NEW BOOK: THE ESSENTIAL EDITION RED BOOK

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V17 2014 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 17, Number 26, June 22, 2014, Article 4

Dennis Tucker of Whitman Publishing forwarded this press release about a new version of the company's popular Red Book of U.S. Coins. -Editor

A Guide Book of United States Coins, 2015 Essential Edition
By R.S. Yeoman; edited by Kenneth Bressett, Q. David Bowers, and Jeff Garrett
ISBN 0794839266
Full color, illustrated
8.5 x 11 inches, softcover, 352 pages
Retail $14.95

The Guide Book of United States Coins, popularly known as the “Red Book,” is the hobby’s #1 best-selling annual price guide, with more than 23 million copies sold since 1946. Now, Whitman Publishing has released the over-sized 2015 “Essential Edition” of the Red Book, aimed at distribution to mass-market audiences.

“The Essential Edition Red Book focuses mainly on circulating federal U.S. coinage—the cents, nickels, dimes, silver dollars, and other coins most likely to be found in Grandpa’s proverbial cigar box or other collections,” said Whitman publisher Dennis Tucker. “As with the regular-edition Red Book, we promote the Essential Edition through mainstream bookstores like Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million. Beyond that, it’s also carried in Sam’s Club—the eighth-largest retailer in the United States, serving 47 million members. We’re excited to be able to offer this version of the Red Book to such a large audience, and to introduce the hobby to a new generation of collectors.”

The Essential Edition Red Book is printed in full color at 8.5 x 11 inches, with enlarged photographs of the coins it covers: half cents through double eagles, commemoratives, Proof and Mint sets, and bullion coins; with an overview of colonial coins and territorial gold; and sections on Civil War, Hard Times, and other tokens.

About Whitman, and Our Publishing Philosophy
Whitman Publishing has been in the numismatic publishing field for 80 years. Our flagship titles have been the “Bibles” of the hobby since 1942 (the wholesale-guide Blue Book) and 1946 (the retail-guide Red Book). Today we continue this long tradition with new products and publications, while keeping the same dedication to accuracy, quality, innovation, and solid research.

Our distribution of the 2015 Essential Edition Red Book follows the strategies we use to increase public interest in collecting coins and other antiques and collectibles.

Mass-market distribution and publicity
Whitman has made great strides in publicizing the hobby and putting books, supplies, folders, and albums in the hands of new collectors. One way is through a nationwide network of distribution channels including major American retailers such as Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, and Michaels. Through these avenues, Whitman complements the coin-and-hobby shop and brings collecting into the wider public sphere.

These mass and national channels offer a “gateway” through which non-collectors can become new collectors. From there they get involved in local hobby shops; shows and conventions; buying from dealers; expanding into storage, display, and exhibition of their growing collections; branching into new areas of collecting; and devoting more of their free time, intellectual energy, and discretionary income to their hobby/investment.

Whitman products are on the shelves of the two biggest American book retailers—Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million—as well as online. We have responded to the public’s love of new U.S. Mint issues (such as State quarters and American Silver Eagles) by offering folders, albums, maps, books, and other related products. As with our distribution and promotion in major retail stores, Whitman’s presence in popular bookstores that serve millions of customers yearly promotes collecting and brings the hobby to mass-market awareness.

Whitman also promotes the hobby among the general public by conducting a Coin and Collectibles Expo held thrice yearly in Baltimore. Each show draws thousands of dealers, collectors, and soon-to-be-collectors into a multiple-day marketplace and learning immersion. In addition to major auctions and the usual buying, selling, and trading, Whitman Expos feature educational presentations, exhibits of rare and unusual coins and paper money, and programs for Boy Scouts and young collectors.

Whitman supports the national efforts of the American Numismatic Association, a congressionally chartered educational group. We fund and help organize the ANA’s annual Young Numismatists Literary Award competition, which encourages the next generation of writers and researchers.

All of these efforts connect with and feed the curiosity of hundreds of thousands of people who are not yet coin collectors, but who have a spark of interest that can, if nurtured, grow into a lifelong pastime or investment.

Hobby-market distribution and promotion
Of course, Whitman’s books and supplies are also distributed through hobby-specific venues: coin shops and mail-order dealers, collectible booksellers, and other traditional numismatic channels.

Whitman promotes the educational side of the hobby by selling books at numismatic shows year-round, nationwide. We maintain relationships with hobby newspapers and other periodicals; for example, we share images, data, and other content for news articles and columns. Whitman numismatic books have also been mentioned or featured in mainstream media such as the Boston Globe and the Wall Street Journal.

Education as the key to both collecting and investing
Under the guidance of Numismatic Director Q. David Bowers—one of America’s premier researchers and authors—Whitman books emphasize the importance of knowledge, both in the hobby and in the investment arena. Bowers’s 688-page Expert’s Guide to Collecting and Investing in Rare Coins is a comprehensive guide based on 50 years of experience in the market. All of our books, whether encyclopedia-size, coffee-table, or miniature, emphasize research and fact-based education, rather than empty promotional hype. This is a cornerstone of all of Whitman’s work. We feel that, in the long run, knowledge is the best promoter of coins, medals, paper money, and other numismatic items as collectibles and investments.

My first thoughts on reading this were, "I thought the Red Book already WAS a mass-market publication", and "Boy, they're milking that cow dry". But improvements over time have greatly enlarged the book, and stripping it back down to the "essentials" for everyday pocket-change collectors is probably a good idea. I would be much more inclined to buy a copy of this version to give to my neighbors and relatives than I would the regular edition, which has a lot of information, but not of direct interest to them. Good luck! I think this is a good step in promoting the hobby to a wider audience. -Editor

Yes, our goal with this edition is to expand the already considerable ambassadorial reach of the Red Book, rather than preach to the choir. The "Essential Edition" is a way of putting coin collecting in front of a huge new audience of non-collectors who probably have never even heard of the Red Book, but who might be intrigued enough to look up those old Wheat cents and Morgan dollars that Granddad set aside. (And then, with a bit of encouragement, grow into active collectors themselves!)