Anyone still working on a Box of Twenty?

Hey guys,

Coin collecting is something I pick up for a while, then I move on to other collectibles. Eventually I circle back around to it.

Last time I was here, I was intrigued by the "box of twenty" concept, and that was my collecting direction.

But unless my archive search ability is bad, it seems nobody talks about that approach anymore.

Anyone still working on a box of twenty? Has anyone reached twenty coins and faithfully focused on upgrading? I'd like to know how the upgrading process is working out for you. I'm thinking I need to push to get the box filled.

Steve

 

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I don't know what the "box of twenty" is.

 

Its limiting yourself to 20 of the most interesting coins you can find.

It basically is the antithesis of my collecting interest. I do not begrudge anyone wanting to collect however they wish, I just have way too many interests for something like this. Heck, most months I would be over just from new purchases. @lordmarcovan has posted about his quest I can remember.

 

If you want to collect by the box of 20 concept, go for it as it's your collection. I personally don't care for it as it doesn't cover my interests.

 

@lordmarcovan is the go-to person on the concept here at CoinTalk

Here is his latest update:
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/lord-marcovans-eclectic-box-collection-as-of-august-7-2020.364592/

 

I've been inspired to do one as well. I don't strictly stick to a box of 20 and nothing else though. I do dabble in other items.

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ddddd’s-inaugural-box-of-20.360440/

 

It's sort of a play on things since the PCGS boxes only hold 20 as do the NGC. Essentially it's a quality over quantity approach which generally involves very high end coins

 

Thanks, I didn't know that.

 

I should have corrected myself for the part of very high end coins. Generally it would be high end but it is something everyone can do if they wish. Basically get the best you can with fewer coins

 

Go Navy Beat Army? I play golf with a former Army player. He was some kind of defensive end. I know very little about football positions. He was in the Class of 70 or 71. He always said his toughest match up was Johnny Rogers at Nebraska. My brother was at UN then and had some classes with Johnny.

 

I agree. The concept can be with any level of spend.

Its a good idea to force people to concentrate on quality, which some people didn't pay enough attention to. Its simply a way of collecting. I personally like to collect a coin more for what it IS, versus tiny differences in condition. Just my view, not that I am right and anyone else is wrong. In other words, I would much rather have all 1793 cents in Fine than one Chain cent in XF, (not sure if the math works today, but you get the idea).

 

Hey all,

Thanks for the responses. With my love of coins rekindled, I'm going to try to get the rest of the way to a full box before my attention gets diverted into something else. I might cheat a little and finally slab some of the things that I've been meaning to slab.

It was interesting to see the "not for me" replies to my question. In defense of the method, (briefly), I collect everything from video games, comic books, books, art, and even townhouses. The latter, and my highschool/college offspring keeps my hobby budget in check. Generally, my comfort range for collectibles ends at $200 to $300, and unlike in the past when I sold one kind of collectible to buy another, I've learned the error of my ways and only upgrade. I no longer sell one of my best collectibles from one genre to buy another kind of collectible (i.e., sell a comicbook to buy a coin).

While I have some items that I love that have very little value, in general, based on how I've been doing things, I'm generally filling the box with $100 to $300 items. After that, my plan is to upgrade the items at the same budget level. To maybe I'll replace a gold half sovereign with a gold (full) sovereign or a much higher grade specimen. While it's true that I'll only have 20 items (but I see Ebay sells nice boxes that hold 27!), they'll be nice items that will ultimately be things that are hard for me to acquire comfortably. There are a lot of coins I'd love to have, but can't afford...this will be my path. I really do want it to fit in one box.

It's worth saying, that I did chase years and mintmarks and own a good number of Danscos. But these days I'd rather go to a show and come back with one nice item.

So this brings me back to my original question...did anyone here ever fill the box and then begin upgrading instead of just adding another box? How did that work? I envision bringing my coins to a show for a partial trade or I guess I could always sell something on ebay in advance of attending a show. I'm interested in hearing how the upgrade process worked for you.

Thanks,

Steve

 

For my main box of 20, I'm always fine-tuning it. I have a few coins that are pretty much permanent fixtures, but the rest can be replaced if something better comes along. Better isn't necessarily a higher grade but could be something that is more appealing. For example, I had a nice reverse toned Morgan but replaced it with an obverse toned Morgan in the same grade but a different date.

The replacement process can work in many ways. Sometimes I buy the new item first. Then I will list something from the box on eBay, the for sale section of the forums, or on Instagram. Other times I recognize that a certain coin is no longer as appealing to me as when I bought it, so it will be listed for sale. The replacement might take some time to find after the sale.

Trading or selling at a show are more options (although there are fewer shows this year).

 

Here's my current "denomination set," which is sort of the same concept:

1809/6 Half Cent
1943-S Cent
1866 Two Cent Piece
1851-0 3 Cent Silver
1883 No Cents Nickel
1996-W Dime
c. 1869-1875 15-Cent Fractional Note
1875-CC 20 Cent
1917 Quarter
1861-O Half Dollar
1851-C Gold Dollar
1883 Trade Dollar
1905 Quarter Eagle
1853-D Half Eagle
1984-D Commemorative $10
1893-S Double Eagle
2000 $50 Gold American Eagle
2018 $100 Platinum American Eagle.

I'm occasionally tweaking the set. Yes, I'm missing a $25 piece. Oops.

 

ddddd and Ben,

When you upgrade do you add value to the collection?

 

I received an offer on some collectibles out of the blue today and so I bought three slabbed coins for my box of 20. Closing in on my goal. Someday I’ll get this box filled! One of them was a walking liberty half graded MS 66+ by ICG. I swear it’s nicer than some MS67s by the “standard” grading companies. I might try crossing it at some point

Since I’m asking all these random questions, I have some coins that I’d like to get graded. Do I have to go through a coin dealer to submit coins to either PCGS or NGC? I know NGC does ancient coins. Does PCGS?

 

Lord Marcovan!

Thanks for the reply. I really appreciate your input. You’ve been one of the more vocal advocates of the box of 20 concept and you were part of my inspiration way back when. I still haven’t filled my box yet so you can imagine that this style might work very well for me. I’m not exactly an impulse buyer!

For what it’s worth I might’ve cheated a little bit on filling my box because I bought a coin that only cost me $79. I’ve always wanted a off-center coin and this one seems attractive to me. I’ll show pictures of my latest acquisition’s when I get them. Right now my collection is nothing to write home about because I’m more interested in filling slots!