What did it take to get a kid hooked on coin collecting in 1955?

In 1955 I was 11 years old and had already been collecting coins for a year or two. I was dutifully outfitted with my copy of the ?Red Book? and the standard blue booklets with the ?holes? you pushed the coins into. I had booklets for cents, nickels and dimes. My mom and I had a little ritual which took place on Saturday. I would get my coin booklets out and before she went shopping she would give me her change purse, and I could go through it looking for coins I needed. After she had done her Saturday shopping this process would be repeated. Typically I would be allowed to keep about 25 cents. My mom?s contribution to my collection supplemented my primary source of coins which was my own pocket change. Any time I got one or more quarters or halves I would always get change (cents, nickels & dimes). Anyway one Saturday my mom?s change purse had this nice looking older walking liberty half dollar. It was a 1921-D half dollar and listed for $8 in the Red Book (be still my heart). I asked my mom for the half. She was reluctant. She pointed out that I was never allowed to take more than 25 cents. I told her how it was worth $8.

Let me give you some background. We were a family of six, my mom and dad both worked in mills and were making between $1.75 and $2 an hour before deductions. We had one car and it was always bought used. So 50 cents to my family was real money.

Anyway my mom gave into my pleadings and I had a real collectable coin. I was hooked. Over time I was able to added quarters and halves to my collection. And eventually I had all three 1921 halves collected from pocket change. The 21-D was the highest grade.