Hi all, This past year I have been pretty interested in coins, and on most nights where I have nothing to do I find myself browsing eBay auctions of coins and lurking on this forum. Now that I have established my interest in coin collecting, I think it's time to begin collecting. The only problem is, I have no idea where to begin. At the moment, I don't really have a preference as of what type of coin I want to collect, but being a man who likes his history, I would prefer to collect coins that have a little bit of history or an interesting story behind them. While I do love my country, I am not against collecting currencies from other countries. So, my question to those of you who would like to help is where should I begin and what type of coin should I first buy? In your opinion (reasoning is always welcomed), should I stick to U.S. coins only? Should my first coin purchase be from a local store, or should I make the purchase off eBay, or even this forum? Mods and Admins - my apologies if this has been posted in the wrong forum, and if so, I would appreciate if you could move it to the proper one. Thank you to anyone who can offer me any advice. JBaker
Hey, if I were you, I would stick with US coins for now, see if you are interested in them, and then see if you have any favorites. If you are interested in coins with a bit of history, please feel free to PM me and we can talk. I'm always wanting to help the YN's even though I kinda am one. I am a bit of a history buff and love collecting wartime coinage in the US, wether it be the (not-so) Civil War, WWI or WWII, and can tell you a bit about them. ~Cannyn
I agree. There is a lot more information on US Coins (and maybe Canadian coins too) than there is on other world coins. What I would do is keep on looking on eBay, and if you find something interesting, start with coins from that era.
Welcome to CoinTalk, JB. My advice would be that you DO NOT BUY ANY COINS (especially off eBay) until you have a reasonable understanding of coins in general and the coin you wish to buy in particular, coin grading, and coin values. When you are ready to buy a coin you should ask for opinions here first. Allow me to suggest an area of numismatics that may be a good starting point for you - tokens. Hard Times Tokens and Civil War Tokens are affordable (in general) and are very interesting and full of history.
I would start with regular ol pocket change. Organize it and maybe buy some folders to help you. You can buy some from Hobby Lobby. I started with the state quarters. But also kept pennies and nickels. Once I realized this hobby would stick, then I started buying older stuff no longer in circulation. Recommend this way because if it doesn't stick our not out much money.
JB, I don't know where you live in Florida, but the FUN Show in Orlando is less than 3 weeks away and it is one of the biggest and oldest shows in the country. It would be the perfect venue for you to just browse to see what interests you. Besides having 800-1000 dealers in attendance, there are lots of free seminars to help you learn. If possible, Friday or Saturday would be the best days to go, and here is a link to the schedule of events......... http://www.funtopics.com/fun-convention.html#Schedule Chris
Best place to start is purchase Whitman Publishing's Red Book and read it. Considered by many to be the best on U.S. coin information.
JBaker - I'll second what Hobo said. Knowledge comes first, especially if your primary interest is history. So knowing where to start and what direction to go in will depend largely on the particular kind of history that interest you the most. One way to figure that out is to think about what you like. Think about movies for example. When you were a kid what kind of movies did you like the most ? Odds are you still like them. I'm talking about the genre - movies about a certain period in history. It could be anything - westerns, colonial period, WWI, WWII, etc. Or it could be movies about ancient Rome, or medieval Europe with knights in armor. Or the movies like the Musketeers, the Man in the Iron Mask etc. Or pirate movies, discovery of the New World with sailing ships battles at sea and like that. Anything that reaches out and grabs you, makes you say to yourself I want to watch that ! That, would give you a direction to go in. There is just so much history that ties in with coins ! Most folks don't even think about it like that. But if you have an interest in a particular period of history, then you a have a place to start
Which coin stands out or catches your eye and is reasonably priced within your own budget? That's what you go for, don't let us decide for you. Perhaps start with modern coins first, assemble a Statehood Quarter set, check out American Silver Eagle's as well if you want to go for the bullion silver dollars. The list is endless but it's all on you to decide what YOU want to collect.
I'd start with circulating coins. If this fuels your fire after a few months, then move onto to other older coins. Definitely pick up a book or two though to increase your knowledge. I've found that reading about coins is just as, if not sometimes more, exciting than collecting coins.
Yeah, even circulated coins can be fun to collect. I just completed the Statehood quarter set, 1999 - 2008 and also the same set but uncirculated quarters.
I think based on your response, and the response from other members, I will just stick to collecting U.S. coins for now. And I'll definitely send you a PM before I make my decision as to what coin to buy. Thanks! Is this link below a type of token that you are referring to? If buying a coin, would you suggest I buy one that is already graded? or should I just make sure what I'm buying is in good condition and actually worth what I'm paying? Link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Civil-War-T...914?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19cbd8884a I actually live in Orlando for schooling, but right now I'm in Jacksonville for winter break, and won't be back until January 9th. But maybe I can convince my brother to go with me since he's also getting into coins. Thanks! As a kid, (who am I kidding? I'm 19 - I still am a kid) my favorite types of movies were always either about the Civil War, WWI, WWII (with WWI being my favorite), as well as the "sword and board" days of the Romans, Trojans, etc. I'd also like to mention that I've noticed that the coins that appeal to me the most are the bigger ones (mainly the ones bigger than quarters), and I think that's because I've never really had much contact with them. But I don't think that should have any affect on what my type of collection is, because the smaller coins still interest me as well. Thanks to all of those who have replied so far - I never expected to get this many replies! I'll continue reading your responses and begin browsing online to see what type of coin (or token) I want my first buy to be. JBaker
I would also suggest you to visit a local coin shop if possible. Try to find one that you feel comfortable with and has a friendly owner that you can talk to. This way you can see coins up close and possible handle a few to know what to look for. Large coins like Morgans and Peace dollars has a certain weight to them, once you handle one you will know how one should feel and what to look for. Be careful when looking on ebay, there are fakes out there even graded ones. Oh and welcome.
I've done a little bit of research on my local coin shops and it seems that I've got a good amount to choose from, but from what I'm reading there are a few around me that are run by very rude people. I'm obviously going to avoid them and stick with the more respectable stores. Hopefully I can make a visit to one before my winter break is over.
Something else to consider JB, world coins are typically a fraction of the cost of US coins So you want history on a budget - world coins are the way to go
Welcome to CT! Ike dollars are a relatively inexpensive way to enter into the hobby. Nice large coins, great military history, etc. Enjoy! TC
Welcome to CT! Topcat said exactly what I was going to say. Ike dollars are nice because they are affordable and a short series so it won't take alot of time and money to put together a complete set. Same with Susan B dollars (usually Ike folders have spots for Susan B dollars as well). When I got into collecting a few years ago, the best thing I spent money on was the Red Book. TONS of information and at least a decent starting point for what to expect to pay (retail) for coins.
And sometimes, the rude, grumpy, old people are the most knowledgeable, Just go check them out, try to start a conversation, ask about the history of coins, but don't buy anything just yet, just go learn. It is one of the things I like to do, converse with others more knowledgeable. But stay out of those Ca$h for Gold places, they usually know nothing about coins. Just cons. Go visit each locally, talk about being a beginning collector with an interest and make mention that you really want to learn about the history of coins, Precious Metals, and the such. I love going to coin shops, looking at the coins, and learning to grade coins I have never had much contact with, not buying, but definitely gawking. ~Cannyn
