Every collector should have some sort of focus or goal for what they are collecting. Do I want to collect a certain type of coin? Do I want to amass coins that would certainly grow in value? Do I want to focus on a certain designer, or a certain denomination? It seems self evident to me that one will do better by narrowing their goals than by just drifting along. There is no way that any man of normal means could accumulate a complete set of US coins, though I have heard that at one time that had been done. One of the main rules is to collect what you like, the problem is paraphrasing will rogers, I never met a coin I didnt like. I like and appreciate colonial coinage, I like early federal coins, much of the world bullion coins are beautiful to me, silver dollars, copper, the history, commemoratives, foreign coins... there is so much out there that to me is worthwhile, and more than that, there is more than I could ever hope to acquire in this or probably a few lifetimes. My dad tended to gravitate towards copper, he had a large cent collection that he was proud of. I never saw that collection, his second wife sold that during their divorce. He still had lots of copper, british halfpennies, wheaties, indians, memorials, one of my sisters spoke up for that collection and it is on its way to her. When I first started getting interested it was in the morgans, dad had left me 5 silver dollars, one of them an 1895-s, even in vg condition it was worth more than most of his other collection. So I started accumulating some morgans, and peace dollars, local dealers would have some low grade coins for 14 dollars, I picked up some higher grade pieces for a few dollars more, but I hesitated when I got my first cc dollar, it was not the best grade and it cost me 60 dollars. I started looking at some of the keys, on my income it would be nigh impossible to add the 1895 plain morgan, that was discouraging. But similarly to the morgans are the silver bullion pieces, eagles, maple leafs and others, I could find them in much better conditions, they are substantial coins, hefty but they are not rare in any sense of the word, I like them but they do not seem to be where I want to focus. The capped bust halves also are alluring, I have two of them from my dad, I love the design, but they can be very pricey in higher grades, and to really collect them you need to have two books, singletons book about contemporary counterfeits, and overtons book about die varieties. So I have passed on some purchases that my impulse was pulling me to, not that I mistrusted the seller, just that when I mentioned singleton he seemed to have never heard of him, it helps in any sort of transaction if at least one of the people know what they are talking about. My dad had some medals in his collection, I like some of them especially the hard times tokens, but then that collection seems to have less oppurtunity, I rarely see good tokens out there, but I have picked up a few more, just to keep the others company. My dad had a few foreign coins also, most canadian but also some english, filipinos, spanish, mexican, there are some stunning designs out there that draw my focus to them, but it seems that there is a premium on foreign coins especially in my local shops, nevertheless when some friends have travelled overseas they have brought me back some coins, and I have picked up a couple that caught my eye, but I want to eventually get focussed, the category of world coins (or ancients) is so broad as to defy focus, it seems to me one would have to pick out a country or an era to assemble a great collection. Part of my problem, such as it is, is that I am so suggestable, when I read some of the enthusiasts for this or that genre, It sparks me to want to join in. Though for now error coins do not spark anything in me, it seems to me like if one were to pay a premium for an automobile that was assembled poorly. Though, I understand the connection between rarity and value and why that makes error coins valuable it still does not inspire me to amass examples, though my dad had some filled dies and clipped planchets. Eventually, my work should slow down some, my extra duties of settling my dads estate will be finished, perhaps by then I will be more settled in what I am going to collect. Until then I seem to be a collector without focus, an accumulator, an amasser. Until I settle in myself what I want, I will not truly be a collector.
For the most part, I agree with all you say. My dad collected while I was growing up. Proof, Uncirculated sets, some gold coins as well as filling Whitman folders from circulation. Bottomline, they were his coins and he could do with them as he saw fit. He sold em and all I was left with were some large quantities of pennies (Lincoln) from 1960. Took awhile to figure out why those and have come up with the fact that 1960-1983 Lincoln pennies are more copper content than those minted after 1983. The one silver dollar he left or overlooked was an 1878 Morgan. He left my youngest sister a silver disk that WAS a 1923 Peace which he carried in his change pocket every day and wore it smooth. I purchased one for myself as a memory piece. I put his leavings away for a couple years and went back to the box about Christmas last year and found 2 envelopes which contained 10 - $2 bills and the other contained 9 - $1 Silver Certificates. I buried my best friend at age 16. He and I went wild coin collecting as teens. After his death, I lost all interest. My dad's 1878 Morgan touched off a frenzy. The economy collapse prompted me to take my meager investments out of the hands of Wall Street after losing half of what I had. Payed off credit cards and started to gather coins and special collections to leave to my kids/grandkids in what I hope is many years away. I made some purchases direct from the USMint and opened a box of LP2 Lincolns. THEN learned I devalued the box so decided to look for errors in those rolls. Thinking progressed to the point where I have found errors that have yet to be certified. My thinking is that if I find certifiable errors and sell them then I hvae a means to continue purchasing what I want and love Morgans! Those are my first love but have come to look at the Liberty Walking Halves differently as well. I've accumulated several mint/uncirculated set from different years that are within my price range - CHEAP! I have made some good purchases and some not so good. All I can say is that I have em and someone else may or may not have em. Continue to collect and enjoy building your legacy. I am!
