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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Midas, post: 127580, member: 2761&quot;]What a loaded question...what is the right way to collect? Hmmmmmm....</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Well, to each his own, but I have changed my buying and collecting habits over the years. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><b>First and foremost</b>, I allocated my coin budjet to purchase <u>QUALITY</u> coins over <u>QUANTITY</u>. Commons will always be common, but coins that are key, high grade, demanded, etc., will ALWAYS have a market. With the influx of the state quarter program, a huge new generation of numismatics are hitting the market and that is good for all of us in the hobby. If you have the choice to buy a key instead of 10 commons, buy the KEY first and fill in the commons later. Common date coins will always be circulating throughout the hobby and will NOT increase in value as that key, quality coins. After all, there are only so many coins serving a growing hobby/investment base.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><b>Second</b>, unless you know the seller personally and have the blood of his first born, DON&#039;T buy any key dates &quot;sight-unseen&quot; RAW unless your grading/authentication skills are up to snuff. There are just too many dipped, whizzed, counterfeit, altered dates, etc. on sites like eBay and others to really turn you off to the hobby. If you buy coins online, I prefer coins holdered in slabs from the top four TPG&#039;s (PCGS, NGC, ANACS and ICG). I may purchase a SEGS or PCI graded MS coin, but I will mentally deduct 2 to 4 MS points before I bid on these coins. Again, don&#039;t buy any key date RAW coins on line. That premium and self assurance you mentioned when buying a slabbed coin is well worth it in my book.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><b>Third</b>...collect what you like, not what everybody else says you should collect.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><b>Fourth</b>...plan a trip to a major coin show and bring cash. Cash is king and will help you acquire coins at better prices than if you hit a single local coin store. Of course, keep your coins/cash you are carrying with you at all times and well protected! Save your coin budget for your targeted coins. Research bid/buy prices of the coins you have in mind. Use the TPG&#039;s that have tables at these shows for their opinion and grade of any raw coins you may find. I can&#039;t tell you how many times these on-site graders have saved my butt from dipped, whizzed, or retoned coins. Best part...it is FREE.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><b>Fifth</b>...don&#039;t look at collecting as an investment. Only a few players are experts in turning their holdings into real money. Collect for any reason such as to keep your mind off of the hustle and madness of the world. If you buy low and sell a coin high...look at that as icing on the cake. Apply those profits into better coins.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>That is how I think you should collect...but that is just me. After all, how often do I offer opinions in this forum?</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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