so what is it you collect?

I've been collecting coins for most of my life with no real direction..mostly U.S. coins, but I also have a 15lb box of world coins that I keep accumulating....Recently I started a collection of 3cent nickels.....I am just interested in hearing what kind of sets people like to collect...For example I was talking to a local coin shop employee who said he collected pre-dead president coins...I like the idea of Type sets, but I am on a meager budget so I think alot of the older type coins will be way out of reach.....

 

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I can understand the appeal of a type set, and I am doing one type set (more later), but most of my sets are intended to be complete series. My main series is the Franklin half- I am getting to be quite the specialist in this series. My other series is the Capped Bust half dollar, and I'm also collecting French Colonial coinage (starting in the 20th century). My one type set is British shillings, one from each monarch.

What you choose to collect, and how you go about doing it, is a very personal decision. What appeals to you - do you like to have one of everything, and a overview knowledge of everything, or would you prefer to specialize in one thing, and delve in depth into it? Budgetary concerns are of course an issue, but you can still specialize on a low budget.

 

thank you for your response.....this is my issue..I would like to feel like I have a complete set of something, but when I get to a coin show or to the local shop I want one of everything...and I am definately interested in hearing what others collect to maybe help me tweek my collection...I will always be the kind of person who buys coins that appeal to me, and I would like to learn a lot about all coins, but we all know that there is soooo much information out there to learn....it would be nice to have small complete series sets inside my collection

 

I collect mostly US coins/notes. Also a few Canadians coins. Mostly I like wheats, IHC and large cents. Not to say that I would pass up on a tasty Morgan or SLQ.. I love them all..

 

As my avatar suggests, I collect US one and two cent pieces. Over the many years I have put together sets up through dollars. On type collections, I have done gold, 19th and 20th century.

Take a look at a 20th century set. The coins don't have to be MS grade, in fact I sort of like the look of some of the more circulated examples. A 20th century set doesn't have to be really expensive. We all deal with coin budgets , I know I do. In each series of coins you will have choices to collect the "key" coins or just a reasonably priced example of that series. In short, collect what you like.

 

I collect whatever I happen to fancy when I see it. I know that's not the smartest thing to do, but that's what I like.

 

Interesting - I would like to have one of everything also, but tend to concentrate on the older copper and bust coinage. Sometimes it is tough to concetrate on any one series to long, but it really helps you get to know the series. I am actively collecting large cents, IHC's and shield nickels(just looking for varieties at this point). Side set includes liberty nickels. Now one of the main things I do to break up the monotony is harris albums from pocket change - I have about six going and everything must come from pocket change. I find it fun.

 

I like the idea of a 20th century set, maybe some day I can afford to do a nice 19th century,..the older US coins do have so many very nice designs..also there is something about holding a coin that has so much history...thanks for the responses

 

I also search rolls from my local bank to keep me adding to my collection relatively cheap...so I can save up for the coin show/store purchases...

 

I know how you feel about those foreign coins. Every time I've ever mentioned collecting coins to someone from another country, they hand me some of thier coins. I too have accumulated a large amouht of them. Most are in 2x2's when they fit. About 1/3 of them I have no idea of where they are from nor what they say on them.
As to what to collect in coins. There is really nothing wrong with collecting everything. Of course if you do this you will not have the feeling of a comleted set for a long, long time. But there are other advantages. One is when a friend, neighbor, relative mentions they have some coin they just want to get rid of, it really makes little difference what they are if you collect everything. If someone hands you a free Album of a coin again it makes no difference what it is for since you collect everything. If someone says they have a really great coin but you don't collect those, you can always then say, OH YES I DO. If you see a really great deal on this or other forums, a coin show, a coin shop, again it makes no difference what it is since you collect everything.
As you get more and more into coins you would realize collecting everything has many advantages over just collecting one or two types.
True it may take a long time to finish a set or collection but then too, many never really do that since there is always those oddball error coins such as the 55 double die Lincoln Cent.

 

mostly world coins - i have the typical US Lincoln cent collect that seems to be the starting point for many. i focus on coins minted for circulation and shy away from commemorative pieces.

 

Silver Bullion eagles, Mexican coinage, capped bust halves, and Indian head cents.

 

I like to have a little of everything in my collection. I guess that sort of makes me a type collector. Although I prefer to think of my collection more as an eclectic hoard of money. I do have one complete set though (Lincoln Cents). I have a few other Whitman folders but they all have empty slots where the key dates would be. I wouldn't mind having a complete collection of half cents but, again, the key dates are just too expensive.

 

3 leg buffalos, hobo nickels, morgans, peace dollars, silver eagles, and gold/silver..

 

Barber Halves, Jefferson, and most recently Federal reserve notes.

 

Mint sets and Proofs

I have collected the last 50 years in both proofs and mint sets!!!:bow:

 

Franklin half dollars are a fairly easy set to complete. I took two years to put together a pretty nice set of them with quite a few having full bell lines.
But there are 3 or 4 that I still would like to upgrade.
Doing a type set in a 7070 Dansco but the big old dollar coins are not there.
I switch around and have several different sets started. Barber dimes in a nice Library of Coins album- several holes yet to fill. My main focus now is on a set of Barber half dollars which is slowly coming along. Nothing special though, mostly G-4 with some AG mixed in. I got a good deal on the 1897-S in rather worn out shape for $50.
I will continue to pick up nice Buffalo nickels too when I see them. But at this point I am not really trying hard to complete the series.
One must look hard at the strategy for putting together sets. I am obsessed with collecting sets and maybe that isn't really smart.
The sets I have completed probably will never sell for the amount of cash I threw into them. So now my strategy isn't so much toward completion or filling every hole. This leaves lots of partial sets with missing keys.
I like the idea of a "box of twenty" and it seems like a prudent way to collect.
But I don't know if I could ever break even selling off everything except my 20 best coins. So I am working very slowly on two different boxes of 20. One box is a blue PCGS and the other is a grey box for NGC slabs.
So far I have not found a good way to sell my excesses. I do not care to pay the eBay and Paypal fees. The forums seem to be too slow to sell or too cheap, or not even sell anything posted at all.
The most fun I had was selling coins at a few yard sales.
So yes, when you consider collecting coins for a hobby you must look at how you are going to sell. Some may say they never sell. That is fine for them.
Everyone has a different approach.

 

Mainly ancients, with a dabble into the US coins too.


stainless

 

i collect morgan dollars and walkers

 

Hooked on circulated wheats, especially like the varieties and errors.

Canadian paper money errors.

I like searching circulated coins and bills. (Thrill of the hunt!)

Any large size silver coins (bigger than a silver dollar).

World coins.