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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;lehmansterms, post: 3738138, member: 80804&quot;]One thing I have noted over my 60+ years&#039; involvement with coins is that among younger/newer collectors there seems to be a clear bifurcation which arises fairly early-on. There are the ones who want to know more about the piece in question, and those who are only interested in what things are worth and how much profit they can make. </p><p>When youngsters used to ask me in my shop (I sold antiques and had a case of coins in one corner) &quot;What kind of coins should I buy that will go up the most in value?&quot; I would tell them: &quot;None of them - coins are terrible as an investment. If you want to invest, get into mutual funds.&quot;</p><p>This is not to say that none of those on the more mercantile-consciousness centered branch have any real, intellectual interest beyond money, or that none of those who are more interested in the other benefits and non-monetary &quot;profits&quot; which accrue to those involved in numismatics are ever interested in the potential value, but it seems as though there is a strong bifurcation into those two clubs. </p><p>Unfortunately, there seems to be a greater force in play which tends to result in many of those involved with profit wishing to cut down on potential competition, and/or make profit by any means conceivable usually not being the best sources of knowledge, just as those of us who consider collecting to be a &quot;quality of life&quot; activity and for whom buying nice coins is like eating at a fine restaurant, drinking good wine or going to Broadway shows - you enjoy it, and you don&#039;t worry about how much profit this is going to make for you - it&#039;s money spent on improving your life-experience. For these folks it&#039;s simply not really about profits, usually. Those of us who&#039;ve been in it for a while know that worrying too much about what profit you may eventually make can tend to spoil the aesthetic experience, (and vice-versa, I expect).[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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