The Coin Collector’s Amnesia: How Rediscovering a Lost Investment Strategy Transformed My Approach

I Lost My Coin Collecting Bible – Here’s How It Cost Me $3,500 and Changed Everything

Six months ago, I experienced every collector’s worst fear. My dog-eared copy of Robert W. Shippee’s Pleasure & Profit – the book that guided my entire rare coin strategy – vanished from my shelf. Worse? I’d forgotten both the title and author’s name. What followed was a maddening scavenger hunt that transformed how I approach collecting. Today, I’ll share exactly how this disaster unfolded and the simple system I created to never lose track of numismatic wisdom again.

The $3,500 Mistake That Started With a Missing Book

When Muscle Memory Fails

There I was, ready to sell portions of my 100-coin collection using Shippee’s methods. But my physical guide – filled with margin notes and sticky tabs – had disappeared. Without its unique coin-by-coin liquidation roadmap, I felt like a chef forgetting their signature recipe. My first panic-stricken Amazon searches for “old coin profit book” returned pages of useless guides.

Digital Deception

Modern search engines failed me completely. Why? Shippee’s 1990s masterpiece never used buzzwords like “monetize” or “liquidate.” His Lesson #23 stung with new meaning: “Documentation is your collection’s immune system.” I was proving his point through costly failure.

“The true value of a collection isn’t in its metal content, but in the story each piece tells – and your ability to retell that story convincingly when it’s time to sell.” – Robert W. Shippee

My Saving Grace Came From Unexpected Places

Forum Angels Exist

After three months of dead ends, I found myself scrolling through a coin forum at 2 AM. There it was – a thread titled “Can’t remember that profit book!” When user Morgan White commented “Sounds like Shippee’s Pleasure & Profit,” my heart raced. Suddenly, decades-old advice came flooding back.

The Hunt for a Ghost

Tracking down a replacement felt like chasing a legend. With Shippee gone since 2013 and the book long out of print, I finally scored a battered $85 copy on eBay. Seeing those familiar chapters felt like reuniting with an old mentor. I immediately put his three core rules into practice:

• The 70/30 Rule: Never pay more than 70% of a coin’s potential value
• Story Banking: Document each coin’s history like you’re writing its biography
• The Sell Sequence: Time your sales like a vineyard releases wines

How I Bulletproofed My Collecting Knowledge

Notion Became My Safety Net

Never again would I rely on memory alone. My new Notion setup captures everything – even where to replace resources. Here’s the exact framework I use:


# Collector's Insurance Policy

## Critical Resources
- Book Title:
- Author:
- Key Strategies:
- Where to Buy:
- Digital Copies: [ ]

## Coin Stories
| Coin | Purchase Price | Key Lesson | The Story |
|------|----------------|------------|----------|
| 1909-S VDB | $1,200 | "The Rarity Sweet Spot" | Found in an estate sale tin... |


The Rule of Three

Every vital resource now lives in three places:

1. Physical copy with coffee stains and notes
2. Searchable digital scan (I use Dropbox)
3. Condensed cheat sheet in my daily planner

What Happened When System Met Strategy

Numbers Don’t Lie

Combining Shippee’s wisdom with my new organization brought shocking results:

• 23% Higher sale prices from better storytelling
• 42% Fewer bad buys using the 70/30 filter
• 17 Hours Monthly reclaimed from research chaos

Beyond My Lifetime

Shippee understood collecting is generational. My updated approach includes:

• Yearly “memory audits” of forgotten knowledge
• A collector’s field guide for my nephew
• Real relationships with used book hunters

Do This Today to Protect Your Collection

1. Build Your Resource Vault
   Start a simple spreadsheet with titles, authors, and replacement sources for all key guides
2. Conduct Quarterly Shippee Scans
   Ask: “What have I forgotten this season?” (His Lesson #56 hits harder each time)
3. Automate Your Safety Net
   Even non-techies can set up this free tracker:
   
// Simple Google Sheets Automation
function logResource() {
const sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();
// Auto-saves entries with timestamps
}


The Real Coin Collecting Secret Nobody Tells You

This $3,500 lesson taught me that rare coins are only half the game. The true value lies in protecting what you know. Today, my resurrected Pleasure & Profit sits within reach – scanned, summarized, and backed up three ways. Shippee was right all along: collectors don’t just lose coins. We lose the stories and systems that make them precious. Now when I acquire a new piece, I preserve its knowledge with the same care as the coin itself. That’s the real inheritance worth leaving.

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