I learned some hard lessons.

This is a hard journal entry for me to write, but it does need to be written. Before I go any further I must state something right up front. I'm not writing this for any sympathy or condolences, but to record some feelings, and a hard lesson learned.

I have one brother, who also collects coins. They're mostly raw, for example, he's putting together a raw Walking Liberty set (as most of you know, the early years of this set can be quite pricy in higher grades). He's also doing Barber quarters and halves, ditto for the pricey higher grades.

Anyway, on December 29, 2009, our mother passed away. Our dad had passed a long time ago, in fact, mom died 3 days short of 29 years later. She had been struggling at the nursing home for a good month before she died. I was there when she passed and I'm sure glad I was. We were taking shifts being with her since early Christmas day.

This journal is a tribute to my parents, who encouraged me when I was a boy to develop my (our) own interests, and one of these interests was coin collecting. They sacrificed for us, and would take me into town for the Donnellson coin club meetings before I could drive myself. They were happy to take me, the library was another place they would take me without any hassle.

Now to the hard lessons. Last year, I was at the point where I was going to have to sell the bulk of my collection to pay my credit card bills. The hard lesson I learned (and many well-known numistmatic writers say this) is not to build a collection on credit. I got in over my head, but now, thanks to my parents hard work, I'm able to save my collection.

Another hard lesson I learned is to focus my collection more. My registry sets now show this. I took out all of the Mexican lower denomination sets. I've always liked the bigger coins (dollars, half dollars etc.) so that's 1 part of what my focus will be. The second focus will be specimen notes and $2 bills on the currency side. The rest of my US notes will be sold to fund purchases that fit in. However, a top grade Chief note and Bison note will fit in with my 3rd focus, my Wild West theme signature set.

So, to finish this entry, I again dedicate this entry and my collection to Don and Alverda Blankenburg, may they rest in peace and be proud of me.

Sorry, had to pause for a few minutes. Normally I attach a coin picture to my entry, tonight will be the exception, as I'm attaching my parent's wedding picture. Thanks for reading, and I hope you'll put up with this one non-coin pic.