I was going to post this on a thread where Golpher just got a 09 S VDB, but I did not want to take away the theme of his thread. So I will make a seperate post. On another note I see where you mentioned your Whitmen folder. As a kid I had all the various coins in my folders, but I also did not have many expensive ones. Now that I am buying more of semi keys and keys I am keeping them in the 2 x 2's. I am not going to put my more expensive ones in Whitman type folders. I think that it is not a good long term strategy. But it is not as satisfying when you can"t see the "completeness" of various folders/sets as you aquire the coins. My priority now is to get the coins and then think about how to display. I have been thinking about sometime in the future how do I organize and display my coins. I am not a fan of safety deposit boxes either. I know the risk, but I like to look at the coins now and then, besides my coin software program. What do you all do?
When I have a slot in my album and the coin is to remain elsewhere - slabbed, etc. - I place another coin of the same design in it's slot with the reverse out. For example for Kennedy Halfs I use 40% silver coins. Works for me.
First off, depending on the coin, most people will not leave their stuff in card board 2x2's. They work, they're fine and cheap for dealers selling coins and for you to get them home. But once you get it home, it's better to put in something safer. I don't worry about it for everything of course. But I would not leave a $100+ coin in a 2x2. Especially if it's high MS with full luster remaining. Intercept Shield makes really nice plastic 2x2's that clean the air around coins and protects them from toning. I use a lot of these. They're sold in 3 packs for whatever type you need. They also make nice boxes to store their 2x2s in. As for albums, there are many more options than just Whitman albums. Dansco and Intercept Shield are favorites around here. They're pricier than Whitman albums but much more high quality and you can view both sides of the coins through sliding plastic sleeves. The IS of course are made of their special material again, which protects them from chemicals in the air and toning. I have IS albums for my MS Franklin half set and one for my buffalo nickel set. I'm happy with them. I believe there's another brand named Eagle (could be wrong) that makes an album that allows you to slide the regular cardboard 2x2s in the pages if you wish. I've seen those in person and they make for a nice display as well. There's also albums that you can stick NGC/PCGS slabbed coins in the pages. A place like wizard coin supply carries all the aformentioned stuff you may be interested in. HTHs
Most of my "coins" are 5 oz or bigger - so I keep them in plastic air-tites in ziploc bags to keep moisture out. For long term storage, I take high resolution pictures, load them to my website and keep them there for viewing/cataloging. The coins themselves go into safe-deposit boxes for protection.
My dads collection was stored in two by two cardboard flips, in whitman albums, in baby food jars, he had a couple coin wallets, he used old prescription containers, cigar tubes, old plastic butter tubs, paper sacks, peanut tins, then he just piled them in stacks on the television, on the coffee table, on the kitchen table and counter, when we had a garage sale a few weeks ago one of the customers asked about a sack that was on a high shelf in the garage, getting a ladder to get it down it was a bag of rolled quarters, 80 dollars worth, the customer offered me ten for it. Now his collection of collectable things are in whitman albums with his grandchildren, and the more valuable things that were in two by twos are in a SD box in the vault at the bank.
Library of Coins I like the antique obsolete Library of Coins albums. I am not afraid to place high dollar coins in them. My Lincoln set has the 1909-S and 1931-S and all key dates except the two I don't own '09SVDB and 14D. Merc set has all but the 16D in it. So on and so forth. Second choice is Dansco and there are complete sets of Franklins and Walkers in the Danscos. To each his own. I want the sets to be all done and compactly stored. So the keys and high grade coins go in there too with their sisters and brothers. Third choice is the green 3 ring Littleton coin albums. I have a complete set of Peace dollars in there including the $375 1928.
