Coin collecting/investing appears to have been as exciting and as challenging back in the 1980s as it is today.

Back in those earlier days, one new-fangled collectible opportunity was referred to in COINage magazine as “beautiful new ways to invest in silver,” the items written about were the then new silver pieces recently issued by private mints called “rounds” or “ingots”, which sold for a little over the spot price of silver.

Because of their unique designs…“these pieces offer the best of both worlds - bullion and collectibles,” the article proudly proclaimed. Coin collecting in general was bringing satisfaction, joy, and as ever, even profit to astute investor/collectors much as it does today, although the specifics of the hobby were slightly different. Cover blurbs from COINage magazines of the day prove the point.

“Those new American Eagles”, read one. “Will Olympic Dollar prices go up?” another wondered. “Is there a connection between oil and the price of gold and silver?” was another question which was pondered endlessly, and, as we all know, has lasting implications even to this day.

As with many other issues, the May 1984 COINage magazine was chock full of good advice and gentle directions for the investor/ collector.

After discussing the high inflation of the late 1970s and early 1980s, one article noted: “Today, even the suggestion of inflation is enough to send investors rushing to gold and silver in anticipation. The inflation doesn’t have to occur for this to happen. Only the fear that it might occur.”

“Timing is everything.” the article wisely concludes. “It should be understood that in buying bullion, as in anything else, the person who wins is the one who buys at the right time.” Good advice then, just as good now. Speaking of timing, for this writer, the 1980s offered even more exciting and challenging opportunities. This was because early in that decade two great loves of my life came together for the first time - coin collecting and writing. (The wife, my first great love, came along a little bit earlier). And it must have been true love because these marriages have outlasted many other unions of the time. But I digress. I’m talking, of course, about my long-lasting relationship with The Coin Wholesaler, for whom I began writing almost three decades ago. The Wholesaler in the 1980s was not the high quality, handsome and glossy publication it is today. At the time, it was a 24-page newspaper tabloid, mostly black and white with spot color on several pages. But it’s motto, “Collecting coins can be profitable and still be fun,” seemed to sum up what the hobby was really all about and how I felt about it. I became a fan right away, learned a lot, was able to share my interests -- and wisdom -- of coins and collecting with others and had a heck of a lot of fun along the way.

And, like other numismatic publications of the time, the content of the Wholesaler reflected the growing interest in the hobby from 1980-1989 as people took to coin collecting with a new zest and respect for the concept. People began to take it more seriously and were gaining new knowledge of the subject with every issue. Investment / collecting opportunities abounded:

* Brand new 1 oz. .999 Silver Rounds were being offered as “First Time Available - Lowest Prices in 3 years” for $8.95 each. - WOW!

* Newly issued 1986 dated one troy ounce .999 fine silver Classic Walking Liberty bullion coins (the first of their kind to be issued by the U.S. Mint) were available for $14.95 each, $12 each in lots of 20 or more. NO KIDDING!

Perhaps of even more value -- and interest -- to investor/collectors than the bargain prices in The Wholesaler was the information found in its pages -CHECK IT OUT!

* The spot price of gold had dropped below $400 an ounce, creating lots of buying opportunities for common circulated gold coins. - SWEET!

* The Statue of Liberty series, the first legal tender gold coins issued by the government since 1933, was sending collectors into a joyous frenzy as they happily scrambled for those unique cherry wood boxes . BOY, I GOTTA GET ME SOME OF THOSE! The Wholesaler also featured many non-collectible gift items in its pages, including coin necklaces and earrings, casino chip key chains and money clips, Lucite coin paperweights, Mickey Mouse watches and even enamel busts of Elvis and John F. Kennedy. As with its collectibles, this gift section offered something for every age, interest and event.

To top it all off, each issue also featured a Coin’s Worth column,  in which readers’ questions were amiably and ably answered. “Don’t gamble with your money, know what your coins are worth,” the column cautioned. GOOD ADVICE -- To This Day!

The Wholesaler’s editorial position was summed up in a mid- 1980’s Insider’s Corner column. “We pride our reporting to be sound and substantiated by firsthand knowledge. Any speculation on our part is strictly that - and we point it out… we don’t print it if it “isn't the facts.”

Healthy, wealthy and wise sums up The Wholesaler’s purpose, according to owner /editor Lewis Revels, back then and to this day. “I feel our publication helps keep the hobby of coin collecting and investing healthy, and also helps keep our readers both wise and eventually wealthy,” he says, and indeed, it does.

For Revels and readers and clients of The Wholesaler alike, the coin business in the 1980s was both fun and exciting, offering lots of affordable collectibles, precious metals items and trustworthy information about a hobby that’s been around for generations, and is still much loved and even better understood in today’s world. Although many of the details have changed, today’s Wholesaler continues to feature updated information on the hobby, heavy discounts and closeouts on some of the most sought after numismatic collectibles, and most important, a wealth of opportunity and fun for its eager readers and satisfied clients.