This can also include "significant others". I'm just curious. And to what level on a scale of 1 to 10? "1" being they are ready to strangle you and hate the hobby with an ungodly passion "10" being they love it, participate, and even buy you coins or supplies once in a while
10. She doesn't participate but she approves. She tried going with me to some of the shows but didn't develop a liking. I show her some of my purchases from time to time, but it doesn't trigger a must have or see response. She has her own thing and I have mine. In the 50 years I have been collecting, she hasn't complained once.
I will echo saltysam in that my wife doesn't enjoy the hobby, but she loves me and when she sees what the hobby does for me, she supports it with everything she's got. She's a keeper. Been one for over 30 years.
The older the coin, the more my wife seems interested. I once showed her two coins - a hemidrachim from the Emperor Nero era and an 1819 US large cent. She marveled over the Nero coin and talked about its impressive age and all of the historical events the coin had existed through and how incredible it was that she was now holding it and so on. Then she looked at the 1819 cent and said "what is the big deal about this one?"
My wife is probably in the "6" category. She thinks it's neat and appreciates the history and the art of the coins...but it's not really her thing though. However, she supports my interests and it makes her happy to see that I enjoy it. My wife is not really a collector hobby person. She loves to travel which is a fun tie to my coin hobby because a lot of the history we see on trips ties into the coins in some way.
Like Mel (Salty) and Mike, my wife enjoys the fact that I have a hobby and am so passionately involved with it. In fact she was worried, that when I retired, I'd be strapped to an arm chair watching TV all day. She's really the person that encouraged me to get back into collecting, but she sometimes complains that I spend too much time yacking it up with you guys on this site and others. Anyway, she has her own passions and collects new sewing/embroidery machines like I collect coins. We've been married for 43 years.
Mine barely puts up with it. I had to try to coopt her by forming a large collection of medieval/early modern Thai coins. I told her they are to teach our kids their Thai heritage. She accepted that a little, but the rest she does not care for. I just tell her this is my hobby money, and when I am dead you can spend it for some fun money. She liked that idea far more than I care to admit.....
My wife is more like (me) "Honey, look at what I got for $50 and it's worth $75" (she) "When are you going to sell it?"
My wife could care less. This has been a discussion here on CT before. She has her thing I have my stuff. Coins being the front runner of the stuff I collect. The only time she complains is when I gripe to her when she goes over budget with her things. It's not like I always stick to budget either, but I make the bread in the household that has to account for something.
I have to clarify my#5 "Meh, whatever", vote.....it's more of a #6, kinda.....My lovely Bride is very ok with my addiction. She really tries to understand and really tries to act interested (bless here heart) but I can tell she struggles to give a rip when I tell here about a new acquisition that I stole off eBay that was a super duper buy and worth a zilion smackers cause it's a VAM yadda yadda......blah, blah, blah, cause I do kinda sound like that....her eyes glaze over and the usual response is cool, that's nice honey....then she changes the subject. she's a sweety for putting up with it.......I've yet to get a eye roll, when I get the eye roll, I'll know the honeymoons over....
My wife's shoe collection dwarfs my coin collection. We respect each other's interests even if we don't understand them
I don't have a significant other on two legs. My only living companions are a marauding herd of vicious attack cats. I rescue hurt and ailing furballs. They have various ways of expressing disdain for particular coins, including urination, but that's rare. Mostly random hairs getting stuck under the Dansco album plastic slide-in windows. There ARE two ex-wives, so read into that what you will.
Huh. I showed the poll to DH and he picked '5'. I would beg to differ. He has been known to ask for a random Morgan out of my 90% buys, asked for a Trajan coin, and loves a William & Mary coin I bought him. He also has been known to buy me coins--to the point of driving long distances to get them and using his head to get me 'good' things. Like this, in a nice Ministry of Japan presentation
She loves the weird Morgan varieties and colors, and always supports my treasure hunting. She's a 10.... 10 Plus... - BORDERLINE ELEVEN!!!