Utilizing A Coin Counter

If you are a coin collector or maybe you just like to have a lot of coins around for your coffee in the morning, one of the best tools that you will ever purchase is a coin counter. This is a little device that will not take up much room and which you can find for very cheap, but which is going to do you a world of good.

There are various different makes and models of the coin counter that are available and which will not help you to determine the value of old coins but will definitely be a great help in terms of you keeping your coins sorted. If you are interested in finding a coin counter that you can purchase, there are a few different places that you can head to.

Home Coin Counters

This is one company that you are definitely going to want to check out when you are looking for coin counters. They not only offer a large selection of coin counters to choose from but as well with every purchase you get a free box of coin wrappers. You can pick and choose from all the coin counters they offer so that you can find the one that is perfect for you.

Coinstar

Or if you want to have a coin counter, you can check out Coinstar. They are one of the most renowned companies in the world when it comes to coin counters, and they want to ensure that keeping track of your coins is as easy a process for you as possible.

They offer all sorts of different coin counters and related products that you can choose from. They are the perfect company to go through for everything to do with coins, and they want to help you out wherever possible.

Any of these places would have a coin counter and are worth checking out if this is something that you are looking for. Just make sure that you choose the right one because there are so many different types out there to choose from. You want to make sure that you know how to use the counter you get, and that it is actually going to be durable and last you.

You will quickly see just how great having one of these counters is, and how much it is going to help you out. If you love having coins, you will need one of these counters.

Maytag Autographs And Memorabilia

Maytag autographs and memorabilia are widely collected.  The founder of the Maytag company, Frederick Louis Maytag, was the son of German immigrants.  Maytag began his first significant foray in business in 1893 when he co-founded a company for making farm implements.  Maytag expanded his manufacturing operations to include washing machines.  Early washing machines manufactured by the Maytag company are avidly sought by collectors. 

The first Maytag washing machine was built in 1907 and the first power washer was built by Maytag in 1909.  The early Maytag washing machines are rarely found outside of museums and homes of Maytag memorabilia collectors.  The Maytag Wringler Washers manufactured by the thousands from 1939 to 1950 command high bids when they are offered on Internet auction sites. 

Signatures of Frederick Maytag occasionally appear in the autograph marketplace on photos, checks, contracts and other types of documents.  Frederick Maytag typically signed as “FL Maytag.”  Documents and photos bearing his full signature are extremely rare.  Autograph dealers have offered photos signed by FL Maytag for many thousands of dollars. 

Collectors also avidly seek memorabilia related to the Maytag Company.  Engraved stock certificates from the Maytag company that were issued between 1929 and 1932 are sold by scripophily dealers.  These beautiful stock are autographed by company executives.  For many years the Maytag Company used the “Maytag Repairman” as a motif for its advertising campaign.  The Maytag Repairman became familiar in television ads, Sears promotional programs, and trade shows. 

The first and most notable of the Maytag repairmen was actor Jesse White who debuted in his role as “the loneliest guy in town” on The Today Show in 1967.  The Maytag Repairman ads were very popular and successful.  Jesse White was replaced by a succession of Maytag Repairmen who included Gordon Jump, Hardy Rawls, and Clay Jackson.  Autographs on photos and documents from the Maytag Repairmen appear on the autograph marketplace. 

What started as a company that was focused on farm implements, evolved into a billion-dollar Fortune 500 company that is considered to be one of the most admired companies in America.  As a result, Maytag autographs and memorabilia are widely collected.

Stock Certificate Collecting Themes – III

Many collectors of antique stock certificates collect by acquiring certificates with shared characteristics, or themes.  In prior articles we discussed themes of Industry, Geography, Vignette (picture), Family Relationship, Time Period, Event, Firsts, Famous Names, Unissued and Extreme Numbers.

Here are ten more popular collecting themes:

1. Celebration –
Examples:  World Fairs and participating companies, construction (Panama Canal, landmarks…), Disney (characters on war bonds, Magic Kingdom, Euro Disney…), sports (teams, player restaurants…), Transcontinental Railroad contributors

2. Personal Years –
Examples:  Birth year, when you met, marriage, child’s birth, military service, first car, graduation, family members’ important years (especially for gifts)

3. Befores –
Examples:  Territories before they were states, before modern papers and printing, financial instruments from before we went off the Gold Standard, pre-modern transportation (paddlewheels, steamships, stagecoaches…)

4. Signatures, hand signed –
This category includes any hand written names (owner, company officials, bankers, witnesses…).  It can be further segmented into well-known name signatures (John D Rockefeller), lesser-known (George Wingfield – miner and banker) or unknown (little historical information).

5. Cancelation Type –
Examples:  stamped “canceled” or “cancelled”, hand written cancel, check mark or lines, scribbles through the signatures, hole-punched, issued but not canceled, canceled but not issued, marked VOID

6. Punch Type –
Examples:  large circles (1/4 inch), small circles (often spelling out the word “canceled”), squares, odd shapes (horseshoe, cross, star…)

7. Color –
Examples: Certificates from the same company were often printed in different colors if they were used for a different amount of shares (example: printed for “100 Shares” or “Less Than 100 Shares”).  Common stock and preferred stock certificates usually were in different colors.  Certificates from some companies came in several colors.

8. Misspellings, or variant spellings –
Examples:  An Odd Fellows Hall Association certificate from the 1860’s spells “Fellows” both with and without an apostrophe on the same certificate.  Railroad was often spelled differently (one or two words, capitals or not).

9. Stubbed –
Some stock certificates still have a registration stub attached (either all of it or a remnant) to the left edge (similar to check register stubs for recording the payment details in a checkbook).  It may be filled in or may not.  Stubs on certificates can either be flat and showing as part of the complete document (as a framed wall display, for example) or it can be folded under to show just the actual certificate. 

Some stock and bond certificates have partial or full sheets of dividend coupons attached like a stub would be, but may be on the bottom or the right hand side.

10. Ornate –
Some people take the designation of stock certificates as artwork to heart and go for the very decorative ones. Examples: The 1969 Ringling Bros. – Barnum and Bailey Combined Shows specimen is very colorful and full of circus characters. The Boston and Albany Rail Road of 1892 has detailed train and harbor scene vignettes that spread the width of the certificate.

It sometimes can be challenging to find certain certificates to fill in a theme, especially if it is a very narrow or rare theme.  But the bigger challenge can be in choosing only one theme, because there are so many from which to choose.

Model train track BASICS

Makin’ Tracks & Getting Wired

You’ve got your benchwork up and your topographical foundation set.  Are you ready to get down to the nitty-gritty of deciding on your train route?   It’s time to lay some track and wire ‘er up!

Wow!  Just where do I begin?  For the first year or so of your hobby, you may find it much easier just to buy tracks than to scratch build them.  (Yes, those truly devoted to this hobby actually build their own!) And that’s fine.  The point of this hobby — and any hobby for that matter — is to simply enjoy yourself.
As a newcomer to the subject, jumping in with both feet, trying to do everything at one time — build tracks, scenery, even cars — may be a bit too overwhelming.
Many people prefer just purchasing products — all their products, including scenery and other structures — and just enjoy the locomotive and its cars.  And you know, that works for me!
But if I’m going to talk about tracks, I may have to, by necessity talk about manufacturers.  It just comes with the territory.  When I mention certain brands or models of tracks (as well as other products), please don’t take these to mean an endorsement of them in any way, shape or form.
As you progress in the pursuit of this leisurely pursuit, you’ll see what I mean — and you’ll discover some favorites of your own!
Talk to just about any veteran model railroader and he’ll (or she’ll) tell you in no uncertain terms:  good trackwork is essential to your operation.
In the next breath, they’ll probably start talking about some horror story of somebody – or even themselves when they first began — of trying to do a “quick start” at the hobby and laid their rail down quickly.
They soon discovered that they encountered derailments (trains falling off tracks). Locomotives and cars may have been damaged beyond repair in the process.  It’s possible even some of the scenery they worked so hard to build got damaged.
“Quick and haphazard” doesn’t work for the real life-size railroads and it certainly doesn’t work for your model either.
Makin’ Tracks:
What to expect
Before you even start, it’s best to know a little overview of the track itself, what’s it made of, what form you can expect to find it in when you buy it, the types and grades available to you.
Track, for the most part, is composed of one of four materials.  You find it in brass, zinc-coated steel, steel, and nickel sliver.   Of these, brass and zinc-coated are the most common, but some hobbyists swear by nickel silver.
Brass is a good conductor of electricity, but the care and cleaning associated with it tends to be a bit overwhelming sometimes.
For on thing, the oxide that forms on it is a poor conductor.  That tends to inhibit the optimal working of the train.
In order to keep the train in running condition, you need to clean the rails frequently with track cleaning block.  The other way to remove the oxidation is to keep running your cars over them.
The zinc-coated steel also has more than one disadvantage.
When the zinc coating wears away (as it eventually will), it leaves the steel exposed.  Yes, you can see the problem right away: steel definitely rusts.
While nickel silver is not quite as good as conductor of electricity as the others, its residual oxide works every bit as well as a conductor as its original coating, providing you with reliable, consistent track no matter what the circumstances.  Go figure!
Bringing your first set home
When you buy your first model railroad, you’ll notice that the layout of your set is not . . . well, terribly imaginative.
For the most part, your initial model comes with a circular layout.  Perfect for under the Christmas tree, but a little boring to watch for any length of time outside of Christmas morning!
Before you bring this set home, though, you may wan to give some thought to where you’ll be setting it up in your house (yes, other than the under the tree!)
Your circular set, if it’s an S gauge will probably be, once laid out, about 40 inches in diameter.  This means you should plan on a space about this size.
Now you could place your set on the floor to start, or you could put a large piece of plywood on a tabletop to get you started. The choice is yours………….More on  Jonah’s book “Ultimate Comprehensive Guide to Model Train Building”.

What You Need To Know About Halo Action Figures

Halo is a first-person action game franchise developed by Bungie Studios for the Microsoft XBOX console. Since the release of the very first video game in the series, Halo’s popularity has exploded. Why? Quite simply, Halo and Halo figures are popular because each entry in the series has been amongst the best shooters ever developed.
Halo’s single-player campaign revolves around the scientifically augmented super soldier known as Master Chief. Another main character is the alien Elite known as the Arbiter, who is an outcast from an aggressive alien alliance. The Master Chief is assisted by an artificial intelligence named Cortana, who is represented through a female avatar, and human military forces.
The Master Chief battles against two different types of alien forces. One is an alliance of different aliens called the Covenant, who are led on an apocalyptic religious mission to cleanse the galaxy. The second major alien force is called the Flood. The Flood is composed of trillions of tiny parasitic lifeforms and insects controlled by a single collective intelligence, which is named Gravemind. These parasites infect host lifeforms (like humans and the Covenant) and transform them into an army of zombies.
Each player and fan of Halo tends to spend a lot of time playing the compelling science fiction plot of the singleplayer campaign, but also spends a lot of time on the highly competitive multiplayer game. Halo’s multiplayer has a culture all it’s own, revolving around the perfection of ones skills and the defeat of online opponents on XBOX-Live. Thus, the players not only become familiar with and attached to the characters and vehicles in Halo, but there are also a significant number of them who like the game enough to purchase memorabilia from it.
Action figures from every blockbuster science fiction movie and video game have been purchased and collected by adult and child fans, especially those that fall into the “gamer” crowd. Particularly popular are the multiple iterations of Master Chief and the variants on his Spartan Armor that can be worn by multiplayer participants.
Cortana, the curvy female artificial intelligence, is palm-sized in the game, so she makes for a great figure. The Arbiter, as another character playable in both single-player and multiplayer, is also very popular amongst the younger crowd. As Halo figures go, though, the die-cast and plastic versions of in-game vehicles are also a very cool gift for a fan of Halo.