How I Turned My Coin Show Expertise into a $50,000 Online Course on Teachable and Udemy

Turning what you know into a course is one of the smartest ways I’ve found to earn money online. I took my years of experience at coin shows and turned it into a $50,000 online course—hosted on both Teachable and Udemy. If you love something niche like numismatics, you can do the same. Let me walk you through exactly how I did it, step by step.

Why Build an Online Course?

Online courses scale beautifully. They give you flexibility and can become a real source of revenue. I looked at my know-how—pricing coins, dealing with customers, picking inventory—and realized it was perfect course material. Packaging it meant I could help people worldwide and earn money around the clock.

Passive Income Is Real (But It Takes Work Upfront)

Passive income isn’t magic—it’s about doing the work once and getting paid again and again. After I built and launched my course, sales kept coming. Platforms like Teachable and Udemy handle the tech stuff. That freed me up to focus on teaching.

Step 1: Find Your Niche & Check If People Want It

I started by noticing a problem: new coin dealers often struggled with pricing and customer skills. Forum threads were full of questions. That told me there was real demand. Validation like that is everything.

Here’s What You Can Do:

Hop into forums, Facebook groups, or surveys. Listen to what people are asking. For me, it was clear—dealers wanted a clear path to success at shows.

Step 2: Outline Your Course

I built my course around the real coin show experience:

• Module 1: Picking Your Inventory – How to choose certified coins (like PCGS/CAC), what price ranges work best, and which coins (think Morgans or toned coins) sell fast.
• Module 2: Smart Pricing – Using recent sales data and understanding split markets.
• Module 3: Talking to Customers – How to negotiate, avoid lowballers, and keep control.
• Module 4: Staying Safe & Organized – Handling cash, setting up your table, and dodging common mistakes.

Here’s an Example From My Course:

I filmed myself pricing a coin—from checking certs to judging demand—with real screenshots and examples. It made everything click for students.

Step 3: Pick Your Platform: Teachable or Udemy?

I tried both. Teachable gives you more control and better branding. Udemy brings its own audience. Here’s the lowdown:

• Teachable: You keep most of the sale (up to 97%), use your own domain, and get solid marketing tools.
• Udemy: Huge built-in traffic, but they take a bigger cut (often 50%). Great for getting noticed fast.

A Quick Tech Tip:

If you’re comfortable with code, use APIs to manage your course. For Teachable, it looks something like this:

// Example: Create a course via Teachable API
fetch('https://teachable.com/api/courses', {
method: 'POST',
headers: { 'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_TOKEN' },
body: JSON.stringify({ title: 'Coin Show Mastery', description: 'Learn to thrive as a dealer.' })
});

Step 4: Create Content That Hooks People

Good content keeps students coming back. I used videos, downloadable guides, quizzes, and even live Q&As. For example, I role-played tough customer negotiations—just like people asked for in the forums.

My #1 Tip:

Don’t skip on audio and video quality. A decent mic and camera make your course feel premium.

Step 5: Market Like You Mean It

This is where many creators drop the ball. I didn’t. Here’s what worked for me:

• Email List: I built mine from my blog and forum posts. I offered a free mini-course on coin basics to get sign-ups.
• Social Media: I shared tips and clips in Twitter threads and Facebook groups for collectors.
• Paid Ads: I targeted folks searching terms like “coin show strategies” or “how to be a better dealer.”

Sample Ad That Converted:

“Tired of struggling at coin shows? I turned my experience into $50,000 in course sales. Start learning today!”

Step 6: Keep Growing & Automating

After launch, I added advanced modules—like grading for investment or bulk selling. That boosted my average sale. As reviews came in and SEO did its thing, those passive sales stacked up.

Watch This Number:

Keep an eye on your conversion rate and read student feedback. I added a new module on online sales after students asked for it.

You Can Do This Too

Building my course changed everything. It turned my knowledge into a real business. Find your niche, build something useful, pick the right platform, and get it in front of people. Your expertise is valuable—share it.

Remember: It’s not just about making money. It’s about making a difference. Help others learn, and build something that lasts.

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