Are you embarrassed to admit that you collect coins?

This site, and my immediate family, are the only contacts I have about my hobby. It's of no concern to others and that's of my own volition. I try and keep my personal life personal. I share what I call my "public life" with others. Numismatics are not part of my of my public life.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

The only thing I've noticed is out-out ENVY that I have a nice Morgan or 1737 8 Reales piece,lots of curiosity too though wen you mention it's hard WORK digging 'em up the excitement fades quite fast.ha ha ha......

 

All of my coworkers know that I collect coins because every time that one of the girls starts telling a story about their wedding plans or starts planning a birthday party for a two year old months in advance I ask them if they want to hear a cool story about a nickel. The go running for the hills and my man card didn't suffer any infractions with anymore baby or wedding talk.

 

I don't consider all collectors to be nerdy (although there are many). And among those that are I think you have varying degrees.

I consider the collector that is methodical and low key about collecting as more of a refined person rather than a nerd. I would like to think James Bond himself has a vault with gold coins somewhere. Doesn't have to be James Bond level suave, but I think many people that aren't nerdy have nice coin collections. People such as business executives, lawyers, etc. Not the nerdy ones of course - those are nerdy whether they collect coins or not.

Now in my opinion, the collector that stays home everyday and gets excited to find a worthless error after spending hours looking at coins under a microscope is a nerd. By no means am I saying that's a bad thing. If that's what you like then you shouldn't care what others think or let it stop you from doing what you like.

 

I'd prefer if nobody really knew that I collected but it's almost impossible for it to not come out somewhat. I've learned that people you think you know and trust may not be worthy of your time at all. Let alone discussing anything personal related such as this.
Some people you think are friends will burn you in a heartbeat and you never talk to them again. At that point how many conversations were there that you wish you could take back?
I consider myself to be a rarer type of person and it takes a rare type of person for me to hit it off with. I'm friends with quality people. I can identify them now.

That said, I could probably be good friends with most people on any forum I'm a part of. As far as being ashamed. No. Never been ashamed of it. Maybe the people that criticized the OP should be ashamed for not being into collecting?
My wife pretty much wouldn't care what I collect or what hobbies I'm into. That's mainly what you will find. If a girl criticizes you for collecting, it's not somebody you want around anyway. Used to worry about that bs when I was younger. Now that I've hit mid 30s I've implemented the one strike and you're out rule.
There's adults dressing up in Star Wars costumes waiting in line for midnight showings. If those people are comfortable, I'm comfortable.

 

Naw, not embarrassed at all, I am almost 58 years old and I surf, ski, skateboard and hike. A lot of folks think I am a bit wacky when they see me carving fast long turns down the street on my longboard. They also think I am crazy when I fall off said longboard at my age, but they don't think I am nerdy.

 

Jersey Guys......sheesh........

 

I'm more of a stacker and I think you guys all seem like "nerds".

 

How can you say that when most of us surf and race fast cars and chew tobacco?

 

i am a coin geek and proud of it!!!!

 

Because most of you on here probably didn't get your noddle wet till your late 20's.

 

You could probably say that about my generation but not this younger generation.......

 

Gee, to me the only nerds ARE the stackers. One of the most irrepressibly public collectors I have ever met is former ANA president and current board member Walt Ostromecki, who is not a dealer, nor a wealthy man with an unlimited security budget, but a public school administrator. Collecting need not be secret, just smart.

 

No way. Who cares what other people think? You are doing something you enjoy and that's all that matters...

 

We are all, except for those most contemptible of creatures known as "stackers", conservators and historians of the world's medallic arts. Think on that and show a little respect.

 

If I was a Zombuck collector and my family found out I would kill my self.

 

I don't perceive stackers as contemptible....unenlightened, perhaps, but not contemptible.......

 

Oh come on, Ken! Don't start on us Joisey boys. We don't all wear pocket protectors.

Bruce

 

Pocket protectors? I thought that was the NY guys.......

 

I reserve the right to hold onto my own various contempts, which go far beyond stackers, but, wow, they are definitely inside the circle on the Venn diagram.