Not sure where to go from here in this hobby

Collecting for me, whether coins, fossils, minerals, nephrite and jadeite carvings, paintings, prints, has been a lifelong pursuit, and the scope, or lack of scope, and the completeness or lack of completeness, is a reflection of my life.

Over the years I have explored new areas of interest in history or art. A result is my natural inclination to collect objects related to those areas. When I was young (Jethro Tull?) I loved the wonder and beauty of minerals, much the way Oliver Sachs did when he was growing. Collecting them became a haven for me, a place to retreat to in times of sadness. Now, as an old man, I still have many of them, not particularly well organized, but perhaps that was not the point. Some I have owned since 1966, and as such, have been companions, albeit not very talkative ones, for the better part of my life. Still, when I pull one out of the cabinet or drawer, I still experience that wonder that I had all those years before.

Coins were a natural extension of this journey. First with US coinage, then world and ancients, then world only, now back to ancients only. I use "only" loosely, for I still acquire a nice lion daalder or other world crown if the opportunity presents itself. My interest has been behind much of my coin collecting efforts. As I read more about different periods, and exchange information with other collectors, the dynamics and direction of the collection changes. I do not apologize for the lack of discipline; collecting reflects our personalities, interests and values. My "shotgun" approach reflects my approach to many things in life, including collecting. I do thry to collect based on what appeals to my eye, both in design, historical relevance and beauty.

 

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One thing I'll say is I wish I could get the excitement back that I had when I was a kid looking through my parents' change and I'd find a wheat penny or a Canadian quarter, or even when I started buying coins as an adult and I'd get giddy seeing an 1800s date on something. The internet and the easy availability of coins has kind of taken away the thrill of a lot of things. When you can easily get it and it's just a matter of money it doesn't seem special anymore. That's why I don't really buy on eBay anymore. When I dig through the bins at a dealer or a coin show I still get a little of that thrill of discovery.