For years I have collected coins kind of on a whim. I've just bought whatever seemed neat at the time. Now I'm finding nearly everything interesting and I think I need to plan out my collection before I just start spending a ton of money on random pieces that don't fit together. For starters I know I'm going to acquire all mint sets and clad proof sets from 1999 to present (I have a strong interest in the 50 state quarters and the new prez dollars). I'm also thinking of collecting the SBA, eisenhower, and Sac dollar series. I love all dollar coins but the morgans and peace dollars are too expensive for me now (I'm just a college student). also on a sidenote, I was at my bank today and just as an afterthought asked them how many pre-SBA silver dollars they had, and to my suprise with a quick intercom call i was told they had 128 Ikes. Are circulated Ike's generally worth any more then $1? I was very tempted to just buy all of them at face value and try to resell them or something. beyond those basic thoughts I haven't really figured out where I want to go or how I want to do it. Any tips?
Jimmy the best advice I could give you is contained in your first sentence - "I've just bought whatever seemed neat at the time." In essence you are saying that you buy what you like - that is absolutely the smartest thing that you can do. :thumb: Now, the one thing I would do is to try and learn more about the coins you like. Learn everthing you can about them. Learn their history, learn about how they were made, learn about the different varieties, the different mints. And learn about how much the coins are worth, that will help you tremendously when making buying decisions. But never forget to buy what you like As to your question - "Are circulated Ike's generally worth any more then $1?" No they aren't. Just about any coin shop that has them will sell them to you for $1.25 - and that includes the sellers profit. But for you to sell them at that price would be difficult at best.
well i see what you mean, I'm just trying to keep myself from doing too much impulse buying that later on I will regret having because it doesn't really fit with the collection. I am interested in most coins, but I'm the type of person that is bugged by something random that has no real design to it. So I'm just looking for ideas from other people on how I should design my collection before I build it.
I understand, but it seems to me that you are off to a good start. Ya see, hardly anybody can collect just one set at a time - they work on several sets at the same time. That's because you can't always find coins that you like for that one set. But ou stand a pretty good chance of finding something you like in another set. What you are talking about is focus, but if your focus is too narrow you can become frustrated and bored because you can't find what you like right now. But if your focus is broader then you can. And that allows you to have fun and that's important. Because when coin collecting becomes a chore - it just isn't fun anymore.
Maybe look at doing a Type Set (like a Dansco 7070). Do World Coins interest you? Ancients? or only US?
I like the Ikes - I completed a set (all proofs and BU's) for about $130. I always buy as many as they have at the bank I keep the AU's and spend the rest - the looks I get from people is worth it. (I do the same with 1/2 dollars after I pick out anything collectible) Try a type set - my U.S. type set never gets boring b/c of the sheer variety.
I built a complete set of proof sets from the year of my birth (1954) to the present. I learned an incredible amount about proof sets doing that. If I win the lottery, I'll get the 1936-1953 sets. I am also building a complete set of Lincoln cents in mint state. That's going to take a while, but since I started doing it, I've learned an incredible amount about the series. This project started after buying something on a whim -- a 1909-S VDB Lincoln cent that seemed too good to pass up. So I agree with GDJMSP that buying on a whim isn't at all bad. On the other hand, do enough research so that you don't pay too much for your whims.
"Collection plan"....Probably not going to find a lot there, I'm affraid. I think most of us do pretty much as GDJMSP described, and just buy whatever we like. Sure, we may focus on a certain set once in a while, and there are those who specialize in certain things here, but I think for the most part, it's a free for all. I've been collecting for over twenty years and have only completed one set in all that time. But, I have over thirty started and can bounce around and enjoy some variety. Thats what makes it fun. Whatever you do, just enjoy it as best as you can. Guy~
I suggest learning as much as possible about the series you want to collect. There is usually info on the net or most books can be purchased for about $15 - $20. I can't put enough emphasis on learning how to grade the series. Again, use the net or buy a book. I would buy the Ike's, it's a great opportunity. Learn as much as possible about them. Then grade them. Don't forget you can't loose money on the deal. If they grade poorly, return them to the bank or spend them what ever way you choose. Success in numismatics comes with knowledge.
what louisstraub said. Buy the book before the coin. Besides, the reading is worth it. It will help you to avoid expensive mistakes.
General answer: both Before 1965, they were all silver. After that, the clad sets (except for the 1999 and 2001) are relatively inexpensive. In some of the common dates they are less than $10.
Don't buy the Ikes. For the same $128 dollars, you could buy 3-4 Peace/morgans. You say you are a college student but yet you are able to come up with $128 to buy Ikes...use those funds to start a real collection with some value. Money is all around you, you just have to look for it and ask yourself ...do I really need that Diet Coke or that Frapacino from Starbucks. If you deny yourself some guilty and unhealthy treats, you will be surprised how much money you can come up with. It's a choice, when you spend money. Collect the Peace/Morgans ..even though they won't come fast, you will appreciate them more in the long run more than 128 clad Ikes.
Mexican type set. Been working on it for a few years now. It took me 6 months to find a 1910 1peso. Quit difficult to find some of those nice coins without damage and without paying an insane price. =( Ancients, putting together a set of roman emperors. Lol all I do read. To fill the time between purchases I’m trying to fill a 50 state folder with die cracks. 60% complete. Yay me.
Jimmy, everyone here has given great advice so far. I think I'm kind of like you... because in my mind, I'd like to have nice, organized sets, but in reality, I buy a bunch of random coins because different things catch my eye on different days. I also try to buy things that have some meaning to me. As far as "sets" go, here's what I've been working on when I'm not doing my random thing. Most of these are not what a lot of people traditionally consider "sets", but it's what I'm doing: -Gold Liberty Denomination Set ($1, $2.5, $5, $10, $20) - one coin of each denomination, all pre-1900 -American Eagles from My Wedding Year (all MS69) -Family's Birth Year Coins (all high grade) -Circulated Walking Liberty Halves -Roman Imperial Sestertii from Augustus - Commodus Maybe some of those ideas will inspire you. Good luck! ... and keep posting about what you're up to. :high5:
And that's really the way to do it. Collect what interests you, in the way you want to collect it. For a while I used various albums, etc., but found it wasn't for me. I've got a Lincoln set that's almost complete (missing 3 or 4) & I've got a Jefferson set that's complete AU/BU including proofs, but to tell the truth the whole every date & mint mark type of set kinda bores me. I sometimes just buy something at random, because it looks cool, catches my eye, etc. Here's what I'm doing now, along with buying whatever else strikes me... Imperial Romans - An every emperor style "type set", plus any late roman bronzes that strike my fancy. Coins from Nassau (Germany) - My ancestors came from Nassau to Texas in 1845 so I collect coins from there that are pre-1845 (I also end up buying other German stuff I like) Coins from my birth year - I usually just pick these up when I run across them cheap (most recent in a Cook Islands $2 coin) US Type Set - I like a lot of the older US coin designs & this lets me collect nice examples in a somewhat structured way. I've based it around the Dansco 7070 list although I'm not using their album & may add or subtract as I want. World Coins - This is really a what ever catches my eye category. World Currency - Just whatever world notes I run across from time to time. Notgeld - Specifically German emergency currency from around the time of WWI
