I'm curious to what you guys think...am I a novice, intermediate, or 'advanced' when it comes to knowledge of numismatics? What type of collector are you? Are you a new collector, or a seasoned collector? Some people I would say are 'seasoned', and by this I mean alot of coin knowledge, Conder101 and mark feld. Mark was a grader for NGC for 7 years (!!!) and conder101 seems to have unlimited knowledge...is very helpful and patient, and I Don't see how he remembers everything he reads. He even lent me a book to read...thanks to conder101, mark feld for the purchase, and everyone else. I feel this thread may be a bit unnessecary but am curious on your opiinions. :hail:
I am a Paper Money Collector (ex coin collector) who is in his 3rd year studying Paper.....I have such a long way to go... I am not quite sure how folks look at me yet..LOL Hopefully with kindness and a little forgiveness as I am learning too! RickieB
I don't know about you, but I would consider myself a rookie for sure. I've been collecting for only a few months more then a year, and I would say that what I still need to learn outweighs what I have already learned by a HUGE margin. For emphasis of cource I know I am making progress, because now instead of not knowing any answers to questions posted, I know a few now
Myself, i consider myself a fairly new collector (not brand new), been collecting for only about 10 or so yrs, but still a newbie learning everyday...... Jim
I don't know what kind of collector you are GoldCoinLover, but I hope you're not a complete newb if your shelling out the big bucks for those gold coins
I've been collecting for 15 years, and I'm learning more and more how I know squat about coins. That's why I love it.
I've been collecting for about 45 years but really seriously for about 10. Despite the time, I often feel like a grasshopper skulking about the site with the great masters. Isn't it wonderful!
I've been collecting for over 25 years, the past 16 being serious, but I consider myself a far cry from being "advanced" in numismatics. You could collect 100 years and still not know a fraction of what there is to learn in this hobby. Learning is just as fun as collecting in my opinion, so I hope to do both for the rest of my life. Guy~
I have been dabbling in the coin realm since late february, it is a long term hobby, hopefully I will focus sometime, I am still too impressed by so many things, that sometimes I have to just tell myself when I see a great coin I like not to get it, trying to focus on silver bullion, capped bust halves, and commemoratives, but I admit I am being tempted to buy a hoard of IHCs a local dealer has a bunch you pick em for 75 cents each
I'm a perpetual novice, treasure hunter looking for bargains, generalist not specialist, lover of large coins more than small coins, lover of old coins more than modern coins, lover of silver and gold coins and bullion over clad, interested in US coins more than foreign, prefer hard times and civil war tokens to other copper coins, investor more than collector, and I enjoy looking at coins, the history of coins, and grading coins as much as I do actually owning the coins which sometimes becomes a secondary pursuit.
I would say that I know an awful lot, almost everything there is to kow about coin and currency, to those around me. I am THE Authority on the matter. Here, I would say I am just above a beginner. So, I guess it can really depend on who you ask. It would be impossible to know all ther is about everything. Anyone that says they know it all still has so much to learn.
I think I am an intermediate collector in the broad range of numismatics. I don't know how to grade most series, have very little knowledge of varieties and errors, have very limited knowledge of copper and gold coinage, and know nothing about world coinage. With regards to rainbow toned coins and Jefferson Nickels, I would consider myself an advanced collector with specialized knowledge and years of experience.
Since you used the word "collector" I then consider myself "high intermediate". But if you had used the term "numismatist" then I would be more like a "high beginner". The difference? I'm a "hole filler" and only do enough research to cover myself for whatever I'm collecting at the moment. Just enough to make sure I'm getting what I pay for. If I were a numismatist I'd spend a LOT more time reading.
Kevin, I would classify you in the intermediate category. A few years ago I would not have said that. But you have definitely grown as a collector in the past few years. Your problem is that your love of coins is in the expensive end of the pool, gold coins.
I fit all three categories. I am a beginner at some series I am intermediate on some other series I am advanced on the series I study most. :whistle:
One day I hope to move from rookie to novice... lol I have only been at this for a little over a year, and although I read and reread stuff, browse here and other sites, and talk with the guys at my local shop I keep finding things I just don't know. I think thats part of the attraction for me.
