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THE ALTOONA EXCHANGE COLLECTIBLES PAGE
("When both Quality and Price matters, we are your best choice!")

Hello, and welcome to the Altoona Exchange Collectibles Page. We
offer unique and unusual collectible products/items that we produce
ourselves, such as RARE COIN copies. Actually, rare coin copies are
the main focus of our business. However, we realize the huge demand
for a number of items out there and are also geared to providing those
as well.

More specifically, we produce "High Quality, Professionally Produced,
Exact Coin Copies." We pride ourselves on detail. All of this makes our
products "collectibles" in their own right (as well as the fact that we also
offer "limited edition" items, which, are themselves collectible).

The first question that seems to come to mind is "Why buy Rare Coin
Replicas?" and then, "Is there really a market for these?" The answer of
course is to give reasons for why persons want or need these and once
those reasons are given, it becomes obvious that there IS a market for them.

HERE ARE 16 GREAT REASONS TO BUY ANCIENT/RARE COIN COPIES;

1. INSURANCE: Many people who own real rare and valuable coins and keep
them at home purchase convincingly detailed coin replicas for insurance purposes.
They will hide their real valuables in hard to find places, while keeping the replicas
in a more accessible place.

2. DISPLAY: Others purchase these exact coin replicas for use in shop displays so that
they will not risk the possible loss of the real items due to fire or theft.

3. PROPS: Some purchase these replicas for use as props in movies and theater
productions.

4. TO COMPLETE INCOMPLETE COLLECTIONS: Persons have long used replicas
as a way to fill in an "empty space" in a collection while waiting to aquire the real thing.
And in some instances, the real thing will always be unobtainable. So, many of these
are used a "permanent fillers."

5. LOW-COST MUSEUM DISPLAYS: Museums have used replicas as a way to make
displays and still keep within their budget.

6. TRADE SHOW DISPLAYS: There are many coin dealers who use coin replicas in
order to have a "ready made" display of coins that they have in stock or may be able to
obtain for a customer. Such displays can be kept the same way without having to be
dismantled or refilled between shows. This is a valuable time-saving method of display.

7. REPLICAS ARE COLLECTIBLE: Because high quality exact rare coin copies can
themselves be rare and collectible. There are people who specialize in collecting only or
mainly coin copies or replicas. Many of these coins were minted in limited quantities and
in many instances, many of the replicas were produced in much less quantity than the
originals! People do purchase these in order to build their own personal collection of coins
entirely out of high quality exact coin copies.... let's face it, they are beautiful and still
affordable. And when anything is very nice looking we are proud to own them.

8. PURCHASED AS GIFTS: These are purchased as nice, yet affordable gifts that are
given to those who have an affinity towards either a particular theme of a certain coin or
who have an interest in certain types of coins. They are also given to inspire an interest in
coin collecting in general to those who may potentially develop an interest in them.

9. BEZEL JEWELRY: Those who are in the jewelry field purchase these as an inexpensive
alternative to expensive coins in order to have a dependable steady supply of  beautiful coins
for use in jewelry. Also, they are becoming more aware of the fact that by using real coins in
jewelry, they are in fact damaging otherwise valuable collectible coins and reducing their
value. It is a shame to see this happening and it is good to see that more persons are helping
to end damage that is done to real coins in this way.

10. PURCHASE FOR RESALE: Of course many dealers purchase these to have in stock for
their customers who desire them for all the previously listed reasons and more. What many
dealers will do is to use the profits from their sale of exact coin copies to purchase more real
coins to keep in stock. It is a "win-win" situation.

11. CRAFTS: These coin replicas are used by both professional craft persons and by amateurs
alike to produce such items as "Rare Coin Paperweights" as conversation pieces. Many are
sold as gifts to executives and many more given as personalized gifts.

12. COLORFUL FAMILY STORIES: For persons who like to tell colorful family stories or
"tall tales," and who want to 'substantiate' them with something tangible. Bear in mind that
such stories (whether true or not) may help bond families and help younger members take
a measure of pride in their heritage and inspire them to learn more about their own history.

13. ART: Yes, just for the beauty of it. These are purchased as low-cost numismatic art in
tangible form as 3-dimensional art that may be held close up and appreciated for the innate
beauty that each particular coin copy is imbued with. 

14. CUSTOMER APPRECIATION: Coin dealers, like other business persons like to
promote "good will" and offer a little more to their customers than their competition does.
A good way to do that is to have low-cost, but nice looking items of some substance to
give to their good customers as a way of showing their appreciation. These are the perfect
"promo" item for coin dealers and others.

15. HISTORY TEACHERS & EDUCATORS: A display of these coins can be used for years
and years in classrooms to show what money looked like in other times and places so that the
students may better visualize how other peoples used coinage in the past. This is also an
exciting motivator for the classroom to get students more involved.

16. TO MAKE HISTORY "TANGIBLE" FOR STUDENTS: These may even be given out
and the students given an assignment upon certain themes such as other times, places and
people for which the coins represent. And may also be used as 'rewards' for good students.
Something that the student receiving the reward will never forget and always treasure!

“OUR BUSINESS IS RARE COIN COPIES!”
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Yes, all of the items that we sell are indeed copies or replicas of the real
item. We do not wish to mislead you by telling you that they are not, nor
do we appreciate customers who would try to mislead their own clients.
Really, there is no need to. There are too many legitimate reasons to buy
and sell these copies. And we would hate to see anyone get into trouble.
Now, this having been said, let’s move on to more about the coin copies
themselves!
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Bear in mind that we are a small company and have a limited production
capacity. But we would like to carry as many of the coins that we find to
be most popular, so feel free to ask about any coins that you do not see
listed and which you have an interest in. If we get enough requests for
certain types we will consider producing them.

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FREE SAMPLES: We will always send a free sample or extra item of our
choice with every order. You need not mention this, it will be sent along
with your order automatically. We do this as a part of our service so as to
help you see what some of the other items that we offer are like as well as
the quality of those items. But please do not request free samples if you are
not ordering. These are reserved only for our customers.
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Our items at this time are either solid copper plated with either silver or gold
depending upon the item that it represents. Or solid copper, or solid silver,
again, depending upon the item that is represented. Some items are only
available in "Plated" or "Solid" metal, others can be purchased either way.
The availability of each item is shown at the end of the descriptions along
with the prices for those items.

ORDERING:
When ordering, use the order form that we provide, write down the item #'s
and indicate whether you want "P" (plated copper) or "S" (solid metal). If
this is not indicated the presumption will be made that you are ordering the
less expensive ("P" = plated copper) items, unless it can be determined
otherwise.

At this time, our items are not yet listed in catagories of "type", but as we
add new items to our selection, we hope to do this to make it easier for you
to find the items that you are looking for. Please note that Images shown of our
items are either sketches, artist renderings or images of our own copies generally.

Don't confuse our copies or replicas with others that you might see elsewhere.
We are proud of the fact that we produce items that are of the highest quality
that are fully detailed and so unique that they cannot be found anywhere else.

Usually, very sloppy and crudely made replicas are seen around here and there
that are really just cast lead or pewter - which can be easily made by any amature
hobbiest. Those "copies" or replicas don't even come close to what our high
quality copies look and feel like. Also, others have the word "COPY" stamped
in the fields on either the obverse or reverse (sometimes both!). We only stamp
"copy" in small letters on the EDGE of our copies, and if the edge is too thin to
let us do this we will just put the word "copy" on the holder (2"x2"), if any.

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Original sketches, design, artwork, logos and other material copyright Altoona Exchange,
1998/1999. All rights reserved.
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