Ancients => Curious? => what is your coin-cash-comfort-zone??

I'm also blessed with a supportive wife. She told me she doesn't care what I spend on coins(!). Of course, if I spent recklessly, I'm sure she would have a different opinion.

 

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=> and there lies the problem for stevex6 (*sigh*)

 

As is mine - she doesn't want to know what I pay, but I show her every prospective purchase beforehand. She actually pours over auction catalogs with me as well, as she has an impressively artistic eye, helping to find pieces with quality style.

I'm more able than many to spend a fair sum on coins but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy less expensive/more common coins. I think there is a lot of enjoyment to be had with relatively little capital, not to mention the tactile fun with heavy coins like sestertii (not my Colosseum, but one of my Hadrians which I keep on my desk )

 

Not so with my wife. She sees nothing in my collection and really couldn't care less about the history behind them. We were both brought up fairly poor, her more than me. She tells stories of going to bed hungry and being embarrassed about the ragged clothes she wore when her parents let her go to school. Most of the time she stayed home to take care of the younger kids, including the cooking, cleaning, washing, etc. Anyway, my point is that now she almost hoards the money we have except when it comes to our two sons. Then she would give away the farm to them. So I guess we are at least partially a product of our environment.

 

I understand why the temptation of hoarding money rises when you've been really poor at some point in your life. And of course I have lot of respect for your wife's behavior, Bing.
I don't consider myself as coming from a rich family. My parents were teachers in public schools, we've had all our needs filled, but not more.
My wife doesn't particularly enjoy coins (maybe would she fall in love with some greek, though), but as long as there's enough for our living, including kids at the university, for vacations (very important for her, and I too), she really doesn't bother. Never will she complain on the "how many pairs of shoes could I afford with that ugly chunck of copper ?" mode

Yes I am a lucky man, I know
Q

 

The secret of being happy while spending money is not to spend money you don't have. There was a precious moment on TV's 60 Minutes yesterday where Warren Buffet was talking about his efforts to get billionaires to sign up to donate at least half of their wealth to charity of any kind. He commented that it was interesting how many said they could not afford to do that. He then said that he might need to consider writing a book on how to survive on only $500 million. Part of the reason Warren Buffet has all those billions is that he couldn't figure out where to buy a roll of EID MAR denarii. We know he wants to. Right?

 

Not spending money you do not have is key. What is the number, something like the balance on credit cards for the average American who carries a balance, (something like half of all Americans), is over $10,000 nowadays. This is people who cannot afford to pay their bills, paying 22% interest on money they don't have.

Coins are playthings gentlemen, only spend money that you are willing to flush dow the toilet IMHO.

 

I think we agree on this one. What is for supper? EID? I have known a couple people in this life that could flush an EID MAR and not feel it more than I did when I dropped a nickel in the sewer. They didn't collect coins.

 

I HAVE the money. I will not die a pauper nor will my wife. My coins have never taken food off the table nor clothes of our backs. But my wife believes she knows better where to spend or not spend our money. Perhaps she is right. Perhaps not. But we do have to live with one another, so........

 

Me too. I do also understand your wife sir. I grew up pretty poor, and was even more poor in college. I still remember having a little over a $1 to eat on for a week in the early 90's. I think that incident showed me the value of always having at least a little money around, and made me fairly cheap. However, I will say I never sold a coin even when I at 15 meals in a row consisting of ramen noodles. I would rather eat bad food than sell my precious little coins.

 

Indeed, my long time business partner is one of these people, but I affectionately remember him spending over an hour fighting a $10 phone bill mistake, the same day he spent a few $million on upgraded servers.

 

Smart rich people are more than willing to spend money where it will make them money. I know I am flippant when I say "money you can afford to throw away", since we know these things have value. However, by keeping this mindset it stops me from spending investment money on my hobby. Yes, I am building an asset, but since I will never sell I will never benefit from my little obsessions more than personal pleasure.

 

I don't find those the least bit incongruous.

 

Ancient coin purchases in the $10-$20 range are for education & fun. I'm comfortable dealing with individual coins in the $50 - $500 range. Occasionally, I might treat myself to a more expensive coin. My Athens Tets & Punic Tet are examples of more expensive purchases. This CT forum has gotten me focused on ancient coins & reference books for about a year now. My ancient collection is beginning to look like an ancient collection. Here are some photos:

 

Nice Greeks

 

Five more photos:

 

Five more:

 

five more .....

 

Yep. Five more.

 

Last five: