How secret is your hobby?

I think many of us try to keep a low public profile about coin collecting for obvious security reasons. For some, it's just not possible because they're a dealer, an officer in a club, write articles or books, etc.

At present, I keep a fairly low profile. Those who know are family, close friends, a few other collectors, grading services, and some dealers. I'm writing a couple of articles though, and if published, I'll be thoroughly "outed". My coins are in a safe deposit box, but that doesn't mean bad guys won't come looking for them at my house. It's a risk I'm prepared to take.

I'm curious though about how many of you try to keep a low profile about your hobby. Whom do you tell, and whom do you specifically try to keep from knowing? And for those whom you tell, do you reveal the value of your collection? (And yes, I'm a grammar freak whom some of you know, and who's glad to talk to whomever whose coins are of mutual interest!)

Cal

 

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I try to stay fairly low key. I have always been self employed, and coin sales make up a decent part of my salary (I do a few other things too though) so it sometimes comes up when people ask what I do. I usually just say "ebay buying and selling", but of course they always ask "What do you sell?!". I do not disclose how much I have, the value, or where things are kept.

 

I get mail from the Mint with the name boldly emblazoned on it! My Dad used to subscribe to Coin World I payed extra to have his come in a plastic cover. Otherwise, every postal employee from Sidney, Ohio to your town will see it (and tell their homeys about the old man with coins.

 

Unless you have a very unusual name, you're probably overestimating your fame. One thing I've learned over the years is that many fewer people are paying attention to what I'm doing than I think.

My family and some friends know, and people at work. I don't really talk in detail about things offline, so nobody knows how extensive my collection is. My name is very common, so you can't find any information about me on the internet unless you know something else about me other than the fact I collect coins. And I never, ever post about coins on Facebook. (In fact, I rarely use Facebook at all.)

 

Family knows I collect. They know not to discuss it. Most of the collectors I know know me as Santinidollar. I don't worry about dealers. As far as eBay goes, I stick to sellers who are extensively into coins.

A low profile is best.

 

I'm at come at me!

 

I live in a neighborhood where you have to be careful what you say you have and do. Everyone is looking for something to be given to them.
For example. I ran into an old freind who always asks me for money to borrow, even though I know he's not going to pay back. He saw me with my new metal detector and the first thing he wants to know is if he could have the old detector.. I made up a story that I gave it to my brother in law.
This guy is just desperate and would sell my old detector for cash. I gave someone a fishing pole with a nice reel and I found out the person sold it.
My neighborhood is full of schemers and love to take advantage of others.
So I don't mention anything about my coins! Never ever!

Also..when I return from metal detecting and someone asks if I found anything good. I just say "about 32 cents in change"

 

I just tell people I'm a cent searcher if one of my wifes friends should stop by if I'm looking at something, I'll just open a roll. Say its my 50 cent hobby. No one knows, my wife doesn't even know or I should say care.

 

How secret is your hobby?

What hobby?

 

Tell them you found a chest with Spanish colonial gold from the legendary Santa Maria shipwreck, but it was too heavy to carry so you left it at the beach ;-)

 

I keep a really low profile. The only coins in my home are of little value. I worry more about the hit and run bad guys that don't even know me. That's where your home security comes into play, a whole new topic.

Be careful of anyone you feel that may be involved with meth. Learn to spot them and stay away.

 

Well, my ex-wife knows I collect coins, but she's the only person I've ever talked to about it in meatspace except folks I've already met online in coin forums. Not another soul in my real-world life is aware that I collect. If word ever got out where I live that I might have collectible coins in my place, it'd be broken into and ransacked within 48 hours. And since I use a PO Box, only my best friend and Amazon know my street address. Not even my ex has that.

 

You must be the only guy in the favela who collects Morgan dollars, Davi de arromba :-D

 

There are a few people who know and whom I trust. Coin magazines arrive in the mail so the postman knows. No one else who lives anywhere nearby knows. A couple of neighbors helped me get the safe into the house but I told them it was a gun safe, which is mostly is, but I keep some coins in it. Most of the valuable ones are secreted offsite. I'm not too concerned. The house has security cameras which I installed simply to save money on house insurance.

 

The only difference in my "favela" being, there are undoubtedly a whole_lot_more guns in Philadelphia than in Rio.

 

What Hobby?

If anything, at least the police station is nearly next door so they don't have to go far if anything happens.

 

How secret? Not very. People have known about my hobby for over 50 years. Too late to bar the door now.

 

I have a little different perspective. I'm sort of embarrassed by it. I've been into coins since I was a kid. I'm still fairly young at 38, but when people ask me what I do for a living, it's sort of weird and uncomfortable that I made a hobby into a living. (Part time anyway). It's like I'm stuck between a kid's hobby and the hobby of the old fellers. No offense intended.

 

Only my immediate family and a couple of friends know that I collect coins. I'd say I'm pretty secretive about it. Loose lips sink ships.

 

I don't think most of my friends and neighbors know I collect coins. Someone snooping my mail could figure that out but doubt that anyone would go to that extreme where I live. I'm not a dealer so there really isn't anything to catch a thief's eye. My collection probably isn't worth the bother anyway.