What made you start collecting?

I've seen variations on this before, but I'm infinitely curious. What made you start collecting? Did you come across something odd in your change, did a relative or friend turn you on to it, or did you see one of the '$9M COINS IN YOUR LAUNDRY' nonsense youtube videos?

I found a heavily worn mercury dime in my lunch change during my sophomore year of college. Curious about edited IS THIS WEIRD THING, I did some research and was instantly hooked. I spent a good chunk of that year hunched over my dorm room desk, inspecting and researching and learning all about coins, everything I could devour.

Here I sit, well over a decade later, having learned that it was a bug that ran in the family (ancestors were collectors, even found out one was president of the ANA at one point) and that it's a passion that will last my life.

I've only ever found one more merc in circ though.... And it was just a few months ago!

 

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The tooth fairy left me a Franklin Half Dollar. I was 7 years old and I was fascinated by it. Been hooked ever since (1970).

 

Mom handed me a Franklin half to buy my lunch at school around 1969’ish. Had never seen a half dollar before that one. I went hungry that day and was hooked the rest of my life.

 

My father hooked me young, then life came along. I resumed with a vengeance more than 45 years later.

I’ve trained myself not to think about old US gold coins when gold was $200 an ounce.

 

It was something 'Dad' did, and he tantalized me with exotic examples from his collection. A Columbian, an Oregon Trail, and that set the hook........

 

Hard to remember back that far, but I think it was my grandfather... telling me that I wouldn't be capable of cogent or important thought until I was at least 40.

 

In 1983, I inherited a partial set of indian head cents from my late great-grandfather, who passed away a year after I was born. After college, with somewhat of a disposable income, I was hooked immediately and completed that set. Then I went for a higher grade set, then I went for a mint state set. Discovered a few new varieties (acknowledged by Rick Snow). All before 35 years old. I think I have another 50 years of this in front of me. Cant really believe that someone I met once in my life (less than a year old) and never knew or have memories of, gave me such hobby and passion.

 

RedRaider been gone too long..........

 

Thanks Green, will try to not disappear like that again!

 

Helping my grandfather sort pennies. I still think about him when I am perusing my collection.

 

Fifty something years ago, my uncle put me to work searching and sorting Wheat Cents. About that time my dad started taking me to work with him at a large department store. My job was to hang out in the cash room and count coins. My pay was a roll or two of wheat cents.

 

I started collecting before the 1955 doubled die cent was made...have no idea what prompted me to start, but then again, memory is the second thing to go with age...I forgot what the first thing was...

 

When silver went up high a few years ago is when I got interested...what 2010? I got interested in silver, then old US coins, then military trade tokens, and finally ancients. I still collect military trade tokens and ancients.

 

About 1980 Grandma gave me a 1889 IHC. It came from Grandpas big green metal treasure chest with his WWII money, old bullets, and things of the sort from overseas. We lost Grandpa in 1983 when I was 10 and where the treasure chest went I guess I will never know. But I still have the cent that started the whole thing!

 

It was my Dad who started me with a Dansco cent folder (1930-1950) when I was about 7. I still have it although I robbed a few of the coins for my nicer Dansco album (1909-2009+), lol! The passion waned, I would go 5+ years without collecting and then I'd go on a binge updating my albums, until he passed away 2 years ago. Mom didn't know what to do with his collection, so I offered to go through it and am slowly buying it piecemeal. The highlight has been taking his Uncirculated Statehood Quarters (he had a tube for every state and mint mark) and building Dansco albums for all of his kids and grandkids. Phase II will be his great grandkids. I wrote a tribute to Dad and inserted a copy of it in the back of each album letting everyone know about his passion for coins and asking them to keep their album as a family heirloom. It was a hit with everyone!

 

Working on a boy scout merit badge about 1970. My mother took me to the lcs and the bug bit her. She put together a very nice collection over the years and I have returned to collecting as I've gotten older with more disposable income.

 

The tooth fairy only left me a dateless Standing Liberty quarter, back in 1967 or so. And I knew where it came from, 'cause I had seen my mother put it in her purse at the supermarket earlier that day

 

in 1976 when my dad and brother were digging to install a fence, I was digging with a hand shovel and dug up the Mercury Dime in my avatar. I started "collecting" back then, or actually just hoarding change at that point for a little kid with no income. I still do it today .. hoard my change and collect some too.

So if you ever ask the question "is the coin worth keeping" .. my answer is always YES for each and every coin that you come across !!

 

Buying Silver got me into coins three years ago. I would go to a LCS and look at the coins while I was paying for silver rounds. One day I decided to buy a cull Morgan and that started the collection. I joined a coin club the following week. This site is also to blame too. I googled silver investing and it led me here.

 

yeah, blame *US* ..... it's your money .. hahaha .. j/k .. we like to spend other people's money !!