Please Share What You Do with Your Collection

Discussion in 'Coin Chat' started by JCro57, Dec 4, 2018.

  1. JCro57

    JCro57 Making Errors Great Again

    Many of you know me a little bit and know I enjoy collecting both 20th century silver sets and Mint errors.

    The best part for me is showing my collection to people. I bring them to school to show my students, I do speaking engagements at local clubs in Western NY about errors, I am almost done completing my book on Mint errors, and I am working on creating my own display cases.

    I am wondering, what do the rest of you do with your collections? Do you put them in books or boxes and tuck them away for no one to see? Do you dump them off in safe deposit boxes? Do you not want others to know you even collect them because you don't want the attention? If you do display them, how do you do so?

    Please save your dumb jokes for a different post; looking for serious responses here. Thanks!

    ~Joe Cronin, Buffalo, NY
     
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  3. BoonTheGoon

    BoonTheGoon Grade A mad lad

    I show my mates at lunch time, quite fun. I have gotten a few of the lads to even take up coins them selves! About 2 of them have. I store them in a large cabinet from the 1940s with shelves and in a box on my book shelf.
     
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  4. Santinidollar

    Santinidollar Supporter! Supporter

    My collection is a private deal. Sorry the world is this way, but you show it to a friend who tells his family at dinner whose kid tells someone else who decides a burglary or home invasion might be profitable and — there you go.

    Try telling an armed robber that the collection ain’t in the house. A slight variation of that won Truman Capote the Pulitzer Prize.
     
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  5. TyCobb

    TyCobb A product of PMD

    Here's what I currently do depending on the item.

    Circulation finds:
    2 giant binders. 1 for the best of the best I can find for that year (cents, nickels, doesn't matter). The other for any errors I find. I also have a catch-all box for 2x2s of any other really good quality coins I find, but already have a better version in the binder.

    Plastic tubes for misc coins like state quarters, ATB, etc. that for one reason or another aren't worthy for a 2x2, but still better than average quality.

    Both binders and tubes are sitting in the open in the office right now.

    Mint sets and slabs... free floating around right now in the office because I have nowhere else to put them. However, I just purchased a home safe today (59" x 24" x 22.5") that should be delivered and installed in a couple of weeks. I realized as I was looking to buy a gold coin that I have nowhere to keep it safe :wacky:. Figured the money was better spent on getting a safe first.

    Once that arrives the mint sets and slabs will go in there until there's no more room and then will probably start slowly bleeding back out. Hopefully that takes some time... :p
     
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  6. bsting

    bsting Never enough coins.lol

    Books and boxes right now, but have thought that some sort of display would be nice. Cheaper conversation starters in the display. Wouldn’t show many people if I had a large expensive collection. Word of mouth travels fast and you never know who is listening when people are talking.
     
  7. TyCobb

    TyCobb A product of PMD

    Based on other responses, me thinks I should get a decoy safe and a ton of cheap slabs off ebay (not that I haven't done that already :rolleyes:)

    EDIT: Eh, who am I kidding... I am too stubborn and will be dead before I even get near the decoy. haha
     
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  8. Kentucky

    Kentucky Supporter! Supporter

    ...leaves me out
     
  9. AUAGBUG

    AUAGBUG Member

    I cuddle up with it on cold nights or if I'm feeling extra lonely.
     
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  10. Hookman

    Hookman Well-Known Member

    I use plastic Coffee-Mate and Maxwell House containers.At first I just collected pennies. I marked the tubs with searched and unsearched. As I gathered enough "oddities" to matter, I separated them into various sub-groups such as Doubles (or what I considered doubles, mostly machine doubling), Tones, NAs (non aligned or rotated), errors, etc.. When I first started with silver, I simply marked them with American Silver or Foreign Silver.(BTW, I still have my first silver acquisition , a NORFED $10.00 ounce coin. That acquisition is a story all by itself.). Then, as my collection grew, I divided them by country. As it grew I added a tub for ounces, rounds and bars. I added tubs for exonumia, for militaria, for all kinds of sub groups. I have collections of silver spoons, silver medals and other military decorations such as marksman awards, silver cups and goblets, silver candle snuffers, almost anything made of silver if I can get it at melt or near melt.
    I buy a lot on eBay and have saved the "One Rate, Any Weight" shipping boxes for odd shaped stuff.
    etc., etc., etc..
    I have approximately 40 containers of coins and.....stuff.

    Now, as to what I'm going to do with it.

    My parents raised 8 children and when they passed, dad first then mom, they left nothing behind except for a small medicine bottle of old coins, none of them special, that my mom wanted me to have.

    I have 2 daughters and 3 grand kids. So when I'm gone , I want to leave as many coins as possible for them to fight over.


    No , seriously , I just want to leave something for my kids and grandkids. My parents wanted to, and tried to, but couldn't.
    I think, like most folks, we all want to do at least a little better than our parents did.

    And JCro, thanx for asking what, for me, is such a poignant question.
     
    Last edited: Dec 5, 2018
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  11. Hookman

    Hookman Well-Known Member

    You know, thinking about storing coins in those plastic tubs, how bad is that?
    I've read ya'll discussing "out-gassing", could Coffee-Mate and Maxwell House containers do that?
    Thanx for any advice.
     
  12. Hookman

    Hookman Well-Known Member

    After rereading the Goon's answer above, I remembered about the '57 thru '67 Mexican Pesos that are only 10% silver, that I have over a 100 of. I use them as gifts to coworkers in hopes of getting them interested in coin collecting.
     
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  13. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic & Eccentric Moderator

    I keep everything in a safe deposit box nowadays, so I look at and share my coins on the Internet more than in person. Sounds kind of sad, but the coins are safer than they'd be in an album at home, and looking at the photos of them is actually easier and better for me since my eyesight is not what it once was.

    CollectiveCoin is a nice free, easy-use-platform for showcasing coins online. Some people with even more tech savvy make neat "virtual albums" for their coins, and have whole websites devoted to their collections.

    (If you want one example of a website that will knock your socks off, look at our own @AncientJoe's amazing Colosseo Collection website.)

    But since the topic is about physical storage and presentation rather than web display...

    I use a double-row Intercept box for slabs. It fits inside my safe deposit drawer, unlike a slab album would.

    Here's my pile, outside the box.

    [​IMG]


    This is what the box looks like.

    [​IMG]


    One day I might get a fancier album to put them in for show-and-tell when I'm visiting numismatic friends, since the Intercept box they normally stay in is kind of plain and utilitarian.

    I used to have one of these Lighthouse giant albums. Might get another for those show-and-tell occasions.

    [​IMG]


    I realize, of course, that you might not have all slabbed coins.

    For raw, uncertified coins, I use a zipper binder and 20-pocket pages for coins in flips or 2x2s. The zipper part is important, I've found, because coins in those standard pocket pages have a tendency to escape sometimes, especially if they're bigger, heavier pieces. If you have a zipper binder, it will prevent the loss of any coins that fall out of the pockets.

    Here are the typical 20-pocket pages with 2" x 2" pockets.

    [​IMG]


    The binder I put the pages in is red leather with brass corners. Pretty nice looking. It's a vintage item I found on eBay, though, and I've never been able to find another quite like it.

    It looks like this, except it zips up. The one shown below is nice, but is not a zipper binder.

    [​IMG]


    Of course many folks just use the boxes which store long rows of 2x2 holders. Those are great for carrying around a lot of coins, and economical, but they're rather lacking in display appeal. If you want to show and tell, you should have a nice album rather than a bunch of boxes, in my opinion.


    .
     
  14. Mainebill

    Mainebill Bethany Danielle

    Mostly slabbed in boxes in a couple different safes in my house. Also have drawers in a couple desks with more junk silver and low end which could be a decoy invading my home when anyone is home is a really bad idea both my wife and myself are well trained and well armed and would have no problem using deadly force to protect our son and home. Also have 2 dogs and a lot of cats for security and to sound an alarm Thankfully I’m in a rather safe area in the state with the lowest violent crime rate in the country. I deal in coins as well so I have no problem showing things to people. But nobody gets invited to my house that I don’t thoroughly trust and have an established relationship with
     
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  15. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic & Eccentric Moderator

    I also have a Dansco #7000 album which just says "Coins" on the cover and spine. This too is a handsome album and I bought the optional slipcase for it, which not only protects the album but prevents the escape of any coins which fall out of the pockets (and two or three always do). This performs the same security function as the zipper binder does.

    The downside to this is that the pocket pages inside the Dansco album are smaller, with a 12-pocket format, though the pockets themselves are 2" x 2" like the standard pages have. I prefer the standard 20-pocket pages and my zipper binder, so I'm presently not using the Dansco, which is put away, in brand new conditon. But if I ever put together a small collection for sale or as a gift to someone, it would be a classy way to present something like that.


    [​IMG][​IMG]


    I kind of wish it didn't say "Coins" on the spine. On the cover is fine, because you won't see that when it's inside the slipcase. But if it's up on a bookcase in one's home or office, and the gold lettering on the spine proclaims "Coins", it's essentially a "steal me" sign. Might be good for use as a decoy, like some folks here have mentioned.


    .
     
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  16. spirityoda

    spirityoda Coin Junky

    my cheaper coins I keep out to look at. my more expensive coins are hidden where only I know about no one else.
     
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  17. Seattlite86

    Seattlite86 Outspoken Member

    I have my coins loosely broken down into three categories: investment (thus private), private (hoard coins plus more valuable ones) and then the ones I share so others can see.

    The military life causes me to move a lot, which makes any sort of displaying practically impossible. I've determined that at my next job, I will have a small tray of coins that I think people will find interesting. I'll put coins there that I'd be willing to lose (because yes, even in the military, people steal things) and hope that they'll be conversation starters.

    For my world type set, I have binders full of 2x2s organized alphabetically by country that people can flip through and see the many current and demonetized coins of the world. These I'm happy to share with anyone who demonstrates an interest in collecting. I'll never get the value out of them I paid making them and they're just fun to have around. I do not actively try to add to them as it has grown quite extensive (in my opinion).

    As far as the private stuff, those things are locked away in safes and hobby rooms. I may post a photo on CT, but unfortunately, having it easy to access also puts them at risk for theft.

    I continue to put a domain/website on my christmas list (I have an IT teacher and an electrical engineer in my wife's side of the family) and hope to one day create a website where I can share all of my coins semi-anonymously. Even if they're tucked away in a safe, people will be able to enjoy looking at them.
     
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  18. Hookman

    Hookman Well-Known Member

    That is some shiny stuff there , LordM !!

    That little tiny coin off to the right. Would that be a 1904 2 1/2 Centesimos, otherwise known as the "Panama Pill"?
    I have several of those.
    And the Japanese in the middle, a gold shu, I think they're called? I have a silver one.

    That's some cool stuff.
     
  19. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic & Eccentric Moderator

    I don't currently have a Panama Pill. Sold one a little while ago, but it was not up to the quality standards for my Eclectic Box.

    The tiny coin at the far right in that picture is a gold fanam of Tipu Sultan, AH 1200 (1786), PCGS MS62, and currently the only one graded by PCGS. Now that you mention it, those are roughly similar in size to a Panama Pill.

    The Japanese coin is a Meiji 2-bu piece, ca. 1868-1869, PCGS AU55. I had an XF45 previously, but upgraded to this one because I liked the toning on it. I've got one of the little rectangular silver ones like you mentioned. It is in my swapstock but I haven't imaged it yet. Cute little thing.
     
  20. Hookman

    Hookman Well-Known Member

    Yeah , I can afford the "cute little thing" but not the Golden Ones.

    You know what Hammer says lol
     
  21. JCro57

    JCro57 Making Errors Great Again

    When not on display, mine can be found inside here. Just moved, bolted and welded this 700+ lb monstrosity to a custom metal housing fitting at a secret location; took seven adult men (and one supervising cat) to move it, and that was on a dolly!

    Picked this up free of charge as a person moving didn't want it. Obviously, these are "before" photos.

    1013181518_HDR.jpg
    1013181545~2.jpg
     
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