Ignorance is Bliss? or something like that.

I was just reading the thread from Phoenix (Tyler) about him taking a break from coin collecting. That just stinks. He will be greatly missed. But his thread got me thinking about what he said about selling his coins to earn money for clothes and stuff and I couldn't help but philosophize.

This has just got me thinking about us "old guys", anyone who is my age (37) and older.

I have been into coin collecting my whole life. I was never part of any club or group until last year (2008). I had never joined an on-line group until the summer of 2007 (Coin Talk). I never had any friends that liked collecting. Basically, I just sat in my own little world and collected everything that I could afford and everything that I found interesting. I didn't know about slabbed coins until a few years ago. I definitely didn't know about grading (I knew enough to find the best coin possible). There were tons of things that I didn't know. Thanks to me getting on-line a few years ago, my knowledge and experience have quadrupled. The Internet is awesome and powerful. But unlike the young ones of today who have computers at 5 years old, I didn't get my first computer until I was 18 (1990). That was a good old IBM 286! Remember those! With the Xerox dot matrix printer. Man where they slow! I first got onto the Internet in 1995 and only after all the urgings of my friends who said I needed to get email. What the heck is email??? This apparently was all the rage back then. But it wasn't until 2004 that I started to "surf" the Internet and it was only after Jan 2008, that I found myself constantly on the computer and most of that was due to Coin Talk.

Now that I have joined the digital world and been surfing on-line, I have to say that coin collecting in the current century is very intimidating. I could understand the pressure that a young numismatist would feel when hanging with those of us who have vast collections and unlimited financial resources. For someone like myself with an obsessive personality, I can't even imagine being a coin collector at a young age in todays world. I definitely could see myself getting frustrated when everyone is talking about the new mint set or proof set they just got and I am stuck at home not even being of age to get a drivers license.

But even back then, I knew enough that if I wanted to buy a coin, I had to work and make money. I bought my first coin sets from the mint in 1986. Sure, I think my parents helped me out some. But I remember the day when my dad handed me the order form for the new ASE proof coin. I was standing in my bedroom and my dad gave me the form. I remember the talk when he told me that if I wanted it, I had to work and save for it. And so I did. I had 4 paper routes back then. I would mow grass in the summer and shovel snow in the winter. I would paint houses and do whatever else it took to make that money so I could buy coins. I would walk door to door selling wrapping paper and holiday cards. Remember those days???? Things are different now. I would never send my kind wandering the neighborhood looking for jobs to do.... and I live in backwoods WV. Its as safe as it can get around here and I still wouldn't do it. Heck, I used to walk for miles looking for anyone that may want to hire a 14 year old to rake their yard for 10 bucks. But today it takes at least $40 to do the same job and who wants to pay that?

I never had to sell anything to buy clothes, because I didn't care what I wore. There were those families who had money and those who didn't. And we were one of those that didn't have money. My mom bought me one pair of jeans, one pair of sneakers and a few shirts and that was it all year. We looked forward to the holidays so we could get more clothes. Thats right!!!! We wanted clothes for gifts!!! Who the heck wants that when you have Playstations and Xboxes and whatever other gadgets that are out there. I remember when I got an Atari! All our games were hand-me-downs from our cousins. I played Frogger for years.

So my point being.... all these years that I had no contact with anyone who knew anything about coins. It allowed me to be the coin collector that I wanted to be. I had no outside influence. No pressure. No jealousy. I never felt that I was being out done or out collected. I lived in ignorant bliss. I just wish that some of you young guys could experience that. I have only experienced all that stuff after getting on-line and surfing the Internet.

I can understand why Phoenix or Catbert or anyone else just needs a break every now and again. I just hope they all come back. Peace. Joe

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

.

 

I have nothing to add other than the fact that coin collecting isn't the only area where my knowledge has grown exponentially do to easy information access on the net.

The net is the most important invention since the Gutenberg Bible.

Ruben

 

.

 

wow, with a post like that it makes me feel like their are other coin nerds like my self out there with the same values and experience that I have. I read your post and thought this is me. Nice post Joe. Thanks.

 

That is sooooo scary. Your life is like a mirror image of mine. Only I didn't get new clothes. I am a twin and my mother belonged to an organization called the twins club. Every so often my twin brother and I would get new clothes which were actually hand me downs from other members of the twins club.

I have been on the internet a tad longer and collecting coins seriously longer, but I can identify with that entire heart felt post.

ps Frogger Rules, it was my favorite video game as a kid.

 

I'm 16 and feel kinda the same way.
I'm not jealous or under pressure of you or your guy's awesome coins, I admire them greatly. I just have fun with what I can afford. For me, this hobby isn't just about having the coins, its about the knowledge and history, and talking with all of you here on CT, and the coins. I have no job, I just get money from saved up lunch money, b-day money, and stuff like that. I have fun with what I can get. I think I'm gonna be into this hobby for a long time.

 

Have you met Edwaurd

 

No, why?

 

Search his threads ... and be enlightened...:secret:

 

At 31 I kinda feel the same... Excpet I was the older sibling and got the new clothes and we would go to my friends because they had an Atari. We only had the ColecoVision tank game. My first computer was a commodore 64/128. I still collect scrap metal and cans to get my money for coins and paper money.

 

oooo la la. I did and wow. Those are some nice coins alright. I'm definintely enlightened now.

 

That's a very heart warming post Joe.

 

It always puts a smile on my face when I see youngsters at shows, or in this room , talking coins. Thats a rarity! oh btw, I'm from the age before we had computers and communicated by telex.

 

Boy that was scary insight into my childhood. At nearing 34 I too didn't get a computer until 1995 and didn't get on the internet until 1999. But I learned on my own, and mowed lawns to make cash for coins.

 

Things that make you go ..... HHHMMM?????

That post makes ya think back!!!!!!
I was from Southwest Philly, (Philadelphia) I went to West Catholic high school for boys, and was the only geek that collected coins....there was no internet..and I remember going with my dad to coin shows....and taking the bus to the local coin shop in Lansdowne,PA...hahahahah>>>cutting lawns, cleaning up yards, working on cars....all to make a buck for coins....funny looking back...Hell in 1987 I enlisted in the US Army and I remember my DI calling me a coin bit*h and it was degrading I thought....but still had the passsion for the coin...hhahahahaaha

That was a great post.......
Neal :thumb:

 

What a class post....... Should be made required reading for new collectors.

 

Thank you so much for that great post. I'm still young(18) and my life has been so hectic I don't even want to start. What helps me stay into this hobby is I am a dealer as well as a collector. Mainly my 'stock' is my collection, but every now and then I will buy something strictly for myself. The internet, mainly CoinTalk, has really helped with learning. I have only been collecting coins for about 4 years but now I have matched and surpassed in knowledge of many people that has been colecting for 40 years or more. I have never felt outdone or jealousy because I am happy with what I have considering on all that I started with was one 1923 silver dollar and about 30 wheat cents, that has now, after 4 years, turned into several thousand dollars. Well I guess I will stop here. I have never been good at talking, or typing, I am more of a listener that hangs around and says one word out of a million. Again that was an excelent post.

Chase A Byrd

 

Thanks to everyone who took the time to read this and for all your kind words.

 

I don't know about you two and boinking frogs! :hammer:

The first computer I worked with was a UYK-7 with 16K memory and the size of a small closet:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AN/UYK-7

And my favorite game was Pong.

Most kids today have no clue how lucky they are.

Ribbit