Regular readers of this column will know that I am not a fan of book reviews of work dealing with the antiques and collectibles trade. In fact, since I have been writing this column, I’ve only done one. It was for Maureen Stanton’s incredible book, “Killer Stuff and Tons of Money,” which is easily among the best books ever written on the subject of the trade. If you have not read it, I strongly suggest you do.
That said, a recent trip to my local Barnes & Noble bookstore caused me to change my proverbial tune. It seems that almost every year the section of books devoted to the antiques and collectibles trade has been magically shrinking in size. At this particular Barnes & Noble, the subject now encompasses only one full bookshelf, which, given the depth of the entire collectibles market, would be the equivalent of having only half a shelf devoted to history or world affairs!
I have commented in past articles on the sad decline of the published word encompassing our trade. Collectors, enthusiasts, and casual connoisseurs are just not buying books on the subject of antiques and collectibles due to the rise in the amount of readily available free information on the internet. Ironically, a lot of the information on the internet is wrong and misleading, and all collectors and investors should have ample quantities of published and vetted works on hand in their actual home library. This is of course not to say that every book written and published within the antiques and collectibles trade should be taken as factual and correct, but most published works are at least vetted and the authors do have a sense of obligation to state the truth because their name is appearing on the work.
This leads me to where we are now. Another groundbreaking book has been written on a topic, and I want to be sure that you know about it. This time the topic centers around numismatics and, ironically, golf. The book in question was published by Whitman Publishing and is titled “Pleasure & Profit: 100 Lessons for Building and Selling a Collection of Rare Coins: The Second Edition,” written by Robert W. Shippee. The author has two stated loves in life. One involves playing golf, and the other involves investing in rare U.S. classic coins. The concept of the book is quite simple: The author dispenses his priceless advice for what he looked for when building his rare collection of classic coins while at the same time telling his readers exactly what he paid for the coins and eventually sold them for at auction. The brilliance of his advice is that it is engulfed (pun intended) in light golfing references and troupes that anyone could easily relate to. Some of the brief stories and lessons stated in this book are not just about numismatics and golf, but simply about life itself.
The book follows Shippee on a fantastic journey through bidding at well-known numismatic auctions from the likes of Heritage Auctions and Stacks & Bowers. It covers in immense detail what a buyer should be looking for when buying classic gold coins of the late 18th and 19th centuries as well as later silver coinage of the early 20th century. The book is divided up by denomination and series, so if you are a reader who wants to just quickly glance at, say, silver dollars or double eagle gold coins, you can do so. Every coin entry shows the actual price he originally paid and the amount sold when he finally consigned the collection. This is by far the second most important piece of information contained in the book. The first is the excellent commentary of what buyers should look for when they are building their own collections to avoid some of the costly mistakes the author made in some instances.
Astute readers of this column will also know that the version I am recommending is the second edition. This version was released this year. The original version was released in 2015. The second edition features additional valuable information not included in the first. Some of this information included is the incredible comparison article that compares rare coins to the growth of the stock market. This addition and expert commentary add a lot of value to an already near-perfect book, and if you happen to own the original edition, in my opinion it is well worth buying again for the extra commentary.
Collectors and investors of other facets of the antiques and collectibles trade who do not collect or invest in coins can also get something out of this book. Due to the nature of how this book was written, it is a great economic primer for anyone who wishes to invest in collectible market. In fact, this book is quite possibly the greatest book ever written on the subject of investing in rare classic U.S. coins and, quite ironically, in my opinion that was not the author’s intent. His intent was making every numismatist a better and more savvy buyer.
Sadly, this book is not without some minor yet valid criticism. Due to the nature of the rare coin market and the fact that it is one of the most established and popular collecting fields within the greater antiques trade, coin prices showcased in this book are well over $1,000 each, with many above the $5,000 and $10,000 range. As such, younger, novice numismatics who purchase this book may be disappointed to learn that they cannot afford most, if any, of the items featured in this book. That said, I still think the lessons in this book far outweigh that fact, as even casual coin collectors need to learn what makes a coin aesthetically appealing and what to look for when buying to maximize value. It is because of this alone that I recommend it, and I sincerely hope that you too will join the author through his collecting (and golfing) journey.

Shawn Surmick has been an avid collector since the age of 12. He currently resides in his hometown of Boyertown, Pa., and is a passionate collector of antiques and collectibles. His articles focus on various topics affecting the marketplace.