How Long Have You Been Collecting Coins?

I started in 1954 and it's been a great ride. No regrets!

Bruce

 

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:Offtopic:

Not sure how much the Marine's are into it, but if you have any challenge coins, please feel free to post 'em here: http://www.cointalk.com/threads/challenge-coins.218228/

 

post #7

 

Started in 1969 and the age of 9, 44 years of enjoyment.

 

I started at age 12 when I sold my first coins that I had found for face value. 52 years ago.

Best Regards,

George

 

I got interested in coins in 1966 when I was five years old. Of course at that age I had no money so I couldn't collect. So I spent the next six years reading everything I could get my hands on.

In Feb 1972 I was eleven years old and in the boy scouts. My parents were pushing me to earn more merit badges so I suggested the coin collecting badge. That let me start collecting , and I got my father interested in collecting as well. That gave me a source of funding for my collection. I have been acively collecting since that time, 41 years. (I'm one of the 10% or so of young male collectors that never stopped collecting.)

 

Started back in the 60's searching grandma's pennies for Wheaties with my brother and dad. And since 75 always liked proof sets and mint products. And really picked up once I graduated college. Changed directions in early 2000's to non-mint products and started going with Large cents. And here we are today.

 

I've been saving coins from change since I was about 8 years old, but I started collecting seriously about 4 years ago. I'm 33 now and my wife is actually responsible for getting me back into it because she bought me some Whitman folders as a birthday gift when we were dating. That got me looking to fill them, and buy more folders, and pretty soon I was buying all kinds of coins. I'm sure she's kicking herself now.

 

Conder's story is similar to mine. I always had an interest in collecting stuff I hadnt seen before, but being in Scouts really got me into it again. I needed more merit badges and thought about coin collecting. I attended a club meeting and it was all very informative, which got me back into it.

 

50+ years.... gasp !!!! Wheeeezzzzz !!!!!

 

i am a life scout and i help all the tenderfoots with their coin collecting merit badge

 

I am in my 50s and just started collecting about a month ago. Starting with Canadian Large Pennies/small pennies and nickels 1922+.

I find it hard to make any decisions about purchase but have used eBay for most stuff and it seems ligit so far except one coin I thin is questionable as China knock off.

 

Started at 12 years old. Hung it up at 19 when I got married. Fired it back up at 40 and my gosh, still running at 61!

 

About 50 years. Started in my early twenties, once out of college. I was single, still living at home and had spendable income. Once I became married, which was past my mid-twenties, things slowed down until I retired. Then time and finances allowed me to return with a vengeance. However, I always kept up with mint sets and a few coins for the children, during my family raising years. I now collect U.S. paper currency as well. I find it equally rewarding.

 

About 5 years total. Dabbled in it as a kid with my Dad, but went through that father-son alienation thing and didn't look back. Reconciled before his death over 7 years ago when I was in my fifties. My Mom gave me his collection a little over a year ago. Nothing exceptional, but I've only been able to part with a few of them. Silly! Today I collect Morgans, Silver Eagles, and Gold Eagles.

 

I started collecting coins about 4 years ago, when I was 11. I went with my sister to Krogers to turn in some change at a Coinstar. Once I put all the change into it, the reject bin had one coin in it, a wheat cent. Obviously, it isn't too much a big deal now, but it was back then. To see something that old was amazing. After that, my grandmother gave me some of the coins that she got while she was in the Philippines, Canada, and some old US coins. I have lots of the US/Philippines coins now from when she collected them in the 40's. All of them are in beautiful mint state condition from where she kept them in a glass jar inside a cabinet all her life. She also gave me lots of mixed date coins from when she first came to America in the 50's with my grandfather. After they passed a year ago, I became obsessed with finding & buying coins, not just for me, but for when the day comes that I have kids and grandkids so I can give them those coins I collected all my life. Sorry for the deep story lol. Just thought it went with when I started collecting.

 

Started collecting Summer 2011. I got interested at state quarters and america the beautiful quarters, and everything began from that. Now collecting 2 years.

 

Started when I was 11. Worked after school in a stationary store (breaking down boxes and cleaning). The store had a small coin shop. I use to take my small earnings and buy Large cents in good/VG condition. I've been collecting on and off for 45 years. Most purchases have been made for my Type set. Last 20 years been seriously purchasing old numismatic literature, but still purchase types when upgrading my existing set.

 

i never collected coins or anything else, except for baseball cards from the time that i was about 13 until i was about 16. it was during that same time that i was really into football and baseball. i thought about and played football to the point of being addicted to it. these days, it seems like those times never existed.

 

I suspect my timeline possibly would echo a few others....

• Started at age 12
• At age 16, got my first street motorcycle and noticed that girls liked motorcycles
• Stopped collecting at age 16, started spending spare time and money on motorcycles and girls.
• Undergraduate degree - beer became a major food group for me, motorcycle made the girls thing easier too...
• Graduate degree(s) - more beer, meeting my wife, building a career, selling my sport bike...
• 1st permanent job - marriage, house and kids, buying a SUV for the family, and oh yeah, I started collecting coins again in 2005. This time, I had the income to afford the "bright and shiny stuff".
• Discovered my passion for varieties.
• Found the academic in me not only liked coins, but writing papers and publishing about coins.
• Discovered my passion for errors.
• Now, kids are 10 and 7 years old, and for the first time in 20 years, bought a motorcycle.... spending more spare time on the bike, than with my coins....
• The bike is noisy, with wind and engine sounds, but with two kids at the edge of becoming teenagers - I love the peace and quiet it offers me!!!
• Coins.... what coins?? It is summertime and the open road is beckoning....
• (I lie of course, I am here and am still writing my column for the CN Journal, an RCNA publication).

Photo of my newest bright and shiny below...