Ok, I'll start off by saying that I'm not at all coin savvy and don't know a thing about collecting. The reason I'm here is that my dad is, and always has been, a huge coin collector. I'm looking into things to get him for Christmas this year and figured that he'd appreciate me taking some time to do a little research to find the right gift. My question is... What should I get him? He has so many already and I have no idea what he doesn't have. The coins he's shown me are out of my spending range and I'm wondering if I can get him a decent coin or set without spending hundreds. Is there something that, even if he ends up having it, would be a nice piece to get?
Birth Year sets are always nice to get and inexpensive. But it really depends on his collection. If he has quarters and has any missing ones, try and get a filler for it. Im sure he would appreciate the effort. Just my .02
Welcome. I think I would try to find out what he is intrust is, then look for something in your price ranges. If you don't find anything specific, I would think any nice coin would be appreciated, being that it was a gift from you. Good luck on the hunt.
to CoinTalk drays. Books are always great gifts, and there are a lot of books on coins. If you can post something about the kind of coins he seems to have the most of, we can probably make some suggestions that you could then check against what's on his bookshelves now. And stick around a while - you may find yourself getting interested, and being able to join your dad's hobby activities would be great.
The book idea is a good one. You can also get him a Silver American Eagle in uncirculated condition for $10-12 in any coin shop. Don't worry about the year, any year will do. I don't know anyone who doesn't like them, and no matter how many you have, it's always nice to get another one. It makes a nice gift, is easy to buy, and it doesn't require any expertise to buy one. If you want to spend a little more, you can go to mintproducts.com and buy any of the modern commemorative silver coins that fit your budget. Whatever you get from them will be in nice condition, and will be worth approximately what you pay so you won't get ripped off. So they are pretty easy to buy for someone without deep knowledge of coins.
A Marine Corps Commemorative Dollar, in Proof, or UNC, would be nice. Or the satin finish 2005 Mint set (first year of issue!) is a bit less money.
I’m all for the book idea. There are a lot of really nice books on the minting process and errors for under $50. If he hasn’t gotten into mint errors he’ll probably enjoy a book on the subject. How’s your dad doing on magnifying glasses? You can never have enough and they make great gifts too.
Not always. I was thinking of getting my Father-in-law a birth year set for his birthday. It would have been a lame set. All that was minted in 1933 were pennies and half dollars (aside from the gold coins)
