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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;gboulton, post: 1042607, member: 27043&quot;]I&#039;m the oddball in this one...for two reasons:</p><p><br /></p><p>1) I treat my coin collection in much the same way that I treat my model airplanes...they are a PURCHASE, not an &quot;investment&quot;.&nbsp; Both will retain some value over the years, many will, presuming proper care, even appreciate.&nbsp; Fine, so be it.&nbsp; That is not, however, the motivation behind their purchase.&nbsp; Their purchase has but one purpose, and one only : To bring me joy, amusement, and happiness.&nbsp; They are PURCHASES for me to enjoy.&nbsp; I am spending $x,xxx for the simple pleasure of owning and flying a fine machine, or owning and appreciating a fine coin.&nbsp; If my family gets some of that money back when I&#039;m gone, great.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>2) As a result of 1 above, I frequently PREFER worn, beat up, &quot;fillers&quot;.&nbsp; For me, much of the joy of coins is the stories they could tell, if only they had the means.</p><p><br /></p><p>Indeed, just the other day, I added a prized piece to my collection that isn&#039;t even a coin!&nbsp; While cracking some proof sets for the Kennedy halves, one set from the 80&#039;s had the original packing slip form the mint to the original buyer!</p><p><br /></p><p>For me, that&#039;s worth more than ANY &quot;rare coin&quot;...it&#039;s the rarest of all possible artificats, it is UNIQUE!&nbsp; There is only one packing slip like it anywhere, and there will never be another.&nbsp; On top of that, it actually DOES give the coins in the set a means to tell at least PART of their story.&nbsp; I know, on a given date, they began their existence with a trip to a very specific individual at a very precise address, for an exact cost.</p><p><br /></p><p>How did they then make their way to me?&nbsp; How long did they remain in that person&#039;s possession?&nbsp; Were they displayed proudly, or stashed away in the (vain, as it happens) hope of gaining value?&nbsp; When and why were they given up on?&nbsp; I&#039;ll probably never know the answers to those...and frankly, couldn&#039;t care less.</p><p><br /></p><p>Knowing some of the story...and knowing you&#039;ll never know it all, but speculating about all the possibilities...that&#039;s the magic of this for me.</p><p><br /></p><p>So hey...I&#039;ll quite happily put that barely identifiable G4 piece in my collection.&nbsp; I&#039;ll have the same coin &quot;you&quot; do, I&#039;ll have spent less, and mine will provide ME with countless hours more wonderment and enjoyment. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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