Enjoyment v/s rarity

After several days of thinking about this subject, I?m still sitting here and wondering how to attack this touchy topic. The problem, doing something that I?m truly enjoying, (coin collecting), how deep are my pockets, really, and the rarer coins that I dream about collecting. I have read a lot debates about the best way to collect coins and it seems that the overwhelming census is older, rarer coins are the best way to collect in the sense of long term value and I?d have to agree in most cases. Now reaching down into these empty pockets of mine leaves me feeling just a little short, these older rarer coins are quite expensive in investment grades, well, maybe I could purchase one a year, but that would leave no room for enjoyment, then why collect?

OK, so what makes a coin rare anyway, the answer, production numbers and the demand such a coin brings. Now the mint produces new coins that I can afford, ?no middleman mark up?, but what is the production factor on a new coin that would make it rare, even though it?s new, could it be under a 100,000? I know that some of these newer coins are released in limited production such as the Gold Eagles 20th Anniversary and Platinum Eagles ?burnished dies?, but there lies the same old problem, my shallow pockets. These sets are quite expensive. There also lies another question, what does the future hold for these new coins, some say nothing since the mint is saturating the market, almost like the sport card market did and has done since the late 80?s and early 90?s. So I have come to the conclusion that since I have a limited amount of money to spend on coins, I just don?t collect ?rare? coins, being new or old, darn kids, food, and house payments. Now where does that leave me, right back where I started, collect what makes me happy, even if they aren?t ?rare?!!! Enjoyment is one of the reasons that I do this, I mean we?re all just passing time anyway and in the end I can?t take them with me.

Now I?m not trying to start a big debate, older v/s newer, rare v/s common, and I?m not complaining, but I will continue to collect what makes me happy, even though the over all census of what I collect isn?t rare at all. I don?t want to be like Andrew in the latest issue of Coin World, who has been collecting since 1937 and now is quitting the hobby because it is no longer fun! All in all, I?ve enjoyed and I am very proud of the coins that I have accumulated so far. I believe that one of the reasons this is such a wonderful hobby is diversity in coins. They can?t be all rare!!!

As always, thanks for reading and happy collecting!!!

Dave