OK, well I found some pretty cool coins (well coins I thought were cool), and they brought me to this website. I found out they are worth no more than face value, oh well, but I want to continue with a collection. Now, like I asked, how did you start your collection? Should I look for coins from my pocket? Should I visit a dealer? Would going to the bank and getting rolls be a good idea? (After I read the books I need too of course ) So far Pennies, and nickels have intrigued me the most...
Buy a Redbook, (they`re under $15) and study what You`re interested in collecting. Always check Your pockets for pre 64 silver and rare dates/variations. Search the rolls from banks and don`t get discouraged at first, some people spend hundreds of dollars a week searching rolls and can come up empty. When in doubt, check the Redbook, or post Your question here.....plenty of knowledgeable people to help You out. : )
Like Evom said, buy a Redbook. Always check your pocket change and buying rolls is always fun and a great way to get started.
I think you should get a couple of folders for the nickles and Memorial cents to start. Price lists of coins are available on-line, so you can kind of determine values and rarity from that. Start filling the folders. Then you can always put in a nicer coin as you find them. Once you get a few in the holes, you will automatically look for the ones you need. It's an economical way to start. Eventually, you will want better books to hold the coins and reference books to learn about them. It's really a long term hobby that you can devote as much or as little time to as you wish. You can even set it aside for a bit and return later. But, most of us who search from circulation or rolls don;t want to wait. The earlier we find a coin, usually the better condition. I have nice coins collected in the 1970's for example that just are not in circulation today. Good luck with it and happy hunting !! gary
I started when I was a little kid, just old enough to ride my bike to the bank by myself. I would buy a few rolls of pennies, search them for wheats (and anything else I needed for the coin books), then exchange them for more rolls. At one point, I upgraded to buying a box of pennies, searching them in the bank lobby, then exchanging them for another box. Now that I'm older and wiser, I realize just how annoying I probably was for most of the tellers. Some didn't mind as they would set stuff aside for me. I remember getting my first $100 gold certificate from the bank, the teller made me ride home and get a note from my parents saying it was OK to buy it with money from my savings account. Those were the times.
Just collect what you like. Pocket change is a good start, and where most if not all of us started. If theres any dealers in your area I would start visiting them and get to know them and them you. Most are more than willing to work with collectors of all levels and budgets to ensure they have a good collecting experience. Guy
I should add, that if you buy rolls from the bank and search them, don't get discouraged. As you fill holes in your folders, some of the coins will be harder to find. But don't quit. They are out there ! You may end up buying some to fill all the holes, but modern ones like the Lincoln Memorial Cents and Jefferson Nickles are still in circulation. Just keep looking. Good luck
All good advice. I have learned that just do what makes you happy. Goof around for a while and learn the hobby. Get to know what interest you. One of the most important things I have learned from this forum is read, read and read more. Understand the grading process, I am now focusing on a few sets and find it much easier after I have a few miles under my belt on the learning aspect. It's totally up to you. Of course a lot has to do with what your budget is, but as someone else said on this thread, there is no race or time line to finish.
Got a coin in change, well you did ask. tell you what since you like the cents pm me and what i have is yours. dave. got a load of wheats and dimes, if you want them,hope you find something good
Into thyself, look first. Collecting anything is personal, and all the more so with numismatics which is highly developed from once having been truly "the hobby of kings." The advice you got to "buy a Red Book" could be 100% wrong. Why are the coins you found "cool"? What were they and what attracted them to you. Only you can answer those questions. For me, coins are history. It is a cliche in the hobby that "coins are history you hold in your hand." I started with 19th and 20th century classic American coins, the Mercury Dime, the Barber series. But then I realized that what I really wanted was not these latter day knock-offs, but the Greek and Roman coins from whcih they were copied. The founders of our republic read Greek and Latin and collected ancient coins and those ancients were always part of the U.S. Mint's own cabinet. So, I turned to them. For those, you do need books -- but not The Red Book. You need to find yourself in your collection. No one else can recommend what you should pursue, any more than they can tell you what career to pursue or whom to marry. They are not you. I do not collect modern proof coins. But consider this: they are often close to perfect. Mint State and Proof coins come with deep relief, mirror fields and frosty devices. As ugly as our "dead presidents" can be, few things approach the perfection of a Cameo Proof coin. It's not for me, but it might be for you... You need to find out what you like and why.
Just happened A 1943 Steelie just seemed to tell me to set it aside until I could learn more about it. Then I started to notice mint marks & dates. The more I looked the more I knew I'm yet to see.
I new to the forum and also fairly new to coin collecting. Well I've always loved collecting my change and seeing the different dates and types, etc, but recently I've decided to get more involved. I picked up some supplies from a local coin store and decided to make a real collection. I also picked up a copy of the coin guides for canadian coins as that's the most interesting for me. It's exciting finding new years and coins that I don't already have, way better than any tv show or video game. I especially like finding years that are relevant to me. Anyway, this is my first post so hi everyone and hopefully I'll be able to get some good advice here in the future
