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There are tons of different reasons why someone may want to collect coins, some collectors do it for the future value of the coin, some do it because they simply enjoy having a piece of history! There are also other people that enjoy collecting common coins but there are also the really serious collectors that collect coins from different countries, eras, and types of metals. The initial hobby of collecting coins can be both pleasurable as well as fun for any individual at any age, however, this hobby usually involves spending money from the get-go in order to find the coins he or she is looking for.

Some of these people may even join coin collector groups to get opinions, ideas and knowledgeable help from more experienced collectors! Face it, if you are new to coin collecting you may not know what is popular right now, or where to find certain coins, so by having a professional near by that you can ask question to you could ultimately be saving yourself a lot of time trying to find the needle in the haystack and instead enjoying other things in life.

There are several different collections people are accumulating now, but one of the most popular and in demand collections are called; First Spouse Coins. Its pretty obvious what these coins are but just in case you need a little more info, here is a little snippet off of the United States Mint website:

“The United States is observing our Nations first spouses by issuing one-half ounce $10 gold coins featuring their figures, in the order that they functioned as first spouse. The United States Mint yields First Spouse Gold Coins on the same schedule as the Presidential $1 Coins issued honoring the Presidents. The 2008 First Spouse Gold Coins feature Elizabeth Monroe, Louisa Adams, Andrew Jacksons Liberty, and Martin Van Burens Liberty. The First Spouse Gold Coin obverse features portraits of the Nations first spouses, their names, the dates and order of their term as first spouse, the year of minting or issuance, “In God We Trust,” and “Liberty.”

Each coin has a unique reverse design featuring an image emblematic of that spouses life and work, as well as the inscriptions “The United States of America,” “E Pluribus Unum,” “$10,” “1/2 oz.” and
“.9999 Fine Gold.”

Alright, so these are Spouse Coins, what is up with the Jefferson, Jackson and Van Burens? Well if your on the up and up with history you would know that these three Presidents served without a first spouse so a gold coin is issued bearing an obverse image emblematic of Liberty as depicted on circulating coin of that era and a reverse image emblematic of themes of that presidents life.

These coins are absolutely stunning, I really cannot take my eyes off of them, these are a great coin to add to your collection whether your just starting out or have been at this game for a long time coming! You really would be lucky to have a piece of this history, there is no doubt about it! Plus, you can either collect these and save them for the future or you can actually sell these right now and make hundreds of dollars off of ONE coin!

I was just searching this out on eBay awhile ago and found 2007s Abigail Adams for sale for well over $350! This is definitely something you will want to check out as soon as possible! Good luck on your hunt!

Resources: This author is a HUGE fan of First Spouse

In order to buy the perfect gift for an anime lover, you will first need to find out what type of anime they like. Try to find out what type of comic they read, or what TV show they watch. Once you are aware of their anime preference, it is time to hit one of your local comic stores, which is usually the best place to buy anime merchandise. Here is a list of the most popular gifts for anime fans.

Manga
Pretty much all anime fans love manga, which are the Japanese version of comics. Japanese TV anime series are often based on a Manga comic, and they have become so popular that they can usually be found now in large bookstore chains. However, the best selection is still found in comic stores. Searching online is another great option for buying manga, in case you are having problems finding what you are looking for locally.

Toys
As with all cartoons, anime series’ often put out toys. Certain anime toys are really amazing, and most anime fans like to collect the toys of the TV series’ that they watch. Again, the best place to find these toys is at your local comic store or online. Try to find original toys that are imported from Japan, as those are the ones most coveted.

Video Games
Nowadays, there is a video game for just about everything, and anime is no exception. There are video games based on all of the more popular series, and almost all kids love to play video games. All you need to do is find out what type of system they have, and pick out the appropriate game for that system. If they do not have a video game for the anime series are looking for, try asking the store attendant what a similar game would be.

Other Merchandise
For the most popular anime series’ available, there is merchandise for just about everything. Try looking around for merchandise of the anime lover’s favorite anime series. Some of the many things available are watches, backpacks, playing cards, bookmarks, school supplies, lunchboxes, and mousepads. These are sure to be a hit, especially with younger fans.

Kaiju
Kaiju is a Japanese word that means ’strange beast’ and refers to the monsters that often appear in famous Japanese movies, such as Ultraman and Godzilla. It does not refer to anime, but most anime fans are also fans of kaiju. Some of the most popular kaiju are Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, Gamera, and King Ghidorah. Kaiju toys are some of the most innovative and imaginative available, and make great collector’s items. They can be somewhat difficult to find, and often have to be purchased online.

There you have it, your guide to buying something for you anime loving niece, nephew, son, daughter, grandson etc. They are sure to love what you pick out, and at the same time, you will likely learn a little more about the popular world of anime.

Resources: Diego is an anime and kaiju fan, and has created a fan site about Kaiju Toys, with information of where they originate from, such as Ultraman , Godzilla, Mothra, Gamera, and Rodan.

Working in my dad’s gift shop twelve years ago, I was amazed at the craze formed by TY with the creation of their beanie baby range. At the height of their popularity, I’d be lucky to count ten minutes between taking the soft toys out of their delivery box and popping them into a carrier bag at the registrar, ready to be taken home by yet another excitable customer. With a fan base ranging from toddler to grandparents, a sense of hysteria occasionally swamped the store and often left me feeling more like I was at a pop concert than in a small gift shop in the heart of Suffolk. So what was it that led to the cult of TY beanie babies and that still exists today, fifteen years later?

I often wonder what it is about being a collector that attracts so many of us. From stickers as a youngster to model airplanes later in life, purchasing every single item in a range of consumerables has been a favourite pastime for decades.

Perhaps it’s the sense of achievement it creates, or the sheer anticipation of collecting the next addition. When TY launched their soft toy range in the form of beanie babies in 1993, audiences all over the world were instantly hooked. Effectively toy-like bean bags, their initial launch included just nine soft toys including Legs the Frog, Squealer the Pig, Spot the Dog, Flash the Dolphin, Splash the Whale, Chocolate the Moose, Patti the Platypus and Brownie the Bear and Punchers the Lobster. It didn’t take them long for them to become a huge phenomenon, continuing all the way through the 1990’s as the collection continued to grow.

Customers range from those spending literally hundreds of British pounds on a ‘retired’ collector such as peanut the elephant or early versions of zip the cat, to young children who had saved their pocket money for weeks to buy one of the standard toys. The collection includes soft toys for all occasions (such as Easter, Christmas and Halloween) to characters (think Garfield and more recently, SpongeBob Squarepants) to every imaginable animal, mammal or creature, each christened with its own individual name. The full collection must run into hundreds.

Everybody loves soft toys and Beanie Babies are certainly no exception. Soft to touch and cute to look at, most people can find a creature that represents a favourite animal, a fond memory, a celebratory occasion (such as a new baby) or even just a friendly token gesture. Priced competitively and small in size, they have been a perfect gift for the past ten years.

One of their greatest marketing creations was the holiday bear. A soft toy unique to various occasions such as April Fool’s Day or specific locations, including Canada, USA, Ireland and Australia, these bears were always harder to get hold of than the usual range and were usually more expensive. The beanie babies unique to specific locations were generally only available in those countries, making them much more of a collector’s item. Similarly, many of the popular bears would quite often become ‘retired’ shortly after their launch, further fuelling the collectors’ bug.

While TY decided to pull the plug and stop making the soft toys in 1999, continued popular demand caused Ty Warner to change his mind and now continues to run TY Inc, and is still designing new beanie babies today. It’s a phenomenon that hit the world and the ripples are still being felt, as sales still continue to soar. What started as nine cute companions is now a worldwide phenomenon.

Resources: Dominic Donaldson is an expert in the retail industry. Find out more about Soft Toys and why they make such popular gifts for all ages.

With the price of everything going down lately, people who purchase collectibles may be looking at their shelves full of well-loved pieces and thinking, “They’re not worth anything anymore! What will I do?” It may seem counter-intuitive, but the best thing might be to expand your collection. Just think about it: What are the smart investors doing right now on Wall Street? They are holding onto their portfolios and spending a little money to pick up some great bargains. That’s what you should be doing with your collectibles, too.

“To get a great deal” is the best reason to spend money in any economy, especially when it comes to collectibles. While it may not be the best time to sell off your own collection, you may see deals now on pieces that you don’t have that you would never see otherwise. A bonus to buying during a downswing is that, since you are buying items at a discount, the chances are good that your new collectibles will go up in value as the economy gets stronger.

Another reason to invest in collectibles in an economic downturn is if you’ve been thinking of starting a collection for someone else. If you have a daughter or niece to whom you were planning on giving a few pieces, those starter items now can be found at great prices. Often times merchants will bundle pieces together that make great starter sets and offer them at a discount. Plus, everyone knows that the most expensive time to collect is when you first start out, so now is the time to make those initial costs a bit less.

Remember the most important reason to collect anything: because it means something special to you. Can you really put a price tag on a collection if you purchased it for sentimental reasons? If your collection is making you happy then it is giving you value and no one can argue with that. Artwork that you collect because it makes you feel relaxed, for example, is like investing in your mental health. Figurines that feature different emotions or family members can memorialize events or honor loved ones while they expand your collection. Eventually, when the time comes to whittle down your collection, these items become perfect gifts for family and friends. If you’ve ever watched those shows where experts estimate the value of a person’s antiques or collectibles, you know that most people say that it’s nice to know how much it’s worth, but they’re not interested in selling due to family history with the item(s). A collection may have monetary value, but it all boils down to how much it means to you personally.

One of the best bonuses of collecting is the sense of community you get from talking and trading with other collectors. The internet has now given us the ability to talk to people all over the world who are interested in the same things you are. So even if you don’t feel like changing the size of your collection today, communicating with other people who appreciate the things you do can improve your mood, no matter the state the economy.

Resources: Debby Jones is a freelance writer who is known for writing his reviews & thoughts on diverse topics & industry. His current article features his thoughts on Real Value of Collectibles in Today’s Economy. For More Information Visitdavlinswoods.com

Trading cards are an extremely popular collectible for both adults and children. These sets of color printed cards, usually presented as a series or a theme, are traded with other collectors, bought and sold and saved in albums. When people think about trading cards, they most often visualise sports trading cards. Sports cards have photographs and stats of players in all sports including hockey, baseball, basketball and football,to name just a few of the very popular series. There has also been increasing interest in trading cards other than sports cards. These usually feature themes from movies, television, or music.

Some people will think of trading cards as childrens toys. It is a fact that collecting trading cards is a wonderful hobby for children. As a parent you must teach your kids to keep their cards in mint condition in order to maintain their value. Make sure that while enjoying their card collection,they realise that only mint condition cards have full value as collectibles.

Sports cards began with baseball cards which date back as far as 1887. As a matter of fact,the great popularity and continuing growth of baseball card collecting is tied to the expansion of the game of baseball across the United states. This took place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The first trading cards were quite different from today’s cards. They were usually printed on cloth or other soft materials. In 1902 baseball cards began to be produced on a commercial basis. Soon after that baseball cards were packed in with products like tobacco, bubble gum, and Cracker Jack.

As baseball cards became ever more popular,by the mid 1900s,other sports and more companies wanted to get in on the act. Trading cards became very popular once more in the 1980s as kids built their collections of sports cards. The trading card industry reached maximum production in the mid-1990s. Large numbers of trading card series as diverse as Garbage Pail Kids and Olympic athletes were produced.

Sports cards have remained the most popular trading cards. The late 1900s saw the production of many pop culture card series. Anyone who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s will know all about cards such as Uh-Gi-Oh!, Pokemon, Magic: The Gathering, Digimon, and World of Warcraft.

Even Hollywood saw the profit potential and popular cult TV and movies were produced as trading cards. Some of the shows which were made into trading card series include Star Trek,Buffy the Vampire Slayer,The X Files and South Park. Popular movies which were placed on trading cards include Ace Ventura, Independence Day, and even old time movies such as The Wizard of Oz and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

The trading card market is almost completely dominated by several large companies. These include Topps, Upper Deck,Fleer, Leaf Candy Company and Donruss. Most of these companies,which are known best for their sports cards,also produce non-sports series of trading cards.

The value of a trading card depends entirely on its condition. Mint or Near Mint condition cards must have almost no flaws. They have must have sharp edges and corners,no creases and no damage. Such things as writing on the card,off-centered printing,corner damage, tears, creases or any other imperfections will lower the value greatly. Cards graded as Poor will have serious damage such as tears,creases or worn corners.

What can you do to keep your cards in excellent condition? There are many storage and protective covers,which can be purchased,to keep your trading cards safe from damage. Plastic sleeves and covers are very good for protecting cards from damage,although they could still be creased or bent. If you have valuable cards you must keep them in hard cases.

If you want to put a price on your cards,value guides can be purchased for most collectible series of cards. The well known Beckett price guides are generally accepted as leading value indicators for sports trading cards.

Collecting trading cards is an extremely popular hobby. Plenty of information and resources is available for card collectors. Online forums and price guides will help collectors to put a price on their cards and to discuss their hobby. Card shows are held in many major cities. These shows enable many buyers and sellers to meet for the purpose of trading, buying and selling cards.

Resources: Know which trading cards are hot and which are not. See thousands pictured with prices and descriptions. Go to=> Trading Cards

Next year will mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille. He is well known for his invention of the Braille System. This system is used worldwide by the blind and visually impaired to read and write. To celebrate this important anniversary, the United States Mint will be issuing a special commemorative coins in his honor.

The Braille system uses patterns of one to six raised dots to correspond to letters of the alphabet. The letters can be recognized by fingertip allowing the blind and visually impaired to read words, music, and mathematical symbols. This system has been adapted to nearly all known languages and is used worldwide.

The new commemorative coins are meant to be emblematic of the life and legacy of Louis Braille with specific focus on his contribution of his system of reading and writing. The coin program was authorized under H.R. 2872, the Louis Braille Bicentennial Literacy Commemorative Coin Act. The bill was first introduced on June 13, 2005. The bill was successfully passed by both the United States House of Representatives and Senate. The bill was finally signed into law on July 27, 2006.

Based on the legislation, each coin will have a diameter of 1.5 inches and a weight of 26.73 grams. Coins will be minted with a composition of 90% silver and 10% copper. Face value will be one dollar, and the coins will be considered legal tender numismatic items. A surcharge from the sale of each coin will be distributed to the National Federation of the Blind. The funds will be used to promote Braille literacy.

The designs for the new coin were first unveiled on July 2, 2008 by United States Mint Director Edmund Moy. The unveiling took place as part of a ceremony held at AT&T Plaza at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. The ceremony was held to begin the National Federation of the Blind’s 2008 National Convention. A prototype of the coin was available for attendees to examine.

The obverse of the coin features a portrait of Louis Braille and the inscriptions, “Louis Braille,” “Liberty,” “In God We Trust,” and the dates 1809 and 2009. The reverse of the coin features a young child reading using the Braille system. Behind the child is a bookcase filled with books. The top of the bookcase has the caption “Independence.” Inscriptions on the reverse of the coin include, “United States of America,” “E Pluribus Unum,” and “One Dollar.”

The reverse design also includes the Braille characters “BRL.” This is the short form of the word Braille. The series of characters is large enough so that it can be read with a fingertip. Notably, this is the first time in history that a United States coin has included readable Braille characters. Previously, such characters were used on the 2003 Alabama State Quarter, however the characters were too small to be considered readable.

The commemorative coins are expected to be available for sale to the public after January 1, 2009. The United States Mint is authorized to produce up to 400,000 coins, which will remain available for sale throughout the year.

Resources: Michael Zielinski is an internet entrepreneur and coin collector. Learn more about the upcoming Louis Braille Coin or get the latest news on coin collecting.