Lost my direction

[Chris1976]

I started with good intentions of sticking to certian coin series, but have found myself wondering all over the "map"

 

When I started to get serious with my coin collecting (no longer just setting spare change aside in coin wrappers), I started out with a typical series (Eisenhower Dollar coins)which I would place in an album. But now, while that set is not fully complete, I have found myself to have several albums for numerous coin sets (lincoln cents, 1964+ dimes, washington quarters, statehood quarters, national parks quarters, etc) and not a single one of them is fully complete. A couple are very close to being complete, only lacking a few in a couple of the albums, but I have a very hard time remaining on target.

 

Lately I have caught myself purchasing coins far away from the direction that I was heading (such as the recent purchase of 17 1986-s Statue of liberty Comem coins). It tends to be very difficult to not purchase coins on a "whim". Such as a 1891-o Morgan I recently picked up or the few Capped Bust Half dollars I have aquired.

 

How do you keep this urge in check while working towards your goals? Do you also find it difficult to take a step back and regain your sense of direction that you had started with?

 

See more journals by Chrishjr

[Mokiechan]

Chris,

I think a lot of collectors are very impulsive in their purchases despite their best intentions.

In your case, starting out with those Eisenhower Dollars was a good idea but it is not the kind of set you can ever complete from circulation so supplementing with an album for State Quarters is also a good idea.

 

Write down the remaining Ike's you need, determine their total price in lets say MS65 and start buying one every payday until your set is complete. Also for those statehood or national park quarter albums, buy 100 dollars worth of quarters every payday, pull the ones you can use in your sets, and turn the rest back in to the bank.

 

Buy focusing on those two things, you can make solid progress on your sets and enjoy your accomplishments. But the occasional whim buy is OK!!!

 

[bartlesvilleok]

I find myself doing the same.

 

I stared with the 3cn proof set which is somewhat complete. The 1865 is not the regular issue coin but a Judd-410 it is a Eliasberg pedigree and from what I understand was in his 1865 slot when his set was "complete" so I am counting it anyway. About half way threw the proof 3cn's I started a 2cent cir set and the basic set is finished. Once these 2 sets were completed I went for a 3cn cir set. I still am looking for the 1885 on this one. I hardly ever see one and the few times I have it has been way out of my budget. I also have an incomplete set of cir 3cs. I got the common dates on this and again hit a brick wall. After a year or some of buying little to nothing while searching for problem free key dates of these two sets a friend (Sam aka Coindude) talked me into doing a 7070. I started this with the loose coins I had. I have filled many more slots and have upgraded a lot of the orginal coins on this set. While I only have 3 slots left; the barber 1/2, and the 2 seated liberty dollars (just cant find nice problem free examples as a price I want to pay) I have many that could be upgraded.

 

While I still have the cir 3cn and cir 3cs sets incomplete that I am working on by having the 7070 it makes it seem like I am more focused then before when I didn't have it. The reasoning I think is that if I happen to see a nice franklin, walking liberty etc I can as myself will this fill a slot or could it be an upgrade. I also started and finished a 20th centry that I filled with the coins I had upgraded from the 7070

 

After saying all that about the 7070 that I still think was a big help A few months ago I had a friend that was wanting to sale some common date Morgans and some proof american eagles. I started with a morgan as it was an upgrade for my 7070. He made me a great deal so now 10 morgans and 14 proof ase's later I also have a album for morgans and ASE's

 

I know it sounds like I am going every which way here and maybe I am. I would suggest everyone do a 7070 (yes I was against it at first too) to help keep them focused but also when you see a great deal you have to jump on it.

[SPHansen]

Oh, do I feel your pain!

 

I've recently completed my PF70 Presidential Dollar set, and am waiting for my final coins for my PF70 ATB set. I'm also going to get a 2010 PF70 Union Shield cent to get that set in the next few days. I found that I wanted to get the best possible coins for the newly started series, and only worry about annual upkeep of them. Now, I can work on other earlier sets at my leisure without any self-pressure to 'buy-buy-buy'... I'm working on a high end Roosevelt set, as well as a Walker 64 set, and picking up any good deals I can find along the way. I found that thinking about also finishing annual Proof and Mint sets allows you to 'finish' a smaller goal while working toward a larger one.

[Six Mile Rick]

Chris,

I started my Ike set in December other than Morgans. I intended on finishing them early this year but have purchased everything but Ikes.

The results show----

I HAVE NO SENCE OF DIRECTION !!!

 

Gotta Love It-------HAPPY COIN COLLECTING

[TD Henson]

Agreed. I struggle with direction too...

 

I've been trying to focus on my Roosevelt Dimes's, but yet completed a proof set of ATB quarters and now find myself pulled into working on mint sets...

 

Too many coins - too little time and WAY to little money...

[Mokiechan]

[quote=TD Henson

 

Too many coins - too little time and WAY to little money...

 

Ain't that the truth!!!

[noow]

 

Too many coins - too little time and WAY to little money...

 

Ain't that the truth!!!

+1

 

I technically do not follow a series of coins, but I work on small sets of things. My goal incollecting is to get a coin from every series, denomination, and type.

[Texans Coins]

Im in the same boat with you. There are a lot of beautiful coins out there and reading the publications doesn't help either. When they feature a coin series, it sets off the "Buy Me" section of my brain. If it weren't for the bank wanting me to pay my mortgage EVERY month, I would have everything under the sun.

 

SPHansen, now you have me wanting to start a Union Shield set. I agree with you. A new series doesn't put you under the same pressure. It is more of a maintenence set.

 

Good luck to everyone in your collecting!

 

 

Marcus

[Jeffrey Cardona]

Hi Chris,

 

It is quite easy to be all over the place! And I sure have done some impulse buys over the years! I found that I can handle about 4 sets and successfully stay focused. I have the SAEs proofs and MS and Silver $1 and 50c Modern commemoratives in my collection right now.

 

The SAEs are done except for the 1995W proof and yearly updates. I love having to work on 2 sets right now...it gives me the illusion of having more money to spend on coins!! With only 2 more coins to go in my 50c comm collection, I am thinking ahead on my next set...I hear statehood quarters calling me

 

Jeff

[Chris1976]

As of right now the ones for my Ike set that I am missing are:

 

71-74 BU and Proof silvers

1972 Type 2

 

I know I can get all the missing silvers for about $83 for the full group of BU and Proofs, but that 72 Type 2 is going to be a bit of a bugger. Through the purchasing of rolls of Ikes I had found the type 1 and type 3, and I do still hope to locate a type 2 the same way, but highly doubt the success. While I hate the idea of cleaned and/or damaged coins to be included in that set, I may go that route for the Type 2 since its just for placement in an album, I can always swap it out later in time if I find that I am in a spot where I can spare the higher cost. The BU and Proof silvers that I have are a bit more special to me as they were given to my mother by Gerald R Ford at the hospital the day I was born (july 4th 1976). So not sure that those two sets will be opened any time soon, so I should also plan on purchasing those coins as well for the album.

 

Nasf,

Statehoods are a good fun set I will say that for sure, Right now I have 3 dual Dansco sets in the works (one for me, and one for my niece and one for the nefew) , but I also have 3 statehood quarter maps that I am working on as well (one for each mint P, D and S clads). But these are mostly being filled by pocket change and the occasional roll that the local coin shop aquires from time to time. I too am working on Statehood and National Parks quarters registry proof sets, mostly made of PF69UCAM's but working on swaping those out for 70's as funding and availability allows.

 

-Chris