I have been collecting coins for fifty-plus years and have never sold one, although some have been gifted to family members on occasion. Even when I upgrade a coin the original remains with me. Just wondering if anyone else "retains" coins, for whatever reason.
I've sold a few over the years, but not because of up-grades--I also keep my doubles. But, occasionally someone else wants a coin more than I do.
Oh yeah, big time. Only once have I sold coins, and that was from a group lot I bought with my wife and she made me promise to sell some. Other than that the only time a coin leaves my grasp is if I give it away to someone like a YN. Why sell coins? Money is money, but coins are better.
I wouldn't calll itttt hoarding per say and I definately don't have a problem. I can quit anytime...just not today.
On a semi serious note, one of the truly great things about coin collecting is how you can let your inner hoarder out and not take over a house. Buy 110 byzantine bronzes? No problem, package is only 3x5 inches. Even in 2x2's, our little treasures will not take over the living room and basement. If I were a hoarder of almost anything else I would be in serious trouble, but with small little coins its manageable.
The only coins I've ever sold were pretty common U.S. gold commemoratives like the 84' Olympic $10, 86' Statue of Liberty $5 and 88' Olympic $5 coins when gold was high and I had a few of each. I've also sold some junk silver and ASE/AGE but other than that, I've never really sold any coin I've bought or received that I or someone else intended for my collection.
I'll collect just about anything that falls in the scope of numia and exonumia. The only thing I usually don't keep are common modern US coins (1965-present). I hunt for the varieties and errors and spend the rest. And within my hoard of coins are hoards of wheat and Canadian pennies. Whenever I get them in change they go straight into my collection.
I try to limit my collecting to a few series, and once those are finished I move onto the next. But I always find odd things that I want and end up buying them anyways haha.
Depends on what it is. Some coins I won't sell like F-AU Barber dimes. I bought a book full of them, meant to sell them, kept all of them. Put my better date and higher grade coins in it as well. I have yet to sell a single draped bust large cent. I keep them all. Some stuff I don't bother with since they don't sell well so they just sit in a hoard. Some stuff nobody wants to buy like this below, lol. Not a hoard, just stuff from lots I got stuck with.
