US Commemorative Coins: Should one get classics, modern, or none?

I've been searching online and in this forum for things on commemorative coins. There doesn't seem to be as much as I thought. Would it be a good idea to collect any, or should I skip on all of them? I was looking at a few classics, specially the California Exposition. So far I've only purchased regular coins meant for circulation, and don't yet have any commemoratives. What's your take on them?

 

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Collect what you like, shouldn't matter what others think.

I collect modern commemoratives but only the ones that appeal to me.

 

And that should tell you something - If you have shallow pockets then start a collection of Walking Liberty Halves - most are easily acquired with only a few that are into the 100-200$ dollar range.

 

I do have shallow pockets for the rest of this month thanks to purchasing the 1819 fifty cents, 1840 fifty cents, 1858 flying eagle cent, and 1869 two cent piece.

However, there is always next month. I don't mind waiting and saving a month or two for a special coin. In fact, if it's special enough, I don't mind foregoing other coins and saving 3-4 months for something special. I think what burned me out at age 16 was the large collection of mediocre and mostly junk late 19th century and early 20th century coins. None were anything special. It was all I could afford, but deep down inside I got that blah feeling after a while. This time around I'm willing to spend more to get the right coins that genuinely interest me because of design, history, rarity, unusualness, or beauty.

So talk to me, what classic commemoratives would most of you think are special and good representatives of the whole program? I'm willing to take a look, study them, think about it...and maybe get some of them eventually if they end up interesting me enough. I'm asking for honest opinions on what you think one should look at in the field of commemoratives...a little guidance, and I'll take it from there.

 

I would agree with OxJaw -- collect what you like. I have a growing collection of moderns, they go back to 1982 and there's wide variety of subjects covered. The moderns are surprisingly affordable as well. I do pick up a classic when I can, I almost got an Oregon Trail commemorative last month, I had to return it due to the fact that it had been severely cleaned and that hadn't shown up in the pictures of it.

 

Well, I will probably get some heat from this but I think collecting newer commemorates is like renting a house - just throwing your money out the window with no return!!! Most are just priced on bullion

 

Being a native Texan, the Texas Centennial half dollar appeals to me. But it hasn't moved up high enough on the budget yet.

 

What about the classics? Do they hold their value and has the market for them been decent? Not that I would plan to sell any coins I'm buying, but it would be nice knowing that should I ever tire of one particular coin and decide to sell it to get another, I'm at least going to get a decent price for it down the road.

 

I am too old to think I will be hanging around long enough for the moderns to obtain value, if they ever do.

 

Well like everybody says - collect what you like! Nobody will ever get rich collecting coins unless you buy for a Million and sell for a Million 3

 

Don't waste your money on moderns. Classic commem's is so cheap in the past in the past 10 yrs. I like the singles like Grant, Cal, Pilgrims, Maine, Missouri, Conn...etc

 

I collect anything I like as should you . Classic commemoratives is one area I collect . Same with Bust halves and Civil War tokens and Trade dollars . The early commems are pretty cheap right now . the rarer ones hold their value fairly well , along with the Civil War related pieces . Main thing is to have fun and learn , not to try and make money .

 

I collect what strikes my fancy, which is mostly older coins. Have a few ancients now, thanks to CT. Modern Commemoratives, I don't like them but a lot of people I know do. Do some research and find what you like the most, then go after it.

 

As most others have said, one should buy what they want to collect. I like the classic commems from an artistic standpoint, so I put together a set. The only modern commems I've bought to keep are the bald eagle ones, because I thought they were well-done. Modern commems are best bought at least a year after issue, when the prices are usually below issue price, although there have been exceptions. Whatever you decide to buy, make sure it's a coin you like.

 

You will not get any heat from me on this, but I will say I noticed asking people on input helps some of us decide what we want.

 

Commemoratives generally don't attract a lot of collectors. I have 23 modern proof's in my proof series 1983-98, and I have the 1st 3 commems. in my type set, along with an Oregon trail half, and the 3 Statue of Liberty coins.

 

My favorite is the Oregon Trail, because of the history, and story behind it, as well as it's beauty. Ezra Meeker petitioned government for many years to have a coin made to commemorate the Oregon Trail. He was the last survivor who traveled it in a wagon. I read an interesting article about it online, which inspired me to obtain a nice example for my type set.

 

i collect both modern and classics, i collect the ones i like and are within my small budget, i collect moderns because there are some great designs, they are silver and SHINY! and classics because of great designs and i like old coins, i dont worry about future value as they will be handed down to my son, so collect what you like...

 

My favorite designs on commems, both old and new are the Oregon Trail, then Panama Pacific half dollar, and the 1984 silver $, 1994 Viet-Nam silver $, and the 3 1986 Statue of Liberty's, and the 2005 Marine Corps silver $.

 

Some of the best work in numismatics is being done by other countries with Commems. Belarus, Poland, Canada, China and others are creating beautiful coins. I would collect them if the budget permitted.

US Modern Commems, not so much. Indifferent (to me) design, huge mintages, typical American profit motive trumping artistic license. Classic Commems have the same virtues as Classic coin issues - age and relative scarcity.