IS IT JUST ME?? I DOUBT IT!
Today, Sunday, I was looking at a for sale post at my favorite buying site VAMWorld. One if the major players there just listed some raw Peace Dollar VAMs. As most of you know I am working hard to complete a Top 50 set of them. One of the coins I need is a 1922 VAM 2A, called Ear Ring for the die break at Liberties ear. This is a higher priced coin, at least for me. This one was very reasonably priced.
So being a person with little to no patience I immediately got all excited and shot off a message to the seller requesting a photo. I even said I would buy it on his recommendation if he could not photograph it. This guy knows his Peace Dollars. He got back to me in a few hours and agreed to email me some photos. When they came they were very well done. But wait. What is the deal here? I see no die break. It has some beautiful major die cracks all around the rim and other places but none in the hair.
I calm down a bit, not really, and check it out better. To my surprise it’s a VAM 2A all right, almost. Only problem it’s a 1922-D not a P. It’s also a 2A2. Well, talk about feeling stupid. I wanted that coin to be my new Ear Ring so bad I read what I wanted to see. Did I mention it was very well listed as a 22-D? So I swallow what is left of my pride and email him my mistake. I haven’t heard back yet. Probably won’t. What can he say, “That’s OK, idiot.” I have emailed about a different one he listed. I made very sure it is what I think it is. I wonder if he will give me another chance to give him my money.
So, the lesson here is be careful what you read. Make sure it isn’t what you want it to say. If this same scenario was an auction and I won, I would have to pay up. Not totally bad. It is a cool coin but not a Top 50. Anybody else do anything crazy like me? Thanks for reading this confession. I hope you learn from it. Please check out the photos of what I wanted and what the coin really is. Feel free to laugh and comment.
SOURCES:
VAMWorld 2.0---http://ec2-13-58-222-16.us-east-2.compute.amazonaws.com/wiki/Home
My Pride or Lack Thereof
Comments
JudeA
Level 4
Man, I hate it when that happens. Never bought the thing i didn't want but have gotten excited over quite a few things, and then realized that its not what i want. Good luck on your quest for VAM's!
Kepi
Level 6
What a great blog! You tell a funny story for sure Longstrider ; ) You'll find that "Ear Ring Vam" one of these days!
Liberty Walking Half
Level 5
I've done that before... Thankfully, I didn't have much to spend, so I didn't have much too lose :)
"SUN"
Level 6
Don't feel stupid. I have bought items that I misread the description.
coinsbygary
Level 5
You haven't done anything any of us haven't. We all are guilty of reading into something that just isn't there because we want to believe something else. Once I came across an ebay listing that seemed too good to be true. Greed for snagging up a great deal ended with a gold half-eagle when I thought I was buying a gold eagle. I don't know what planet I was on that day. When the coin arrived I was shocked. When I rechecked the listing, I found I got exactly what I payed for. :( I let the frailties of human nature get to me. Moral of the story, slow down and make sure you read the entire listing and especially the fine print.
It's Mokie
Level 6
Longstrider, you are far from alone, I have done the same sort of thing on many, yes many, occasions. Usually on Ebay and I usually realize my error after the coin arrives and I Freak because I think the seller has erred, then I check the description and realize the foolio is me. The most recent example occurred while completing my Canada Provincial Large Cents collection. I thought I had purchased a New Brunswick Large Cent but instead purchased a regular Canadian Large Cent. 100% my error and based on my impulsiveness and my failure to fully read descriptions at times. You would think an old dude would learn a lesson but apparently not. LOL Not to even mention a previous blog I wrote about my Redfield Dollars disaster.
Mike
Level 7
You can't get down on yourself. We know none of us are experts no matter how many books at examples we see. Something like a picture will throw you off. That's like all the self proclaimed experts in you tube. I call it the comedy network. How to clean a coin without detextion. Ok. I watched it i starting laughing he didn't see the hairline scratches. But he's just one of many. You study these coins every day. He made the mistake. He sent the wrong picture you knew what it was he didn't. Then generalized his mistake. That's by he won't get back to you. You will finish the set my motto is you know it never give up!. And I know you wont.