As someone who has been collecting on and off since 1969, I cannot emphasize the value of sharing information with fellow collectors, particulary new or young collectors. Some time ago, I purchased an item, which after further investigation, I was unsure as to whether it was legal to own. I sent an e-mail to former ANA President and legal scholar David Ganz, asking for his thoughts, and he kindly replied with his opinion. I have also conferred with Q. David Bowers a few times, and he was always gracious as well. Since then I have always made an effort to share what I know, or at least let others know where they can gleam information as well. As R.S. Yeoman said: "The best investment in numismatics is knowledge."

Well said, as an older collector myself and with experiences of my own, I am not just willing, but anxious to share anything I have learned along the way with someone else. It's kind of like passing the torch to the next generation of eager collectors. I especially like passing on any knowledge I have acquired to YN's. There is an exuberance and vigor in youth that when mixed with the wisdom and knowledge of the older generation, can only catapult collecting well into the future and insure the continued health of numismatics! Gary