Why do we collect coins?

I do not understand my infatuation with obtaining more and more coins? At first I thought it would be cool to have a collection of lots of coins and that I could show guests my collection and they would think it is neat. But now I do not even like to show guests, because they always want to rub them, and ask half a dozen questions that any numismatist would consider common knowledge, and after this they will always bring you hand fulls of what they think are rare coins from there jobs or where ever??? Ok, so than you say you enjoy it and can pass it to the loved one when you pass. Hmm, them not being numismatist will just hawk your stuff to a dealer for some cheap amount and the dealer will continue the time old RE-distribution of your collection to a bunch of new over paying collectors, or your family will love you so much that they can not part with your coins and will stick them into a box and forget them until they are broke or dead and than the next gen. finds them and hawks them anyway.:headbang: But still I love them and still I buy more and my collection grows...

 

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The same can be said about collecting in any field. Art, wine, cigars. I'm sure they would all seem foreign to you as a numismatist. You would ask the connoisseur the same easy, dumb questions about wine that he would ask you about coins.

 

i collect them because they are unique after 200 yrs and its great to teach people something about real history. im sure people old enough to be my parents are gonna know about the average silver coins but you never know when the right guys gonna walk in with a collection of value. ive been surprised with some of the people ive talked to that they collected coins. seeing other collections is a joy when those people probably dont get asked if they ever collected them at all.

 

I have a few reasons, As you probably read my profile and my health situation , in wich i dont complain about. Anyway I am home bound about 75% of the time, it keeps me active, and love the challange of the unknown . Also gaining knowledge , as keeping up to demand with customers in the antique booths.
Last march some inquired abot coins, I thought about it, not for very long. I like to meet customers demands If i can. I have to research on everything that I have .As Istarted to read cointalk I have gotten more interested in keeping about 1/2 of the coins for my self, my customers are pleased and I love yhe searching of coin rolls and pocket change , although I do buy some higher dollar coins to resale I have made some mistakes as buying those jeffersons yesterday . that is how we gain knowledge by making mistakes in life. I am just happy that I got interested in this fantastic hobby:smile

 

I personally collect for myself, not for what I can tell other people. Researching and learning new things has always been something which has brought me great pleasure, and collecting allows me to learn new things almost every day. Yes, sharing some of the things I know with others is fun, but that is only a side benefit compared with the sense of satisfaction that poring over a good book or searching through rolls of old coins can bring.

To answer your charge about leaving collections to loved ones though, make an effort to get a relative/significant other/child/etc. interested, or at least educated about what you have. If someone is interested in numismatics as well, they can hold on to the collection for sentimental reasons and still be able to appreciate what they have been given. If they do decide to sell, then they have the tools to know what shouldn't just be given away for dirt. Heck, even just leaving a note with the coins describing what coins of value you have can ensure that your family is a little better off is they decide to sell after you pass, and then the coin can be sold to someone who will appreciate it. There's no need to assume that they will give it away at face value.

 

Because we enjoy it.

 

....in my case i collect because. I DON'T KNOW!!! i guess many reasons. i enjoy learning

about the history of the coins and the politics involved at the time. and the ego

fights between engravers and designers like victor d. brenner and charles barber over initials

omitting and the such on the lincoln cent. i also like impressing upon someone to collect, like my

sister that has really taken an interest over the last few years. i enjoy sharing what

i've learned and love to research for other collectors too. IT'S A FUN HOBBY!!

 

Collect them because there so much fun! Bottom line, The history behind
Them doesnt hurt either!

 

I tend to like the art on the coins and the history. Plus I lost interest in other hobbies ive had and coins was something I lost interest in when I turned 14 but came back into full force & with no regrets now that I am 30.

 

Because I love it. Oh, and I love the coins. I don't care if the people I show them to (which happens very rarely) love or hate them are interested or indifferent. I love my coins, I take care of them. And if I cant quantify that for other people in some way they can understand too bad for them.

 

"Collecting is usually pursued as an interesting hobby, although occasionally, some collectors are known to become obsessed. The majority of collectors ascribe the incentives and stimuli they receive from collecting to one or more of the following:

• The knowledge gained by learning about the items they collect.

• The networking with fellow collectors.

• The pleasure that they derive from finding and acquiring a new and much sought after object that fills a gap in their collection.

• Memories and recollections – particularly the fond memories of childhood – may frequently determine what a collector chooses to collect.

• Sometimes the collected item may have nothing to do with the collector’s childhood, but rather something that is discovered later in life, and is found to be particularly interesting to the collector. An example might be Civil War memorabilia."

http://www.antiquetrader.com/article/The_collecting_conundrum/

 

I would agree with that!! Its in our competitive nature!!

 

I got started with my Grandma. If it were not for her, I might not have found coins as interesting. She nurtured my interest, and I am trying to do the same with my kids and Grandkids.

 

I think they're pretty. That sounds pretty simplistic, but there are few other affordable ways to have what I consider high art at your fingertips whenever you want.
I love the history behind the coins. I like to think about what was going on when the coin was minted and what kind of things the coin might have "seen" in its life.
Symbology is neat! The figures and words on coins are often fascinating insights into what was going on or how a people sees themselves...or their ideals.

 

Same here! Almost makes me ill to think about how much more stuff I could have had right now had I just gotten back in, in 2000! It wouldn't have taken much for me to have gotten pushed back in. Somehow, I hit 28 and something just clicked in me again and I suddenly felt as strongly about collecting as when I was a kid.

I guess I collect for the joy of ownership, the art and the history. I'm hoping that my collection gets passed on to an appreciative collector. If it's not my kid, it will likely be another family member.

I think people like collecting them because there are few old things like coins that are not only readily available to purchase, but also stand the test of time as well as they do. One reason gold and silver have stood the test of time as real money is because of their resistance to breaking down and deteriorating over time. (For that matter, maybe people miss real money?) Other old things deteriorate and get thrown away. Not everybody has room for or wants to store an old couch or chair from the 1800s. But you can easily store a Morgan dollar and know where that dollar came from and what year it was made.

I'm glad people collect. They are treasures from a by-gone era that 99% of people have no idea ever existed. Collectors get to have a better knowledge of a slice of Americas past that most people have no idea about. Another neat reason to collect.

 

I'm not a collector, per se, but I am trying to be educated.
I find there is nostalgia in coins. To me, it's like reaching into the past, and holding it.
I've always been fascinated with precious metals and gemstones as well.

For instance, a 1914 D cent. That's the year my father was born. I don't have a car, or an icebox from that year.

Most everyday things from that time are long destroyed, and my father is gone, but that cent survives.
:kewl:

 

Coins draw some ppl inwards either because of the art done by the engravers or the history the piece covers. Coin collecting is a hobby that only "the chosen few" can take on. Consider yourself a unique individual if you collect coins. If you don't have a passion for collecting coins then you are in the wrong hobby. Some ppl collect b/c they think they can make money at it. I collect coins because it brings out passion. The only other items that bring out passion for me are guitars and those have become way too pricey and take up too much room. No passion, no life!! hya:

 

It is a psychological release from our everyday lives. Some people get and RV and go camping. Others pick up painting or photography or pottery. People like us collect. And some do multiple things.

 

How I got back into it fully was a nudge from a good net friend of several years bringing up the subject of coins by just telling me she was dabbling in it and so on. After telling her I collected for a long while one thing let to another and I just fell back in & I credit her for the nudge.

But I do wonder how my collection would have been if I kept it up for over a decade I missed. But I am catching up now and can afford better grades then what a allowance and horded lunch money could buy, hehe.

I agree with this too. My former passions along with coins was being a huge wrestling fan, trading cards and comic book collecting. I just gave up wrestling a few months ago cause I hate most of the new "talent" and some other things. Comic books took up too much space and it was costing too much for titles I just bought and tossed in a pile to never read. Trading cards...same as comics. I just lost the passion for those three and I felt empty. But as mentioned above in the other quoted reply, I found my lost passion and it fills that void I lost. I love getting new coins and admiring them. Im also super happy with how far its come along in the 6 months I have gotten back into it.

 

I am new to collecting and was not exposed to it as a child - but I love it because of the history I'm learning behind the coins. I am trying to collect the classic commemoratives and in the process learning a lot about American history. I also love the art....I just recently got the 2001 commemorative buffalo coin and can't stop looking at it! Hope to learn lots from all of you! Happy New Year