Childhood collecting vs your collection now - have you evolved?

Discussion in 'US Coins Forum' started by mikenoodle, Jan 7, 2018.

  1. McBlzr

    McBlzr Sr Professional Collector

    I started collecting coins when I was 6 years old. My Dad & 3 Uncles got me started. I found a real 1937-D 3 legged Buffalo nickel in my Dad's pocket change. Traded it for a $20 ST Gaudens Gold (BU) & still have it. But I missed the 3 legger, so I bought another one in 2003. But, now the Proof $50 Gold Buffalo's have my attention! I started a collection of 1832 Capped Bust Half Dollars. That was the year my GG Grandfather was born. I have slowly been getting them graded for the different Overton Numbers.

    In the 1960's my Dad would take me to a coin shop in Franklin, Ohio. It was in an old dimly lit warehouse. But this guy had everything in all conditions in those 2x2 kraft envelopes. He was real tall and wore a Top Hat like Abe Lincoln. I still dream
    of those UNC 1909-S VDB's in those little envelopes. :yawn:
     
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  3. 352sdeer

    352sdeer Collecting Lincoln cents for 50 years!

    Started when I was 8. Lincolns have been my only coin I have actively collected. I’m 56.
    I’ve got them every way you can imagine. It’s fun to come up with new ways to build sets. One other thing I love about Lincolns is they are cheap, even a nice 1909S VDB in MS65BN is only about $3000
    I regularly see many coins on this site that aren’t key pieces that would go for much much more.
    The price allows me to have a very large collection for a little collection price tag.
    Reed
     
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  4. Kamel

    Kamel New Member

    I know i'm off topic.
    I'm new and I was wondering if one of you nice members can show me how to start a new post.
     
  5. 352sdeer

    352sdeer Collecting Lincoln cents for 50 years!

    Go to forums tab above
    Click forums
    Pick the topic
    Click on topic (example, coin chat)
    At middle right you’ll find the post new thread tab.
     
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  6. Kamel

    Kamel New Member

    thank you
     
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  7. 352sdeer

    352sdeer Collecting Lincoln cents for 50 years!

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  8. CamaroDMD

    CamaroDMD [Insert Clever Title]

    I started collecting when I was about 11 or 12. I got interested when my dad showed me his old Whitman folders from when he was a kid...I remember being fascinated by the 1943 Lincoln Cents. The '43 cent is what got me interested.

    So, I got a stack of Whitman cardboard folders and started filling them out of circulation. I think I had every denomination and I remember being annoyed because (at least in my experience)...coins quarters and larger tended to fall out.

    But, it got me hooked. I found a local coin shop I would visit and I tried to collect everything. Ultimately I gravitated towards Morgan Dollars.

    Today, my interests are much more refined. I tend to focus on type coins and when I can key dates. I still love Morgan and Peace Dollars and long term what to assemble complete sets. I also have an affinity for the Washington Quarter (32-98). I have also found a deep interest in German coinage...specifically Kingdom of Prussia, Deutches Reich and Modern coinage.

    Today, I'm much more about quality over quantity. I would prefer to find a nice $100 coin than 50 $2 coins. That is a complete reversal of my early collecting style. But, I find a smaller higher quality collection far more gratifying.
     
    Last edited: Jan 8, 2018
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  9. mgmgmg75

    mgmgmg75 Active Member

    I started with a neighbor, he was a teacher, and I TAPED cents to a cardboard! Quickly moved into Whitman folders. Dad would buy rolls to go through, it was the 1960's, of course a ton wheaties, and an Indian was not too uncommon. Morgans were released to the public and I remember my Dad would get a Morgan if he opened a bank account for some minimum amount of money, and got hooked on Morgans. Collected whatever I find and bought a few. Got married and had children, not much left of the budget to purchase anything. I did buy proof sets each year and latter ASE's each year, which I still do for my girls and Grandkids. Purchased what was interesting at flea markets, estate sales etc. Made a push to finish sets in Densco albums. Working on a Buffalo set, sat back and said why?? Most likely any set will be dismantled when I am gone anyway. I'll finish it but most likely will not start another set of any type. Right now I am content finding coins in the wild.
    Also, any coin with history, such as my avatar. 1861 O half, minted under three different authorities.
     
    Last edited: Jan 8, 2018
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  10. sakata

    sakata Devil's Advocate

    I share this to some extend. As I have posted before, German coins are my interest also. But as my budget does not allow a lot of high price coins I try to pick up a few nice ones a year and then buy bulk lots of coins to try and fill what would be a German Whitman set if it exists.
     
  11. Clawcoins

    Clawcoins Damaging Coins Daily

    When I was really young I started just collecting change and sorting them and storing them away. I got that habit from my Dad who still does that. And I still do that too. I used to put all SBA into film holders (I still have those been meaning to take a few pics for the SBA thread); and pennies were sorted by decade, or just thrown in a bottle.

    In the 80's I started buying coins from really early online dealers that you had to call up on the phone and give a credit card to. In the 90s I started buying silver and gold and started buying more expensive coins. Now I have my collection near complete with all the neat commemoratives that I like and other bullion pieces.

    Basically ... when I started having money I evolved. And as I learned more about various coins I evolved too. I have some old coin/paper money books laying around that I used back then.

    FYI, I've never used a Dansco or anything similar.
     
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  12. V. Kurt Bellman

    V. Kurt Bellman Yes, I'm blunt! Get over your "feeeeelings".

    SPEAKING OF WHICH - I'm going to make another thread for this, in this section, but I'm going to be looking for NON-VINYL ALBUMS (there's lots I know that contain vinyl) for other countries other than Dansco already does.
     
  13. 352sdeer

    352sdeer Collecting Lincoln cents for 50 years!

    Non vinyl Albums were made of wax weren’t they Kurt
     
  14. Clawcoins

    Clawcoins Damaging Coins Daily

    In Pennsylvania they used Butter to make albums !!
    lol
     
  15. mac266

    mac266 Well-Known Member

    I've evolved immensely.

    Like the OP, I started out with Whitman folders, trying as hard as I could to fill every hole from spare change. Hey, I was 8! Unfortunately, all throughout my teenage years and even into my early 20s, I continued with that same attitude. I was not a connoisseur by any stretch. I was merely a coin hoarder, not a numismatist.

    In my early 20s I moved to an area in Colorado near the ANA. There is a coin dealer here who owns a coin store with his adult son. BOTH are past presidents of the ANA, and BOTH have been editors of the famous Red Book. After only a brief conversation with the elder of the two gentlemen, I realized my folly. He convinced me to join the ANA and take some of their correspondence courses, which I did (I haven't done them all, which is why I still struggle with grading mint state and proof coins!).

    That was the beginning of my real journey into being a true collector / numismatist as opposed to a hoarder. In addition to the courses, I finally picked up on the adage, "buy the book before the coin," and began reading and STUDYING numismatics. Now in my 40s I look back at some of the stuff I bought back then and realize my mistakes.

    My interests have changed over the years, too. I usually focus on one coin series for a while, then buy a book and get interested in something else. I suppose I'll never achieve the status of greatness in expertise doing that, but I don't intend to be the next Q. David Bowers, either.
     
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  16. okbustchaser

    okbustchaser I may be old but I still appreciate a pretty bust Supporter

    I'm the oddball of coin collecting as I NEVER saw any reason to collect from spare change. Spare change was what I used as a youngster to buy my passion--large cents--especially the earlier ones. There were always enough empty pop bottles around that along with skipping the Saturday movie once or twice a month (my 25 cent allowance) I could purchase a coin every couple of months or so. Then about age 17 (1969) I came to the conclusion that I had the die marriages that I could afford and was never going to be able to get all the die marriages I wanted. Al Overton had just released his first version of "Early Half Dollar Varieties" a couple of years earlier and I decided to step up to halves. I've been hooked ever since.
     
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  17. PennyGuy

    PennyGuy US and CDN Copper

    Yes, my collecting has evolved in the 60 years since I started. I evolved from the Whitman Lincoln folder into all US Coins, then many years later went back to my original focus on copper coins.

    These days having completed date and date/Mint mark of all US half cents and cents and high end two cents I am into Civil War Tokens, Michigan Store Cards specifically.
     
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