Sometimes I wonder...

Greetings Collectors,

I was just here at the computer where I usually am late in the evening and was thinking how my life is somewhat "consumed" with numismatics. I do work during the day for the most part but being in business for myself I work my own hours. But tonight having just hung up with my girlfriend I really started thinking about how much time this hobby takes up.

For example, I had a coin day Sat. and then there was the new issue of "Numismatic News" that came Sat. in the mail. Also in the mailbox I received my two new additions to my Mercury dime "full band" collection. Sunday was a day reading the new mag. and also started two Signature sets. This was done late in the afternoon as I was "reading the menu" on Teletrades Sun. night auction. All the coins I was tracking went higher than I was willing to pay except one, a 1949-S MS65 Full Bell Line Franklin. I do not have that date but the toning was a drab dirty gray-brown so I passed. I actually would have gone for it but for the ones I was "tracking on tonights auction were alot nicer looking, so I decided to keep my powder dry and pick something up tonight. There were no '49-S's but they had a few "top pops" and several others that were really tempting. I picked out two Franklins and set my sights for 9:59 to make an attempt to "snipe" both.

These were both NGC MS65's FBL's that I wanted to replace the two 64 FBL's that currently sit in those spots in my Franklin set #1. These two 65's were beautiful and in this series, NGC is far superior to PCGS. Anyway I did the next increment up at ten pm exactly but only won one. I guess the other had a higher max bid and that's what lost it for me. I did land the 1951-D but lost the 1951-P. They both had the same NGC number, with the one I got having an "006" on the end and the one I lost had an "005". They had to have belonged to the same "consigner" but what shocked me was they looked exactly the same. I mean these two coins had to have been sent in together, but how could two differant dates have the exact same toning, both obverse and reverse. My guess is that until they were sent off for grading, they were in the same alblum or stored in the same drawer with the paper giving off the exact same amount of sulfer/acid.

See how I can "ramble on" and on about coins. I mean like Sat. it was coins, Sun. it was coins and now all this eve. since 6:30 it has been COINS. When my girlfriend called, it was 9:57 and did I answer the phone? Heck no. I finished out the auction, paid for the coin and then came here to put the 64 from set #1 to set #2 and then added my new 65 to set #1. Did I tell her that? Heck no. I just said I couldn't get to the phone, which was the truth, kinda.

My point being that this hobby consumes me, even to the point of not taking her call. That is pretty sad and "borderline" scary. I had joked in a previous post that I think I may be ill but not to the point of needing "rehab". After the last 72 hours I am not so sure.

I have been slowly adding halves to my "Walkers" and "Franklins" the last few weeks. Besides my pre-1933 gold, these two sets are my favorites. I have actually added three FBL 65's of late, the '51-D tonight and in the last three weeks I have added the '53-D and the '51-S. The FBL 64's were put in set #2. A really nice 1942 PCGS MS 66-CAC was an upgrade in my Walker "short set" along with a couple of other dates that I don't recall. I have also thought, of late, about selling all my walkers and franklins in the sets below my #1 sets in both series but I didn't say that here.

As always I hope all of you are having loads of fun with your coins. I know I am. Happy Collecting! WKF