New Coin Dealer Review Feature!

The folks at About.com have just released a new site feature that I think will be a very useful and important one for our Coin Collecting Community here. The feature is called "Rate and Review," and it allows you to become a reviewer on About.com! The way it works is that every time I post a coin dealer review, you, the reader, can also review the dealer. Give him the same 1 to 5 stars I have given him, or rate him differently if your experience was different from mine! There's a place for your to write your comments and share the experiences you had with the dealer, so that other folks who come along can get a more robust picture of what the dealer's services and coins are like. In other words, my word is no longer the last word when it comes to reviews, which is how it should be any community of hobbyists who wish to share and learn from each other.

Here's how it works: Go to any one of the coin dealer review pages that I have published in the past few months in anticipation of this new feature coming online. For instance, let's use my review of Littleton Coin Company as our example, since they're very widely known. At the top of page, to the right of the 4 star rating I gave them, you'll see another group of stars. This is where you can also rate Littleton, giving them a star ranking as well as a written commentary about your experience with them. When you submit your review, if it is clearly written and informative, it will appear on the page, right along with my own review of Littleton! I think this is a great feature, and an important addition to my site, because now I am no longer the Last Word on everything! As a community, we will all have our voices heard.

Just to keep things high-quality and interesting to read, there are a few requirements. First off, you must write a meaningful review of at least several sentences in length. Reviews that consist of one line which reads, "they suck" will not be published. You don't have to be an expert writer, nor do you have to write a long dissertation, but please do try to share the reasons why you did or did not like the service or product. An independent editorial team reviews the submissions, so it's not up to me which reviews are included or not. Keep in mind that you are reviewing the product or service itself, not my review of them. As long as you share your own experiences, you'll do fine! And this new Rate and Review isn't limited to just coin dealers! You can add your own two cents' worth to any review at About.com that has the stars rating at the top.

If you're eager to get started being a reviewer, here are some of my coin dealer and book reviews that are in need of reader participation:

Coin Dealer Reviews:

• Littleton Coin Company
• Chattanooga Coin Company
• L & C Coins
• Common Bronze Ancient Coins

Book Reviews:

• A Guide Book of U.S. Coins (the "Red Book")
• Strike It Rich With Pocket Change!
• Coin Collectors Survival Manual
• Million Dollar Nickels

I will be adding more reviews in the coming weeks, especially book and coin collecting product reviews.