notonyet

Hello everyone. I've been reading CoinTalk as a visitor for about two weeks now - LOVE IT!! I just read someones post about visitors being 3:1 over registered users and that motivated me to sign up. I am most impressed by the way everyone speaks to and genuinely helps the others in the various forums.

I have been collecting - I should buying - direct from the US Mint for 10 years now with no particular direction, goal or focus. Well, not entirely true. I was visiting my father who I had not seen in 20 years and he asked if I collected anything. No, I replied and he proceeded to show me his collection of commemoratives. I was absolutely blown away! Legal tender US coins that I had never seen, or heard of. That was 1999 and my first son was on the way. When I returned from the visit, I went immediately to the USMint website and started poking around. My fathers advice was "Only buy from the Mint; its the only way to be sure your getting a fair deal." Well, my first commemorative was the Leif Erikson and I have purchased almost every commemorative since. I also subscribed to the Uncirculated, Proof and Silver Proof Annual sets; and 2 Proof ASE's. Fortunately, this was right at the start of the State quarters and I have complete sets in all types. I also picked up 1/4 oz gold and platinums when I could.

I'm not much interested in all the presidents, or the state parks - just too many doggone coins and no real focus! Reading CoinTalk has now got me interested in building a couple type sets: circulating dollars and dimes. As I look for those '18-o-something' coins, I'm going to be looking forward to the good advice and wealth of information the CoinTalks members hold.