popularity). Artists ultimately do the same.

 

- The one thing I have honestly not quite been able to figure out is what the relationship is between price and number of coins sold. I have seen coins priced low and languish and coins priced high sell out. Within reason I am not sure there is a direct correlation.

 

- I always recommend that people who buy coins (and I am a buyer) only buy the coins they like and pass on the ones they don't. I recently purchased 4 of those chariot coins because I liked the design and think i can make some decent trades with them, even though they cost me about $20 each. I have also passed on lots of more "reasonably priced" coins.

 

- I am with Atwell Family; I sort of don't get this argument. In my early days I purchased 1 or 2 coins off eBay for exorbitant prices $20+, now I have lots of information available to make more intelligent decisions. This is information that is available to anyone through eBay sales and the forums. So I just don't see how anyone is being taken advantage of.

 

- There are coins I could likely trade for at a lower cost but sometimes purchasing is just easier even if the price is higher so I would be very careful about making the assumption that Artists are overcharging. People make the decision to purchase or not based on lots of different factors.

 

- Finally, I too long for the good old days; The days when I could make 300, 600 or even 1,000 coins and sell them out overnight. When those same coins would then sell for 2 or 3 or 4 times on eBay and people would clamor for more coins. The geocoin market has changed. It is in truth better. Go look at the oldest designs and the current designs. Fewer coins for each of the newer designs but many times they are better and more elaborate.

 

I always celebrate change. It is life and proves we are alive and moving forward.

 

My thoughts . . . . . . Hope I don't get in trouble doing this as HWS and not WWC is ok. Can't quite figure which I am supposed to use.

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How and when did this become personal, and who has a Vendetta against anyone?

 

Regarding your Chat Room and your moderator, Arthur & Trillian, I'll leave that subject to those who know what's been said and done there.

 

But.. It seems you, Yime, specifically - have issues with my coin sales.

 

Not you, your coin sales, or even your coin designs. It's all about your coin pricing and what you're doing with "AE's".

 

Coin pricing was recently (and rightfully) called into question on this forum. So I took a look around the various vendors. Hogwild, Oakcoins, CoinsAndPins, Dorkfish, Tsun, Crake, Castle Man, The Geocoin Store, Landsharkz, The Caching Place, etc...sell all of their editions for the same price. Most of them are artists, yet I don't see "AE's" on their sites at all. I only found you and SoCal charging more for "LE" or "AE" versions. In fact, looking through your webstore and finding "AE" coins consistently priced for $19.99 and above is a bit disconcerting.

 

Collectors are obviously concerned with any rise in geocoin pricing, and most would say that pricing that high is not at all healthy to the future of collecting geocoins. If you're starting a trend, you're going to price yourself right out of the market. People are smart enough to know that the average coin costs about $5 to mint. You selling a coin that was as mass produced as your Tranquility coins for $65.99 is...what it is.

 

That's my opinion. Sorry if you took it personal, but you're a business now.

 

Why is this any of your business? If you don't want to buy or sell AE editions..then don't. Problem solved.

 

sock_puppet.jpg

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