This is why I collect and really LOVE Silver Eagles.

Greetings everyone!!

I have been battling a nasty flu-like virus that has been circulating throughout SLC and has found it's way into my lungs. And being the "new guy" at my new job, it has been impossible to take days off, though I did leave about 30 minutes early on Thursday with a 103 degree F fever. It has been a miserable 4 or 5 days.

But, in between my high fever, delirium, effects from night-time and day-time cold "medicines" I have been doing a lot of thinking about my coin collection and my future of coin collecting and have been inspired to write these findings down.

I hope this will be an inspiration and encouragement to any reading this who feel overwhelmed by the vast choices that present themselves to us all right now.

I'll start from the begining of my coin collecting journey.

It started innocent enough. My wife and I were watching a documentary on History Channel called "Inside the US Mint" and I was MESMERIZED by the process of which the coins were made. I thought right at that moment " I HAVE to start collecting these coins!!"

It had been years since I had a collection of any sort and quite honestly I missed the thrill of getting the latest pack of baseball cards or the newest comic book. I will come back to this subject in a bit.

So, I saw the US Mint documentary and was very impressed. They even got to go into the West Point Mint, which impressed me even more. So, I knew I had to collect the coins, but HOW do I go about it?

The next night as I was scanning the channels of satellite TV, I came across "Coin Vault" and that is when I saw the American Silver Eagles close up and in all their beauty graded in an NGC case. I was immediately smitten by the coin.

I went to some online auctions, and maybe at the time paid too much for some of my eagles, but I know I also got some great deals ( I paid 89.00 for a raw 2006 W that graded a MS 69, and I paid 40.00 for a pre-graded MS70 2007 W, etc.)

Not too soon after my online auctions, I also went to the US Mint online catalog and started ordering my Silver Eagles from the mint. But WAIT!!

What's all this OTHER stuff? Commems? Quarters? Golden Dollars? SPOONS? MEDALS??? WOAH!!

At the time there were 2 commems. Jamestown and Little Rock. There were NUMEROUS state quarters. The gold eagles were impressive and comparitively inexpensive to todays prices ( and this is less than a year ago.) So, for a day or 2 I was frazzled by what and how much to collect. I had to ask myself WHY am I collecting? and I had to remind myself of what happened to me during the baseball card and comics era of my collecting journey.

When I started collecting baseball cards the first brand I collected was TOPPS, this was in 1983, and that was a great year for TOPPS with the Ripken, JR. roookie. BUT then I saw the FLEER, and DONRUSS and I loved the stock paper and colors they presented. Then I picked up a trade magazine and saw ads for all the different OLD cards and sets...my mind was exploding, as a teen with an allowance how could I sustain being in this hobby?????

I had a good friend who calmed me down, and who was older and had been through the same "mania" and he said " There are so many choices out there that it WILL make you crazy. So ask yourself WHY are you collecting, and find the brand that fits the "why" and find the one thing you REALLY love, and that will settle everything"

That was great advice!! That advice also helped me through the many comics choices I encountered ( I LOVE Batman, BUT Marvels offset printing and colors at the time were amazing)

I won't get into the "why" for comics and baseball cards as this entry is rather long already. But I will tell you why I collect coins, mostly Silver Eagles.

I collect Silver Eagles because I love the design on the frontand back. I love the weight and feel of the coin in my hand..it has GIRTH!! I love the way it shines, and the shine it gives off on my wife's face as she looks at them and the light from the room reflects off the coin.

I love the way it looks when it is slabbed in the NGC holder, takes up lots of room!!

I love putting them in my registry. I don't think I will ever complete the set, but that's not my goal. I just love having and holding the Eagles. It has not much to do with the "value" of raising prices of silver, because for me the "value" is having a passion for something beyond my daily work grind, and family matters. My "numismania" has literally breathed a new life into me, and I am very grateful to have found this hobby, and for Collectors Society to have a place to share my passion with all of you who really understand what having this "numismania" means.

I have also started collecting the proof Pressidential coin sets, and I will most likely collect the Presidential 1st day covers. The sets for my children, and the covers for the rarity.

Anyway, any of you who feel overwhelmed, I hope this helps. I have found a passion for 1 coin that I will pursue as long as the mint makes the Silver Eagles. I hope you can find that "one coin" to be passionate about as well.

Thanks for reading this rather long entry!!