Keep up the good work. Just one word of advise. I also started collecting at a young age when most of the coins were still in circulation. It makes me ill to think of the coins that I had in the Whitman blue folder and what they are worth today. The only advise I can give is in the event as you get older and start to discover other pleasures in life please and I mean please put all the coins that you have collected in a safe place because one day the coin collecting addiction will hit again and I hope you will not feel ill as you look back at what you had and wish you still had them.
Hello Grant and Welcome to CoinTalk!!! I'd say your off to a great start. Just collect anything you can afford. Over time your interests will change but having plenty of coins on hand can only help with learning to grade, searching for variaties, and exchanging for upgrades. Deffinently get the Red BooK if you already haven't. Keep on Collecting!!! Allen
First off :loud: WELCOME! There is an incredible amount of knowledge and willingness to help here in this forum. Second, not to sound like a broken record, but the Red Book is probably the best _first_ coin book to pick up. It will give you lots of great information on US coins. After that, you can decide where to go and what other books to pick up. Remember the mantra "buy the book before the coin". This will become more important as you start spending more money on purchasing coins. The more valuable or rare the coin, the more important it will be to have the knowledge about the coin before you purchase it. Finally, I have to agree with coins2006, even if you should find yourself not being as advid a collector as you get a little older, make sure you put the coins away for that day when the but bites you again. I started when I was around 12 and had a paper route (wow, am I dating my self with that ). People paid me with some really old coins, including 1 Pilgrim Tercentenary coin as a half dollar. I was lucky enough to save it, even though at that time I had no clue how unusual that really was.
You can check ebay for prices on coins, they are usually a bit high. Mercury dimes are selling for $1.00 to $1.25 each right now for common circulated ones. Knowledge is the key, if that book had a 1921 or other rarer dimes, it was worth it, get some idea what your favorite series is and always have a reference book on hand when buying coins.
Ok, tell me if this is the red book, on the front it says "guide to us coins" and what not, but the date is 1974, its red, hardback, but pictures are black and white. My great grandmother gave it to me a couple weeks ago, but it only has about a paragraph for each coin, and prices back in 1974.
Hi Grant, welcome! If you have 550 wheaties, you could practice grading and picking out the best of the duplicates and then maybe trading off the extras. You know, sort 'em and then pick the best ones for each date and mintmark to keep and then using the rest you will already have coins to trade for dates that you don't have. Good luck...enjoy! -Jeff
My indian heads I have in those little white cardboard slabs. Where do you find mint marks on wheats and indian heads?
Welcome Grant! Glad to see your off to a good start! The only thing I would suggest is to start searching bank rolls for more collectable coins. There are still many finds to be had, especially in the Lincoln wheat series. Even better, the coin will only cost you face value. I find it a very fun and cost-effective way to expand my collection. Most of all, have fun with whatever you decide to do!
If you don't know where to find the mintmarks, you DEFINITELY need a Red Book. Spend the $15 or so. It'll save you a LOT later.
OPEN QUESTION: I've got a 2002 Red Book with a broken binding that I'm willing to donate to the OP. How can I get his address without having him broadcast it all over the place? (I haven't activated PM yet.)
I have a 2007 I don't use anymore since I have a 2008. I will send him that in the same envelope I am sending the buffalo nickels. Thanks!
Welcome Grant! And listen to these experts they can help you get started. Glad to see a red book is on the way! That is always a good place to start.
