One thing I've learned in six years of collecting.....

[mintcollector]

I think coin collecting requires MUCH more patience than other hobbies. I learned to be patient due to the high standards I set for the coins I purchase.

 

This is NOT like comic book collecting; or even currency collecting, where I could obtain most the of the items I want as quickly as I want them. This is something I actually respect about coin collecting and have learned. Then again, this is only my opinion.

 

Kind Regards,

 

'mint'

[MarkFeld]

I think coin collecting requires MUCH more patience than other hobbies. I learned to be patient due to the high standards I set for the coins I purchase.

 

This is NOT like comic book collecting; or even currency collecting, where I could obtain most the of the items I want as quickly as I want them. This is something I actually respect about coin collecting and have learned. Then again, this is only my opinion.

 

Kind Regards,

 

'mint'

 

I think other hobbies can require just as much patience, and I have experienced that, first hand. But it depends upon what you're collecting and how high your standards are. In just about any hobby, there are pursuits which are extremely easy to obtain, but others which are much more difficult, or nearly impossible to acquire.

 

You apparently sought currency items which were very easy to obtain. But certainly some other collectors seek much rarer and elusive pieces. Just like coins.

[comicdonna]

I think coin collecting requires MUCH more patience than other hobbies. I learned to be patient due to the high standards I set for the coins I purchase.

 

This is NOT like comic book collecting; or even currency collecting, where I could obtain most the of the items I want as quickly as I want them. This is something I actually respect about coin collecting and have learned. Then again, this is only my opinion.

 

Kind Regards,

 

'mint'

 

I think other hobbies can require just as much patience, and I have experienced that, first hand. But it depends upon what you're collecting and how high your standards are. In just about any hobby, there are pursuits which are extremely easy to obtain, but others which are much more difficult, or nearly impossible to acquire.

 

You apparently sought currency items which were very easy to obtain. But certainly some other collectors seek much rarer and elusive pieces. Just like coins.

Very true. My focus on the comic side requires a great deal of patience. In many cases, there are less than 25 graded copies. There are 20 books I need to finish my set. With such a narrow focus of rare books, I will be lucky to finish the set in my lifetime.

 

 

[mintcollector]

I think coin collecting requires MUCH more patience than other hobbies. I learned to be patient due to the high standards I set for the coins I purchase.

 

This is NOT like comic book collecting; or even currency collecting, where I could obtain most the of the items I want as quickly as I want them. This is something I actually respect about coin collecting and have learned. Then again, this is only my opinion.

 

Kind Regards,

 

'mint'

 

I think other hobbies can require just as much patience, and I have experienced that, first hand. But it depends upon what you're collecting and how high your standards are. In just about any hobby, there are pursuits which are extremely easy to obtain, but others which are much more difficult, or nearly impossible to acquire.

 

You apparently sought currency items which were very easy to obtain. But certainly some other collectors seek much rarer and elusive pieces. Just like coins.

Very true. My focus on the comic side requires a great deal of patience. In many cases, there are less than 25 graded copies. There are 20 books I need to finish my set. With such a narrow focus of rare books, I will be lucky to finish the set in my lifetime.

 

 

Keep in mind I hate any kind of toning. This makes my pursuit, much, much harder!

 

As for currency, it is very easy to find a ten or twenty dollar gold certificate in high grade if you have the cash. General US currency in high grade us readily available; for popular issues, that is.

 

With comic books, I collect 'silver and bronze age.' Not the golden age. Therefore, you can easily buy most of these comics in high grade (which is all I touch) without much issue (no pun intended).

 

Coins I am extremely picky with. I can find problems with most coins even in MS 65 and higher. This has caused me to take a lot of patience and foresight with the items I buy...

 

I currently have no other collecting hobbies (without going into 'true' antiques) that require this much effort.

 

Respectfully,

 

'mint'

 

[comicdonna]

I totally understand. (thumbs u It's just the opposite for me. It's easy for me to find a coin I like. Comics, are much more difficult.

[Oldtrader3]

I don't know about other collectors but, speaking for myself collecting coins and hobby changes, evolution and growth over the past 45 or so years during which I have been active, my habits and what I collect have first evolved and then held for awhile and are now devolving somewhat. I think that, if you stay with a hobby long enough, this is a natural evolutionary process.

 

The hobby has changed a great deal since 1964 when I first started buying coins as seriously collectible objects instead of just for filling penny board holes as a teenager. Additionally, there are about 300,000 more coin collectors in this country than there were estimated to be in 1964.

 

This is to say nothing about the monetary flow and control of these assets and how they are distributed, bought and sold now versus then. This is especially true of the venues themselves, your access to them as a customer and the real probabilities of finding that special coin just out there in the market place, waiting for you to walk by.

 

There is a whole lot more complexity now and costs of much really collectible coinage has reached a plateau of pretty high pricing and large premiums on some better issues. It is much more complex now IMHO with market grading, TPG's, overlapping AU/BU grading, sight unseen bidding, grey sheets, et al.

[realone]

I don't know about other collectors but, speaking for myself collecting coins and hobby changes, evolution and growth over the past 45 or so years during which I have been active, my habits and what I collect have first evolved and then held for awhile and are now devolving somewhat. I think that, if you stay with a hobby long enough, this is a natural evolutionary process.

 

The hobby has changed a great deal since 1964 when I first started buying coins as seriously collectible objects instead of just for filling penny board holes as a teenager. Additionally, there are about 300,000 more coin collectors in this country than there were estimated to be in 1964.

 

This is to say nothing about the monetary flow and control of these assets and how they are distributed, bought and sold now versus then. This is especially true of the venues themselves, your access to them as a customer and the real probabilities of finding that special coin just out there in the market place, waiting for you to walk by.

 

There is a whole lot more complexity now and costs of much really collectible coinage has reached a plateau of pretty high pricing and large premiums on some better issues. It is much more complex now IMHO with market grading, TPG's, overlapping AU/BU grading, sight unseen bidding, grey sheets, et al.

 

Your perspective on collecting is extremely valuable to be aware of, I hope you can elaborate on this subject in even greater detail, thi sis exactly how I personally learn and with this kind of first hand info i can reduce the number of mistakes I will make.....by listening to your experiences.

In the short time that I have been collecting, approx alittle under 7 years I see myself constantly evolving and altering the way I collect...hopefully perfecting it and hopefully reducing my mistakes and increasing my pleasure. I know my main focus has become incredibly narrow allowing me much better usage of my time in what I enjoy most and reducing the total amount of time I am spending with the hunt.

[messydesk]

Additionally, there are about 300,000 more coin collectors in this country than there were estimated to be in 1964.

[citation needed]

[Oldtrader3]

Additionally, there are about 300,000 more coin collectors in this country than there were estimated to be in 1964.

[citation needed]

 

This is anecdotal and based on a couple of articles which I read a few years ago which stated that the guesstimated number of coin collectors active in the hobby in the 1960's was about 30,000 collectors. The newer estimate was based on a compilation of ANA members and show attendance figures for that particular year. They also tried to level the estimate with auction revenue dollar numbers which probably is a low number because of the importance and more frequent attendance of coin shows throughout the US.

 

I really am not interested in wasting my time with trying to ratify this number but you can if you wish? Directionally and activity-wise it seems a rational guesstimate. If the number offends you, ignore it. It was not intended nor forwarded to be a statistically relevent number or I would have cited it..

[Oldtrader3]

Realone, I would like to hear about other's experiences in collecting as well. No one mentored me or directed any of my choices in how I went about learning and developing some competence as a coin collector.

 

The economic issues of the 1960's and demonitization of coinage during that era probably drove me as a dynamic to collect and determined selectivity as to what I collected as much as any other factor. This is evidenced by the fact that I started out as a gold coin collector by preference which is certainly not the way any of my friends started collecting, nor would most collectors start that way now.

 

Aside from that issue of the times, I collected Morgan dollars, by mint and grade, in Capital holder sets ("P", "O", "S" mints). This was before the GSA sales and "CC" coins were too expensive for my coin budget.

 

There also were no number grades then but there was an unofficial "AU" catagory which was XF everywhere else in the world. So, just to confuse and cloud the issue more, I collected better XF ("AU"), smaller denomination gold (through half eagles). This phase lasted maybe 6-7 years and was replaced by type collecting, plus more denominational set building of esoteria like Trimes, Saints and half eagles in AU/MS

[mikeg286]

 

 

 

Ankur,in principle I agree with you but there are certain rare pieces where logic goes out the window.We are always told to hold off on low grade examples because you will have to sell them when a higher grade comes along.However in some cases that better coin may never come or be so expensive that you may not get it.

By the way its good to see you posting here.

[realone]

If anyone cares, here is me evolution in a ngc holder (or a nutshell):

 

6/2005 started collecting type coins which included the following:

1794 1/2c anacs xf-40 but it had porosity which I didn't realize at the time.

1783 C Nova pcgs xf45, I cracked it out not realizing that it is better to remain holdered, resubmitted raw and came back xf40, and I learned how subjective grading can be.1794 1C raw, submitted it to ngc & pcgs came back enviornmental damage, another good lesson.

1800 1C S-208 segs AU55 "rough srufaces", and now I know what rough surfaces means, arggh, segs sucks for describing corrosion like that.

1795 1/2C pci, cracked it out and sent to both ngc & pcgs came back gen, so sent it back to pci and learned how bad pci is.

 

12/05 purchased my first couple of capped bust half dimes raw, sent my first one

an 1834 to pcgs where it graded au58, but I felt it was undergraded, cracked it out sent in again and it gened. Learned to be grateful and learned how inconsistent the grading companies can be.

 

 

Narrowed my scope in type and grade, now only the highest grades possible., and now only naturally toned with original surfaces. Can be in any holder because buying hte coin and not the holder.

 

1/06 Started collecting capped bust half dimes and only those slabbed by pcgs & ngc.

4/06 started collecting the rarer varieties and die marraiges

12/06 started collecting capped bust dimes under the same set of constraints.

7/07 started tracing pedigrees and collecting pedigreed bust dimes and bust half dimes.

8/09 started collecting bust dime errors.

11/09 started collecting bust dime & half dime cuds and heavy die cracks.

4/11 started collecting Liberty seated Dimes & Half Dimes but only in special cases.

 

And there you have it, a little backwards, bought the books and learned to grade only after experiencing the agony of defeat;)

 

 

 

[AnkurJ]

Interesting Evolution!

I would write mine but it might cause some board members to have a seizure.

[Arizonadesertrat]

Interesting Evolution!

I would write mine but it might cause some board members to have a seizure.

 

 

Nah, we've seen the bloody bits ATS.

[AnkurJ]

Interesting Evolution!

I would write mine but it might cause some board members to have a seizure.

 

 

Nah, we've seen the bloody bits ATS.

 

More reason not to post it here.