The Pursuit or the Accomplishment?

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How do you share knowledge with others? Do you give talks to groups, compose web sites, write magazine articles, or books, or some other way?

 

This, but generally because the series I collect are disproportionately actually hard to buy. I don't get any satisfaction (at all) from owning coins that are easy to buy or are only appearance scarce. Some of these coins (such as a DBH) I wanted to own when I was much younger but if I want one now, I have the money and can buy it anytime I want. I don't because I have a limited budget, many of these coins are relatively overpriced and every dollar I spend on a common coin takes money away from my primary series with coins I want more. Lately, I have been buying mostly pillar minors.

 

I am slowly evolving to GDJMSP's perspective.

It gradually occurred to me over the past year or so that I don't need to actually own coins to find them fascinating and interesting. I can instead buy fascinating and interesting, and typically far more affordable, books to read and simply study these amazing metallic discs.

I generally like to own very few coins because as I accumulate a great number of anything it starts to overwhelm me and I forget what I actually do own and may even inadvertently purchase something twice or just plain forget what I have. Accumulation for the sake of accumulation has never satisfied me, but I've also found myself falling into that pattern now and again because I do love the experience of attending coin shows and buying interesting looking pieces. Regardless, I really do want to become a much more fussy buyer and actually possess only a few meaningful pieces that have a deeper personal connection. The rest I can just read about.

We'll see how I do. I highly doubt that I'll stop purchasing coins completely, but I hope I do purchase fewer going forward. On my recent trip to Denver I bought only 3 coins, but I could have bought loads more. Someday the withdrawal twitches will subside...

 

I like learning about the coins, and owning them, but getting them, and trying to get them is the best!

 

I collect ancient coins, so that adds a few wrinkles that you modern guys may not appreciate:

Hunting for new coins: 40%
Hunting for provenances for my coins:40%
Owning: 10%
Researching forgeries: 5%
Studying the history behind my coins: 5%

 

how interesting. how many cointalk members don't actually collect coins, or don't actively do so anymore? i think there are a few others mabye, but i suspect they work with coins everyday as part of their profession. is that the case with you GDJMSP?

i enjoy the hunt, i enjoy attributing coins, i enjoy getting them out and spending some quality time with them. i also enjoy the online social aspects of hanging out here at cointalk about as much as i dig the coins to be honest.

 

I also collect ancients. My focus is rather narrow. I collect coins of imperatorial Rome and from about the first 100 years of the Roman empire. I have a total of 33 ancient coins and I am careful about what I add. Among the 33 coins is a set of the Twelve Caesars in silver.

The hunt is important because some of my coins are not easy at all to find and when they are found the competition can be heavy. On the other hand ownership is important because I consider these coins to be tangible pieces of ancient history. Holding a 2000 year old coin in your hand is an incredible experience.

 

Well said, I can understand that. That's the way I've come to view fishing over recent years, though I still can't help but to pursue them.

You really sold EVERYTHING though, didn't keep even one piece you were particularly fond of?

 

Pursuing for me. Like the saying, half the fun is in getting there.

 

I never really considered - and still don't - "ownership" to be a prerequisite for the enjoyment of numismatics. At no point in my activities have I ever looked at it as other than a "catch and release" process, because that's the only way I can afford decent pieces. I don't have the disposable income to throw into a permanent collection.

So I cherrypick, and flip to generate cash flow for the next pieces. Heck, earlier this year I broke a 4-year drought from buying at all because of economic necessity, and it never stopped me from talking too much on numismatic fora.

Or, more importantly, continuing my personal learning process.

 

It's the pursuit. I'll give an example from my favorite book of all time, "The Dream of Perpetual Motion" by Dexter Palmer.
In it, the main character Harold is offered "his hearts desire" from the richest man in the known universe, Prospero.
Now what is his heart's desire? It is to be with his love. But here's the kicker - once he actually is with her, there's nothing left for him to work towards.
So, in order to fulfill Harold's heart's desire, Prospero takes out the girl's soul and puts it in a machine. This way, Harold can forever pursue his love but he'll never actually get her.

In terms of coins, it's fun to hunt for that one coin eluding you for years (in my case, a goshdarn 1959-D penny in circulation that took me about 12 years to find), but once you actually do get it, what now? I used to pull out that folder and gaze longingly at that one empty hole, but once I filled up the folder I just tossed it in my pile of finished folders and barely ever looked at it again.

 

I would choose "Both Equally" as the best answer, but it's according to your own ability to either hunt & hoard safely your coins. Presentation was a whole new Hobby in itself. I made a Master Small Cents / Variety Cents Plaque. The rewards & accomplishments of a lifetime. Always a crowd pleaser, edited

Small Cents / Plaque by ACoinJob posted Jan 1, 2016 at 5:07 PM

edited