From the Desk of Q. David Bowers: Likes the Book!

Written by Q. David Bowers, Chairman Emeritus

Recently I received a nice note from Richard G., who stated the following:

“I started collecting late in life (in my 50s).  I didn't know much about past issues of U.S. coins, and wanted to learn.  I began with you’re the Expert's Guide to Collecting & Investing in Rare Coins.  Then I purchased several of the Whitman A Guide Book of … series.  Each book was so informative, and a pleasure to read.  You have a way of making the reader feel that you are writing the book or article for them, personally.  By sharing your knowledge and experiences, you have made coin collecting so much more enjoyable for me than it would have been without your writings.”

“I have also enjoyed reading your books about the famous and influential collectors and coin dealers you have known.  Have you considered writing an autobiography, and putting all of your experiences into one book?  From your start as a teenager, your first ANA convention, starting your first business, your partnership with Ray Merena, dealings with famous collectors and other dealers, the inside story of your greatest auctions, the ANA, and your time at Stack's, etc., etc.  I realize you have written about much of this in your other books, but an autobiography would be a permanent record of your fascinating life in numismatics.  If you prefer not to write it yourself, how about an authorized biography?  I'm sure there are several authors in the Whitman Books family that would do a great job.  It would be an instant classic, and a bestseller I'm sure!”

I dropped Richard a note to thank him for such a nice message. This brings to mind the Experts Guide that he mentioned. Of the many books I have done over a long period of years this is one of my all-time favorites. It is also one of the most influential books with readers, changing their course of direction in collecting, giving insight, and more. You might want to investigate owning a copy.

As for my autobiography, I have been keeping notes for a long period of years. They need to be organized and, when I do, I will need to see how publishable they are. One interesting but unfortunate aspect is that nearly all of the people I knew when I first entered the hobby in the early 1950s are no longer with us. They left a lot of nice memories behind, however.

I hope you are enjoying your summer.

Dave Bowers