Tough Being Semi-retired by Iowa Silver Baron Bammer

[CSJournals-migration]

moving more into currency

 

Hi all,

 

I know it has been a while since I have posted any journal articles, and it has been longer still since I have purchased any coins.

 

I have been semi-retired since the middle of May. Things at work made me and Hy-Vee decide to semi-retire. Insurance has been the big bug-a-boo, and I am still not sure how everything will work out. I have enough in my IRA to almost get through next year. The problem is I am having trouble with my back, I think from an accident a few years ago, and it's making it tough to find a halfway decent part time job to help pay for insurance. I keep plugging away, and am looking into other options.

 

So, I have to cut down somewhere and that is going to have to be on the coin side. I will be involved with the CS; I am going to keep my Wild West custom set and work on the Westward Journey nickels and the Sac dollars with the new reverses that change every year. If I see a western mint coin that fits in and is very inexpensive, I will probably purchase it.

 

Otherwise I will be working more on the currency side, as being an ex-pressman, that is really where my heart is, although western mints are not far behind. I was really hoping to have a good year, I had it in the back of my head to go for another Journal award, but that will have to wait until next year.

 

So, in conclusion, I'll still be here to read all the interesting journal everyone writes, on both the coin and currency sections. I hope we can all have a very good Christmas and New Year, and I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving.

 

Picture is one of my so-called dollars, commemorating the Louisiana Purchase.

 

See more journals by Iowa Silver Baron Bammer

[Six Mile Rick]

Brian,

Good to read a journal from an old friend. Hang in there bud. There are no scheduled dates for additions and just hanging around with a journal once in a while is quite acceptable!!

Many of us have slowed down on our purchases so don't think you need to keep feeding that coin bug to hang out here.

 

Rick

[Jack Robinson]

Brian,

 

Best wishes to you and your family. Coins and Currency will always be there when you want to find them. Enjoy life with your family and friends.

 

Have a Merry Christmas and new year, too. A whole new adventure awaits you.

 

Semper Fi !

 

Jack

 

 

[coinsbygary]

Hey Brian! Let me echo the comments of the other posters welcoming you back! Not to say that things are dull around here but you are like a wisp of fresh air! Come back often, I love to hear from you. Incidentally, I have my own Hy-Vee story. For various reasons, I don't regularly shop there. I think it mostly has to do with the location of the store and the ease of access from where I live. Anyways, every year they run a special where they give you a free turkey up to 14 pounds if you buy an accompanying ham at their regular price. Well, this seems like a pretty good deal to me and it is the second Thanksgiving in a row my family and I have enjoyed a free turkey! Now when I sit down to enjoy the ham at Christmas, I'll be sure to think about you! Merry Christmas to you and your family Brian!

Gary

 

[Mohawk]

Hello,

I know we've never had an exchange before, but I can relate to what you're saying about having to cut back and narrow your focus. Since my main occupation currently is full-time Graduate Student, my collecting budget isn't always the best. It mostly depends on if I can find good stuff for my little Ebay business and what my profit is when I make sales. My interests are all over the place. My main pursuits are Ottoman Empire and German coins, but I like coins from Chile, Italy, the Netherlands, Ottoman Egypt and the occasional U.S. one off, but my budget often doesn't allow for me to pursue all of my interests as much as I'd like. So I've decided to narrow my focus to my Ottoman Empire and German pursuits. And I've been very happy doing it. By focusing in on just those two for the most part, I've had the budget to pick up some very nice stuff for my main Competitive Sets which are Ottoman Empire Nickel 5, 10, 20 and 40 Para and German World War II Occupation Coins 5 and 10 Reichspfennig. For the first time, I have 3 sets at 50% completion and thusly eligible for Registry Awards. I likely won't win one at this point as there are so many fine sets here, but I'm at least in the running. And I wouldn't be if I hadn't narrowed my focus. So there's good things to be said for scaling back a little. I hope that your scaling back helps you complete your goals for your main pursuits as it has in my case, and that you find some enjoyment in devoting yourself to your main loves.

[Iowa Silver Baron Bammer]

First off, I want to thank all of you who responded to my journal article. This is the big reason I have stayed with NGC, all the kind and wonderful CS members who make our hobby the great one it is. I almost hate to admit it, but seeing the best wishes and holiday greetings from all of you brought tears to my eyes. I will never forget all of you.

 

Mohawk, best wishes to you for your graduate studies. I hope things go well. What are you studying?? if you don't mind me asking.

 

Gary, mind if I ask which Hy-Vee store. I worked for Hy-Vee a little over 13 years, and I know their big push is customer service and treating the customer right. I know a lot of places say they do, but Hy-Vee is one of the few who do.

 

To Rick, thanks for being such a friend. I do appreciate it.

 

Jack, thanks for leaving the message. I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season. In fact I hope everyone here has a nice holiday season.

 

As for mine, I think my brother, sister in law and I are getting together a couple of days after, as many of you may remember (I think I wrote this in a journal at the time) our mother passed away 2 days after X-mas in 2009, and we're going to get together and remember her and dad, and my sister in laws parents who were pretty cool too.

 

Thank you all for taking the time to write at a time when I really needed it.

 

Brian

[Mohawk]

Hello again Brian,

Since we have names out here now......my name is Tom I'm actually studying Middle Eastern History and Culture, with a focus on the Ottoman Empire and the Modern Middle East. And I have a question for you as well......what are your interests in currency? I don't get a chance to talk to many currency collectors, and I'd be interested in your collecting interests in that area. I've actually given thought to getting into Ottoman and German currency myself but I haven't taken the leap yet. Also thanks for the kind wishes for a nice holiday season, I'm sure myself and mine will have one.....we always do. I'm fortunate to come from a very happy family, and my future in-laws are also very cheerful folks so our get togethers for holidays are always quite nice on both sides for me.

 

I have to say I'm glad to hear that you're staying with us, it really is a good group here. Which leads me to think that I should probably get a little more active on the journal/message board side of things.

 

Anyhow, it's been very nice to cyber-meet you Brian and until we speak next

Best Regards

~Tom

[Iowa Silver Baron Bammer]

Tom, it's nice to meet you. My interests in currency are varied. Obsolete, national bank notes and MPC's from the U.S. I also like Mexican currency, especially Specimen notes. An adjunct to Mexico, I do like Central and South American currency. Also Europe, I am partial to Germany, since most of my ancestors emigrated from Germany in the mid 1800's. I do want to re-do my currency signature sets, so keep checking them for my interests.

[Mohawk]

Brian,

All very interesting fields! I'll definitely be keeping an eye on your currency signature sets. Currency can be so very cool and beautiful, all the different engravings and colors.....it's good stuff! It's also cool to know that you're descended from German immigrants. I am myself. My whole maternal family came to America from Germany after World War II, which is why I collect German coins myself. Some of the first coins I ever received were some Third Reich coins from my grandfather when I was 8. I still have them, and one of them is on the Registry......it's the 1943-J Aluminum 50 Reichspfennig in that competitive set.

[jgenn]

Hi Brian, I've been hoping you would post a few more journal entries about 8 reales coins as you have done in the past. Best of luck to you! ~jack

[Iowa Silver Baron Bammer]

I might do that jgenn. The only 8 reales I have right now are raw. I wouldn't mind getting some of them graded, but I have a feeling they'll come back as details, because I think most of them look like they've been cleaned. I guess cleaned doesn't bother me too much, as I will probably never have a #1 rated set. I guess I'll have to get them out, see what I have again and go from there. I know I wrote 1 journal article a few years ago about what really got my interest going on Mexican coins and currency. If enough of you want me to, I'll write another journal about it. Here's a teaser, my dad found it as he was tilling the garden for mom many, many years ago.

[jgenn]

Great teaser. I'll keep a look out for your journal. ~jack