Melissa
Founder · 1 product on SaaS Hive
Products
Community Posts
Hello Hive
Just wanted to drop in and say that i just submitted Coin Error Expert to DevPost build with Gemini Xprize, The Submission deadline is August 17th at 4PM EST, after that the submissions become public if anyone wanted to jump on there then and leave me a like or a comment that would be great.
Update to Coin Error Expert
Hello Everyone, Jinny Moon left me some very helpful feed back and because of that . I've updated the 1. Live Demo mode so that it now automatically populates your vault with 4 sample coins (including a 1955 Doubled Die Cent and a 2004-D Extra Leaf Quarter) so users can immediately experience the full workflow and see what the AI output looks like without having to scan their own coin first.2. I've streamlined the legal disclosure before the scanner. Because I am an independent tool and need to be very careful to avoid cease and desists from the major grading houses (PCGS, PMG, etc.), I do still require a checkbox agreement, but I have shrunk the massive wall of text into a simple expandable dropdown so it is much faster to get through! 3. I've redesigned the Pro Tier card on the subscription page to make the $14.99/month price massive and impossible to miss. I also added the price directly to the "Start for Free" button on the landing page so users know exactly what the upgrade costs upfront.Thank you again for the brilliant feedback, it has already made the platform significantly better for new users!Best, Melissa Smolk Founder, Coin Error Expert
Transitioning from tech builder to marketer: How do you reach a niche hobbyist audience that doesn't hang out on traditional tech channels?
Hey everyone! I've been deep in the trenches building Coin Error Expert—an end-to-end platform handling AI-powered coin scanning, error attribution, and marketplace cross-listing.While the tech side (Supabase backend, multi-LLM vision routing, PWA architecture) has come together nicely, my biggest focus right now is marketing. Because my target audience consists of numismatists and coin collectors rather than traditional SaaS users, standard tech-growth channels don't always apply. Many of my potential users hang out in physical coin shops, local clubs, or specialized forums rather than Product Hunt or tech spaces.For founders who have marketed software or platforms to traditional hobbyists or non-tech-native niches:What outreach channels or grassroots methods actually moved the needle for you?How did you bridge the gap between building software and speaking the everyday language of a traditional community?Would love to hear what worked (or didn't work) for you!
Hello Hive
Hello Hive,I'm Melissa, the founder of Coin Error Expert.I noticed a huge bottleneck in discovery to grading and auction house submissions, so I decided to solve the problem myself.For the last few months, I’ve been building Coin Error Expert. I build the ultimate AI-powered tool for serious numismatists, coin roll hunters, and dealers.Our app uses highly trained AI to evaluate U.S. coins and paper currency directly under your phone’s camera. For coins, it instantly attributes known errors and varieties—complete with strict diagnostic rules to prevent false positives on famously faked varieties (like the 1958 DDO). For paper currency, it scans banknotes to identify rare seal colors, star notes, and highly sought-after fancy serial number patterns (like radars, repeaters, and trinary patterns).Beyond AI scanning, I also built The Vault, a dedicated low-fee marketplace where collectors can buy and sell their discoveries with a 5% commission rate, complete with seamless 1-click cross-listing to eBay.Key FeaturesAI Variety Scanner: Instantly detect and attribute U.S. coin errors and varieties.Banknote & Serial Number Scanner: Identify star notes, seal colors, and fancy serial number patterns on U.S. paper currency.The Vault Marketplace: Buy and sell with a heavily reduced 5% commission rate compared to traditional auction sites.Digital Collection Storage: Organize and store unlimited coins and bills in your digital vault.Whether you are a casual coin roll hunter looking for pocket change fortunes or a professional dealer evaluating estate collections, this tool pays for itself on the first scan. I would love for you guys to test it out during our beta phase and give me your brutal feedback!