One of the neat features of collecting ancient coins is the great variety of things available to collect. One of the less neat features is that it is harder to find someone else who actually cares about the coins you consider so very interesting. Each of us has specialties but it is a lot easier to find someone passionate about filling out their set of MS Buffalo nickels than about a one of a kind find of a new variety from someplace and time that 99.99% of people never heard of let alone collect. I posted a new (to me) find on another venue and received a very nice reply from a helpful member equivalent to pointing out that a 1909S VDB cent is like the 2010 cent he found in change (both say One Cent and show Lincoln). I appreciate the time taken to reply but it is hard to figure out where to take a conversation from that point. How do you feel about this? I really don't want a million of you to start competing with me for the handful of coins I'd most like to add to my collection. On the other hand, it would be nice to know someone who I could show the coin and not have to discuss the difference between a shield and a wheatie. Do you enjoy collecting things that most people don't appreciate or do you tire of people asking why you would pay $20 for something that has a melt value of less than 20 cents?
That happens to me occasionally and I just come back to my forums to discuss coins/paper money rather than trying to educate someone who really has no interest in what I'm saying. Today I had someone come in to work to sell me silver dollars which I was hoping to buy for melt since I was told they were pretty worn. When the fella showed them to me I saw that they were all post 1969 which meant they were nickel not silver (Canadian). It took a while to make him understand that they weren't silver dollars and not worth more than a dollar each. He had bought them years ago from a coin shop thinking that they were silver. He didn't believe me until I showed him the price guide I had with me. That created another problem because he thought his coins were in excellent condition and should be worth the MS prices. I didn't buy anything from him. He left saying he would take them to a coin store where he was sure he would get the prices he wanted.
Yes and he will leave the coin store convinced that coin collectors, used car salesmen and politicians are all cut from the same cloth. Think how some of us ancient collectors have been received when we tell you that the coin you bought on your vacation to the Holy Land was actually made in Bulgaria circa 2000 AD.
Most of the coins in my collect, only I appreciate (a few even I dont though) But yeah, do you want competion and someone to converse with about particular coins ( and know what your talking about) or coins that just gather dust (conversation wise I mean). Both can be rewarding though.
While it is a valid concern about competition, (I learned my lesson about posting auctions Doug), collectors like to talk about their coins. That is what internet forums are all about. I completely understand your want to share interesting things you collect, and I think there are enough of us here to relate to that. I would like to talk about some more esoteric cities and countries I collect, but I am afraid I would get a blank stare. I think if I was better at getting photos of my coins, (too little time and not enough inclination), I would feel comfortable showing my anonymous bronze collection or even my Type I sub collection and the different reverses on them. Please feel free to share, I really did like your posts on the falling horsemen type. I think many of us did.
Believe it or not its that post thats made me take a closer look at the different styles even though its the same. Im looking to get a fallen horseman ancient by years end. Im just being picky.
Me too. I dug through some of what I own, (not all, I have way too many unattributed Romans and as a type these are common), and I was able to pick out two distinctly different reverses for the type. If you really want a nice one, I think a pick box at a major show would be a great place to find an excellent example.
I love being picky. The interesting part to me is that my 'picky' choice is completely boring to most. I'll be interested to see if mat's eventual coin is one I'd pick. That is what I love about the hobby. Carefully selected, a group of five coins could be posted asking participants to place them in order of desirability (what you would pay). My order of preference would be different than yours. I doubt any two of the few ancient-interested people here would place all five in the same order.
Or better yet, post five ancient coins and have non ancient collectors sort them and compare versus what we would choose. Make it fair and have all of them worth equivalent values. I bet most of my choices would be listed as 4th or 5th in that list.
I actually sent Randy a PM of the 3 or 4 I am thinking about. Ive just never bought off Vcoins & I am waiting for funds to clear before I maybe spend more then I budgeted for a common fallen ancient, $50.
Best of luck with your purchase Mat. Please show it off once you buy something. In response to the thread, it depends on your personality. I'm somewhere in the middle. I'm happy researching, acquiring, and maintaining my collection myself, but I miss having someone to talk to every once in a while. I know nobody else personally who collects ancient coins. For most of us, it's probably even tough talking to our spouses (who usually could care less). -tcore-
Yeah alot of my family and freinds dont really seem to care much too lol. I dont mind competition much.
