My Almost 1st VAM Pick

[LateDateMorganGuy]

ARS_1902-O_VAM45A_1st.jpg (170.86 KiB) Viewed 934 times

I was early in my VAM education. Had a local Mom&Pop B&M shop close to the house. They would let me go thru any and all Morgan & Peace dollars they had.

This is one of my most valued treasures from my early VAM days and I still have it after the liquidation sale earlier this year.

I went in one day and they had a blue 3-ring binder with the plastic 2x2 pages and coins in 2x2 holders. Not sure how many coins there were, but it was about 2" thick. I sat at the glass counter on a stool under an incandescent light with my 10x. I started at the 1878s and pulled each coin out and looked it over. As I got to the end of the folder, my back and neck started to hurt from leaning over the counter underneath the light. I had pulled around 4-5 coins out to buy but decided to call it quits around the 1901s because of the pain. I stood up and stretched for a while. I still ached, but decided to preserver and sat back down and started again.

I pulled a 1902-O out and looked at it, and WOW, what clashing both sides of the coin. I did not know what it was, but knew it was REALLY cool. I pulled it out of the binder page and put it in my pile. Finally got to the end of the folder and cashed out with 6 coins. The 1902-O was $25.

Got home with it and looked on VW1.0 and saw it was a 1902-O V45A. While not solely responsible for my 1902-O die study, it spurred me into it.

[Kurt28]

Great story with en element many of us can relate to.

[morganman]

I cant begin to tell the pickin stories and countless time spent at Shops
with my 5X lighted loop & even 10x Amscope on counter when feasible and
allowed.
So here is one for the books that i still marvel about:
The Year 1981 Sept Reno Nv - Gambling, 21 table at small Casino called Nevada Club
Winning about 3k and gettin ready to quit- Older Lady next to me comments on my bag
of Morgan Silver Dollars and i explain my love of collecting. She says her grandfather left
her and 2 siblings a huge hoard of morgans in his estate in Biloxi MS.

To cut to chase, within a week i was on a plane to Biloxi, and floored at what i witnessed.
Thousand upon thousands of raw Morgans housed between 4 seperate locations, 2 Bank Vaults
and many huge personel safes, at 3 heirs residents garage/shops

Turns out grandfather was a real estate guru with love of Morgan Hoarding, over 80,000
coins all total. I spent 2 weeks working tirelessly counting and logging , seperating Circs from
Uncircs, as well as a better date list. Negociated a deal for price and staggered payments between
4 heirs that became friends overnight.
2 heirs helped with sorting and i stayed at ones extra apt.

It took me 2 yrs to pay for coins, sending to TPG continually, the common coins that i needed
to sell to pay for next batch. This worked like a charm as heirs were so happy to receive funds
and knew my love/passion for their loved ones coins.

This was the 3rd estate i purchased but by far the largest, setting off a frenzied plan to advertize
in magazines and etc -buying all Morgan Dollars + US Gold Coinage. For next 25 yrs i became
known as the go to guy for large purchases, whose check would clear the bank..

I borrowed money all the time from coin buddies and rich friends just to make deals happen
This really propelled/allowed to amass funds to enter real estate investment/flipping
houses and apts, developing a great team along the way. Fun, but hard working times
in Calif market

I still have some 50,000 of the orig 80,000 Biloxi hoard Morgans, all graded TPG, with
around 1/2 attrib for vams. At 67 i am beginning to sell my collection/hoard as i cant
take em with me above LOL. Having no patience for listing say on E Bay etc, and lack
of knowledge for decent pictures etc has led me to Heritage etc, to sell. and its really
the best liquidation plan so far.

Its been a great/wild ride and i am thankful for the god given abilities given to me
within this lifetime of pickin and grinnin.

[LateDateMorganGuy]

Scott, you probably don't remember this, and my memory is vague also.

I was back in Los Angeles sometime in the 2011-2012 time frame in a September for work. There was a Long Beach coin show. I attended the coin show and hung around Logan's table. It was dinner time, and Logan asked me if I wanted to join him and two others. I obliged.

Four of us went basically across the street from the convention center to a pizza joint. Logan introduced me to two gentlemen from Oregon. I don't remember their names, but I assume it was you and Gene. I sat at the table listening to coin stories between you three and didn't say much during dinner.

Didn't think much of it at the time, but upon reflection, I wish I was more engaged at that dinner.

[Geseas]

Wow. Thanks for sharing.

[morganman]

Latedatemorganguy; I remember the Long Beach show you refer to like it was yesterday
2012 i believe, as i sold a 1882 o/s NGC ms62 vam 5EDS to one of
Logans table helpers for $1k

Pretty neat at time because i had a ms63 EDS in my coin bag along
with a vam 3 EDS in 63. That show i picked a 1882 o/s vam 4 EDS
unattrib PCGS 58 for $100. Seller had no idea it was EDS, making it worth
several thousand dollars

I had pulled my old terry travel trailer from Oregon (heavy Monster),
and found rv spot right by convention center. They almost didnt let me
stay due to trailer age but i pointed out how clean it was with no dents
or broken windows.

I believe it sunday, i left last day of show early to head home
Cell phone rings with Logan saying some guy trying to sell about 100
2 1/2 & $5 indian gold. He put guy on phone and we made tentative deal
Being 150 + miles north i told guy to stay put while i phoned a coin buddy
still at show. Called Gene Henry and asked if he would look over coins
and write guy a check for 50% of any profits, he agreed.
Wecleaned up o deal as a few went ms64, a bunch 63/62
total deal netted almost 30k so my partner and i combined our profits
and committed to buy Vams with money, a time that vams were gettin hot

Also Gene brokered a deal for a doctor friend of mine, to sell 20 absolutely
georgeous Anacs high grade Morgan dollars graded DMPL
Gene and i bought the lot because i thought one much better date would
upgrade from 64dmpl to 65dmpl at PCGS, which would add 15k to coins
value. Gene didnt think it would 65, so he agreed to use one of his $100
one day PCGS certificates. I remember walking to the PCGS table to
submit, as i had broken it out of sm wht anacs holder, submitting raw,
PCGS guys made mention the coin was special and high grade upon
submission. 4 hrs later i went over and picked up the new 65DMPL
Rarity which Gene sold for us within 1 hr, making 20k total or 10k each
Oh, Now those were the days my friends

These types of stories were quite common within this timeframe
and made for so much fun and easy profits

[tbconcrete]

ARS_1902-O_VAM45A_1st.jpgI was early in my VAM education. Had a local Mom&Pop B&M shop close to the house. They would let me go thru any and all Morgan & Peace dollars they had.

This is one of my most valued treasures from my early VAM days and I still have it after the liquidation sale earlier this year.

I went in one day and they had a blue 3-ring binder with the plastic 2x2 pages and coins in 2x2 holders. Not sure how many coins there were, but it was about 2" thick. I sat at the glass counter on a stool under an incandescent light with my 10x. I started at the 1878s and pulled each coin out and looked it over. As I got to the end of the folder, my back and neck started to hurt from leaning over the counter underneath the light. I had pulled around 4-5 coins out to buy but decided to call it quits around the 1901s because of the pain. I stood up and stretched for a while. I still ached, but decided to preserver and sat back down and started again.

I pulled a 1902-O out and looked at it, and WOW, what clashing both sides of the coin. I did not know what it was, but knew it was REALLY cool. I pulled it out of the binder page and put it in my pile. Finally got to the end of the folder and cashed out with 6 coins. The 1902-O was $25.

Got home with it and looked on VW1.0 and saw it was a 1902-O V45A. While not solely responsible for my 1902-O die study, it spurred me into it.

Good story, Alan.
We all have that one coin that sparked the dollar daze. Mine was a 1880-S dollar that was in VF. I treasured that coin. It was a birthday gift. It was gone one day, and I moved on. But n ever forgot that old worn beauty. I found out my brother took it and bout a Coke and twinkies with it.
As I gained a bit of success, I wanted to replace it. Ebay was the venue of choice. Like most everybody i learned through pain or paying. I worked 12 hrs a day and looked at coins every night for hours. Mark from SD got me into VAMS. Most go through the addiction here. Most stay in their budgets, I smile when I think of my wife opening the safe one day when im gone. I just tell her to send them to Heritage and kick back . I am lucky to not have to sell mine. Just put away until a renewed interest kicks in. I got into old Mopars and found a car can take you to get an ice cream while a coin is sitting on the desk.
You have prgressed the VAM hobby, Alan, in a positive way.
My 401k is tied up in coins and cars. Most know my coins, these are my cars. I also bought a remote camp in VT and love my free time there. Concrete has been very good to me, beyond my wildest dreams. I made many good friends in my VAM pursuits. Time, distance and lack of involvement will never change that.
Tiny

[morganman]

Simply amazing cars- unreal what we love to collect-ma we all be healthy & happy

[keilg1]

What a fantastic sharing of experiences, passions, kindness, dedication and more.

Your words are a gift - and therapy - to me. Thanks for your collective input...

Gary

[LateDateMorganGuy]

Tim, I probably shouldn't tell this story.

I knew you were in the concrete business via this site before I met you. Having never met you in person, I envisioned you were a big burly brute since concrete flat work is back breaking.

Well, we did finally meet at a FUN Show. I remember you were not tall but thin. I said to you that you couldn't be in the concrete business because you were too small to push mud around. I really pissed you off with that comment and I could tell by your reaction. Guess you forgot by now.

By the way, nice looking cars. My 1964 Cuda with a Commando 273 V8 used to routinely take down GM 396s.

[vamhusker]

http://ec2-13-58-222-16.us-east-2.compu ... -P_VAM-12B

This certainly would qualify as an almost first VAM pick because it never really was a VAM. It was in my first submission to LVA and I had no idea what I was doing. It certainly created a stir at the time.

Many good stories above. I continue to look and will probably make it back to a winter FUN convention when I eventually retire.

Alan, I still have that “seared” 02-O VAM 45A. One of the few coins I will take to the grave with the memories associated with it.

[LateDateMorganGuy]

Pete, I remember the V12B debacle. You raised quite a stir, but of course Leroy was complicit in this as well.

One of my fondest memories is the VAM dinner at a FUN Show with JR, Fogie and you, where the fire damaged V45A was transferred to you for part of the dinner tab and summarily named by JR because of the steak you ordered.

[LateDateMorganGuy]

Sine we are sharing stories, here is one that many folks may not have seen and is also one of my favorites.

[vamhusker]

Alan, I remember your passion for that ANACS lanyard and the parties involved in the pursuit of one. BTW, I have an ANACS lanyard from years past. So you are telling me it’s a collectible now?

[vampicker]

Did we slab that lanyard?

[messydesk]

I had a big pile of lanyards from assorted sources and conferences. I pitched all but a couple last year. Kept the ANACS one in part because of this story.

[LateDateMorganGuy]

Did we slab that lanyard?

You told me at some point it would be slabbed, but if it was, I never saw it. Would have been cool.

[vampicker]

Damn! I wonder if it's still kicking around in Paul's desk somewhere