Live Like You Were Made for Gold
I heard someone make the comment: you are settling for brass when you are made for gold. What an analogy! I began thinking of my life when do I settle for things? It may look good and be almost like the real thing, but it is not the best.
Brass is defined in the dictionary as: an alloy of copper and zinc. An alloy is a mixture or a combining of two substances where something has been added to lower the purity. Although brass can be shiny and durable, it is not gold.
On the other hand, gold is an element that is corrosion-resistant and the most malleable and ductile metal. Gold is a good thermal and electrical conductor and it is used as an international monetary standard. We use phrases like gold standard and they have a heart of gold to denote great value and purity.
In the course of living your life are you corrosion resistant? What little things have crept into your life and eaten away at your uniqueness, attitude, values, and perspective?
Oftentimes, I find that brass can be very enticing in my life. It seems good, but not great. Better but not best. Sometimes brass is quick and easy, when gold would mean waiting and struggling. When I make gold the standard, I find that I dont settle or accept the crumbs. For me, when I have gold in my life, there is a rightness that exists.
What about you, is gold your standard? In what ways do you settle in your life? Career? Relationships? How would your life be different if you lived everyday believing you were created for gold?
Saturday, June 30, 2007
investing in land
Since the day of the gold rush, investing in land has been a lucrative business. Putting money into land is one of those investing basics. It costs very little to do, it is easy to tell when it will turn a profit for you, and the profit that it turns will be large. I'm not saying that investment in land can not backfire. Housing values do go down from time to time, and whole areas can fall apart due to urban blight or natural disasters. Nonetheless, even modest investing in land can yield dramatic gains.
One of the great things about investing in land is that there is a limited supply. Land will always be valuable, and as the world population grows, it will become more valuable than ever. A lot of investing in land is done as a form of real estate investing. People sit on a plot of land and wait until a developer wants to buy it. Then they sell it at top dollar. I had an uncle who did just that. He made a killing off of investing in land. He bought a stretch of riverfront property in a blighted industrial area. People thought that he was crazy. Even though the property was cheap, no one could see it ever being useful for anything. In 10 years, however, he proved them wrong. The city hired a developer to use the land for real estate. The money that he made off of it made him rich.
Of course, you should not just go out and buy any land for sale. If you want to invest in real estate, there are often better ways to do it. Investing in land, after all, is a gamble. The reason my uncle's plan works so well is that no one else wanted to do it. It was a risky investment. That is why investing in real estate can often be a much sure thing. It can be comparably easy to buy up existing housing, improve it, and sell it off. Although it requires more work, you're almost guaranteed to make money at it.
The bottom line is that, whether you are investing in commercial property or in land, you stand to make a lot of money. It is not very hard to research the way the market is going. If an area stands to grow and is not too inflated already, investing in land is one of the best ways to make money off of the inevitable economic progress.
Since the day of the gold rush, investing in land has been a lucrative business. Putting money into land is one of those investing basics. It costs very little to do, it is easy to tell when it will turn a profit for you, and the profit that it turns will be large. I'm not saying that investment in land can not backfire. Housing values do go down from time to time, and whole areas can fall apart due to urban blight or natural disasters. Nonetheless, even modest investing in land can yield dramatic gains.
One of the great things about investing in land is that there is a limited supply. Land will always be valuable, and as the world population grows, it will become more valuable than ever. A lot of investing in land is done as a form of real estate investing. People sit on a plot of land and wait until a developer wants to buy it. Then they sell it at top dollar. I had an uncle who did just that. He made a killing off of investing in land. He bought a stretch of riverfront property in a blighted industrial area. People thought that he was crazy. Even though the property was cheap, no one could see it ever being useful for anything. In 10 years, however, he proved them wrong. The city hired a developer to use the land for real estate. The money that he made off of it made him rich.
Of course, you should not just go out and buy any land for sale. If you want to invest in real estate, there are often better ways to do it. Investing in land, after all, is a gamble. The reason my uncle's plan works so well is that no one else wanted to do it. It was a risky investment. That is why investing in real estate can often be a much sure thing. It can be comparably easy to buy up existing housing, improve it, and sell it off. Although it requires more work, you're almost guaranteed to make money at it.
The bottom line is that, whether you are investing in commercial property or in land, you stand to make a lot of money. It is not very hard to research the way the market is going. If an area stands to grow and is not too inflated already, investing in land is one of the best ways to make money off of the inevitable economic progress.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Favorite Gold Coins to Collect for Investment
Why Gold American Eagle Coins are Popular among Collectors:
Gold coins are a favorite of coin collectors with an eye toward investment. Not only are golden coins lovely to behold, but they also have a value that is guaranteed, due to their precious metal content. The value of gold coins is usually higher than the value of their weight in gold bullion, making them a better investment than the gold market alone.
Many countries produce gold coins for collectors or for commemorative purposes. These coins oftentimes emphasize unique aspects of the countrys culture. Australia reveres its national animal with the Gold Kangaroo, for example, while China has a Gold Panda with a lovely design that changes every year. Canadas coin features a powerful national symbol with the golden Maple Leaf, and South Africa mints the Krugerrand. One of the worlds best selling coins, the Krugerrand features the South African national animal, the Springbok. Taking its place as one of the most popular gold coins among investors and collectors, however, is the American Gold Eagle. The American Gold Eagle stands out among other bullion coins because of its lovely design, and because its value is backed by the full strength of the United States government.
The Beauty of American Eagle Gold Coins:
The Gold Eagle features a representation of Lady Liberty striding with torch in hand through a field of light rays on its front side. This image is inspired by a golden coin designed by Augustus Saint-Gauden and minted from 1907 to 1933. The Augustus Saint-Gauden Double Eagle is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful coins America has ever produced. On the flip side of the American Eagle gold coins is a nest full of bald eagles, the national bird of the United States. The nest represents the American dedication to unity and family. Furthermore, a special die is used when minting these coins, to bring the gold to an especially high shine and to make it easier to see small details in the design.
American Eagle Gold Coins have Guaranteed Value:
American Eagle gold coins are valuable not only for their lovely appearance, but also because they are the only bullion coin whose gold content is guaranteed by the United States government. Each American Gold Eagle is stamped with its exact gold weight, as well as its face value. They are minted from 22-karat gold, which by law must be pure gold bullion mined from within the United States. This guarantee of the authenticity of the precious metals used to make American Eagle gold coins is highly valuable to investors.
Buying American Eagle Gold Coins:
Golden American Eagles were first produced in 1985 and come in a variety of sizes and values, ranging from the 1/10th oz American Eagle coin with a face value of $5, all the way up to full ounce gold coins with a face value of $50. Remember that most gold coins are worth more than their legal tender amount. Although they re not available for purchase directly from the U.S. Mint, American Eagle can be commonly found for sale in coin shops, on the internet, by gold dealers, and at coin shows. There are also variations on the American Eagle that are minted from silver or platinum instead of gold.
Why Gold American Eagle Coins are Popular among Collectors:
Gold coins are a favorite of coin collectors with an eye toward investment. Not only are golden coins lovely to behold, but they also have a value that is guaranteed, due to their precious metal content. The value of gold coins is usually higher than the value of their weight in gold bullion, making them a better investment than the gold market alone.
Many countries produce gold coins for collectors or for commemorative purposes. These coins oftentimes emphasize unique aspects of the countrys culture. Australia reveres its national animal with the Gold Kangaroo, for example, while China has a Gold Panda with a lovely design that changes every year. Canadas coin features a powerful national symbol with the golden Maple Leaf, and South Africa mints the Krugerrand. One of the worlds best selling coins, the Krugerrand features the South African national animal, the Springbok. Taking its place as one of the most popular gold coins among investors and collectors, however, is the American Gold Eagle. The American Gold Eagle stands out among other bullion coins because of its lovely design, and because its value is backed by the full strength of the United States government.
The Beauty of American Eagle Gold Coins:
The Gold Eagle features a representation of Lady Liberty striding with torch in hand through a field of light rays on its front side. This image is inspired by a golden coin designed by Augustus Saint-Gauden and minted from 1907 to 1933. The Augustus Saint-Gauden Double Eagle is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful coins America has ever produced. On the flip side of the American Eagle gold coins is a nest full of bald eagles, the national bird of the United States. The nest represents the American dedication to unity and family. Furthermore, a special die is used when minting these coins, to bring the gold to an especially high shine and to make it easier to see small details in the design.
American Eagle Gold Coins have Guaranteed Value:
American Eagle gold coins are valuable not only for their lovely appearance, but also because they are the only bullion coin whose gold content is guaranteed by the United States government. Each American Gold Eagle is stamped with its exact gold weight, as well as its face value. They are minted from 22-karat gold, which by law must be pure gold bullion mined from within the United States. This guarantee of the authenticity of the precious metals used to make American Eagle gold coins is highly valuable to investors.
Buying American Eagle Gold Coins:
Golden American Eagles were first produced in 1985 and come in a variety of sizes and values, ranging from the 1/10th oz American Eagle coin with a face value of $5, all the way up to full ounce gold coins with a face value of $50. Remember that most gold coins are worth more than their legal tender amount. Although they re not available for purchase directly from the U.S. Mint, American Eagle can be commonly found for sale in coin shops, on the internet, by gold dealers, and at coin shows. There are also variations on the American Eagle that are minted from silver or platinum instead of gold.
Buying Gold Jewelry Without Being Ripped Off
Buying gold jewelry can be fun, exciting and confusing. Whether youre considering a gift of gold jewelry for someone special or as a treat for yourself, take some time to learn the terms used in the industry. Heres some information to help you get the best quality gold jewelry for your money, whether youre shopping in a traditional brick and mortar store or online.
Gold
The word gold, used by itself, means all gold or 24 karat (24K) gold. Because 24K gold is soft, its usually mixed with other metals to increase its hardness and durability. If a piece of jewelry
is not 24 karat gold, the karat quality should accompany any claim that the item is gold.
The karat quality marking tells you what proportion of gold is mixed with the other metals. Fourteen karat (14K) jewelry contains 14 parts of gold, mixed in throughout with 10 parts of base metal. The higher the karat rating, the higher the proportion of gold in the piece of jewelry.
Most jewelry is marked with its karat quality, although marking is not required by law. Near the karat quality mark, you should see the name of the U.S. registered trademark of the company that will stand behind the mark. The trademark may be in the form of a name, symbol or initials. If you dont see a trademark accompanying a quality mark on a piece of jewelry, look for another piece.
Solid gold refers to an item made of any karat gold, if the inside of the item is not hollow. The proportion of gold in the piece of jewelry still is determined by the karat mark.
Jewelry can be plated with gold in a variety of ways. Gold plate refers to items that are either mechanically plated, electroplated, or plated by any other means with gold to a base metal. Eventually, gold plating wears away, but how soon will depend on how often the item is worn and how thick the plating is.
Gold-filled, gold overlay and rolled gold plate are terms used to describe jewelry that has a layer of at least 10 karat gold mechanically bonded to a base metal. If the jewelry is marked with one of these terms, the term or abbreviation should follow the karat quality of the gold used (for example, 14K Gold Overlay or 12K RGP). If the layer of karat gold is less than 1/20th of the total weight of the item, any marking must state the actual percentage of karat gold, such as 1/40 14K Gold Overlay.
Gold electroplate describes jewelry that has a layer (at least .175 microns thick) of a minimum of 10 karat gold deposited on a base metal by an electrolytic process. The terms gold flashed or gold washed describe products that have an extremely thin electroplating of gold (less than .175 microns thick). This will wear away more quickly than gold plate, gold-filled or gold electroplate.
Buying gold jewelry can be fun, exciting and confusing. Whether youre considering a gift of gold jewelry for someone special or as a treat for yourself, take some time to learn the terms used in the industry. Heres some information to help you get the best quality gold jewelry for your money, whether youre shopping in a traditional brick and mortar store or online.
Gold
The word gold, used by itself, means all gold or 24 karat (24K) gold. Because 24K gold is soft, its usually mixed with other metals to increase its hardness and durability. If a piece of jewelry
is not 24 karat gold, the karat quality should accompany any claim that the item is gold.
The karat quality marking tells you what proportion of gold is mixed with the other metals. Fourteen karat (14K) jewelry contains 14 parts of gold, mixed in throughout with 10 parts of base metal. The higher the karat rating, the higher the proportion of gold in the piece of jewelry.
Most jewelry is marked with its karat quality, although marking is not required by law. Near the karat quality mark, you should see the name of the U.S. registered trademark of the company that will stand behind the mark. The trademark may be in the form of a name, symbol or initials. If you dont see a trademark accompanying a quality mark on a piece of jewelry, look for another piece.
Solid gold refers to an item made of any karat gold, if the inside of the item is not hollow. The proportion of gold in the piece of jewelry still is determined by the karat mark.
Jewelry can be plated with gold in a variety of ways. Gold plate refers to items that are either mechanically plated, electroplated, or plated by any other means with gold to a base metal. Eventually, gold plating wears away, but how soon will depend on how often the item is worn and how thick the plating is.
Gold-filled, gold overlay and rolled gold plate are terms used to describe jewelry that has a layer of at least 10 karat gold mechanically bonded to a base metal. If the jewelry is marked with one of these terms, the term or abbreviation should follow the karat quality of the gold used (for example, 14K Gold Overlay or 12K RGP). If the layer of karat gold is less than 1/20th of the total weight of the item, any marking must state the actual percentage of karat gold, such as 1/40 14K Gold Overlay.
Gold electroplate describes jewelry that has a layer (at least .175 microns thick) of a minimum of 10 karat gold deposited on a base metal by an electrolytic process. The terms gold flashed or gold washed describe products that have an extremely thin electroplating of gold (less than .175 microns thick). This will wear away more quickly than gold plate, gold-filled or gold electroplate.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Treasure Hunting - Part Two
Treasure hunting begins at home. People regularly find famous old books and valuable antiques in their attics, so get up there and look. One couple opened their walls while remodeling, and found them insulated with thousands of old and valuable movie posters. In the thirties a theater owner ahd put them there. The couple sold $200,000 worth of the posters, the last I heard.
There are many more ways to go treasure hunting. I used to take the old telegraph pole insulators form along train tracks, to sell for $4 each at an antique store. They were otherwise being shot to pieces by hunters over the years. The colored glass ones are usually the more valuable ones.
Panning For Gold
For $10 you can buy a gold pan, and start prospecting. It's easier to see the gold in the green plastic ones. Most federal lands are open to prospectors without a permit. I've only seen gold in my pan in Canada (there isn't much gold in Michigan), but people have better luck in the mountain streams of the southeast and southwest. It's a nice way to spend an afternoon in any case.
Treasure Hunting With A Metal Detector
Metal detectors start under $200. I've found a few hundred coins, but none of them have been valuable ones. When the city tore up old sidewalks, a woman in our town used her detector to find coins . She sold one to a local coin shop for $700. A friend tells me that her husband and her have found many pieces of gold jewelry at the beach with their detector. It's also common to use metal detectors to find gold nuggets in the southwest.
Treasure Hunting In The Streets
Collecting cans for 37 cents a pound is a tough way to make a living. Here in Michigan and other states, however, there's a 10 cent deposit on every beverage container. During festivals I see people with bags of hundreds of cans they collected in the parks and garbage containers. Some travel here every year during the Cherry Festival, just to collect returnable bottles and cans that week.
I spoke to a man who went to the big concerts to collect beer and pop cans in the parking areas. He said he makes over $100 in a few hours (plus the time to take them to the store). Collecting "returnables" can be an unpleasant way to make money, but an old guy in town here tells me he pays the rent doing this.
Treasure hunting is about having the right frame of mind. There are treasures to be found everywhere. I once found a chest with foreign notes and coins in the crawl space under our house. Hotel owners report that visitors tuck money in the bedside bible, and forget to take it with them. Sometimes you just have to look.
Treasure hunting begins at home. People regularly find famous old books and valuable antiques in their attics, so get up there and look. One couple opened their walls while remodeling, and found them insulated with thousands of old and valuable movie posters. In the thirties a theater owner ahd put them there. The couple sold $200,000 worth of the posters, the last I heard.
There are many more ways to go treasure hunting. I used to take the old telegraph pole insulators form along train tracks, to sell for $4 each at an antique store. They were otherwise being shot to pieces by hunters over the years. The colored glass ones are usually the more valuable ones.
Panning For Gold
For $10 you can buy a gold pan, and start prospecting. It's easier to see the gold in the green plastic ones. Most federal lands are open to prospectors without a permit. I've only seen gold in my pan in Canada (there isn't much gold in Michigan), but people have better luck in the mountain streams of the southeast and southwest. It's a nice way to spend an afternoon in any case.
Treasure Hunting With A Metal Detector
Metal detectors start under $200. I've found a few hundred coins, but none of them have been valuable ones. When the city tore up old sidewalks, a woman in our town used her detector to find coins . She sold one to a local coin shop for $700. A friend tells me that her husband and her have found many pieces of gold jewelry at the beach with their detector. It's also common to use metal detectors to find gold nuggets in the southwest.
Treasure Hunting In The Streets
Collecting cans for 37 cents a pound is a tough way to make a living. Here in Michigan and other states, however, there's a 10 cent deposit on every beverage container. During festivals I see people with bags of hundreds of cans they collected in the parks and garbage containers. Some travel here every year during the Cherry Festival, just to collect returnable bottles and cans that week.
I spoke to a man who went to the big concerts to collect beer and pop cans in the parking areas. He said he makes over $100 in a few hours (plus the time to take them to the store). Collecting "returnables" can be an unpleasant way to make money, but an old guy in town here tells me he pays the rent doing this.
Treasure hunting is about having the right frame of mind. There are treasures to be found everywhere. I once found a chest with foreign notes and coins in the crawl space under our house. Hotel owners report that visitors tuck money in the bedside bible, and forget to take it with them. Sometimes you just have to look.
The Gandhi and the Lady's Coin
This is an very interesting and inspirational story, This story changed the millions of peoples in the era of the great Gandhi and still has the same effect, This is an story of a The Gandhi and the Lady's Coin"
Mahatma Gandhi went from every city and village for uniting peoples and collecting funds.
During one of his tours he addressed a meeting in Orissa( Part of India). After his speech a poor old woman got up. She was bent with age, her hair was gray and her clothes were in tatters.
The volunteers tried to stop her, but she fought her way to the place where "Gandhi" was sitting. "I must meet him," she insisted and going up to Gandhi then from the folds of her sari she brought out a copper coin and placed it at his feet.
Gandhi picked up the copper coin and put it beside carefully. Fund Manager said "I keep cheques worth thousands of rupees and what to do with a copper coin." in reply Gandhi said, "We have to keep this coin because this copper coin is worth much more than those thousands, If a man has several millions and he gives away a thousand or two, it doesn't mean much.
But this coin was perhaps all that the poor woman possessed. She gave me all she had. That was very generous of her. What a great sacrifice she made. That is why I value this copper coin more than a millions of rupees. she has not scarified the copper coin for me but for the freedom and welfare of this nation and along with the coin she gave us a lesson of genuine generosity & commitment to the nation"
Gandhi said," She remind me and all of us the 3 deeds these are
1. in crucial things, unity
2. in important things, diversity
3 . in all things, generosity
Gandhi is a person who changed the peoples, but he never hesitated to change and learn form other peoples too.
This real historic story taught me one thing,
"In life you will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called LIFE where you will have opportunity to learn lessons, you may like it or think them irrelevant and stupid."
The lesson of generosity, That's why this story changes the people; What about you?
Thanks for your time consideration
Nilesh Gore
This is an very interesting and inspirational story, This story changed the millions of peoples in the era of the great Gandhi and still has the same effect, This is an story of a The Gandhi and the Lady's Coin"
Mahatma Gandhi went from every city and village for uniting peoples and collecting funds.
During one of his tours he addressed a meeting in Orissa( Part of India). After his speech a poor old woman got up. She was bent with age, her hair was gray and her clothes were in tatters.
The volunteers tried to stop her, but she fought her way to the place where "Gandhi" was sitting. "I must meet him," she insisted and going up to Gandhi then from the folds of her sari she brought out a copper coin and placed it at his feet.
Gandhi picked up the copper coin and put it beside carefully. Fund Manager said "I keep cheques worth thousands of rupees and what to do with a copper coin." in reply Gandhi said, "We have to keep this coin because this copper coin is worth much more than those thousands, If a man has several millions and he gives away a thousand or two, it doesn't mean much.
But this coin was perhaps all that the poor woman possessed. She gave me all she had. That was very generous of her. What a great sacrifice she made. That is why I value this copper coin more than a millions of rupees. she has not scarified the copper coin for me but for the freedom and welfare of this nation and along with the coin she gave us a lesson of genuine generosity & commitment to the nation"
Gandhi said," She remind me and all of us the 3 deeds these are
1. in crucial things, unity
2. in important things, diversity
3 . in all things, generosity
Gandhi is a person who changed the peoples, but he never hesitated to change and learn form other peoples too.
This real historic story taught me one thing,
"In life you will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called LIFE where you will have opportunity to learn lessons, you may like it or think them irrelevant and stupid."
The lesson of generosity, That's why this story changes the people; What about you?
Thanks for your time consideration
Nilesh Gore
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Coin Collecting: Coin Collecting Q&As
How do I determine if my old coins are worth anything?
Although there are exceptions, most old coins are not particularly valuable unless they are very well preserved. The best starting place for an idea of their worth is to visit the reference section of your local library. There are numerous catalogues, some for specific countries. A good general volume is the Standard Catalogue of World Coins. It offers a complete list of almost everything.
I understand older money is worth more than face value because of the silver content, is that true?
Canadian coins, from those with a face value between 10 cents and $1, and struck before 1968 are between 50 and 92 percent silver, depending on the coin and year. They are worth a bit more than face value, depending on the price of silver. If coins are in good condition, the collector's value may be even higher.
Will I ever find anything valuable in my pocket change?
Possibly. In 1991, only 459,000 25-cent coins were struck (the annual number is usually closer to 100 million). 'Mint State' versions of these coins are worth about $8. The 1973 25-cent coin and the 1969 ten-cent coin were also struck in smaller than normal numbers.
Are coins a good investment?
Yes and no. Some people have made a lot of money buying and selling coins, others have lost fortunes. If you are serious about investing in numismatics, first spend a bit of time learning. Most successful investors were knowledgeable collectors first. Good quality coins purchased at reasonable prices will appreciate, but probably no better or worse than other investments. The difference is that you'll be buying something you love, instead of things like shares in companies you know nothing about or T-Bills. Perhaps one day the coin you bought last year will have gone up in value, but the idea is to buy it so you can enjoy it now, and for as long as you own it.
For more answers to coin collecting questions, and ideas on what to collect, visit the Royal Canadian Mint website at www.mint.ca.
- News Canada
How do I determine if my old coins are worth anything?
Although there are exceptions, most old coins are not particularly valuable unless they are very well preserved. The best starting place for an idea of their worth is to visit the reference section of your local library. There are numerous catalogues, some for specific countries. A good general volume is the Standard Catalogue of World Coins. It offers a complete list of almost everything.
I understand older money is worth more than face value because of the silver content, is that true?
Canadian coins, from those with a face value between 10 cents and $1, and struck before 1968 are between 50 and 92 percent silver, depending on the coin and year. They are worth a bit more than face value, depending on the price of silver. If coins are in good condition, the collector's value may be even higher.
Will I ever find anything valuable in my pocket change?
Possibly. In 1991, only 459,000 25-cent coins were struck (the annual number is usually closer to 100 million). 'Mint State' versions of these coins are worth about $8. The 1973 25-cent coin and the 1969 ten-cent coin were also struck in smaller than normal numbers.
Are coins a good investment?
Yes and no. Some people have made a lot of money buying and selling coins, others have lost fortunes. If you are serious about investing in numismatics, first spend a bit of time learning. Most successful investors were knowledgeable collectors first. Good quality coins purchased at reasonable prices will appreciate, but probably no better or worse than other investments. The difference is that you'll be buying something you love, instead of things like shares in companies you know nothing about or T-Bills. Perhaps one day the coin you bought last year will have gone up in value, but the idea is to buy it so you can enjoy it now, and for as long as you own it.
For more answers to coin collecting questions, and ideas on what to collect, visit the Royal Canadian Mint website at www.mint.ca.
- News Canada
Moissanite Rings
Moissanite adherents swear that its sparkle outclasses diamonds by a mile and a half. The fact that it has no natural flaws also stands in its favor. Wearing a moissanite ring is a sure attention grabber and conversation launcher. The stones are more popular than the previous favorite, cubic zirconium, for engagement, wedding and anniversary rings.
Certain class of purists object that moissanite, no matter how admirable its properties, cant match the sentimental value of a diamond on occasions of the heart. This may have something to do with the fact that it costs less. Also, many people still see moissanite as "fake diamond" a very unjustifiable definition. Moissanite is a unique mineral and is not meant to replace any other stones.
Moreover, diamonds are considered appropriate for engagement, wedding and anniversary rings because they are "forever". The "eternal" factor stems from the virtually indestructible nature of diamonds. By that coin, moissanite holds its own with diamonds. It also matches if not surpasses the sparkle and "fire" of diamonds. In other words, such arguments fall flat in the light of unbiased logic. Platinum, for instance, does not surpass gold it is merely a precious and attractive metal in its own right.
Actually, much of the present bias against moissanite rings for sentimental/relationship occasions has more to do with successful marketing hype against them than anything else. Moissanite is a valid jewelry medium, measured in carats and worthy of being set in precious metals such as gold, silver and platinum.
If anything, choosing moissanite over diamond shows a progressive thinker who resists bending to tradition. This planet has limited resources, and diamonds will become progressively rarer in years to come. It would be a sorry statement on modern civilization if engagements and weddings reduce proportionately.
Moissanite adherents swear that its sparkle outclasses diamonds by a mile and a half. The fact that it has no natural flaws also stands in its favor. Wearing a moissanite ring is a sure attention grabber and conversation launcher. The stones are more popular than the previous favorite, cubic zirconium, for engagement, wedding and anniversary rings.
Certain class of purists object that moissanite, no matter how admirable its properties, cant match the sentimental value of a diamond on occasions of the heart. This may have something to do with the fact that it costs less. Also, many people still see moissanite as "fake diamond" a very unjustifiable definition. Moissanite is a unique mineral and is not meant to replace any other stones.
Moreover, diamonds are considered appropriate for engagement, wedding and anniversary rings because they are "forever". The "eternal" factor stems from the virtually indestructible nature of diamonds. By that coin, moissanite holds its own with diamonds. It also matches if not surpasses the sparkle and "fire" of diamonds. In other words, such arguments fall flat in the light of unbiased logic. Platinum, for instance, does not surpass gold it is merely a precious and attractive metal in its own right.
Actually, much of the present bias against moissanite rings for sentimental/relationship occasions has more to do with successful marketing hype against them than anything else. Moissanite is a valid jewelry medium, measured in carats and worthy of being set in precious metals such as gold, silver and platinum.
If anything, choosing moissanite over diamond shows a progressive thinker who resists bending to tradition. This planet has limited resources, and diamonds will become progressively rarer in years to come. It would be a sorry statement on modern civilization if engagements and weddings reduce proportionately.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Why You Need To Buy and Sell Gold Coins (Part 6)
Pre-1933 Gold Outperforms Today's Gold Bullion...
Since 1970, an investment strategy that included Pre-1933 gold has been proven to outperform modern gold bullion, gold bars, Krugerrands, Canadian Maple Leafs, or American Eagles.
In fact, $1,000 invested in common date, Pre-1933 Gold coins has a market value of $19,595. But, gold bullion would be worth only $7,429.* Clearly, investing in common date gold coins has paid off handsomely.
Truly Rare Coins Bigger Winners- But, Collectors Universe reports that you would have done even better by acquiring investment quality, U.S. Rare Coins back in 1970. The CU3000 would be worth $54,158 and Mint State, Rare Gold would be worth $74,299 today, far outperforming gold or the Dow over the last 30 years.
Pre-1933 Gold Offers the Best Leverage - As you might expect, classic Pre-1933 U.S. gold coins are directly affected by the rising price of gold. When gold goes up, the generic gold coins follow. However, many people don't realize that Pre-1933 gold coins offer substantial leverage to the gold market and advantages over modern gold bullion coins like American Eagles.
Pre-1933 Gold Soared When Gold Was Flat - However, sectors of the U.S. Rare Coin Market and the gold markets dont move in tandem. Generic gold coins soared in value in the early 1970s, in the 1976-1980 Bull Market for coins, and again in the mid-1980s despite the fact that gold prices were relatively flat.
In today's marketplace, gold trades near 20-year lows and generic Pre-1933 gold is also highly undervalued. Both offer investors a good soure of value during a time when high-tech stocks are crashing, the economy is headed for a recession and inflation is rising quickly.
All of these factors have historically put investors in a position of a flight to safety from paper assets into hard assets. When investors suddenly enter the U.S. Rare Coin Market, the demand can quickly overwhelm the limited supply.
Pre-1933 Gold Outperforms Today's Gold Bullion...
Since 1970, an investment strategy that included Pre-1933 gold has been proven to outperform modern gold bullion, gold bars, Krugerrands, Canadian Maple Leafs, or American Eagles.
In fact, $1,000 invested in common date, Pre-1933 Gold coins has a market value of $19,595. But, gold bullion would be worth only $7,429.* Clearly, investing in common date gold coins has paid off handsomely.
Truly Rare Coins Bigger Winners- But, Collectors Universe reports that you would have done even better by acquiring investment quality, U.S. Rare Coins back in 1970. The CU3000 would be worth $54,158 and Mint State, Rare Gold would be worth $74,299 today, far outperforming gold or the Dow over the last 30 years.
Pre-1933 Gold Offers the Best Leverage - As you might expect, classic Pre-1933 U.S. gold coins are directly affected by the rising price of gold. When gold goes up, the generic gold coins follow. However, many people don't realize that Pre-1933 gold coins offer substantial leverage to the gold market and advantages over modern gold bullion coins like American Eagles.
Pre-1933 Gold Soared When Gold Was Flat - However, sectors of the U.S. Rare Coin Market and the gold markets dont move in tandem. Generic gold coins soared in value in the early 1970s, in the 1976-1980 Bull Market for coins, and again in the mid-1980s despite the fact that gold prices were relatively flat.
In today's marketplace, gold trades near 20-year lows and generic Pre-1933 gold is also highly undervalued. Both offer investors a good soure of value during a time when high-tech stocks are crashing, the economy is headed for a recession and inflation is rising quickly.
All of these factors have historically put investors in a position of a flight to safety from paper assets into hard assets. When investors suddenly enter the U.S. Rare Coin Market, the demand can quickly overwhelm the limited supply.
5 Tricks To Make It Big With Real Estate Investing
Real estate investing is one of the most attractive ways of making good money (that is if you do it correct). Moreover, real estate investing is also a lot of fun. A lot of people practice real estate investing as their core profession and, in fact, make a lot of money that way.
Real estate investing is really an art and, like any art, it takes time to master the art of real estate investing. The key, of course, is to buy at a lower price and sell at higher price and make a profit even after paying all the costs involved in the two (buy/sell) transactions.
Generally, people are of the opinion that real estate investing makes sense only when the rates are on the rise. However, real estate investing for profits is possible just about any time (and as I just said, real estate investing is an art). Here is a list of tricks that can make real estate investing profitable for you:
1) Look for public auctions, divorce settlements and foreclosures (bank/FHA/VA): Since quick settlement is the preference here (and not price), you might get a property at a price that is much lower than the prevailing market rate. You can then make arrangements to sell it at the market rate over a short period of time. However, make sure that the property is worth the price you are paying.
2) Looking for old listings: The old listings that are still unsold may provide you with good real estate investing opportunities. Just get hold of an old newspaper and call up the sellers. They might have given up hope of selling that property at all and with a bit of negotiation you can get the property for a real low price.
3) The hidden treasure: A really old (and dirty) looking house may scare off buyers. But this might be your chance for real estate investing that can yield good profits. So, explore such properties and check if spending a bit on them can make them shine. You can get these at very low prices and make a big profit in a short time.
4) Team up with attorneys: There are a number of attorneys who handle property sales on behalf of sellers or in special circumstances (like the death of the property owner). They might sometimes be looking to dispose off the property rather quickly and hence at a low price. Be the first one to grab such real estate investing opportunities and enjoy the profits.
5) Keep tab on the newspaper announcements: Property sell offs due to deaths, divorce settlements, immediate cash requirements and other reason are frequently announced in local papers. Keep track of such real estate investing avenues.
Real estate investing is one of the most attractive ways of making good money (that is if you do it correct). Moreover, real estate investing is also a lot of fun. A lot of people practice real estate investing as their core profession and, in fact, make a lot of money that way.
Real estate investing is really an art and, like any art, it takes time to master the art of real estate investing. The key, of course, is to buy at a lower price and sell at higher price and make a profit even after paying all the costs involved in the two (buy/sell) transactions.
Generally, people are of the opinion that real estate investing makes sense only when the rates are on the rise. However, real estate investing for profits is possible just about any time (and as I just said, real estate investing is an art). Here is a list of tricks that can make real estate investing profitable for you:
1) Look for public auctions, divorce settlements and foreclosures (bank/FHA/VA): Since quick settlement is the preference here (and not price), you might get a property at a price that is much lower than the prevailing market rate. You can then make arrangements to sell it at the market rate over a short period of time. However, make sure that the property is worth the price you are paying.
2) Looking for old listings: The old listings that are still unsold may provide you with good real estate investing opportunities. Just get hold of an old newspaper and call up the sellers. They might have given up hope of selling that property at all and with a bit of negotiation you can get the property for a real low price.
3) The hidden treasure: A really old (and dirty) looking house may scare off buyers. But this might be your chance for real estate investing that can yield good profits. So, explore such properties and check if spending a bit on them can make them shine. You can get these at very low prices and make a big profit in a short time.
4) Team up with attorneys: There are a number of attorneys who handle property sales on behalf of sellers or in special circumstances (like the death of the property owner). They might sometimes be looking to dispose off the property rather quickly and hence at a low price. Be the first one to grab such real estate investing opportunities and enjoy the profits.
5) Keep tab on the newspaper announcements: Property sell offs due to deaths, divorce settlements, immediate cash requirements and other reason are frequently announced in local papers. Keep track of such real estate investing avenues.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Magnificent Kinkakuji
Last week during his tour of Kyoto Japan, President Bush visited the Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji) and described it as magnificent. He was probably referring to the 1398 Japanese architecture but may just as well have been referring to gold prices which are at an 18-year high. Gold has been a magnificent investment and still has considerable upside.
It is a rare portfolio that I build for a client that does not have some allocation to gold and other precious metals. There are three basic reasons why investors should still consider adding it to their portfolio.
First, gold prices are not normally correlated to other asset class prices. It therefore serves as a buffer or shock absorber to the value of a portfolio when other assets classes are out of favor.
Secondly, there are supply and demand factors. Central banks have been net sellers of gold over the past twenty years. Gold accounts for about 9% of the $4.4 trillion in world central bank foreign exchange and gold reserves, down from 15% in early 2000.
But some central banks are now going the other way. For example, the Russian central bank wants to increase golds share of its reserves from 5% to 10%.
Jewelry demand for gold is also picking up especially in China and India. Global investors are also using gold as a hedge for a global recession and potential decline in value of the U.S. dollar or the Euro.
On the supply side, production of gold has been relatively flat for the last 5-7 years and does not appear to be turning around due to maturing mines and higher extraction costs.
The third reason to have some gold exposure in your portfolio is that it serves as disaster insurance from unforeseen but potentially devastating events such as widespread terrorism or severe economic or political upheaval.
Many gold bugs insist that the only true gold exposure is through gold coins. An easier way to gain instant gold exposure is through the iShares COMEX Gold Trust ETF ( IAU) that is up 15.3% so far this year. Another option is investing through the iShares South Africa ETF (EZA) which has considerable exposure to the gold and mining industry and is up 15.9% this year.
Dont come down with gold fever. A 5-10% allocation to your core conservative portfolio should get the job done. Expect some lusterless years as well as some magnificent returns and restful nights knowing you have some gold under the pillow.
Last week during his tour of Kyoto Japan, President Bush visited the Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji) and described it as magnificent. He was probably referring to the 1398 Japanese architecture but may just as well have been referring to gold prices which are at an 18-year high. Gold has been a magnificent investment and still has considerable upside.
It is a rare portfolio that I build for a client that does not have some allocation to gold and other precious metals. There are three basic reasons why investors should still consider adding it to their portfolio.
First, gold prices are not normally correlated to other asset class prices. It therefore serves as a buffer or shock absorber to the value of a portfolio when other assets classes are out of favor.
Secondly, there are supply and demand factors. Central banks have been net sellers of gold over the past twenty years. Gold accounts for about 9% of the $4.4 trillion in world central bank foreign exchange and gold reserves, down from 15% in early 2000.
But some central banks are now going the other way. For example, the Russian central bank wants to increase golds share of its reserves from 5% to 10%.
Jewelry demand for gold is also picking up especially in China and India. Global investors are also using gold as a hedge for a global recession and potential decline in value of the U.S. dollar or the Euro.
On the supply side, production of gold has been relatively flat for the last 5-7 years and does not appear to be turning around due to maturing mines and higher extraction costs.
The third reason to have some gold exposure in your portfolio is that it serves as disaster insurance from unforeseen but potentially devastating events such as widespread terrorism or severe economic or political upheaval.
Many gold bugs insist that the only true gold exposure is through gold coins. An easier way to gain instant gold exposure is through the iShares COMEX Gold Trust ETF ( IAU) that is up 15.3% so far this year. Another option is investing through the iShares South Africa ETF (EZA) which has considerable exposure to the gold and mining industry and is up 15.9% this year.
Dont come down with gold fever. A 5-10% allocation to your core conservative portfolio should get the job done. Expect some lusterless years as well as some magnificent returns and restful nights knowing you have some gold under the pillow.
Wear Your Best Gold To Go Shoot
If you are looking for a gold necklace, there are so many different styles and fashions to choose from it can be confusing. A gold chain necklace is very versatile and goes with nearly any fashion you want to wear. If you prefer a smooth and delicate look or even a bolder look, you can achieve this by choosing the right texture chain. The 18-carat Venetian link gold necklace is elegant with its yellow box-chain necklace. It is about 18 inches long and 1/8 of an inch wide, and it fastens with a lobster clasp. You may also want to consider an 18-carat yellow gold two-tone twisted rope necklace. It is very attractive with the yellow gold sitting next to white. The rope enhances both colors, making the white strand virtually sparkle. These are as well 18 inches long and fastened with a lobster clasp.
If you like gold necklaces, you may want to look at the 17-inch long 14-carat gold graduated bead necklace with its 14-carat polished, yellow gold beads that are 4 mm at the back of your neck and 8 mm at the front. Or how about the 14-carat yellow gold hollow Palma chain with its elongated graduated loops and 14 carat yellow gold on an 18-inch long necklace. It is simply gorgeous! If you are doing a photo shoot, this is the one to wear!
Another wonderful gold necklace that combines texture and polished elegance is the 18-carat gold Byzantine necklace. Woven from 18-carat yellow gold links, the texture that is produced with this mix is simply stunning and worth a look! You may also want a look at a 10-carat gold reversible, two-tone necklace. It has a great sleek, neck-hugging appearance. Either way you look at it, gold necklaces are beautiful including the 14-carat gold meshed necklace with a 17-inch long chain. It offers you lots of texture. Combine this with a lot of design and you have a very fine looking piece of jewelry.
If you are looking for a gold necklace, there are so many different styles and fashions to choose from it can be confusing. A gold chain necklace is very versatile and goes with nearly any fashion you want to wear. If you prefer a smooth and delicate look or even a bolder look, you can achieve this by choosing the right texture chain. The 18-carat Venetian link gold necklace is elegant with its yellow box-chain necklace. It is about 18 inches long and 1/8 of an inch wide, and it fastens with a lobster clasp. You may also want to consider an 18-carat yellow gold two-tone twisted rope necklace. It is very attractive with the yellow gold sitting next to white. The rope enhances both colors, making the white strand virtually sparkle. These are as well 18 inches long and fastened with a lobster clasp.
If you like gold necklaces, you may want to look at the 17-inch long 14-carat gold graduated bead necklace with its 14-carat polished, yellow gold beads that are 4 mm at the back of your neck and 8 mm at the front. Or how about the 14-carat yellow gold hollow Palma chain with its elongated graduated loops and 14 carat yellow gold on an 18-inch long necklace. It is simply gorgeous! If you are doing a photo shoot, this is the one to wear!
Another wonderful gold necklace that combines texture and polished elegance is the 18-carat gold Byzantine necklace. Woven from 18-carat yellow gold links, the texture that is produced with this mix is simply stunning and worth a look! You may also want a look at a 10-carat gold reversible, two-tone necklace. It has a great sleek, neck-hugging appearance. Either way you look at it, gold necklaces are beautiful including the 14-carat gold meshed necklace with a 17-inch long chain. It offers you lots of texture. Combine this with a lot of design and you have a very fine looking piece of jewelry.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
coin sorter
Coin Sorter
We all have change, but we all have different ideas about how to manage it. I know that my husband comes home every day from work and dumps a pile of change on the counter. If I don’t pick it up very quickly, my daughter will. It seems that he is one of those people that doesn’t use a lot of change while shopping, so the change in his pocket builds up every day. There is usually no less than five or six dollars in that pile of change. I often have to use a coin sorter to keep things in line and get the money into the bank.
If you take a bucket or bag of coins to the bank, they probably will not accept it. Most banks will not accept any type of change unless it has been put through a coin sorter and put into change rolls. They simply do not have the time to count all of your change for you. If you look in your local store you can find many different types of coin sorter from which to choose. They range in price from a few dollars and up. Some of them do everything for you, while some of them just take out the hardest parts. Whatever the case may be, any type of coin sorter will make your job easier.
Just be careful that you don’t buy a coin sorter that is too cheap. I made the mistake of doing this. It worked good for a while, but I soon found that it could not differentiate between dimes n pennies. Many times, the dimes would get caught in the system, and I would have to take it apart with a screwdriver to get it working again. Not only that, the coin sorter did not work correctly unless I propped it in the front a little bit. The coins would not roll freely unless it was slightly off kilter. That was not exactly convenient.
If you really hate dealing with your coins, you can get an automated coin sorter for your home. You may also go out into your community and look for a Coinstar machine. This type of coin sorter is very simple and very easy to use. All you have to do is dump your coins into the machine and it counts them. You then get a receipt that was printed out so that you may cash it in for your money at the register. Though this is extremely convenient, it will also cost you money. In many cases, this type of machine will charge you seven or eight cents per dollar that it counts for you. However, if you hate dealing with your change, this might be the perfect solution for you.
Coin Sorter
We all have change, but we all have different ideas about how to manage it. I know that my husband comes home every day from work and dumps a pile of change on the counter. If I don’t pick it up very quickly, my daughter will. It seems that he is one of those people that doesn’t use a lot of change while shopping, so the change in his pocket builds up every day. There is usually no less than five or six dollars in that pile of change. I often have to use a coin sorter to keep things in line and get the money into the bank.
If you take a bucket or bag of coins to the bank, they probably will not accept it. Most banks will not accept any type of change unless it has been put through a coin sorter and put into change rolls. They simply do not have the time to count all of your change for you. If you look in your local store you can find many different types of coin sorter from which to choose. They range in price from a few dollars and up. Some of them do everything for you, while some of them just take out the hardest parts. Whatever the case may be, any type of coin sorter will make your job easier.
Just be careful that you don’t buy a coin sorter that is too cheap. I made the mistake of doing this. It worked good for a while, but I soon found that it could not differentiate between dimes n pennies. Many times, the dimes would get caught in the system, and I would have to take it apart with a screwdriver to get it working again. Not only that, the coin sorter did not work correctly unless I propped it in the front a little bit. The coins would not roll freely unless it was slightly off kilter. That was not exactly convenient.
If you really hate dealing with your coins, you can get an automated coin sorter for your home. You may also go out into your community and look for a Coinstar machine. This type of coin sorter is very simple and very easy to use. All you have to do is dump your coins into the machine and it counts them. You then get a receipt that was printed out so that you may cash it in for your money at the register. Though this is extremely convenient, it will also cost you money. In many cases, this type of machine will charge you seven or eight cents per dollar that it counts for you. However, if you hate dealing with your change, this might be the perfect solution for you.
Better Investing Made Easy
If there were one piece of advice that an investor could ask for, the question would probably be something like What do I need to do to invest better? Better investing choices are sought by investors every day. Some find them and succeed, others do not. The difference clearly lies in better investing, so investors are on the right track. They are, however, asking the wrong questions.
Instead of asking How can I make better investments, they should be asking How can I discern better investment choices? While everyone is looking for that one hot investment tip that will turn them on to the next Microsoft or Wal Mart type of investment, they should be looking into how they can discern those choices for themselves and thus make better investing decisions. All those people who did jump on Microsoft back in the eighties werent just lucky. Some of them were, but some had done their research and were able to realize that they were looking at an opportunity to invest in a company that would revolutionize the fledgling software industry.
Discerning choices for better investing starts with research. The savvy investor wont just read the features in The Wall Street Journal or the articles appearing at The Motley Fool web site, shell read them and then do a bit of research on the company being discussed. The more an investor knows about a potential investment, the easier it is to make the decision whether to invest.
No one can see the future, of course, and there are plenty of companies that look like good investment ideas that wind up falling flat on their proverbial faces. Better investing is not about scrying into a crystal ball; however, it is about using your own powers of discernment to determine which investment is the better choice.
A little luck helps too, of course.
If there were one piece of advice that an investor could ask for, the question would probably be something like What do I need to do to invest better? Better investing choices are sought by investors every day. Some find them and succeed, others do not. The difference clearly lies in better investing, so investors are on the right track. They are, however, asking the wrong questions.
Instead of asking How can I make better investments, they should be asking How can I discern better investment choices? While everyone is looking for that one hot investment tip that will turn them on to the next Microsoft or Wal Mart type of investment, they should be looking into how they can discern those choices for themselves and thus make better investing decisions. All those people who did jump on Microsoft back in the eighties werent just lucky. Some of them were, but some had done their research and were able to realize that they were looking at an opportunity to invest in a company that would revolutionize the fledgling software industry.
Discerning choices for better investing starts with research. The savvy investor wont just read the features in The Wall Street Journal or the articles appearing at The Motley Fool web site, shell read them and then do a bit of research on the company being discussed. The more an investor knows about a potential investment, the easier it is to make the decision whether to invest.
No one can see the future, of course, and there are plenty of companies that look like good investment ideas that wind up falling flat on their proverbial faces. Better investing is not about scrying into a crystal ball; however, it is about using your own powers of discernment to determine which investment is the better choice.
A little luck helps too, of course.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Slot Machine Odds
It probably more appropriate to call slot machines entertainment than gambling, as the
house always - and we mean always - has an edge with slot machines.
The average slot machine payout ranges from an average of 85% to 99% of all coins bet.
The lower the denomination of the machine, the lower the payout. This is because the
casino wants to make a certain amount per hour with its slots. With a one dollar slot
machine, the casino can payback perhaps 98% and make it's hourly goal. With a lower
denomination machine, such as quarters or nickels, the payout must be much lower to
achieve the same hourly pay for the casino
There are two types of slot machine payouts: flat rate and progressives. A flat rate
machine pays the same percentage based on only that machine's results. With
progressive machines, many machines are linked together electronically and the jackpot
gets progressively larger the more players that play and the greater the time in between
winning jackpots.
Our advice is to play the flat rate machines and avoid the progressives. The odds against
winning the jackpot are much higher on progressives. In many cases, your odds of
winning the state lottery are better! Play the non-progressive machines where you at least
have a chance at the jackpot.
SHOULD YOU PLAY MAXIMUM COINS ARE NOT?
The answer to this question depends on one thing: is the jackpot bigger proportionally for
maximum coins bet? If it is, play maximum coins. If it isn't, then simply play the
minimum and your money will last longer.
To illustrate, let's assume you want to play a machine that has a three coin maximum bet.
Should you play the maximum? Look at the payout information. If the jackpot amount
for one coin bet is 1,000, for two coins 2,000 and for three coins 5,000, then the jackpot
is bigger proportionally for three coins and you should bet the maximum coins. This is
because the maximum coins to bet is three times the minimum but the maximum coin
jackpot is five times the amount of the minimum coin jackpot. This means your jackpot
odds are better if you play the maximum coins.
In this same example, if the three coin jackpot was 3,000 instead of 5,000, then you
should only play one coin at a time because there is no odds advantage to playing
maximum coins.
One disadvantage of playing maximum coins, even if the jackpot is proportionally larger,
is that smaller, less-than-jackpot payouts are usually not proportionally larger for
maximum coins played. It's only the jackpot that is proportionally larger. For this
reason, we recommend only playing minimum coins on machines that do no have a
proportionally larger jackpot for maximum coins. This way, you money will last longer
and you increase your odds of winning smaller jackpots and maybe coming away a slight
winner.
Good Luck!
It probably more appropriate to call slot machines entertainment than gambling, as the
house always - and we mean always - has an edge with slot machines.
The average slot machine payout ranges from an average of 85% to 99% of all coins bet.
The lower the denomination of the machine, the lower the payout. This is because the
casino wants to make a certain amount per hour with its slots. With a one dollar slot
machine, the casino can payback perhaps 98% and make it's hourly goal. With a lower
denomination machine, such as quarters or nickels, the payout must be much lower to
achieve the same hourly pay for the casino
There are two types of slot machine payouts: flat rate and progressives. A flat rate
machine pays the same percentage based on only that machine's results. With
progressive machines, many machines are linked together electronically and the jackpot
gets progressively larger the more players that play and the greater the time in between
winning jackpots.
Our advice is to play the flat rate machines and avoid the progressives. The odds against
winning the jackpot are much higher on progressives. In many cases, your odds of
winning the state lottery are better! Play the non-progressive machines where you at least
have a chance at the jackpot.
SHOULD YOU PLAY MAXIMUM COINS ARE NOT?
The answer to this question depends on one thing: is the jackpot bigger proportionally for
maximum coins bet? If it is, play maximum coins. If it isn't, then simply play the
minimum and your money will last longer.
To illustrate, let's assume you want to play a machine that has a three coin maximum bet.
Should you play the maximum? Look at the payout information. If the jackpot amount
for one coin bet is 1,000, for two coins 2,000 and for three coins 5,000, then the jackpot
is bigger proportionally for three coins and you should bet the maximum coins. This is
because the maximum coins to bet is three times the minimum but the maximum coin
jackpot is five times the amount of the minimum coin jackpot. This means your jackpot
odds are better if you play the maximum coins.
In this same example, if the three coin jackpot was 3,000 instead of 5,000, then you
should only play one coin at a time because there is no odds advantage to playing
maximum coins.
One disadvantage of playing maximum coins, even if the jackpot is proportionally larger,
is that smaller, less-than-jackpot payouts are usually not proportionally larger for
maximum coins played. It's only the jackpot that is proportionally larger. For this
reason, we recommend only playing minimum coins on machines that do no have a
proportionally larger jackpot for maximum coins. This way, you money will last longer
and you increase your odds of winning smaller jackpots and maybe coming away a slight
winner.
Good Luck!
Using E-gold as Gold Investment
E-gold may be a good way to give you an easy way to be involved in the gold investment market.
The reason we can use e-gold as the way is because the price of e-gold currency is the same as the real gold price.
So buying e-gold is 100% the same as buying real gold but they give e-gold holder an easy way to move th value of the gold your own in the internet even much easier than your real money.
You can either use e-gold to invest another investing program you can easily find from the internet or just hold the e-gold in your e-gold account as the gold investment only.
In the future ,e-gold may become the worldwide money you can spend anywhere in the internet .Just like the Europe they use their own currency in most of the country there. E-gold may have that potential to act the same role in the coming future.
At this moment ,e-gold is used in the internet investment such as the HYIP,but we beleve in the ocming future ,we will have more way to use e-gold to invest in the formal investing program such as REits funds. Even we can use e-gold to buy the stock world wide.
E-gold may be a good way to give you an easy way to be involved in the gold investment market.
The reason we can use e-gold as the way is because the price of e-gold currency is the same as the real gold price.
So buying e-gold is 100% the same as buying real gold but they give e-gold holder an easy way to move th value of the gold your own in the internet even much easier than your real money.
You can either use e-gold to invest another investing program you can easily find from the internet or just hold the e-gold in your e-gold account as the gold investment only.
In the future ,e-gold may become the worldwide money you can spend anywhere in the internet .Just like the Europe they use their own currency in most of the country there. E-gold may have that potential to act the same role in the coming future.
At this moment ,e-gold is used in the internet investment such as the HYIP,but we beleve in the ocming future ,we will have more way to use e-gold to invest in the formal investing program such as REits funds. Even we can use e-gold to buy the stock world wide.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Self Serve Car Washes in the United States
In the 2003 Auto Laundry News Survey it was determined that only 10% of the Coin-op Car Washes had a web site. So if you are doing lots of individual research on car washes that are self serve, do not expect to find a lot of data on the Internet. Owners of coin-op car washes say that only 76% have internet access. The average population is 64% in the US. Not much better, so this low tech sector of the Industry seems to remain un Tech. Only 15% of coin-ops surveyed took credit cards for tokens, machines or even concession machines. Of which 17% only claimed to have concession machines, which most feel are 1/3 of their income if they had them. Only 4% had drinking water fountains. 13% had added an in bay automatic in the last five years. 51% had more than one location.
Today I visited 3 car washes that were coin ops owned by the same person. One had seven bays, another had three bays and one automatic, another had a car wash in front with 4 bays and an automatic and another car wash in the back with 4 more coin-op bays. All had attendants and machines. The survey seemed to follow the study of today. 68% said they were in middle-income areas. Only 7-9% had more than 5 car wash sites from 2000-2003 surveys and generally they were not all in only one city. Those with automatic in bay units found that those inbay units generated a gross of $5,435.00 and The average costs including Equipment was nearly $2,000.00, with the average breakdown time 2 weeks per year. 15 days. Best season was winter for the industry. Spring was also considered very good. Noon to 7 pm were the best hours. Busiest day of week was Saturdays. Only 18% have attendants. 43% had part time attendants and mostly on weekends. Average monthly gross income per bay was $1300.
The units we visited today seem to be inline maybe slightly higher than this of the Auto Laundry News Survey. All surveyed said that 2002 they made less money than previous years, which would make sense due to the lesser amount of personal monies, less money flow in this recession and lower employment figures. Also things, which plague the industry, were droughts and water shortages, restrictions and public perception about water. 20% of all owners of coin-ops are thinking of building another one. 27% said they did have other self serves in their car wash area of marketing.
Average coin-op being built cost $226K in equipment and $300K in land and improvements. This is why we are not interested in talking to poor people who think they want to build a car wash and think they will not have to work once built. We have talked to people wishing to build car washes with $30,000 down payment and think that they can build it for $45,000 I have to tell you judging by what we have learned and this survey you would not even be close.
Even with an SBA loan you need 20% down, so you would need $100K to do the deal if everything went right in most cities of any population base worthy of a good volume business. The Survey had some interesting thoughts, which said the average vacuum coin-op made $.20 per minute and each bay made $.38 per minute. We hoped you enjoyed this review of the survey to get the actual survey go to the Auto Laundry News Magazine web site.
In the 2003 Auto Laundry News Survey it was determined that only 10% of the Coin-op Car Washes had a web site. So if you are doing lots of individual research on car washes that are self serve, do not expect to find a lot of data on the Internet. Owners of coin-op car washes say that only 76% have internet access. The average population is 64% in the US. Not much better, so this low tech sector of the Industry seems to remain un Tech. Only 15% of coin-ops surveyed took credit cards for tokens, machines or even concession machines. Of which 17% only claimed to have concession machines, which most feel are 1/3 of their income if they had them. Only 4% had drinking water fountains. 13% had added an in bay automatic in the last five years. 51% had more than one location.
Today I visited 3 car washes that were coin ops owned by the same person. One had seven bays, another had three bays and one automatic, another had a car wash in front with 4 bays and an automatic and another car wash in the back with 4 more coin-op bays. All had attendants and machines. The survey seemed to follow the study of today. 68% said they were in middle-income areas. Only 7-9% had more than 5 car wash sites from 2000-2003 surveys and generally they were not all in only one city. Those with automatic in bay units found that those inbay units generated a gross of $5,435.00 and The average costs including Equipment was nearly $2,000.00, with the average breakdown time 2 weeks per year. 15 days. Best season was winter for the industry. Spring was also considered very good. Noon to 7 pm were the best hours. Busiest day of week was Saturdays. Only 18% have attendants. 43% had part time attendants and mostly on weekends. Average monthly gross income per bay was $1300.
The units we visited today seem to be inline maybe slightly higher than this of the Auto Laundry News Survey. All surveyed said that 2002 they made less money than previous years, which would make sense due to the lesser amount of personal monies, less money flow in this recession and lower employment figures. Also things, which plague the industry, were droughts and water shortages, restrictions and public perception about water. 20% of all owners of coin-ops are thinking of building another one. 27% said they did have other self serves in their car wash area of marketing.
Average coin-op being built cost $226K in equipment and $300K in land and improvements. This is why we are not interested in talking to poor people who think they want to build a car wash and think they will not have to work once built. We have talked to people wishing to build car washes with $30,000 down payment and think that they can build it for $45,000 I have to tell you judging by what we have learned and this survey you would not even be close.
Even with an SBA loan you need 20% down, so you would need $100K to do the deal if everything went right in most cities of any population base worthy of a good volume business. The Survey had some interesting thoughts, which said the average vacuum coin-op made $.20 per minute and each bay made $.38 per minute. We hoped you enjoyed this review of the survey to get the actual survey go to the Auto Laundry News Magazine web site.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Slot Machine Basics 101
Let's begin with a little bit of basic knowledge about slot machines.
Modern Slot Machines work on a computer program that randomly selects winning combinations. Winning percentages and odds are set by the manufacturer and are calculated by millions of spins made with computer simulations.
A Slot Machine is a mechanical device employing three, four, five, or more circular reels of varying dimensions. Each of these reels has several symbols, either painted on or attached to it. Most common designs are Cherries, Bars, the Jackpot Symbol, and the Number 7.
Theme Machines are very popular, using red, white, and blue 7's symbol which trade on American patriotism. To better understand Slot Machine Strategies and how Winning at Slot Machines can be easy, you must first know what kind of Slot Machine you are playing and understand Slot Machine Strategy.
Three Reels vs. Four Reels
Common sense should dictate that it is far easier to line up three matching symbols for a Slot Machine win, than four. To get four of anything is very hard, even on liberal Video Poker. On a Reel Slot Machine, three 7's can be achieved much more often than four 7's on a Four-Reel machine. Look for Three Reel machines to play.
Progressive Slots
Progressive Slot Machines are usually Four-Reel machines which offer an open-ended jackpot that increases in value after each pull on every machine within a linked group. The top jackpot can be won only if the maximum number of coins is played and all the winning symbols correctly line up on the pay line. Progressive Slots do not pay off very often, however if you want to play a Progressive Slots, pick one whose Primary and Secondary jackpots are at a high level.
Two-Coin vs. Three-Coin Machines
In a Two-Coin machine, for the top jackpot, or maybe even the top two or three jackpots, the second-coin play will pay considerably more than just double the one-coin jackpot. For example: top jackpot payoff on a Two-Coin machine is three 7's, paying $1,000, the same three 7's pays only $400 if you played only one coin. The Three Coin machine will show much higher payoffs for the top jackpots with the three coins played. Three-Coin machines might look more lucrative in their payoff than Two-Coin machines, but don't be fooled! The player also has to bet more to get the higher payout. Consequently, the player will lose more money. One final piece of advice: whatever slot you play, Two-Coin, Three-Coin, Four-Coin, etc., always play the maximum number of coins. If you don't, you are not maximizing your winnings.
One Payline vs. Three Paylines
Most Slot Machines show the Center line marked as a payline. To win you must line up a winning combination on that center payline and on that line only. But many machines show Three Paylines: at the top, center, and bottom of the window. This means that a winning combination lined up correctly on any of the three Paylines will pay. The advantage of Three-Paying Machines is they give you more chances of winning and you can get double and triple pays if winning combinations appear on more than one payline together. The disadvantages are that the payoffs are usually very small and the top jackpot is paid only if you line up the proper winning symbols in the correct sequence on the bottom, or third payline. Another disadvantage is that Three-Payline machines are always three-coin machines. Some machines offer five, or even eight paylines but, once again, you have to play five or eight coins per pull. Remember, great advice, play Two-Coin maximum, Three Reel, One Payline Slot Machines.
Double-Up Symbols
An increasing variety of machines now employ so-called Double-Up symbols on their reels. This symbol, usually circular or in the shape of a diamond in a circle, and always bearing the words "Double" across its face, can be very valuable to the slot player. The payoff amount is Double and these Double Symbols also substitute forany other symbol. However, there are not many Double Machines available at casinos. The good Double-Up machines are normally found stuck somewhere in the middle of a group of bad machines, or are relegated to some obscure part of the casino.
Let's begin with a little bit of basic knowledge about slot machines.
Modern Slot Machines work on a computer program that randomly selects winning combinations. Winning percentages and odds are set by the manufacturer and are calculated by millions of spins made with computer simulations.
A Slot Machine is a mechanical device employing three, four, five, or more circular reels of varying dimensions. Each of these reels has several symbols, either painted on or attached to it. Most common designs are Cherries, Bars, the Jackpot Symbol, and the Number 7.
Theme Machines are very popular, using red, white, and blue 7's symbol which trade on American patriotism. To better understand Slot Machine Strategies and how Winning at Slot Machines can be easy, you must first know what kind of Slot Machine you are playing and understand Slot Machine Strategy.
Three Reels vs. Four Reels
Common sense should dictate that it is far easier to line up three matching symbols for a Slot Machine win, than four. To get four of anything is very hard, even on liberal Video Poker. On a Reel Slot Machine, three 7's can be achieved much more often than four 7's on a Four-Reel machine. Look for Three Reel machines to play.
Progressive Slots
Progressive Slot Machines are usually Four-Reel machines which offer an open-ended jackpot that increases in value after each pull on every machine within a linked group. The top jackpot can be won only if the maximum number of coins is played and all the winning symbols correctly line up on the pay line. Progressive Slots do not pay off very often, however if you want to play a Progressive Slots, pick one whose Primary and Secondary jackpots are at a high level.
Two-Coin vs. Three-Coin Machines
In a Two-Coin machine, for the top jackpot, or maybe even the top two or three jackpots, the second-coin play will pay considerably more than just double the one-coin jackpot. For example: top jackpot payoff on a Two-Coin machine is three 7's, paying $1,000, the same three 7's pays only $400 if you played only one coin. The Three Coin machine will show much higher payoffs for the top jackpots with the three coins played. Three-Coin machines might look more lucrative in their payoff than Two-Coin machines, but don't be fooled! The player also has to bet more to get the higher payout. Consequently, the player will lose more money. One final piece of advice: whatever slot you play, Two-Coin, Three-Coin, Four-Coin, etc., always play the maximum number of coins. If you don't, you are not maximizing your winnings.
One Payline vs. Three Paylines
Most Slot Machines show the Center line marked as a payline. To win you must line up a winning combination on that center payline and on that line only. But many machines show Three Paylines: at the top, center, and bottom of the window. This means that a winning combination lined up correctly on any of the three Paylines will pay. The advantage of Three-Paying Machines is they give you more chances of winning and you can get double and triple pays if winning combinations appear on more than one payline together. The disadvantages are that the payoffs are usually very small and the top jackpot is paid only if you line up the proper winning symbols in the correct sequence on the bottom, or third payline. Another disadvantage is that Three-Payline machines are always three-coin machines. Some machines offer five, or even eight paylines but, once again, you have to play five or eight coins per pull. Remember, great advice, play Two-Coin maximum, Three Reel, One Payline Slot Machines.
Double-Up Symbols
An increasing variety of machines now employ so-called Double-Up symbols on their reels. This symbol, usually circular or in the shape of a diamond in a circle, and always bearing the words "Double" across its face, can be very valuable to the slot player. The payoff amount is Double and these Double Symbols also substitute forany other symbol. However, there are not many Double Machines available at casinos. The good Double-Up machines are normally found stuck somewhere in the middle of a group of bad machines, or are relegated to some obscure part of the casino.
Trading Systems - Understanding Winning Percentage
Let's say you developed our purchased a trading system with a "winning percentage of 70%".
What exactly does that mean?
It means that the probability of having a winning trade is 70%, i.e. it is more likely that the trade you are currently in turns out to be a winner than a loser.
Does that mean that when you trade 10 times you will have 7 winners? - No!
It means that if you trade long enough (i.e. at least 40 trades) then you will have more winners than losers, but it does not guarantee that after 3 losers in a row you will have a winner.
Let me give you an example:
If you toss a coin then you have 2 possible outcomes: head or tail. Probabilities are 50%, i.e. when you toss the coin 4x then you should get 2x head and 2x tail.
But what if you tossed the coin 3 times and you got 3 times "head"?
What are the probabilities of "head" on the next coin toss?
50% or less?
If you answered "less" than you fell for a common misconception. The probabilities of getting another "head" is still 50%. No more and no less. But many traders think that the probabilities of "tail" are higher now because the three previous coin tosses resulted in "head". Some traders might even increase their bet because they are convinced that now "tail is overdue". Statistically this assumption is nonsense and a dangerous and many times costly misconception.
Let's get back to our trading example: If you have a winning percentage of 70% and you had 9 losers in a row, what are the probabilities of having a winner now? - It's still 70% (and therefore there's still a 30% chance of a loser).
It's important that you understand this concept!
Let's say you developed our purchased a trading system with a "winning percentage of 70%".
What exactly does that mean?
It means that the probability of having a winning trade is 70%, i.e. it is more likely that the trade you are currently in turns out to be a winner than a loser.
Does that mean that when you trade 10 times you will have 7 winners? - No!
It means that if you trade long enough (i.e. at least 40 trades) then you will have more winners than losers, but it does not guarantee that after 3 losers in a row you will have a winner.
Let me give you an example:
If you toss a coin then you have 2 possible outcomes: head or tail. Probabilities are 50%, i.e. when you toss the coin 4x then you should get 2x head and 2x tail.
But what if you tossed the coin 3 times and you got 3 times "head"?
What are the probabilities of "head" on the next coin toss?
50% or less?
If you answered "less" than you fell for a common misconception. The probabilities of getting another "head" is still 50%. No more and no less. But many traders think that the probabilities of "tail" are higher now because the three previous coin tosses resulted in "head". Some traders might even increase their bet because they are convinced that now "tail is overdue". Statistically this assumption is nonsense and a dangerous and many times costly misconception.
Let's get back to our trading example: If you have a winning percentage of 70% and you had 9 losers in a row, what are the probabilities of having a winner now? - It's still 70% (and therefore there's still a 30% chance of a loser).
It's important that you understand this concept!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Internet Goldrush
We were taught in school about the gold rushes. There were a few of them. There was the California gold rush, Klondike gold rush, and Australian rush. Now there were more but just to name a few. People sold and gave up everything to go and hunt for gold. They had no idea how to do it. They figured they learn when they got there. As we all know most lost everything and their lives went to pot. There were many that succeed too.
Well we have another gold rush happening now. But the gold nuggets are the internet. There have been many many people who have made fortunes on the internet whether it be from starting a dot com or selling products, information and ideas
There are so many people rushing to the internet to make their fortunes too. Now maybe their not throwing everything away and traveling thousands of miles to god only knows where. But I have seen and heard of people quitting their jobs to work on the internet full time. Now again many have succeeded but most don't. There is a right way and a wrong way to go about it. Knowledge is key.
The internet can change your life. It can teach you almost anything. Every day people are logging in or onto the internet. They are looking for information, looking to buy something. Many actually go online to play games, whether it be Role playing games, or the latest thing. TEXAS HOLD'EM. What I am trying to say here is that I don't think we really realize yet how big the internet is going to be! You need to sit up and take notice.
You need to take stock of what you know. Would other people be interested in that info? Do I have info that others would be interested in? You don't always have to use other peoples information or products. Everyday people goo to the internet looking for how to do this and how to do that.
Learn to put your information out there. Learn to pan for your gold. Everyone can find their own gold they just need to pan for it. Learning is the key. It just takes less dangerous methods these days to pan for your gold.
We were taught in school about the gold rushes. There were a few of them. There was the California gold rush, Klondike gold rush, and Australian rush. Now there were more but just to name a few. People sold and gave up everything to go and hunt for gold. They had no idea how to do it. They figured they learn when they got there. As we all know most lost everything and their lives went to pot. There were many that succeed too.
Well we have another gold rush happening now. But the gold nuggets are the internet. There have been many many people who have made fortunes on the internet whether it be from starting a dot com or selling products, information and ideas
There are so many people rushing to the internet to make their fortunes too. Now maybe their not throwing everything away and traveling thousands of miles to god only knows where. But I have seen and heard of people quitting their jobs to work on the internet full time. Now again many have succeeded but most don't. There is a right way and a wrong way to go about it. Knowledge is key.
The internet can change your life. It can teach you almost anything. Every day people are logging in or onto the internet. They are looking for information, looking to buy something. Many actually go online to play games, whether it be Role playing games, or the latest thing. TEXAS HOLD'EM. What I am trying to say here is that I don't think we really realize yet how big the internet is going to be! You need to sit up and take notice.
You need to take stock of what you know. Would other people be interested in that info? Do I have info that others would be interested in? You don't always have to use other peoples information or products. Everyday people goo to the internet looking for how to do this and how to do that.
Learn to put your information out there. Learn to pan for your gold. Everyone can find their own gold they just need to pan for it. Learning is the key. It just takes less dangerous methods these days to pan for your gold.
investing in land
Since the day of the gold rush, investing in land has been a lucrative business. Putting money into land is one of those investing basics. It costs very little to do, it is easy to tell when it will turn a profit for you, and the profit that it turns will be large. I'm not saying that investment in land can not backfire. Housing values do go down from time to time, and whole areas can fall apart due to urban blight or natural disasters. Nonetheless, even modest investing in land can yield dramatic gains.
One of the great things about investing in land is that there is a limited supply. Land will always be valuable, and as the world population grows, it will become more valuable than ever. A lot of investing in land is done as a form of real estate investing. People sit on a plot of land and wait until a developer wants to buy it. Then they sell it at top dollar. I had an uncle who did just that. He made a killing off of investing in land. He bought a stretch of riverfront property in a blighted industrial area. People thought that he was crazy. Even though the property was cheap, no one could see it ever being useful for anything. In 10 years, however, he proved them wrong. The city hired a developer to use the land for real estate. The money that he made off of it made him rich.
Of course, you should not just go out and buy any land for sale. If you want to invest in real estate, there are often better ways to do it. Investing in land, after all, is a gamble. The reason my uncle's plan works so well is that no one else wanted to do it. It was a risky investment. That is why investing in real estate can often be a much sure thing. It can be comparably easy to buy up existing housing, improve it, and sell it off. Although it requires more work, you're almost guaranteed to make money at it.
The bottom line is that, whether you are investing in commercial property or in land, you stand to make a lot of money. It is not very hard to research the way the market is going. If an area stands to grow and is not too inflated already, investing in land is one of the best ways to make money off of the inevitable economic progress.
Since the day of the gold rush, investing in land has been a lucrative business. Putting money into land is one of those investing basics. It costs very little to do, it is easy to tell when it will turn a profit for you, and the profit that it turns will be large. I'm not saying that investment in land can not backfire. Housing values do go down from time to time, and whole areas can fall apart due to urban blight or natural disasters. Nonetheless, even modest investing in land can yield dramatic gains.
One of the great things about investing in land is that there is a limited supply. Land will always be valuable, and as the world population grows, it will become more valuable than ever. A lot of investing in land is done as a form of real estate investing. People sit on a plot of land and wait until a developer wants to buy it. Then they sell it at top dollar. I had an uncle who did just that. He made a killing off of investing in land. He bought a stretch of riverfront property in a blighted industrial area. People thought that he was crazy. Even though the property was cheap, no one could see it ever being useful for anything. In 10 years, however, he proved them wrong. The city hired a developer to use the land for real estate. The money that he made off of it made him rich.
Of course, you should not just go out and buy any land for sale. If you want to invest in real estate, there are often better ways to do it. Investing in land, after all, is a gamble. The reason my uncle's plan works so well is that no one else wanted to do it. It was a risky investment. That is why investing in real estate can often be a much sure thing. It can be comparably easy to buy up existing housing, improve it, and sell it off. Although it requires more work, you're almost guaranteed to make money at it.
The bottom line is that, whether you are investing in commercial property or in land, you stand to make a lot of money. It is not very hard to research the way the market is going. If an area stands to grow and is not too inflated already, investing in land is one of the best ways to make money off of the inevitable economic progress.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
How To Fill-Up E-gold with Lots of Gold?
E-gold is electronic gold used on ecommerce on the internet. It is used to buy and sell intangible products that can easily be delivered electronically via email, on website, in the form of downloads, serial/access numbers, or userid/password. As such, it is easy to fill-up these kind of "electronic money" as defined by it's founders who first circulated e-gold since 1995. (more details here http://www.nabaza.com/egold.htm )
E-gold is protecting the merchant for every payment made via e-gold is permanent and there's no refund or chargebacks, thus it's preferred by merchants who want to sell intangible or virtual items on internet without paying a merchant account provider.
Filling up e-gold is easy with the use of the sites that pay in e-gold. It's anonymous and buyers/sellers can only identify you by your e-gold account number and a userid. Now before we fill those up, first open a free account at e-gold ( http://www.nabaza.com/egold.htm ). Kindly make your password as secure as possible by combining random lowercase, uppercase, and numerals on a 12 to 16 character password. Remember, even if you see admin@e-gold.com sending you an email requiring you to verify, type in your userid, password, chances are it's not the owners/admins of e-gold but it's the latest phishing techniques of those who want to rob your e-gold. Please read ( http://antihacking.blogspot.com/ ) for more details on different gimmicks of hackers/phishers just for you to give them your userid and password. So reminder, don't give your access to e-gold to anyone.
Here are some e-gold sites that lets you fill up your e-gold account in no time. They are all free to join.
Linkburst http://www.nabaza.com/w/lb.php
Opt-in-pays http://www.nabaza.com/w/op.php
Russian Bride http://www.nabaza.com/w/ru.php
Cashsurf.nabaza.net http://cashsurf.nabaza.net/
Downlines.nabaza.net http://downlines.nabaza.net/
Flyinads.nabaza.net http://flyinads.nabaza.net/
I think with top 6 egold programs, you can't lose, for more please visit this: http://www.nabaza.com/egoldrocks.htm
E-gold is electronic gold used on ecommerce on the internet. It is used to buy and sell intangible products that can easily be delivered electronically via email, on website, in the form of downloads, serial/access numbers, or userid/password. As such, it is easy to fill-up these kind of "electronic money" as defined by it's founders who first circulated e-gold since 1995. (more details here http://www.nabaza.com/egold.htm )
E-gold is protecting the merchant for every payment made via e-gold is permanent and there's no refund or chargebacks, thus it's preferred by merchants who want to sell intangible or virtual items on internet without paying a merchant account provider.
Filling up e-gold is easy with the use of the sites that pay in e-gold. It's anonymous and buyers/sellers can only identify you by your e-gold account number and a userid. Now before we fill those up, first open a free account at e-gold ( http://www.nabaza.com/egold.htm ). Kindly make your password as secure as possible by combining random lowercase, uppercase, and numerals on a 12 to 16 character password. Remember, even if you see admin@e-gold.com sending you an email requiring you to verify, type in your userid, password, chances are it's not the owners/admins of e-gold but it's the latest phishing techniques of those who want to rob your e-gold. Please read ( http://antihacking.blogspot.com/ ) for more details on different gimmicks of hackers/phishers just for you to give them your userid and password. So reminder, don't give your access to e-gold to anyone.
Here are some e-gold sites that lets you fill up your e-gold account in no time. They are all free to join.
Linkburst http://www.nabaza.com/w/lb.php
Opt-in-pays http://www.nabaza.com/w/op.php
Russian Bride http://www.nabaza.com/w/ru.php
Cashsurf.nabaza.net http://cashsurf.nabaza.net/
Downlines.nabaza.net http://downlines.nabaza.net/
Flyinads.nabaza.net http://flyinads.nabaza.net/
I think with top 6 egold programs, you can't lose, for more please visit this: http://www.nabaza.com/egoldrocks.htm
E-Currency: If Forest Gump Was Here, This Is What He Would Be Doing
So you want to learn currency exchange huh?
You heard about it and now you decided you want to become the Donald Trump of investing, somehow you know you can pull this off and become the next big thing.
Well it's quite possible to earn a very good living doing exchanges, but you have to know how the system works before you start seeing the money.
One system that is one of the internet's best kept gems is E-Currency Exchange. The money that is being moved through the internet in every single daily purchase needs to be backed up in gold. This is were you come in.
When you invest your money in e currency exchange your money acts as a backup or insurance that the money being exchanged has real physical money. This transactions are happening everyday, and when you provide that backup you earn a percentage proporcional to the amount you are investing.
E-currency exchange has been around for a few years but it hasn't been until recently people are starting to catch up to the beauty of this system. Is actually a very safe way to generate an income once you understand how to work the system to your advantage.
You can actually see how much money you're going to make even before start your transaction. These transactions are also called 24 hour periods. You generate around 1.5% to 4% of daily interests for your money. At first that may not sound that impressive but that is daily compounded interest, so if you were to leave your money working for you and check back in a month an a half, you would find that it has doubled. That is the beauty of currency exchange.
Another great thing about this system is that, like anyone who is generating a nice income doing this can tell you, it requires no more than an hour a day to manage once youre setup. This means more time for lifestyle and living the way it should be lived.
I highly recommend anyone who is serious about investing to learn how to work this system. There are two ways: The easy way and the "do it yourself" way. I recommend to take the first one. Learn how the system works from a e currency exchange professional and you could make some money within two days. There are even some really good programs were everything is through video and all you do is watch and do what you see.
So you want to learn currency exchange huh?
You heard about it and now you decided you want to become the Donald Trump of investing, somehow you know you can pull this off and become the next big thing.
Well it's quite possible to earn a very good living doing exchanges, but you have to know how the system works before you start seeing the money.
One system that is one of the internet's best kept gems is E-Currency Exchange. The money that is being moved through the internet in every single daily purchase needs to be backed up in gold. This is were you come in.
When you invest your money in e currency exchange your money acts as a backup or insurance that the money being exchanged has real physical money. This transactions are happening everyday, and when you provide that backup you earn a percentage proporcional to the amount you are investing.
E-currency exchange has been around for a few years but it hasn't been until recently people are starting to catch up to the beauty of this system. Is actually a very safe way to generate an income once you understand how to work the system to your advantage.
You can actually see how much money you're going to make even before start your transaction. These transactions are also called 24 hour periods. You generate around 1.5% to 4% of daily interests for your money. At first that may not sound that impressive but that is daily compounded interest, so if you were to leave your money working for you and check back in a month an a half, you would find that it has doubled. That is the beauty of currency exchange.
Another great thing about this system is that, like anyone who is generating a nice income doing this can tell you, it requires no more than an hour a day to manage once youre setup. This means more time for lifestyle and living the way it should be lived.
I highly recommend anyone who is serious about investing to learn how to work this system. There are two ways: The easy way and the "do it yourself" way. I recommend to take the first one. Learn how the system works from a e currency exchange professional and you could make some money within two days. There are even some really good programs were everything is through video and all you do is watch and do what you see.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Collecting Greek, Roman, and Other Old Coins
A Beginners Guide to Collecting Inexpensive Old Coins
Collecting old coins is like holding a piece of history right in your hand. It is common to find affordable ancient Roman coins that are 1600 years old, and many are even 2000 years old or more. Imagine that the ancient Roman denarius in your collection might once have bought admission to the gladiator fights in the Coliseum or chariot races at the Circus Maximum. The best thing about collecting old coins is that, unlike other antiquities, ancient coins are remarkably affordable. Because so many ancient coins have been discovered, and more are being unearthed every day, it is possible to buy millennia-old coins for only a few dollars apiece. For less than the cost of a movie ticket, you could own a link to olden times.
Things You Should Look For While Buying Old Coins
Unless you are looking to spend some serious money on your collection, the old coins that you buy will probably not be extremely valuable as an investment. However, that should not undermine the thrill of being able to own a genuine aged coin on a shoestring budget. There are numerous places, both online and off, that sell inexpensive old coins. The important thing to look for when buying these ancient coins is that the coin is identifiable. It is disappointing to buy an aged coin, only to realize that there is no way of telling what it actually is. The best way to ensure that an ancient coin is identifiable is to be certain that the writing and inscriptions on it are legible.
Buying Uncleaned Lots of Old Coins
Of course, there is another bargain option when buying ancient coins, and that is to buy a lot of uncleaned coins. These are old coins that have been unearthed in archaeologically rich areas like Italy or Greece, but have not had the dirt and buildup of the centuries cleaned from them. Uncleaned lots of elderly coins are exciting because you never know if the coins will be so worn that there is nothing left but a smooth piece of metal, or whether you will uncover a genuine rare coin. You should be aware, however, that the likelihood of finding a high-value gold or silver coin among uncleaned lots is extremely slim. Furthermore, the reason why uncleaned lots are sold to begin with is that cleaning old coins is a difficult endeavor in the best of circumstances. Removing large amounts of dirt and debris from ancient coins carries the risk of spoiling the coin.
How to Store Old Coins
Elderly coins, like elderly people, require tender handling. It is important to remember that one of the vital factors regarding the value of an old-time coin is the patina, or the sheen that builds up on the surface of a coin over time. The last thing you want to do is to polish an ancient silver coin so that it is bright and shining! When dealing with old coins, you should only hold them by the edges, since the oil on your hands can ruin the patina. Do not attempt to clean old coins on your own without learning a lot about the proper techniques. Only a veteran should attempt to clean a potentially valuable aged coin.
When storing old coins, always use acid-free materials; any other kind of storage could damage the coin. Youll need a safe place to keep your ancient coins. Some options include mylar flips, acid-free plastic sheets that go into three-ring binders, and even special collectors cases, if you want a particularly elegant look for your collection.
A Beginners Guide to Collecting Inexpensive Old Coins
Collecting old coins is like holding a piece of history right in your hand. It is common to find affordable ancient Roman coins that are 1600 years old, and many are even 2000 years old or more. Imagine that the ancient Roman denarius in your collection might once have bought admission to the gladiator fights in the Coliseum or chariot races at the Circus Maximum. The best thing about collecting old coins is that, unlike other antiquities, ancient coins are remarkably affordable. Because so many ancient coins have been discovered, and more are being unearthed every day, it is possible to buy millennia-old coins for only a few dollars apiece. For less than the cost of a movie ticket, you could own a link to olden times.
Things You Should Look For While Buying Old Coins
Unless you are looking to spend some serious money on your collection, the old coins that you buy will probably not be extremely valuable as an investment. However, that should not undermine the thrill of being able to own a genuine aged coin on a shoestring budget. There are numerous places, both online and off, that sell inexpensive old coins. The important thing to look for when buying these ancient coins is that the coin is identifiable. It is disappointing to buy an aged coin, only to realize that there is no way of telling what it actually is. The best way to ensure that an ancient coin is identifiable is to be certain that the writing and inscriptions on it are legible.
Buying Uncleaned Lots of Old Coins
Of course, there is another bargain option when buying ancient coins, and that is to buy a lot of uncleaned coins. These are old coins that have been unearthed in archaeologically rich areas like Italy or Greece, but have not had the dirt and buildup of the centuries cleaned from them. Uncleaned lots of elderly coins are exciting because you never know if the coins will be so worn that there is nothing left but a smooth piece of metal, or whether you will uncover a genuine rare coin. You should be aware, however, that the likelihood of finding a high-value gold or silver coin among uncleaned lots is extremely slim. Furthermore, the reason why uncleaned lots are sold to begin with is that cleaning old coins is a difficult endeavor in the best of circumstances. Removing large amounts of dirt and debris from ancient coins carries the risk of spoiling the coin.
How to Store Old Coins
Elderly coins, like elderly people, require tender handling. It is important to remember that one of the vital factors regarding the value of an old-time coin is the patina, or the sheen that builds up on the surface of a coin over time. The last thing you want to do is to polish an ancient silver coin so that it is bright and shining! When dealing with old coins, you should only hold them by the edges, since the oil on your hands can ruin the patina. Do not attempt to clean old coins on your own without learning a lot about the proper techniques. Only a veteran should attempt to clean a potentially valuable aged coin.
When storing old coins, always use acid-free materials; any other kind of storage could damage the coin. Youll need a safe place to keep your ancient coins. Some options include mylar flips, acid-free plastic sheets that go into three-ring binders, and even special collectors cases, if you want a particularly elegant look for your collection.
E-Currency: If Forest Gump Was Here, This Is What He Would Be Doing
So you want to learn currency exchange huh?
You heard about it and now you decided you want to become the Donald Trump of investing, somehow you know you can pull this off and become the next big thing.
Well it's quite possible to earn a very good living doing exchanges, but you have to know how the system works before you start seeing the money.
One system that is one of the internet's best kept gems is E-Currency Exchange. The money that is being moved through the internet in every single daily purchase needs to be backed up in gold. This is were you come in.
When you invest your money in e currency exchange your money acts as a backup or insurance that the money being exchanged has real physical money. This transactions are happening everyday, and when you provide that backup you earn a percentage proporcional to the amount you are investing.
E-currency exchange has been around for a few years but it hasn't been until recently people are starting to catch up to the beauty of this system. Is actually a very safe way to generate an income once you understand how to work the system to your advantage.
You can actually see how much money you're going to make even before start your transaction. These transactions are also called 24 hour periods. You generate around 1.5% to 4% of daily interests for your money. At first that may not sound that impressive but that is daily compounded interest, so if you were to leave your money working for you and check back in a month an a half, you would find that it has doubled. That is the beauty of currency exchange.
Another great thing about this system is that, like anyone who is generating a nice income doing this can tell you, it requires no more than an hour a day to manage once youre setup. This means more time for lifestyle and living the way it should be lived.
I highly recommend anyone who is serious about investing to learn how to work this system. There are two ways: The easy way and the "do it yourself" way. I recommend to take the first one. Learn how the system works from a e currency exchange professional and you could make some money within two days. There are even some really good programs were everything is through video and all you do is watch and do what you see.
So you want to learn currency exchange huh?
You heard about it and now you decided you want to become the Donald Trump of investing, somehow you know you can pull this off and become the next big thing.
Well it's quite possible to earn a very good living doing exchanges, but you have to know how the system works before you start seeing the money.
One system that is one of the internet's best kept gems is E-Currency Exchange. The money that is being moved through the internet in every single daily purchase needs to be backed up in gold. This is were you come in.
When you invest your money in e currency exchange your money acts as a backup or insurance that the money being exchanged has real physical money. This transactions are happening everyday, and when you provide that backup you earn a percentage proporcional to the amount you are investing.
E-currency exchange has been around for a few years but it hasn't been until recently people are starting to catch up to the beauty of this system. Is actually a very safe way to generate an income once you understand how to work the system to your advantage.
You can actually see how much money you're going to make even before start your transaction. These transactions are also called 24 hour periods. You generate around 1.5% to 4% of daily interests for your money. At first that may not sound that impressive but that is daily compounded interest, so if you were to leave your money working for you and check back in a month an a half, you would find that it has doubled. That is the beauty of currency exchange.
Another great thing about this system is that, like anyone who is generating a nice income doing this can tell you, it requires no more than an hour a day to manage once youre setup. This means more time for lifestyle and living the way it should be lived.
I highly recommend anyone who is serious about investing to learn how to work this system. There are two ways: The easy way and the "do it yourself" way. I recommend to take the first one. Learn how the system works from a e currency exchange professional and you could make some money within two days. There are even some really good programs were everything is through video and all you do is watch and do what you see.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
E-Gold
E-gold is a digital currency, used extensively on the Internet for making payments in exchange for goods and services.
It is one of the first digital e-currency providers, having started in 1996. E-gold accounts are backed by actual physical gold, dollar for dollar. You can take delivery of the physical gold if you wish, although there is an additional handling charge.
The E-gold e-currency is tied directly to the value of gold, so it's not possible to use outside influences to affect the value of it... unless one has the ability to affect the spot price of gold. Being tied to the price of gold, e-gold accounts fluctuate up and down with the value of national currencies as they move with the spot price of gold.
While gold is the most popular precious metal digital currency in use, E-gold also offers the platinum, palladium and silver precious metals as digital currency.
Funding an e-currency account is the job of a third party called a Market Maker. A market maker is a merchant who exchanges national currencies for e-currencies, and places them in your online currency account. Similarly, they will buy your ecurrency and pay you in your national currency when you wish to exchange your egold for currency.
You can fund an e-gold with paypal, or buy e-gold with a credit card if you wish, though the market maker will charge up to 15% to do so. This is largely because of the cost to him of fraudulent charge backs.
E-currencies are now accepted fairly extensively by online merchants in exchange their products and services, mainly catering to people, who for whatever reason, don't have or can't get, a credit card.
E-gold is a digital currency, used extensively on the Internet for making payments in exchange for goods and services.
It is one of the first digital e-currency providers, having started in 1996. E-gold accounts are backed by actual physical gold, dollar for dollar. You can take delivery of the physical gold if you wish, although there is an additional handling charge.
The E-gold e-currency is tied directly to the value of gold, so it's not possible to use outside influences to affect the value of it... unless one has the ability to affect the spot price of gold. Being tied to the price of gold, e-gold accounts fluctuate up and down with the value of national currencies as they move with the spot price of gold.
While gold is the most popular precious metal digital currency in use, E-gold also offers the platinum, palladium and silver precious metals as digital currency.
Funding an e-currency account is the job of a third party called a Market Maker. A market maker is a merchant who exchanges national currencies for e-currencies, and places them in your online currency account. Similarly, they will buy your ecurrency and pay you in your national currency when you wish to exchange your egold for currency.
You can fund an e-gold with paypal, or buy e-gold with a credit card if you wish, though the market maker will charge up to 15% to do so. This is largely because of the cost to him of fraudulent charge backs.
E-currencies are now accepted fairly extensively by online merchants in exchange their products and services, mainly catering to people, who for whatever reason, don't have or can't get, a credit card.
The Basics of Real Estate Investing
Real estate investing may not be everyones cup of tea, but some people who have already tried investing in real estate know that it can be highly profitable and lead to much better quality of life. There are several keys to making significant profits in real estate investing deals. And when the deals are profitable, you will certainly be well on your way to success.
For real estate investing newbies, dont be afraid of the challenges and pitfalls you may encounter along the way. There is definitely a lot to learn, but in the long run after you have gained some experience, youll hopefully become a master at closing profitable real estate deals.
There are 5 core skills that are necessary for building a real estate investing business. These will be the key factors in creating a profitable real estate investment portfolio.
These are the 5 core skills of real estate investing:
1) You must learn when and where to find the right kind of sellers.
2) You must learn the art of being a master negotiator when it comes to closing your real estate investment deals.
3) You must be able to quickly and accurately analyze each real estate investment deal so youll know exactly when to proceed and when to pull the plug.
4) You must become an expert in all areas of real estate investing and understand such terms as lease options, cash sales, wrap mortgages, short sales and other terminology common in the real estate investing trade.
5) You should totally understand the meaning and concept of investing in real estate, including all of the financial risks and benefits.
Now is a great time to consider investing in real estate. There are great potential rewards and the effort you put forth can yield enormous monetary returns on your investment.
Your confidence level will grow when youve gained some experience and closed on your first few real estate deals. But, don't stop there...
Continue to learn about real estate investing and to develop your investment skills. In a short time you may find yourself managing a profitable and growing portfolio of investment properties.
Continue to follow your real estate investing "game plan" and always keep an eye out for the hidden investment opportunities. The opportunities are definitely out there and with a little knowledge and desire can be yours for the taking. So, why not get started in what might be a new and exciting (and profitable) career today?
Real estate investing may not be everyones cup of tea, but some people who have already tried investing in real estate know that it can be highly profitable and lead to much better quality of life. There are several keys to making significant profits in real estate investing deals. And when the deals are profitable, you will certainly be well on your way to success.
For real estate investing newbies, dont be afraid of the challenges and pitfalls you may encounter along the way. There is definitely a lot to learn, but in the long run after you have gained some experience, youll hopefully become a master at closing profitable real estate deals.
There are 5 core skills that are necessary for building a real estate investing business. These will be the key factors in creating a profitable real estate investment portfolio.
These are the 5 core skills of real estate investing:
1) You must learn when and where to find the right kind of sellers.
2) You must learn the art of being a master negotiator when it comes to closing your real estate investment deals.
3) You must be able to quickly and accurately analyze each real estate investment deal so youll know exactly when to proceed and when to pull the plug.
4) You must become an expert in all areas of real estate investing and understand such terms as lease options, cash sales, wrap mortgages, short sales and other terminology common in the real estate investing trade.
5) You should totally understand the meaning and concept of investing in real estate, including all of the financial risks and benefits.
Now is a great time to consider investing in real estate. There are great potential rewards and the effort you put forth can yield enormous monetary returns on your investment.
Your confidence level will grow when youve gained some experience and closed on your first few real estate deals. But, don't stop there...
Continue to learn about real estate investing and to develop your investment skills. In a short time you may find yourself managing a profitable and growing portfolio of investment properties.
Continue to follow your real estate investing "game plan" and always keep an eye out for the hidden investment opportunities. The opportunities are definitely out there and with a little knowledge and desire can be yours for the taking. So, why not get started in what might be a new and exciting (and profitable) career today?
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Pampering Your Pet with Gold Dog Tags
Why would your dog care what her tag is made out of? Well, thats not the point.
You want to pay all the attention you can to your dog. Seeing a gold dog tag on your pet will remind you that your dog is precious, and let others know exactly how much you care for him. Just think about it: if you had guests over, and they saw a piece of cardboard with illegible ballpoint scrawls, hanging by a natty piece of twine wrapped loosely around your dogs neck, your guests will feel rather sorry for your dog. They will think you probably feed him empty soda cans for breakfast and a bowl of insects for dinner. They will think that you sometimes chain him to the trailer hitch of your truck and drive away just for kicks. And then how could they respect you as a dog owner? They might call Animal Protection on you.
If you can afford gold dog tags, why not pamper your dog? A gold dog tag is indeed one of the finer things in life. Just as you would dress yourself up to go out, you can add sparkle and class to your class act dog.
Gold dog tags come in various karats and qualities. They come as small as a stud earring, or as large as the gaudiest of necklaces. Gold dog tags generally range from $225 to thousands of dollars, depending on the quality. You can get a simple yet beautiful yellow gold tag $300; or you can go all out, with an 18-karat tag with embedded jewels or diamonds. No matter what your taste or budget, a gold dog tag can give your dog a touch of elegance that also reflects well on you.
Why would your dog care what her tag is made out of? Well, thats not the point.
You want to pay all the attention you can to your dog. Seeing a gold dog tag on your pet will remind you that your dog is precious, and let others know exactly how much you care for him. Just think about it: if you had guests over, and they saw a piece of cardboard with illegible ballpoint scrawls, hanging by a natty piece of twine wrapped loosely around your dogs neck, your guests will feel rather sorry for your dog. They will think you probably feed him empty soda cans for breakfast and a bowl of insects for dinner. They will think that you sometimes chain him to the trailer hitch of your truck and drive away just for kicks. And then how could they respect you as a dog owner? They might call Animal Protection on you.
If you can afford gold dog tags, why not pamper your dog? A gold dog tag is indeed one of the finer things in life. Just as you would dress yourself up to go out, you can add sparkle and class to your class act dog.
Gold dog tags come in various karats and qualities. They come as small as a stud earring, or as large as the gaudiest of necklaces. Gold dog tags generally range from $225 to thousands of dollars, depending on the quality. You can get a simple yet beautiful yellow gold tag $300; or you can go all out, with an 18-karat tag with embedded jewels or diamonds. No matter what your taste or budget, a gold dog tag can give your dog a touch of elegance that also reflects well on you.
World of Warcraft - How to Get the Maximum Gold?
World of Warcraft is one game that can be worked around if one has a lot of Gold. Gold possession is the most important aspect of playing. Gold is the basic foundation of your existence in the game. To buy items form other players and vendors, you need gold. To get training and acquire new skills from the trainer, you need gold. Gold enhances your character in World of Warcraft as in any other MMORPG game.
The most important factor that contributes to building your character in World of Warcraft is to become a professional early i.e. to take up or grab a profession like skinning or mining. Killing animals and selling their skin to others is a profitable profession that rakes in gold as well as moulds your character by leveling out, two birds with one arrow. Mining, similarly can give you unexpected mounds of valuable or demanded mineral ores that can be sold for a premium to make a killing profit and enhance your profession as well. That is the value of profession and its contribution to your character building.
World of Warcraft undoubtedly integrates the best questing compared to other MMORPG games. Quests can be used to give you a huge advantage over others. Always get hold of a quest whenever you can. Leveling a quest takes little time, but EXP gained from killings in the quest and the rewards of completing a quest have their distinct advantages like gaining some important items and of course money. Add on bonuses of quest completion can lend you greater speed and better character through becoming richer.
Usage of gears in World of Warcraft is certainly advantageous but will deplete your gold resources heavily. Investing in gears in the initial levels from 1 to 40 would not be worth the gold spent. These levels have lesser gear dependency and you can complete these levels from what you gain from the quests. Keep the gold and wisely invest in higher level gears.
Keep track and observe the drops of your kills. Humanoids in World of Warcraft drop more items and gold compared to other mobs, so, level yourself killing as many humanoids as you can.
The bottom-line is Gold, the more you have, the better off you would be, World of Warcraft or not. All the best
World of Warcraft is one game that can be worked around if one has a lot of Gold. Gold possession is the most important aspect of playing. Gold is the basic foundation of your existence in the game. To buy items form other players and vendors, you need gold. To get training and acquire new skills from the trainer, you need gold. Gold enhances your character in World of Warcraft as in any other MMORPG game.
The most important factor that contributes to building your character in World of Warcraft is to become a professional early i.e. to take up or grab a profession like skinning or mining. Killing animals and selling their skin to others is a profitable profession that rakes in gold as well as moulds your character by leveling out, two birds with one arrow. Mining, similarly can give you unexpected mounds of valuable or demanded mineral ores that can be sold for a premium to make a killing profit and enhance your profession as well. That is the value of profession and its contribution to your character building.
World of Warcraft undoubtedly integrates the best questing compared to other MMORPG games. Quests can be used to give you a huge advantage over others. Always get hold of a quest whenever you can. Leveling a quest takes little time, but EXP gained from killings in the quest and the rewards of completing a quest have their distinct advantages like gaining some important items and of course money. Add on bonuses of quest completion can lend you greater speed and better character through becoming richer.
Usage of gears in World of Warcraft is certainly advantageous but will deplete your gold resources heavily. Investing in gears in the initial levels from 1 to 40 would not be worth the gold spent. These levels have lesser gear dependency and you can complete these levels from what you gain from the quests. Keep the gold and wisely invest in higher level gears.
Keep track and observe the drops of your kills. Humanoids in World of Warcraft drop more items and gold compared to other mobs, so, level yourself killing as many humanoids as you can.
The bottom-line is Gold, the more you have, the better off you would be, World of Warcraft or not. All the best
Friday, June 15, 2007
Streaks Happen: Winning and Losing Streaks Explained
Winning and losing streaks are a familiar aspect of gambling. But they are often misunderstood.
Streaks can lead gamblers astray. I sometimes wonder how much money has been lost because a player does not understand streaks.
For example, players who feel they are on a winning streak may bet accordingly. They believe that since they are on a winning streak, it will continue. So they bet as if they must keep on winning.
On the other hand, players who have been on a long losing streak may assume that they are overdue for a win. They may assume that since the roulette wheel has come up black five times in a row, next time it will certainly come up red. So they bet all their money on red. If the wheel comes up black again, they may think the wheel is rigged, or they are just cursed with bad luck.
You may already understand the problem with this approach. Consider a simple coin toss. If I throw a coin five times and it comes up heads each time, is the coin suddenly overdue for tails? Am I on a "heads winning streak" which I can expect to continue? Of course the answer to both questions is no.
Each toss of the coin is independent. No matter how many times the coin comes up heads, the probability of heads on the next toss remains 1/2. The coin does not in any sense remember how many times it has come up a particular way.
So why do streaks occur? Is there any pattern to streaks? If there is, can we take advantage of this pattern?
As you will see, streaks are not really mysterious. In fact, we can actually predict their existence using simple mathematics. We can also study their behavior using computer simulations.
Let's continue using the example of coin tossing. We know that the probability of heads in a single coin toss is 1/2. So is the probability of tails.
We also know that if we toss a coin ten times, there is no guarantee that we will get exactly five heads and five tails. But in the long term, we expect the result to get closer to 50% heads and 50% tails.
If we toss the coin many times and record the results, we will see examples of streaks of various length. Sometimes we will see three heads in a row, sometimes five tails in a row. On the surface, there may be no apparent pattern. But on closer study, a pattern does emerge. I'll provide an example later in this article.
First, to help understand this pattern, let's consider the case where we throw the coin 1024 times. This may seem like a strange number, but it's convenient because it's a power of 2, and this makes the example easy to work out.
In theory, we expect half the tosses to result in heads and half in tails. 1024/2 = 512 so we expect 512 heads and 512 tails.
If we assume exactly 512 heads and 512 tails, then we can have at most 256 streaks of length 1. To imagine this, think of a simpler case where the number of throws is only 16. Consider the sequence with the following pattern:
HHTTHHTTHHTTHHTT
This sequence has 16 throws, 8 heads and 8 tails. There are exactly 4 HH streaks and 44 TT streaks. There can't possibly be more than 4 of each kind of streak and still have exactly 8 heads and 8 tails.
This is just one possible outcome. In general we expect longer streaks to occur sometimes. However, we expect them to occur less often than shorter streaks.
For example, we would expect a HHH streak to occur only half as many times as a HH streak. To see this, compare the pattern HHHX with HHXX, where X is either H or T. For HHHX, X must be T to maintain the streak. If X is H, then the streak changes from HHH to HHHH. In other words there is only one way the HHH streak can happen in the sequence HHHX. But HHXX can occur two ways, as HHTH or HHTT.
So we would expect, allowing for longer streaks, that we should get HH streaks 128 times, HHH streaks 64 times, and so on.
Now we can construct a theoretical table for how often streaks of each length should occur.
Length Times
------ -----
1 128
2 64
3 32
4 16
5 8
6 4
7 2
8 or more 1
How does this theoretical result match with a real experiment? Since it's tiresome to throw a coin 1024 times, I wrote a short computer program to simulate this experiment. Instead of tossing a coin, I use a software random number generator.
The program simulates 1024 tosses and keeps track of how often each length streak occurs. Here's the result of one run for streaks of H.
Length Times
------ -----
1 126
2 66
3 32
4 19
5 7
6 3
7 0
8 2
9 0
10 1
The pattern fits well with our theory, although not exactly. Of course this is typical of experiments in probability. We could increase the number of throws in order to achieve results which come closer to the theoretical result.
My program has done nothing but simulate throwing a coin 1024 times, with equal probabilities each time of heads or tails. Yet, streaks occur. Moreover, they occur in a pattern, as our simple theory predicts.
I hope that this article provided some insights into streaks. I'll conclude with this thought. When it comes to independent events such as tossing a coin or throwing the dice, you can know that you have been on a streak, but you can't know if the streak will continue.
Winning and losing streaks are a familiar aspect of gambling. But they are often misunderstood.
Streaks can lead gamblers astray. I sometimes wonder how much money has been lost because a player does not understand streaks.
For example, players who feel they are on a winning streak may bet accordingly. They believe that since they are on a winning streak, it will continue. So they bet as if they must keep on winning.
On the other hand, players who have been on a long losing streak may assume that they are overdue for a win. They may assume that since the roulette wheel has come up black five times in a row, next time it will certainly come up red. So they bet all their money on red. If the wheel comes up black again, they may think the wheel is rigged, or they are just cursed with bad luck.
You may already understand the problem with this approach. Consider a simple coin toss. If I throw a coin five times and it comes up heads each time, is the coin suddenly overdue for tails? Am I on a "heads winning streak" which I can expect to continue? Of course the answer to both questions is no.
Each toss of the coin is independent. No matter how many times the coin comes up heads, the probability of heads on the next toss remains 1/2. The coin does not in any sense remember how many times it has come up a particular way.
So why do streaks occur? Is there any pattern to streaks? If there is, can we take advantage of this pattern?
As you will see, streaks are not really mysterious. In fact, we can actually predict their existence using simple mathematics. We can also study their behavior using computer simulations.
Let's continue using the example of coin tossing. We know that the probability of heads in a single coin toss is 1/2. So is the probability of tails.
We also know that if we toss a coin ten times, there is no guarantee that we will get exactly five heads and five tails. But in the long term, we expect the result to get closer to 50% heads and 50% tails.
If we toss the coin many times and record the results, we will see examples of streaks of various length. Sometimes we will see three heads in a row, sometimes five tails in a row. On the surface, there may be no apparent pattern. But on closer study, a pattern does emerge. I'll provide an example later in this article.
First, to help understand this pattern, let's consider the case where we throw the coin 1024 times. This may seem like a strange number, but it's convenient because it's a power of 2, and this makes the example easy to work out.
In theory, we expect half the tosses to result in heads and half in tails. 1024/2 = 512 so we expect 512 heads and 512 tails.
If we assume exactly 512 heads and 512 tails, then we can have at most 256 streaks of length 1. To imagine this, think of a simpler case where the number of throws is only 16. Consider the sequence with the following pattern:
HHTTHHTTHHTTHHTT
This sequence has 16 throws, 8 heads and 8 tails. There are exactly 4 HH streaks and 44 TT streaks. There can't possibly be more than 4 of each kind of streak and still have exactly 8 heads and 8 tails.
This is just one possible outcome. In general we expect longer streaks to occur sometimes. However, we expect them to occur less often than shorter streaks.
For example, we would expect a HHH streak to occur only half as many times as a HH streak. To see this, compare the pattern HHHX with HHXX, where X is either H or T. For HHHX, X must be T to maintain the streak. If X is H, then the streak changes from HHH to HHHH. In other words there is only one way the HHH streak can happen in the sequence HHHX. But HHXX can occur two ways, as HHTH or HHTT.
So we would expect, allowing for longer streaks, that we should get HH streaks 128 times, HHH streaks 64 times, and so on.
Now we can construct a theoretical table for how often streaks of each length should occur.
Length Times
------ -----
1 128
2 64
3 32
4 16
5 8
6 4
7 2
8 or more 1
How does this theoretical result match with a real experiment? Since it's tiresome to throw a coin 1024 times, I wrote a short computer program to simulate this experiment. Instead of tossing a coin, I use a software random number generator.
The program simulates 1024 tosses and keeps track of how often each length streak occurs. Here's the result of one run for streaks of H.
Length Times
------ -----
1 126
2 66
3 32
4 19
5 7
6 3
7 0
8 2
9 0
10 1
The pattern fits well with our theory, although not exactly. Of course this is typical of experiments in probability. We could increase the number of throws in order to achieve results which come closer to the theoretical result.
My program has done nothing but simulate throwing a coin 1024 times, with equal probabilities each time of heads or tails. Yet, streaks occur. Moreover, they occur in a pattern, as our simple theory predicts.
I hope that this article provided some insights into streaks. I'll conclude with this thought. When it comes to independent events such as tossing a coin or throwing the dice, you can know that you have been on a streak, but you can't know if the streak will continue.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Coin Collecting: What And When To Buy
(NC)-Three basic rules here: buy what you like, buy what you can afford, and buy at a reasonable price. Follow this advice and you'll enjoy your coins more, you won't pay too much for them and you won't go bankrupt. Your collection should be fun to own, not a burden on the family finances. The best way to get good deals, and avoid the bad ones, is to pick up some standard reference catalogues and study the pricing very carefully. As a rule, it's better to own one high quality coin than a bunch of mediocre ones.
As for when to buy, coin collecting represents a wonderful way to commemorate great events in your life; you could buy a coin to celebrate your child's graduation, or a new baby. You can also buy coins to mark historic events such as the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.
For more information on coin collecting and what to buy, visit the Royal Canadian Mint website at www.mint.ca.
- News Canada
(NC)-Three basic rules here: buy what you like, buy what you can afford, and buy at a reasonable price. Follow this advice and you'll enjoy your coins more, you won't pay too much for them and you won't go bankrupt. Your collection should be fun to own, not a burden on the family finances. The best way to get good deals, and avoid the bad ones, is to pick up some standard reference catalogues and study the pricing very carefully. As a rule, it's better to own one high quality coin than a bunch of mediocre ones.
As for when to buy, coin collecting represents a wonderful way to commemorate great events in your life; you could buy a coin to celebrate your child's graduation, or a new baby. You can also buy coins to mark historic events such as the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.
For more information on coin collecting and what to buy, visit the Royal Canadian Mint website at www.mint.ca.
- News Canada
Is there a leprechaun in your garden
There is no mention to be found of female leprechauns in traditional Irish legend, so as to how they came to be .. your guess is as good as mine.
These apparently aged, diminutive men are hard-working cobblers, turning out exquisite shoes for other sprites. If you happen across an industrious little fellow hammering out a shoe, look closely - for he may be a leprechaun. Step quietly, for leprechauns will avoid humans, knowing us to be foolish and greedy.
A leprechaun dresses in old-fashioned clothes of green, with a red cap, multi-pocketed leather apron, and buckled shoes. He is quite fond of a smoke from his foul smelling clay pipe which is always close by, and he is frequently in an intoxicated state from home-brew poteen. However, a leprechaun never becomes so drunk that the hand which holds the hammer becomes unsteady and his shoemaker's work affected. If you hear the sound of a hammer from behind a hedgerow you know you have found him.
As well as cobbling, his other trade is banking, and he is guardian to the ancient treasures. Much treasure was left by the Danes when they marauded through Ireland, and the leprechaun buries it in crocks or pots. Rainbows reveal where pots of gold are hidden, so he will sometimes spend all day moving crocks from one spot to another to elude the tell-tale end of the rainbow. If you catch a leprechaun, don't let him out of your grasp before he reveals his gold. He'll try to distract you with all manner of tricks and, in the blink of an eye, will dash out of sight. For such a sturdy little chap, he can move with the speed of a rabbit.
He carries two leather pouches. In one there is a silver shilling, a magical coin that returns to the purse each time it's spent. In the other there is a gold coin for bribing his way out of difficult situations. (Don't accept this coin - it turns into a rock). But he can be generous if you do him a good turn. Your kind deed wil be repaid with a wish.
Leprechauns come in two distinct groups - leprechaun and cluricaun. A cluricaun dresses very stylishly with a jaunty cap, large silver buckles on his shoes, beautiful gold laces and pale blue stockings. You will never see him wear an apron or carry a hammer. He has a jolly grin, a slightly pink-tipped nose and is almost always drunk and cheerful. Pass him by, for he never has any money, or any idea where treasure is buried.
A cluricaun will steal or borrow almost anything, making merry and creating mayhem in your house during the hours of darkness. He will happily busy himself raiding your kitchen, pantry, larder and cellar and after dinner he will harness your sheep, goats, dogs and even your domestic fowls to ride away.Through the countryside he will race them, over the fields and into the bog. Leprechauns denounce cluricaun behavior, but it has been said that cluricauns may just be leprechauns on drunken sprees.
You can make a trap with common household items. Take a net, a cardboard box, green paint, green tissue paper, some pennies and an old shoe. Firstly, paint the cardboard box green and place the old shoe inside. Cover the opening with thin green tissue paper. Carefully lay the pennies on the tissue paper. (If you don't want to use real money, you can easily substitute chocolate gold- wrapped coins or make your own by cutting circles out of cardboard and painting them gold).
Place the trap near some trees or hedgerows. Make sure it's disguised well and blends into the surroundings. When the Leprechaun sees the coins he will try to collect them. He will step onto the tissue paper, it will break and he will fall into the box. Now quickly throw the net over him.
You can also try to lure a leprechaun with some poteen instead of an old shoe. When he falls into the box he will drink the brew, get drunk and then you can grab him.
No one has yet caught a leprechaun, but don't be discouraged. Start looking today. Good luck !!
There is no mention to be found of female leprechauns in traditional Irish legend, so as to how they came to be .. your guess is as good as mine.
These apparently aged, diminutive men are hard-working cobblers, turning out exquisite shoes for other sprites. If you happen across an industrious little fellow hammering out a shoe, look closely - for he may be a leprechaun. Step quietly, for leprechauns will avoid humans, knowing us to be foolish and greedy.
A leprechaun dresses in old-fashioned clothes of green, with a red cap, multi-pocketed leather apron, and buckled shoes. He is quite fond of a smoke from his foul smelling clay pipe which is always close by, and he is frequently in an intoxicated state from home-brew poteen. However, a leprechaun never becomes so drunk that the hand which holds the hammer becomes unsteady and his shoemaker's work affected. If you hear the sound of a hammer from behind a hedgerow you know you have found him.
As well as cobbling, his other trade is banking, and he is guardian to the ancient treasures. Much treasure was left by the Danes when they marauded through Ireland, and the leprechaun buries it in crocks or pots. Rainbows reveal where pots of gold are hidden, so he will sometimes spend all day moving crocks from one spot to another to elude the tell-tale end of the rainbow. If you catch a leprechaun, don't let him out of your grasp before he reveals his gold. He'll try to distract you with all manner of tricks and, in the blink of an eye, will dash out of sight. For such a sturdy little chap, he can move with the speed of a rabbit.
He carries two leather pouches. In one there is a silver shilling, a magical coin that returns to the purse each time it's spent. In the other there is a gold coin for bribing his way out of difficult situations. (Don't accept this coin - it turns into a rock). But he can be generous if you do him a good turn. Your kind deed wil be repaid with a wish.
Leprechauns come in two distinct groups - leprechaun and cluricaun. A cluricaun dresses very stylishly with a jaunty cap, large silver buckles on his shoes, beautiful gold laces and pale blue stockings. You will never see him wear an apron or carry a hammer. He has a jolly grin, a slightly pink-tipped nose and is almost always drunk and cheerful. Pass him by, for he never has any money, or any idea where treasure is buried.
A cluricaun will steal or borrow almost anything, making merry and creating mayhem in your house during the hours of darkness. He will happily busy himself raiding your kitchen, pantry, larder and cellar and after dinner he will harness your sheep, goats, dogs and even your domestic fowls to ride away.Through the countryside he will race them, over the fields and into the bog. Leprechauns denounce cluricaun behavior, but it has been said that cluricauns may just be leprechauns on drunken sprees.
You can make a trap with common household items. Take a net, a cardboard box, green paint, green tissue paper, some pennies and an old shoe. Firstly, paint the cardboard box green and place the old shoe inside. Cover the opening with thin green tissue paper. Carefully lay the pennies on the tissue paper. (If you don't want to use real money, you can easily substitute chocolate gold- wrapped coins or make your own by cutting circles out of cardboard and painting them gold).
Place the trap near some trees or hedgerows. Make sure it's disguised well and blends into the surroundings. When the Leprechaun sees the coins he will try to collect them. He will step onto the tissue paper, it will break and he will fall into the box. Now quickly throw the net over him.
You can also try to lure a leprechaun with some poteen instead of an old shoe. When he falls into the box he will drink the brew, get drunk and then you can grab him.
No one has yet caught a leprechaun, but don't be discouraged. Start looking today. Good luck !!
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Coin Collecting: What And When To Buy
(NC)-Three basic rules here: buy what you like, buy what you can afford, and buy at a reasonable price. Follow this advice and you'll enjoy your coins more, you won't pay too much for them and you won't go bankrupt. Your collection should be fun to own, not a burden on the family finances. The best way to get good deals, and avoid the bad ones, is to pick up some standard reference catalogues and study the pricing very carefully. As a rule, it's better to own one high quality coin than a bunch of mediocre ones.
As for when to buy, coin collecting represents a wonderful way to commemorate great events in your life; you could buy a coin to celebrate your child's graduation, or a new baby. You can also buy coins to mark historic events such as the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.
For more information on coin collecting and what to buy, visit the Royal Canadian Mint website at www.mint.ca.
- News Canada
(NC)-Three basic rules here: buy what you like, buy what you can afford, and buy at a reasonable price. Follow this advice and you'll enjoy your coins more, you won't pay too much for them and you won't go bankrupt. Your collection should be fun to own, not a burden on the family finances. The best way to get good deals, and avoid the bad ones, is to pick up some standard reference catalogues and study the pricing very carefully. As a rule, it's better to own one high quality coin than a bunch of mediocre ones.
As for when to buy, coin collecting represents a wonderful way to commemorate great events in your life; you could buy a coin to celebrate your child's graduation, or a new baby. You can also buy coins to mark historic events such as the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.
For more information on coin collecting and what to buy, visit the Royal Canadian Mint website at www.mint.ca.
- News Canada
Christmas Glamour: Gold or Silver - Which is Right for You?
Christmas is round the corner. With that, the coming parties and glamorous occasions give you plenty of reasons to glam up your wardrobe.
The best way to do that is with metallics. Gold or Silver. Depending on your coloring, one would make you look your most beautiful while the other might make you look sickly or garish.
Gold or Silver. What would flatter you more? The sunny brilliance of precious gold or the moon lit gleam of silver? Or both?
To answer that question, you have to take a very close look at your coloring. The undertones in your skin would tell you what are the colors that would make you look your very best. First determine whether you have cool skin tones or warm skin tones. Here is where you can find your best colors.
If you have warm skin tones, (yellow or golden undertones in your skin) gold make you look your best. If you have cool skin tones (blue undertones in your skin), silver would really bring out your beauty. Some people look great in both gold and silver. Usually, if you have a pinkish undertone in your skin, you would look great in both. You might want to wear two toned jewelry featuring both gold and silver.
Once you know whether you should go for gold or silver, start wearing the color.
If you are a gold person, then collect gold jewelry. Build an entire wardrobe of gold jewelry and accessories. From earrings to shoes to belts to bags. Switch around your gold accessories and change the look of a simple dress. That way, a simple outfit can be worn to different parties, and yet look different each time you wear it. For one party, you could wear a plain dress with gold earrings, carry a gold bag and wear gold shoes. For another party, you could wear that dress with layers of gold necklaces and an armful of gold bangles, with a pair of boots. Switch the accessories to change to look.
If you are a silver person, then vamp up your wardrobe with silver clothes and accessories. Silver is such an elegant metal, you can easily get away with plenty of silver accessories. Wear them with your jeans and t-shirts or evening dresses for a more glamorous look. You could dress up your outfit with a silver belt and silver earrings and silver necklace on one occasion. On another occasion, you could show up with silver bangles and silver shoes.
Besides wearing silver or gold, surround yourself with your color. Look fabulous at home with silver or gold home accessories scattered around your room. Drive a silver or gold car. in short, play up your strengths by surrounding yourself with the color that flatters you best. That way, you would look effortlessly, naturally good. All the time.
Christmas is round the corner. With that, the coming parties and glamorous occasions give you plenty of reasons to glam up your wardrobe.
The best way to do that is with metallics. Gold or Silver. Depending on your coloring, one would make you look your most beautiful while the other might make you look sickly or garish.
Gold or Silver. What would flatter you more? The sunny brilliance of precious gold or the moon lit gleam of silver? Or both?
To answer that question, you have to take a very close look at your coloring. The undertones in your skin would tell you what are the colors that would make you look your very best. First determine whether you have cool skin tones or warm skin tones. Here is where you can find your best colors.
If you have warm skin tones, (yellow or golden undertones in your skin) gold make you look your best. If you have cool skin tones (blue undertones in your skin), silver would really bring out your beauty. Some people look great in both gold and silver. Usually, if you have a pinkish undertone in your skin, you would look great in both. You might want to wear two toned jewelry featuring both gold and silver.
Once you know whether you should go for gold or silver, start wearing the color.
If you are a gold person, then collect gold jewelry. Build an entire wardrobe of gold jewelry and accessories. From earrings to shoes to belts to bags. Switch around your gold accessories and change the look of a simple dress. That way, a simple outfit can be worn to different parties, and yet look different each time you wear it. For one party, you could wear a plain dress with gold earrings, carry a gold bag and wear gold shoes. For another party, you could wear that dress with layers of gold necklaces and an armful of gold bangles, with a pair of boots. Switch the accessories to change to look.
If you are a silver person, then vamp up your wardrobe with silver clothes and accessories. Silver is such an elegant metal, you can easily get away with plenty of silver accessories. Wear them with your jeans and t-shirts or evening dresses for a more glamorous look. You could dress up your outfit with a silver belt and silver earrings and silver necklace on one occasion. On another occasion, you could show up with silver bangles and silver shoes.
Besides wearing silver or gold, surround yourself with your color. Look fabulous at home with silver or gold home accessories scattered around your room. Drive a silver or gold car. in short, play up your strengths by surrounding yourself with the color that flatters you best. That way, you would look effortlessly, naturally good. All the time.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Gold Investing
Gold investing is a low-risk type of long-term investment.
Gold is slightly more risky than bonds, so you should be careful to pay attention to this. The reason for this is that while gold is used in some industries, it does not necessarily need to be worth as much money as it is. Also, part of the reason that gold is worth so much money is due to its comparative rarity. If the markets were to become flooded, chances are good that you would lose money. However, gold has a tendency to stay relatively stable, or to increase its value, over time.
How stable is gold investing? Well, the demand for gold is much higher than its supply. As you can tell, this is already good for people who are thinking about gold investing. Once there is more supply than demand, the price starts to rise. Since the demand for gold is almost twice the amount that is actually mined, the prices for gold are likely to go up steadily.
This also means that it is still a good time to invest in gold. The reason for that is that prices for gold need to go up so that there is not a gold shortage in the world. (After all, the increase in prices will decrease the demand until finally, there is no more gold shortage).
The first thing that you should keep in mind about gold investing, is that you should not put all of your money into one type of gold investment. You should also not just go out and buy a bunch of physical gold. While this is a good way to build a solid and insured foundation, you should also be investing in some of the other parts of the gold industry. For instance, if you invest in gold mines that are not producing at their top amount yet, or in potential gold mines, you stand a chance of making more money in the future.
Since gold is in such high demand, it is likely that any gold mines that are not producing much will start trying to produce more - so that they can cash in on the high demand and higher prices as well.
A good reason for investing in gold mines instead of just in physical pieces of gold, is that if you only invest in physical gold, it's more likely that it can be stolen from you, at which point you will lose your entire investment.
Gold investing is a low-risk type of long-term investment.
Gold is slightly more risky than bonds, so you should be careful to pay attention to this. The reason for this is that while gold is used in some industries, it does not necessarily need to be worth as much money as it is. Also, part of the reason that gold is worth so much money is due to its comparative rarity. If the markets were to become flooded, chances are good that you would lose money. However, gold has a tendency to stay relatively stable, or to increase its value, over time.
How stable is gold investing? Well, the demand for gold is much higher than its supply. As you can tell, this is already good for people who are thinking about gold investing. Once there is more supply than demand, the price starts to rise. Since the demand for gold is almost twice the amount that is actually mined, the prices for gold are likely to go up steadily.
This also means that it is still a good time to invest in gold. The reason for that is that prices for gold need to go up so that there is not a gold shortage in the world. (After all, the increase in prices will decrease the demand until finally, there is no more gold shortage).
The first thing that you should keep in mind about gold investing, is that you should not put all of your money into one type of gold investment. You should also not just go out and buy a bunch of physical gold. While this is a good way to build a solid and insured foundation, you should also be investing in some of the other parts of the gold industry. For instance, if you invest in gold mines that are not producing at their top amount yet, or in potential gold mines, you stand a chance of making more money in the future.
Since gold is in such high demand, it is likely that any gold mines that are not producing much will start trying to produce more - so that they can cash in on the high demand and higher prices as well.
A good reason for investing in gold mines instead of just in physical pieces of gold, is that if you only invest in physical gold, it's more likely that it can be stolen from you, at which point you will lose your entire investment.
Investing Tips for Beginners
Investing can be confusing, especially for the beginner. Getting some basic tips can help a beginning investor to make informed choices that fit their needs. Each person has a different goal when investing and that plays a big impact on how you invest. The following list explains some things beginners should know before investing.
1. Understand that there are no set rules for investing. There are no guarantees and no perfect way to invest.
2. Make informed choices. Before investing in any way you should completely understand how your investment will work and all of the details of the transaction.
3. Make a simple plan to determine your goals and needs. This will help you to determine what investments to make and how much money to invest.
These three tips are great for general investing, but many people are looking to invest in the fast paced world of the stock market. The above tips are a good beginning, but the following tips will further help those interested in investing in stocks.
1. Look at the value of the stock instead of the price. Low cost stocks may be low for a reason. Look at the whole picture. See why the price is low and if there is a possibility it may rise.
2. Check the companies return on net worth. This is the profit after taxes divided by the net worth. It is important to see a trend of growing return on net worth.
3. Spread out your risk. You should not put all your money in high risk stocks. Try some lower risks and some higher risks. This is the best way to protect your money.
4. Understand the basics of stock prices. Prices move up or down depending on future projections.
These four tips can help a beginning investor start investing in the stock market.
No matter what type of investment you are looking into, knowledge will be the key to success. These short tip lists are just the beginning to understanding investing and how to maximize your return. Keep learning and trying.
Investing can be confusing, especially for the beginner. Getting some basic tips can help a beginning investor to make informed choices that fit their needs. Each person has a different goal when investing and that plays a big impact on how you invest. The following list explains some things beginners should know before investing.
1. Understand that there are no set rules for investing. There are no guarantees and no perfect way to invest.
2. Make informed choices. Before investing in any way you should completely understand how your investment will work and all of the details of the transaction.
3. Make a simple plan to determine your goals and needs. This will help you to determine what investments to make and how much money to invest.
These three tips are great for general investing, but many people are looking to invest in the fast paced world of the stock market. The above tips are a good beginning, but the following tips will further help those interested in investing in stocks.
1. Look at the value of the stock instead of the price. Low cost stocks may be low for a reason. Look at the whole picture. See why the price is low and if there is a possibility it may rise.
2. Check the companies return on net worth. This is the profit after taxes divided by the net worth. It is important to see a trend of growing return on net worth.
3. Spread out your risk. You should not put all your money in high risk stocks. Try some lower risks and some higher risks. This is the best way to protect your money.
4. Understand the basics of stock prices. Prices move up or down depending on future projections.
These four tips can help a beginning investor start investing in the stock market.
No matter what type of investment you are looking into, knowledge will be the key to success. These short tip lists are just the beginning to understanding investing and how to maximize your return. Keep learning and trying.
Monday, June 11, 2007
All Coin Dealers are Not Created Equal
How to Select a Coin Dealer for Your Coin Collection
Why do I Need a Coin Dealer?
It is very difficult to build a collection of rare coins without a connection to a good coin dealer. If you are an investor hoping to make a profit with your collection of rare coins, building relationships with good coin dealers is vital to your success. If you are interested in making the highest profits possible with your coin collection, you will need to find a merchant partner who is experienced in the specific rare coins that interest you, and who will sell them to you at a good price. Most coin dealers will charge a lower premium on the sale of coins to their best customers. After all, it makes good business sense to get the most profit possible from a person who will do business with you only once. If you have a long-term relationship, however, the margin does not need to be as high for the coin dealer to make a good profit.
Because coin dealers are experts in their chosen fields, they will also have better connections than individuals who buy coins on their own will. Finding the right vendor or wholesaler can be a long and difficult task for someone new to the coin collecting trade. Coin dealers will also be more likely to recognize a counterfeit coin, have a higher chance of hearing about the sale of the specific rare coins that interest you, and will recognize an asking price that is over- or undervalued. As an investor, these are all critically important points for your success.
Building a long-term relationship with a knowledgeable coin dealer is the best way to protect the money that you invest into rare coins. All too often, new coin collectors who try to go it on their own without professional help end up being scammed out of hundreds or thousands of dollars.
What Do I Look For in a Coin Dealer?
All coin dealers are not created equal, and it is nearly impossible to specialize in every area when it comes to collecting rare coins. Therefore, its important to know what to look for before you select a professional for your coin collecting needs.
The first vital piece of information that youll need when considering coin dealers is his or her professional qualifications. Some important questions to ask include, does the coin dealer belong to any professional groups? How long has he or she been in business? Can the coin merchant provide references from other satisfied customers? One of the best indications that a vendor has a high level of professionalism is a membership in the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG). This group includes the most reputable coin dealers in the business thanks to an emphasis on ethics.
The second most important question to put to a prospective coin dealer is the area in which he or she specializes. There are so many different kinds of rare coins to collect, ranging from gold bullion coins to ancient Roman coins, that it is impossible to be a true expert in all of them. Youll want to find a merchant that specializes in the particular area that is of interest to you. A trader might be able to recognize every rare American coin at a glance, but that wont do you a lot of good if you really want to collect legal tender from medieval times.
Finally, you should consider the motivation of the coin dealers you are considering. A highly motivated coin merchant will go to shows and retailer auctions, keep abreast of current prices and trends, and will generally keep up-to-date with the current coin market. Any investor will recognize the impact of current information on profit levels. A coin trader who is highly motivated will also be more likely to provide you with excellent service and the best rare coins.
Once you have selected a coin dealer, it is important to reward him or her with your loyalty. You are likely to get the best prices and service from coin dealers who know that you are working exclusively with them.
How to Select a Coin Dealer for Your Coin Collection
Why do I Need a Coin Dealer?
It is very difficult to build a collection of rare coins without a connection to a good coin dealer. If you are an investor hoping to make a profit with your collection of rare coins, building relationships with good coin dealers is vital to your success. If you are interested in making the highest profits possible with your coin collection, you will need to find a merchant partner who is experienced in the specific rare coins that interest you, and who will sell them to you at a good price. Most coin dealers will charge a lower premium on the sale of coins to their best customers. After all, it makes good business sense to get the most profit possible from a person who will do business with you only once. If you have a long-term relationship, however, the margin does not need to be as high for the coin dealer to make a good profit.
Because coin dealers are experts in their chosen fields, they will also have better connections than individuals who buy coins on their own will. Finding the right vendor or wholesaler can be a long and difficult task for someone new to the coin collecting trade. Coin dealers will also be more likely to recognize a counterfeit coin, have a higher chance of hearing about the sale of the specific rare coins that interest you, and will recognize an asking price that is over- or undervalued. As an investor, these are all critically important points for your success.
Building a long-term relationship with a knowledgeable coin dealer is the best way to protect the money that you invest into rare coins. All too often, new coin collectors who try to go it on their own without professional help end up being scammed out of hundreds or thousands of dollars.
What Do I Look For in a Coin Dealer?
All coin dealers are not created equal, and it is nearly impossible to specialize in every area when it comes to collecting rare coins. Therefore, its important to know what to look for before you select a professional for your coin collecting needs.
The first vital piece of information that youll need when considering coin dealers is his or her professional qualifications. Some important questions to ask include, does the coin dealer belong to any professional groups? How long has he or she been in business? Can the coin merchant provide references from other satisfied customers? One of the best indications that a vendor has a high level of professionalism is a membership in the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG). This group includes the most reputable coin dealers in the business thanks to an emphasis on ethics.
The second most important question to put to a prospective coin dealer is the area in which he or she specializes. There are so many different kinds of rare coins to collect, ranging from gold bullion coins to ancient Roman coins, that it is impossible to be a true expert in all of them. Youll want to find a merchant that specializes in the particular area that is of interest to you. A trader might be able to recognize every rare American coin at a glance, but that wont do you a lot of good if you really want to collect legal tender from medieval times.
Finally, you should consider the motivation of the coin dealers you are considering. A highly motivated coin merchant will go to shows and retailer auctions, keep abreast of current prices and trends, and will generally keep up-to-date with the current coin market. Any investor will recognize the impact of current information on profit levels. A coin trader who is highly motivated will also be more likely to provide you with excellent service and the best rare coins.
Once you have selected a coin dealer, it is important to reward him or her with your loyalty. You are likely to get the best prices and service from coin dealers who know that you are working exclusively with them.
Jewelry Buying Guide
The next time you go out shopping for a nice piece of jewelry you may wish to consult a jewelry guide. This article will list some quick and simple things to keep in mind when purchasing jewelry but its best to thoroughly do your research on a specific kind of jewelry you intend to purchase.
Precious metals are commonly sold in jewelry. You've got gold, silver, platinum, copper and even titanium. When purchasing gold or silver be sure to ask what carat it is. Gold is a soft metal and mixed with other types of metals like copper and silver to make it harder. The usual carat amounts for gold are, 10, 14, 16, 18 and 20kt. Ten carat gold is cheaper than twenty carat, but the higher carats will be softer and your jewelry can be easily damaged. Some gold chains are only gold plated and you'll want to clarify what you are getting before you buy.
When out buying precious or semi precious stones take your time to find out if you are getting the right thing for the right price. Diamonds are priced based on a system of grades involving, color, cut, clarity, and carat. You may be getting a really large carat diamond for a good price, but it may not have good clarity. Clarity is determined based on how many flaws can be seen in the diamond. A diamond with more flaws is less valuable and can even break easily.
There are other important guidelines you should look up for each type of jewelry and the materials it is made of before you buy. For example, it can be very important to make sure your ring can be altered in sized down the road because you may gain or lose weight.
The next time you go out shopping for a nice piece of jewelry you may wish to consult a jewelry guide. This article will list some quick and simple things to keep in mind when purchasing jewelry but its best to thoroughly do your research on a specific kind of jewelry you intend to purchase.
Precious metals are commonly sold in jewelry. You've got gold, silver, platinum, copper and even titanium. When purchasing gold or silver be sure to ask what carat it is. Gold is a soft metal and mixed with other types of metals like copper and silver to make it harder. The usual carat amounts for gold are, 10, 14, 16, 18 and 20kt. Ten carat gold is cheaper than twenty carat, but the higher carats will be softer and your jewelry can be easily damaged. Some gold chains are only gold plated and you'll want to clarify what you are getting before you buy.
When out buying precious or semi precious stones take your time to find out if you are getting the right thing for the right price. Diamonds are priced based on a system of grades involving, color, cut, clarity, and carat. You may be getting a really large carat diamond for a good price, but it may not have good clarity. Clarity is determined based on how many flaws can be seen in the diamond. A diamond with more flaws is less valuable and can even break easily.
There are other important guidelines you should look up for each type of jewelry and the materials it is made of before you buy. For example, it can be very important to make sure your ring can be altered in sized down the road because you may gain or lose weight.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
World of Warcraft Gold - Virtual Gold for Real Money
As J.R.R. Tolkien pointed out half a century ago, "All that is gold does not glitter." That statement seems particularly apt when applied to World of Warcraft gold. Not only is World of Warcraft gold the virtual currency of a virtual world -- and therefore doesn't glitter at all except on computer screens -- it's worth real gold on the world financial markets. In fact, World of Warcraft gold is worth more than many hard currencies, including the Japanese yen, Indian rupee, and Russian ruble. What's going on here?
A cross of gold
Recently, World of Warcraft gold peaked at almost a dime per gold piece -- not bad when you consider that the World of Warcraft MMORPG, where it's the prime unit of in-game currency, debuted in late 2004. The value of World of Warcraft gold is on par with the Mexican peso, and much better than, say, the Jamaican dollar (65 to the U.S. dollar). Why this run on World of Warcraft gold? Blame it on the five million people worldwide who play World of Warcraft (that's more people than live in the state of Colorado). To many of these people, and their millions of avatars striving to make a life in Azeroth, World of Warcraft gold is as real and as useful as the currency they use to buy sodas at the corner store.
As J.R.R. Tolkien pointed out half a century ago, "All that is gold does not glitter." That statement seems particularly apt when applied to World of Warcraft gold. Not only is World of Warcraft gold the virtual currency of a virtual world -- and therefore doesn't glitter at all except on computer screens -- it's worth real gold on the world financial markets. In fact, World of Warcraft gold is worth more than many hard currencies, including the Japanese yen, Indian rupee, and Russian ruble. What's going on here?
A cross of gold
Recently, World of Warcraft gold peaked at almost a dime per gold piece -- not bad when you consider that the World of Warcraft MMORPG, where it's the prime unit of in-game currency, debuted in late 2004. The value of World of Warcraft gold is on par with the Mexican peso, and much better than, say, the Jamaican dollar (65 to the U.S. dollar). Why this run on World of Warcraft gold? Blame it on the five million people worldwide who play World of Warcraft (that's more people than live in the state of Colorado). To many of these people, and their millions of avatars striving to make a life in Azeroth, World of Warcraft gold is as real and as useful as the currency they use to buy sodas at the corner store.
What Is An Un-circulated Coin?
You may have heard the terms proof coin and un-circulated coin, but what's the difference between these two? To understand the difference between a proof and un-circulated coin, let's first answer the question, "What is an un-circulated coin?"
Un-circulated means a coin has not had any wear, such as the wear a coin might experience when it is used in commerce. Handling a coin, as well as improperly storing a coin, can result in wear on the surface of the coin. This wear, even if very minor, will cause a coin to no longer grade un-circulated.
When coins are minted they often bump into each other and receive small nicks and abrasion marks during the production process. These marks also occur as coins are transported in large canvas bags. These marks, sometimes called "bag marks", are more noticeable on larger coins, such as half dollars and dollars. Typical "bag marks" do not keep a coin from grading un-circulated. However, they can be an indicator of how high of a grade the un-circulated coin might receive.
Current accepted grading standards provide for a range of un-circulated grades, from the grade of MS-60 to MS-70. MS60 would be a lower grade (yet still) un-circulated coin with normal bag marks for that type of coin. Anything below MS-60 would not be considered un-circulated. MS70 would be the perfect "ideal" coin. Some coins are rare in grades MS65 to MS70, and even unheard of in MS70 grade. (The attribute "MS" stands for "mint state".)
A newly minted proof coin is also un-circulated, however it is the way it is made that causes a difference in appearance and qualifies it as a "proof". To understand this, let's look at how coins are made. Coins are produced when two dies strike a blank piece of metal with tremendous force. One die is engraved with the front (obverse) design for the coin. The other die has the back (reverse) coin design on it.
A proof coin is made with a specially polished and treated die! By treating the die in a special way, the coins it produces have a different appearance. Modern technology allows the high points on the coin design to be acid treated (on the die). The background (field) design of the coin die is polished, resulting in a mirror-like look on the coin it strikes. This gives the finished coin a frosted look (frosting) on the raise parts of the design, with a mirror like finish on the background. This contrasting finish is often called "cameo". On some older coins a cameo appearance is quite rare. The attribute "CAM", when added to a coin's description, means cameo appearance. "DCAM" means deep cameo, and indicates the cameo appearance is strong and easy to observe.
You may have heard the terms proof coin and un-circulated coin, but what's the difference between these two? To understand the difference between a proof and un-circulated coin, let's first answer the question, "What is an un-circulated coin?"
Un-circulated means a coin has not had any wear, such as the wear a coin might experience when it is used in commerce. Handling a coin, as well as improperly storing a coin, can result in wear on the surface of the coin. This wear, even if very minor, will cause a coin to no longer grade un-circulated.
When coins are minted they often bump into each other and receive small nicks and abrasion marks during the production process. These marks also occur as coins are transported in large canvas bags. These marks, sometimes called "bag marks", are more noticeable on larger coins, such as half dollars and dollars. Typical "bag marks" do not keep a coin from grading un-circulated. However, they can be an indicator of how high of a grade the un-circulated coin might receive.
Current accepted grading standards provide for a range of un-circulated grades, from the grade of MS-60 to MS-70. MS60 would be a lower grade (yet still) un-circulated coin with normal bag marks for that type of coin. Anything below MS-60 would not be considered un-circulated. MS70 would be the perfect "ideal" coin. Some coins are rare in grades MS65 to MS70, and even unheard of in MS70 grade. (The attribute "MS" stands for "mint state".)
A newly minted proof coin is also un-circulated, however it is the way it is made that causes a difference in appearance and qualifies it as a "proof". To understand this, let's look at how coins are made. Coins are produced when two dies strike a blank piece of metal with tremendous force. One die is engraved with the front (obverse) design for the coin. The other die has the back (reverse) coin design on it.
A proof coin is made with a specially polished and treated die! By treating the die in a special way, the coins it produces have a different appearance. Modern technology allows the high points on the coin design to be acid treated (on the die). The background (field) design of the coin die is polished, resulting in a mirror-like look on the coin it strikes. This gives the finished coin a frosted look (frosting) on the raise parts of the design, with a mirror like finish on the background. This contrasting finish is often called "cameo". On some older coins a cameo appearance is quite rare. The attribute "CAM", when added to a coin's description, means cameo appearance. "DCAM" means deep cameo, and indicates the cameo appearance is strong and easy to observe.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
I Think I See Gold!
I bet you are saying to yourself what in the hell is this person talking about? Now hold on before you judge me, give me a chance to redeem myself and make sense of this whole chapter. Even the title will make sense in just a short while, so just hold on to those opinions and let me have a shot - Thank You!
Let us say your house burned down and all that you were able to get out of it was you and your wife and children. Now do not get me wrong that is the most important thing to get out. At least your family is safe. Yet you are sad because everything you had is gone. All your cloths are gone. You are overwhelmed by the loss you are now suffering. Then a strange thing happens you look down in the ashes and you think you see gold in the fire. Somehow it is different; it is like all your desires.
What this means you are wondering to yourself? It hits you - your house was worth $85000 and they, (the insurance company) are willing to pay you 130,000! This amount staggers you... now you can get a new house and still have enough to get clothes, a TV, and the whole works.
So when things seem bad, look in the ashes and there is surely some gold there. I must let you know, it's from your lowest point that is when you see gold and things turn around for you and this enables you to make it to your greatest heights. Therefore, that is why you should look for gold in the fire. When things look the worst that is when we make it to our greatest heights.
What is another reason to look for the gold? Let us say your marriage is in the dumps. All you do is fight with her, always yelling at one another and all you feel is anger. How do we find gold in the fire? Instead of fueling the fire, you need to look at ways to put the fire out and this will be your gold in the ashes.
Maybe you should work on yourself instead of trying to change her, why not change yourself. Love her for who she is (there is a nugget!) Buy her a rose for no special reason and tell her you love her. You will be surprised at how she will change if you are just willing to kill her with kindness (there is another nugget!)
Therefore, I hope you see how you can see gold in any bad situation. How, with a little effort on your part, you can turn the ashes into whatever you want to. You have the power to turn the gold into anything that you want. Therefore, the next time you see ashes and a fire in a bad situation, know that your greatest triumphs come from your lowest lows.
When you see gold in the fire it may be that little voice inside of you saying hey, it is not so bad here. Is there a way we can get out of this mess and yes that IS a golden nugget - please does not waste it! It truly is a gift from God and you should act on this idea.
Please know if you look in the ashes long enough, you will see the gold! Therefore, hang in there when times get tough as victory is just around the corner. Stop and look for the gold in the ashes and the plan will be given to you before long. You will be saying I think I see gold in the fire!
I bet you are saying to yourself what in the hell is this person talking about? Now hold on before you judge me, give me a chance to redeem myself and make sense of this whole chapter. Even the title will make sense in just a short while, so just hold on to those opinions and let me have a shot - Thank You!
Let us say your house burned down and all that you were able to get out of it was you and your wife and children. Now do not get me wrong that is the most important thing to get out. At least your family is safe. Yet you are sad because everything you had is gone. All your cloths are gone. You are overwhelmed by the loss you are now suffering. Then a strange thing happens you look down in the ashes and you think you see gold in the fire. Somehow it is different; it is like all your desires.
What this means you are wondering to yourself? It hits you - your house was worth $85000 and they, (the insurance company) are willing to pay you 130,000! This amount staggers you... now you can get a new house and still have enough to get clothes, a TV, and the whole works.
So when things seem bad, look in the ashes and there is surely some gold there. I must let you know, it's from your lowest point that is when you see gold and things turn around for you and this enables you to make it to your greatest heights. Therefore, that is why you should look for gold in the fire. When things look the worst that is when we make it to our greatest heights.
What is another reason to look for the gold? Let us say your marriage is in the dumps. All you do is fight with her, always yelling at one another and all you feel is anger. How do we find gold in the fire? Instead of fueling the fire, you need to look at ways to put the fire out and this will be your gold in the ashes.
Maybe you should work on yourself instead of trying to change her, why not change yourself. Love her for who she is (there is a nugget!) Buy her a rose for no special reason and tell her you love her. You will be surprised at how she will change if you are just willing to kill her with kindness (there is another nugget!)
Therefore, I hope you see how you can see gold in any bad situation. How, with a little effort on your part, you can turn the ashes into whatever you want to. You have the power to turn the gold into anything that you want. Therefore, the next time you see ashes and a fire in a bad situation, know that your greatest triumphs come from your lowest lows.
When you see gold in the fire it may be that little voice inside of you saying hey, it is not so bad here. Is there a way we can get out of this mess and yes that IS a golden nugget - please does not waste it! It truly is a gift from God and you should act on this idea.
Please know if you look in the ashes long enough, you will see the gold! Therefore, hang in there when times get tough as victory is just around the corner. Stop and look for the gold in the ashes and the plan will be given to you before long. You will be saying I think I see gold in the fire!
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