2016 Greg McDonald

[petpat]

I know everyone loves Greg's Book.  I know I do.  And I know that trying to keep constraints on weight can be very time consuming given all the new release from the mints.  I made this suggestion to Greg a couple of years ago and wondered what others thought.
My idea was to split the book into two separate books.
Either Predecimal and Decimal (As there isn't any more Predecimal coins or notes, the Predecimal book may not need updating every year) and would dramatically reduce the size and weigh of the Decimal Book.
Or
A book for coins and one for banknotes.  This would allow for the increased images etc in coins.
Just my thought, I'd be interested in hearing your comments.

[Nevol]

Predecimal and Decimal with Pre being issued say every 5 years, and the Decimal issued yearly or 2 yearly.

[runway]

Decimal Coins from RAM and Decimal Banknotes from Reserve Bank would be the most anticipated guide annually

Perth coins and Pre-decimals should have their own catalogue

[kchan1111]

Separating coins and banknotes makes more sense as I am guessing that most collect one or the other, or both. Most coin collectors would collect both pre-decimals and decimals.

There might not be new pre-decimals but their prices do change.

[Hercules]

My idea was to split the book into circulating and uncirculated releases, so noodlers like myself can easily find what we're looking for, without having to sort through pages and pages of NCLT. Another person on this forum suggested splitting it into RAM and Perth Mint releases, because a lot of collectors aren't interested in the latter. In any case, there are many different options, so it would be interesting to see which is the most practical, and the most popular with collectors.

[runway]

My idea was to split the book into circulating and uncirculated releases, so noodlers like myself can easily find what we're looking for, without having to sort through pages and pages of NCLT. Another person on this forum suggested splitting it into RAM and Perth Mint releases, because a lot of collectors aren't interested in the latter. In any case, there are many different options, so it would be interesting to see which is the most practical, and the most popular with collectors.

I agree :wavemulticolor:

[trout]

The Macca's books are widely used by dealers as a price guide when selling coins so it really needs to be published annually.
Even then the prices given in the book are only a "Guide" because the valuations of coins are "Dynamic" and they do fluctuate during each year.
Even though many collectors and dealers/sellers Now use Bluesheet, Auction results and eBay sold listings as a price guide Macca's is Still a very good numismatic publication because it contains a wealth of information other than the valuations such as mintage figures etc. that I and many other collectors find to be invaluable at times.

The amount of work and research that would go into publishing this guide each year to me would be mind boggling especially with the huge numbers of different new coins that are issued now by RAM and the Perth mint and I take my hat off to Greg for having the ability to be able to take on this Mammoth task.

Please remember that Greg is no longer a "Spring Chicken" anymore and each year his task gets more difficult because of the insane amount of new coinage being produced by the Mints makes his task of getting the guide to press much more difficult.

We will just have to be patient and just wait until Greg can eventually get everything done that he has to do in order to get the book published.:ok:

[Hercules]

I hope he makes a lot of money out of his books. For the amount of time and effort he puts into them, he certainly deserves to make a handsome profit. :good:

[Fulvio]

We will just have to be patient and just wait until Greg can eventually get everything done that he has to do in order to get the book published.:ok:

Rumour at the MNS meeting last night has it that this may be the final edition.

I wonder if Greg would care to enlighten us?

[Greg McDonald]

Hi Team,

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to enquire about the 23rd edition of the book.  Sorry about the lack of communication - it's complicated.

Bit pressed for time at the moment but just a line to say the book is now all laid out, covers designed and completed. I am just updating the prices which will take about another week or so.  Part of the reason for the delay is that I have been sending sections of the book to other collectors and dealers to try and minimize errors and omissions. This has been really worthwhile and I am constantly amazed just how generous people have been in sharing their time and expertise. In the past ten years or so, the growth of so many new collecting series has exploded. I must admit that I am a passenger in keeping up with some of these areas. Help from people who are particularly interested in these new series has been invaluable.  They will be acknowledged in full in the book.

Just some bullet points to clear up a few points.

• Virtually every page has been re-designed to allow for almost two years of new issues being shoe-horned in the same 496 pages.
•  Dealers and re-sellers will be pleased to know that the book will still be under 500 grams.
•  Don't know how these rumours start, but I hope to be producing the book for many years. I know that delays with the past few books may have suggested to some people that I was losing interest.  Not so.  Jenny & I have been dealing with other issues that have been incredibly stressful and time consuming.
•  This is not the place to discuss the delays for the past three books, except to say that the efforts of a rogue website dealer to defame me backfired. Since 2012 I have spent some 4000 hours preparing my defence for what ended up being two exhausting court cases and a heart attack to boot.  The best sentence I have ever read in my life came in an email in late October 2014, when my Sydney barrister wrote to my Albury-based solicitor after the verdict in the last five-day court case was handed down by the magistrate. In part the barrister wrote :-

 "I have not yet digested it fully, but it represents a total and comprehensive victory for Greg on every possible point."

In reference to the evidence given by the dealer in question, the judge concluded : "Mr. xxxxx was given ample opportunity to put his position in cross – examination, and ended up agreeing with the criticism that he was making it up as he went along. That seems to be the truth of it."  

Anyway, it will all come out in the wash one day as there will be an interesting book in it.  This included a fascinating hour-long chat in the court waiting room with one of the experts who helped bring the famed forger David Gee to book back in the 1970's.  Always a silver lining in any situation I guess.
•  And finally, thanks Trout [I think] for your post mentioning I am no "spring chicken".  It's true that I don't want to drop dead tomorrow - but I could do with the rest.  Not much time for you to organise an incredibly expensive present, me old mate, but tomorrow is actually my birthday and I've hit 63.

Was going to be a quiet day working on the book [story of my life] until I got a call from Jim Noble of auction fame.  He and his wife, Anky, happen to be having an overnight stop in Albury and has thrown all caution to the wind and invited us to dinner tomorrow night.  

We intend to start with a pre-dinner drink [or three] at the Albury Club.  No big deal, unless you are a collector, of course. It turns out that the esteemed Dr Arthur Andrews of token fame was a past president and later patron of the club in the early part of the 20th century.  I met some of his descendants some years ago and I wrote a story in the very first edition of the CAB magazine back in 1996.
• Assuming I survive then night with Jim, a very close friend since 1979, I will attempt to keep everyone better informed on book progress.

Thanks again for your interest and support which is very much appreciated.

Regards

Greg

[Unicorn]

Best wishes for your Birthday tomorrow Greg. Have a great one & thanks for taking the time out to update us.

[JeffH]

Your effort Greg to take the time to update us is appreciated. Best wishes for your birthday and let's hope the rest of the production effort runs smoothly.
Regards,
Jeff

P.S. I have some years on you and I think trout does too -not to mention also several other active members here.

[trout]

• And finally, thanks Trout [I think] for your post mentioning I am no "spring chicken". It's true that I don't want to drop dead tomorrow - but I could do with the rest. Not much time for you to organise an incredibly expensive present, me old mate, but tomorrow is actually my birthday and I've hit 63.

You will have to PM Me you address Mate.:ok:
I am certain that I can find something for your Birthday and Better late than Never Mate
I am also 63 in October and pretty much like yourself I ain't dead yet But I am appreciating my leisure time a lot more than I used to

[humpybong]

Very best wishes for your birthday Greg.

Hope you have a great day.

[Nevol]

Happy Birthday Greg. :yahoo: I hope you have a great day.