Helping with this project

This hobby needs your help and EVERY certificate collector has something to offer.

My catalog and this website are dedicated entirely to collectors. My goal is to help keep the collecting of railroad (and coal) stocks and bonds FUN. Every collector can contribute to the hobby. I guarantee you have something to contribute.

The cold, hard truth is that I need your help. I cannot possibly do this alone because:

• The hobby is too diverse.
• I will not live long enough.
• I do not have enough money.
• It would not be any fun.

Remember...

I am not doing this project for myself. I run this project to helping the hobby and to help collectors. If users derive pleasure and information from this site, they owe a debt not to me, but to the pioneers of the hobby. I am merely one person standing on the shoulders of giants. Yes, this site gives more information about railroad certificates than any other source. Still, collectors and dealers are mainly responsible for continuance of this project. I began collecting information in about 1987. BNR Press published the first edition of Collectible Stocks and Bonds of North American Railroads in January, 1995. Hundreds of collectors have contributed tremendously for over 30 years. I hope you will continue the tradition.

You can contribute in several ways. Some of my suggestions might seem restrictive but I need to this because my time is limited. I need to do everything possible to streamline data entry. I need to avoid burnout.

The best place to start

There are many ways you can help. Start by spending a few minutes looking at Information Recorded. That page will give you a quick rundown on the types of information I seek.

Certificates and information I've missed

Some collectors have unlisted certificates and variations. ALL have unrecorded serial numbers, dates, and purchase prices.

Start by examining your most common certificates. Compare your certificates with current listings. You might find a feature I've missed. Believe it or not, I still lack images of very common certificates. In fact, information about common certificates is the least contributed category. I have very little information about serial numbers and prices paid for common certificates.

The fastest and easiest way to help is by sending images.

Be alert for undiscovered varieties. Beginners actually find many undocumented variations. Long-time collectors frequently overlook small variations. They have often seen hundreds if not thousands of the same certificates for so long that it is normal to overlook small features. Not all small variations qualify for listing, but it is still okay to ask.

Scanned images of certificates

Scans are the single best way to help. It is ironic that only a few years ago, prices of scanners had dropped and their quality had increased. Many really good images came in during that period.

In a short while, smartphones became common with cameras that grew in ever-increasing quality. Both methods are helpful for reporting certificates, although photographs always show distortion and uneven exposure.

Many collectors still have scanners, many of letter or A4 size. That's okay. Simply scan certificates in two or more overlapping pieces. Orientation does not matter, but it is better if you try to keep the tops of successive scans pointing in the same direction. Try to get at least 1.5 inches (3 cm) of overlap between scans. DO NOT try to patch images together. Simply send me the pieces.

Hints for making and sending scans :

• scan at 300 dpi
• scan celebrity autographs at 600 dpi
• scan with extra space around all edges
• scan large certificates in two or more pieces with AT LEAST 1.5" (3 cm) overlap
• send images as ordinary email attachments
• avoid embedding images in Word or Excel files
• send up to 40 MB of images in a single email (no need to zip)
• turn off auto exposure if your software allows
• scan certificates against VERY light blue, light gray, or white backgrounds
• save as medium-high quality JPGs (no need for the highest quality)
• I prefer JPGs, but TIFs, BMPs, PNGs, and GIFs are also acceptable.

Things to avoid when scanning certificates:

• do NOT reduce images
• do NOT scan certificates against colored backgrounds
• do NOT fold stubs under certificates when scanning

Suggestions:

• avoid scanning backs, stubs, or coupons
• do not bother "zipping" single images
• don't waste time identifying catalog numbers

There are many tricks to scanning certificates. The very thin lines in vignettes confuse auto exposure. You will get better scans by turning auto exposure off. I offer more tips in a special section of this website dedicated to scanning certificates.

How many images to send at one time? I'd say about 8 or 9 images of stock certificates or 6 or 7 images of bonds. No need to send scans one at a time unless it's easier for you.

Photographs of certificates

Photos are the second best way to contribute information. Smartphone photos are perfectly acceptable for contributing information about descriptions, serial numbers, and dates.

Photos are good for contributing information. I save every one. Unfortunately, they are rarely usable for images on the website because of distortion and uneven exposure. I can fix non-rectangular images easily. but I cannot normally repair problems like unequal lighting, shadows, poor focus, color shifts, and glare.

How can you know if a photograph might be usable for display? One of the easiest ways is to compare opposite corners of photos (i.e. bottom left versus to upper right and bottom right versus upper left). If color, focus, and exposure is nearly equal, your photograph might be sufficient for display. Nineteen out of twenty photographs have unequal color and exposure.

Hints for photographing certificates:

• take certificates out of holders
• photograph certificates against uniform backgrounds such as light gray posterboard
• include extra space around all edges
• shoot straight down on them if possible; the less distortion, the better
• make sure serial numbers and dates are in focus
• flatten with weights (coins work well) if your certificate is curled or folded

What to avoid when photographing certificates:

• no need to identify catalog numbers
• no need to include rulers or objects for scale comparisons
• no need to photograph backs, stubs, or coupons

Photocopied images of certificates

At one time, I received the majority of information via photocopies (Xerox, etc.). They remain perfectly adequate.

What to do when making photocopies of certificates:

• reduce certificates to fit on 8-1/2 by 11 paper
• copy in pieces if necessary
• either black and white or color copies are okay
• if black and white, tell me the "real" color of your certificate

What to avoid when making photocopies of certificates:

• no need to identify catalog numbers
• no need to report certificate sizes
• no need to copy backs, stubs, or coupons

YOUR INFORMATION ONLY

Please send only images and information about certificates you own or once owned.

INFORMATION TO AVOID

I know these restrictions might make somebody mad. I pre-apologize. But the reasons are simple. There are simply too many certificates out there. If I recorded every serial number from every image that could be found online or on every list someone could find, we would have a nice database and I would have no life. So here are my hard avoidances:

• images captured from eBay, dealer websites, or collector websites
• information in spreadsheet form
• links to images on websites

Here is the "why."

Website images:

Some eBay images are decent, but the majority are less than adequate. However, the issue is actually volume. There are well over 2,000 images of railroad certificates on eBay at any one time, not counting duplicates on eBay sites in Europe. I already check eBay sales every day for certificates sold for $20 or more. Even lowering my minimum sale price to $15 would require more time than I have.

Dealer and collector sites are also enticing sources for images, but the potential volume of images is even more staggering. The use of stock images on dealer sites is a real drawback. Simply put, the commitment necessary to record that kind of voluminous effort is far beyond my available time.

Spreadsheets:

Many, if not most, collectors record their holdings in spreadsheet programs. I recommend that, particularly for insurance purposes. Sending information to me in spreadsheet for sounds like a great idea. Without belaboring the point, I tried recording such information for several years and finally threw up my hands in surrender. My reasons for denying spreadsheets include:

• spreadsheets prevent me from confirming accurate identifications
• spreadsheets prevent me from spotting new varieties
• spreadsheets prevent me from reviewing identifications in the future
• spreadsheets contribute less information than images
• spreadsheets require RADICALLY more time to extract information from

Internet links:

All the same reasons as above, but simply TIME.

Certificate prices

If and when you send information or images of certificates in your collection, I will greatly appreciate learning how much you paid for a recent purchase. Prices in guidebooks and on dealer websites are fine, but globally inaccurate. Your purchases are REAL.

When asking about prices paid, I am looking for the entire amount paid for certificates including commission, but NOT SHIPPING COSTS or local sales taxes. Please include VAT (Value Added Tax) when pertinent. I always round prices to the nearest dollar. I do NOT need to know where you purchased.

Price guidance

I greatly appreciate price guidance for any items you are willing to tell me about.

If you bought a certificate recently, your purchase price is very helpful. But...

You might have bought a certificate a long time ago when prices were different. In that case, I am asking you to tell me the price YOU would be willing to pay to reacquire a certificate if something happened to YOUR certificate. I am not interested in anyone else's guesses. I need your opinion!

And yes, I know your impression of potential value is flexible. You might be willing to pay significantly more today than you originally paid. Conversely, you might like to re-acquire a similar certificate again, but at a lower price. Sometimes. you might not want to replace your certificate at all. You might even be glad the certificate is gone. REAL PRICE GUIDANCE is the price you would readily pay if something happened to a certificate in your possession.

Why would I like information like that? It is important to understand that the money collectors spend on certificates represents desire, not rarity. A certificate might be truly rare, but so what? If no one else wants it, it is not worth much. Quantifying legitimate value is the goal.

Inspections and corrections

There are several million words on this website. There ARE mistakes! That means I REALLY need your help finding them. I really need to know about any mistakes you find. I need to know anything that doesn't make sense. The sooner you report, the sooner I can correct.

Information about questionable companies

If you enjoy corporate research, and want problems to chew on, see my special page on Mystery companies.

Information about railroad companies

Many of you are serious about railroading. And many of you discover very obscure facts about companies.

I also need to find that kind of information. HOWEVER, my goal is to catalog certificates from every railroad or coal company that operated or intended to operate in North America. People with a lot more knowledge than me record staggering amounts of information about railroads in books, magazines, and on the web. For that reason, I do not record every morsel of information that comes my way.

I seek and keep information about railroad companies when that information directly involves the understanding or interpretation of certificates. I always appreciate information such as:

• states of incorporation
• dates of incorporation
• dates of dissolution
• nicknames (official or unofficial)

I record names of presidents, chief executive officers, and chairmen of boards when I learn the full spans of their service to the nearest year . I do not record officer names until I learn both starting and ending dates of their service.

I stress that this site is about collectible stocks and bonds. Information about track alignments, accidents, secondary personalities, passenger trains, corporate takeovers, and intricate financing is far beyond the scope of this website. Yes, I agree that kind of information is FUN. I am always researching something. Realistically, people seeking hard-core information about railroading and railroad companies are going to find better information elsewhere. Think about this project as providing ground-level information about certificates. Any other information about railroading must be the "30,000-foot view."