But maybe it's for the better in the long run.

My focusing efforts really hurt tonight. In previous journal entries, I've written about the need to focus my collection, as I'm low on cash (the major reason) for probably the next couple of years. Also, I"m needing to focus on quality, as I truly love currency, but have to have them (since I"ve been in the printing industy) in top condition.

With this in mind, I searched through my Morgan dollars tonight, with the plan to sell lower quality coins along with some other pieces, to try to raise some money to help out with my mom, and to manage my credit cards. The result??? First I must say a few members here know of my love for the Morgan Dollar. A Morgan my dad saved started me in this hobby about 45 years ago. So, the result was, of my Morgan set I had started, I'm keeping 5 coins. Yes, you read it right, 5 coins. I looked at each one with my inexpensive 3 lens loupe, and saw so many gouges, so many bag marks, so many abrasions, and a few were graded MS65, that I pulled them all out, recorded my cost and plan to sell 2 boxes full of coins to help out.

I do believe there's an up side to all of this. First and foremost, it's making me a better collector by making me really do this looking BEFORE I buy the coin. There's no use of spending the money to sell the coin within a couple of years. I really feel my Franklin Full Bell Line set is proof of this. If you look at the coins, yes they range only 63-65 FBL, but all are minimally marked, have great luster for the grade and really fit in with my new philosophy.

Tonight's pain will also force me to make better plans when starting a new set. I told someone, possibly LowBudget in a message, that I love Large Cents. So before I start them (probably not for a year or so), I"m going to sit down with reference books, read, study and decide grade/pricing range, do I want BN, RB or RD, before I buy the first coin.

Yes, I've had a rough time tonight, but I think in the long run it will pay off with a much better collection, and possibly better financial returns if I decide to sell when I'm older (25 years or so).

I'm going to attach the obverse of one of my Morgans I did keep, the 1881-S.