There's a belief that things get better with age. Considering none of us ever gets younger, that's an easy one to want to buy into. I know it's frequently true when it comes to collectibles. Rarely do items of true interest lose their luster. In fact, when kept in top condition, they almost always become more valuable.

The U.S. Mint appears to adhere to that philosophy insofar as the designs on many of their coins — they like to see them age. The images on most of our circulating coins are the same or similar to those minted 50 or even 100 years ago. (Think penny for the latter.) Beyond that, the Mint also seems not to let go of the tried and true designs of yesteryear for many of the bullion coin issues. And, truth be told, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Case in point, our gold bullion Eagle coins. The obverse design is that of the classic and insanely admired St. Gauden's image first issued in 1907. The silver Eagle copies the popular Walking Liberty half-dollars also of the early 1900s. And, the American Buffalo 24K gold bullion coin is modeled almost identically after the Indian Head/Buffalo nickel struck between 1913 and 1938.

Recently, there were rumblings of a new bullion coin to be made from the metal palladium. The Mint looked seriously at producing a palladium Eagle coin but passed because conjecture was that not enough would be sold to make it profitable. But it was close. The legislature even mandated that the coin should bear the design of the Mercury Dime (1916-1945). Yet another vintage classic is tapped for a modern coin.

The Mint does an admirable job of marketing the coins they produce. Nothing terribly slick, but still effective. They sell a lot. The slick ads come from companies who try to sell knockoffs of actual coins using words like "faux" which I suppose sound classy enough to be confusing. Today's ads show just how much marketing has changed. The TV spots are glitzy, professional and flashy. But, beware! If you don't listen closely or pay attention, you may not understand what you're buying.

The other evening I spotted a commercial for what appeared to be the 24K American Buffalo one-ounce coin. Bathed in shimmering light and rotating slowly it looked great. The announcer talked of how gold had skyrocketed in value, as had the price of the pure gold Buffalo coin. Both true. But, the ad wasn't for the pure gold Buffalo coin. Instead it was for what they called a "Tribute Proof."

The Tribute Proof was extremely similar in appearance to the real gold coin. It even contained some real gold — 14 milligrams of it over a base metal. The price too was alluring. They said it was supposed to sell for around $49.95, but I believe they were offering it for $9.95 plus shipping and handling. (On their website it is listed for $19.95.)

It took some doing, but I was able to convert and figure how much 14 milligrams of gold is worth. At the current price of $1,600, it comes to 79-cents worth of the precious metal. To be fair, there are certainly minting, packaging and, yes, advertising costs. Still, I can't help think some people may mistakenly believe they could be getting more gold than they really are.

Of course, the real bombshell hits when someone goes to sell the item to a dealer and is offered a buck or two if even that. According to dealers with whom I've spoken, that's when it gets unpleasant.

Naturally, the key is to always know what you're buying and what the actual market value may be. With so many reputable coin dealers spread around the country and, of course, the Internet where information abounds, doing collectible's homework is easier than ever.

The bottom line — there's nothing wrong with living in the past or admiring the value of that which was created way back when. But, be it past or present, having a keen eye on future probable values isn't just important, it's invaluable.

Editor's Note: A JPEG visual of an actual 24 karat pure gold American Buffalo one ounce coin has been sent with this column.

To find out more about Peter Rexford and features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.