Hi! I'm new to the whole coin collecting community and I feel a bit overwhelmed by the amount of information that must be known to identify and value coins. Does anyone have any tips that I could use to not only catalogue my coins but also learn about them and keep everything organised? Whats the best way to store them and how should I record them so that I can easily find everything when I need it? Also whats the best way to value coins at home and what websites are the best? Thanks Katie
Hi Katie..... Organization methods are as varied as the collectors that keep them. The one thing I would suggest that I believe is absolutely essential for anyone getting their feet wet in coin collecting is to pick up a copy of the Redbook.... Others will jump in and offer their techniques. You don't want to know mine. Basically whatever I am enjoying at the time is at the top of the heap! Welcome to CT and the greatest hobby in the world!
It depends on what you are collecting. I collect a bit of everything and have excel spreadsheets to record what I have. I am still working on taking pictures of my collection to link to the spreadsheet.
Welcome to the neighborhood, Katie! Like Randy suggested, you should get a copy of the Red Book. There are so many facets of numismatics that can be the basis for a collection, and it is best that you learn as much as you can before you get started cataloging your coins. Chris
I echo the sentiments above. The first thing you should have is a good reference book. For U.S. Coins, the Red Book is essential for a basic starting guide (continuing guide for that matter, it is the one I use a lot). Coin collecting is addicting. Storage is still an issue for me, but tracking spreadsheets work well. I have not found an app or other coin specific software for keeping track that I particularly like. If nothing else pen and paper works.
Couple of thoughts. Things that folks like me learn the hard way and may help you from stumbling. There are good websites to glean information from. Coin Talk is a spectacular resource. There are also very poor websites. Among the worst is YouTube. The creators of YouTube videos will make you believe you have incredible wealth in your pocket change. It is folly. You stand a better chance of winning the lottery. If you have a coin shop nearby then get to know the owner. Let him know what your interests are. Any good shopkeeper will lead you in the right direction. He wants you to be a happy collector so you will come back and buy his coins. Be very wary of buying coins on the internet until you know what you are looking at. Sadly, the hobby has been diseased with many well made counterfeit pieces. Google local coin shows and coin clubs. Learning in this hobby never ends and us old timers enjoy sharing what with know with young collectors. Start with a series that interests you. Maybe an old dime grandma gave you. Maybe a shiny new cent you got. Just dive in and learn all you can about that series. Most importantly, have fun! That’s what coin collecting is all about. And don’t worry if you are doing it right. There is no wrong way to collect. What what can be wrong with collecting money anyway?
Welcome to Coin Talk !! where every question is important and every important question gets answered. Post all the photos and questions you want. The members herein will do their best to help you. With your photos, crop them to just the coins and post the full size image. Both sides of the coin, please. Extreme magnification is not needed or even useful, unless requested for a specific purpose. Please enjoy !!
For organization, I suggest starting an online inventory. Record the coin details, purchase price, current value, etc. I personally do mine by County and, within each country, denomination.
The Red Book is a guide with high prices but extremely valuable as a resource and a learning tool. As for valuing your collection it's best to use recently sold prices. For cataloging your collection try to create your own spreadsheet. For organizing a collection, well that depends on what you are collecting. Remember, it's your collection and no one else's, so collect and organize with that in mind. Welcome to CT. Stick around and you'll learn a lot. Posts photos and ask questions but be forewarned of our humor.
Touch coins only by the edges and never clean your coins or rub them. Store them in 2 x 2 holders, flips, or at a little more expense airtites. All these can be found online or at your local coin shop/store (LCS). Good luck!
Welcome to CT! All of the topics you stated have been discussed here on CT many times. There is a search function on this site that will help you locate these threads. TC
For organization, you can buy some coin albums for the series that interest you. The coin folders are cheap, but you can only see one side, and they don’t provide the best protection for really good items. The albums with slides are better, but make sure you have the coins pushed all the way into the holes before you push the slide back into place. “Slide marks” can happen if you don’t, and will lower the value of a nice piece. Albums and folders layout the collection for you and show you what it takes to complete a set. When you have at this for as long as I have, all of this is “in your head,” but for most of us, it takes years to get to that point.
