When you've taken a set as far as you can
KindaNewish
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I've been working on my die variety set of 20c coins in peace and quiet for a couple of years now, and I've looked at pretty much every double dime offered for sale (and bought many). After getting the last of the super tough but obtainable die varieties, I am burned out.
I know that I will never have a 1876-CC because of the cost, and I never bought a 1877 or 1878 proof coin because they are readily available and the prices are not justified (to me).
I've recently sold off some of my high grade but common die varieties (1875 BF-1, 1876 BF-2, 1875-CC BF-2 and most of the 1875-S coins) because they were just taking up space and I know that I can find them again easily if I want to try this again.
That leaves me with the core group of 8-10 super rare die varieties, sitting alone in a box, unloved.
What to do? How long does one wait for the bug to bite again?
Should I sell them? if so, to whom? There doesn't seem to be much interest in rare D.V. 20c coins right now, but I know that this set will be very difficult to recreate. Any ideas?
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I faced the same dilemma when I fell out of love with Lincoln cent varieties. I knew some of the ones I had collected were not replaceable. But, when the thrill is gone and you dont have endless dinero, it's best to sell and get some purchasing power for another area of the hobby.
Unless you want your interest to die completely...
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
Similar story here but I worked too hard and invested to much money to dump my set. (Although for the right money I could change my mind.)
I had been working on my Morgan Dollar set (all dates and MM's) for years. I was "happy" with it "5 years ago" so I set it aside for a few years. Then I "got the upgrade bug". It's taken a few more years but now but I'm about "done and happy again" but in a couple of years I might get the upgrade bug again.
So I took it as far as I could "at one time", saved it and then made another run at it. I suspect I'll do it again. Maybe it's a form of OCD.
You just need to take a break and the coins will be waiting when you're ready.
Great transactions with oih82w8, JasonGaming, Moose1913.
The engine in a car won't last long if you put the gas pedal to the floor and hold it there. You need another hobby to alternate with. I work on upgrading my coins for awhile and then when I hit a slow period, switch to my revolver collection. Old Colt revolvers may not be your thing but if you find something else that you enjoy doing, you can avoid the "burned out" feeling.
Ah yes, 6" Pythons are beautiful. Although Series 70 Gold Cups are nice too. Matter of fact, most older Colts (auto or revolvers) are cool. (See my icon)
I've lost track, any idea how much a ~50 year old 6" blued Colt Python is worth these days? (in 98% condition)
Thanks, that is good advice.
I have several hobbies... and that allows me to avoid burn out in any one area. For me, there is always a backlog of pursuits in each area. So, I just move from one to the other and never get bored. Cheers, RickO
Used to collect IHC's and FE cents - added the major varieties - as upgrades became harder to find, added small cent patterns, finally CWT's struck over IHC/FE cents. After hitting a wall, sold them off and moved on to other hobbies that I still enjoy, especially American art.
Take your time - you'll find another enjoyable niche eventually.
I maxed out my die variety set of Flowing Hair and Draped Bust half dollars, for my budget. Kept the set and built sets of classic head gold, early dimes, and a few other which have mostly been sold/traded now. Still enjoy the early half dollar set without adding to it. I wrote a biography on the man who engraved these great early coins along with new research on his contributions to early America. Yes, Colt 1911's are also interesting to collect.
Other interests should arise to keep the fire going. If 20c die varieties are your passion, keep them, continue to learn about the series, and you may become the series expert in time.
Just put them in the safe or SDB and wait till it hits you again. I put my Wheat cent collection away 50 years ago and still have not gotten the bug to upgrade or such. It just sits there getting looked at once a year or so. No harm and it certainly has increased in value!
bob
PS: same with my buffs, jeffs and Indian cents.
I agree with @Leroy you have to have a few things to switch on and off to. It is summer time, perhaps get a metal detector and see what you can find in the wild.
Best place to buy !
Bronze Associate member
I do multiple hobbies also. When I did just ball cards I did take a 3-4 year break, but then came back stronger than ever. Now with the two hobbies I go back and forth, but have a bigger focus on coins as I only started coins a year ago and have been collecting ball cards for 25 years. Just find another hobby in the interim until you get the coin bug again.
Donato
Donato's Complete US Type Set ---- Donato's Dansco 7070 Modified Type Set ---- Donato's Basic U.S. Coin Design Set
Successful transactions: Shrub68 (Jim), MWallace (Mike)
It could be this ultimate result, or you might just be done with the series.
Many years ago I collected half cent die varieties from 1800 to 1857. Like the 1877 and '78 double dimes were for you, the Proof only dates were off the table to for me as well. That left a lot of coins. Still I reached a point when I could go no further.
I knew who had the rare varieties I didn't have and some of those guys had more than one example of those coins, but they weren't selling any time soon. Most of those collections have been sold, but it was 15 to 25 years after I stopped collecting half cents, and the prices were very strong.
Ultimately I sold them all to raise capital for my coin business. I've never regretted letting them go. It was fun period of collecting, but it’s over. There are other things to collect.
Then I start a hoard
BHNC #203
You can send them to me to play with for a while! They'll be loved!
Take a break from die marriage searching. It can be quite exhausting with double dimes. As much as it hurts to write this ... there will likely never be much interest in double dime die marriage collecting. The set is very short and the differences in die marriages are often so slight that attribution can be challenging (or outright frustrating!). Add to that the stupendously expensive rarity (1876-CC) and for many collecting double dimes is a non-starter.
You have done well in your quest ... bask in your double dime glory.
See http://www.doubledimes.com for a free online reference for US twenty-cent pieces
I dunno. This is a tough one. I created and continued to improve a Peace dollar collection until it would have been ridiculous to take it any further. At the end, it was a top 10 registry set in a popular series. The only coins left were to chase were insanely expensive top pop coins that often didn't look as nice as what I already had. I learned a lot and had tons of fun and by the end I was perfectly satisfied with all but one or two of the coins in the set.
For me the answer was to sell. Many of the coins upgraded and I was able to make a small profit at sale time, even in the midst of a down market. I took 24 little coins and used the proceeds to build a nice shop behind my house. Now that the shop is done, I can't believe how fun it is to have the extra space. I set up a miniature wood shop and rediscovered an old hobby that is also quite enjoyable.
Dealing with a collection of varieties in an esoteric series is harder. Selling them into what might be a thin market could be a tough pill to swallow, and they're probably not readily replaceable. If I wanted to, I could assemble an identical or even better collection of Peace dollars within a year or two. If you don't need the cash, just sit on them for a while and do something else. I basically did this with my Peace dollars for a couple of years before being absolutely 100% confident that selling was the right thing to do.
Over many years, I patiently collected Liberty Nickels in MS 66. Then grading standards changed, pops exploded, and I couldn't see any point in going further with the set.
I have seen this happen with many other series and grades of U.S. coinage. At some point, I might try and upgrade the nicest of the Nickels and sell them, keep a few of them which I think have the most personality and sell the rest, come what may.
But as others have said, for now, get into another hobby. Maybe learn a foreign language and travel to a country where it is spoken for a vacation. I have been doing that for the last year or so. Last year it was French. This year, it's Slovak. Slovak is difficult, but it's mentally stimulating. Keeping yourself mentally stimulated is a good thing.
"Seu cabra da peste,
"Sou Mangueira......."
Thank you all, a lot of good advice given and accepted. I think that I'll do a BST here in a few weeks.
I think the key to your dilemma is that for a few of the coins you need to complete the set you have concluded that "the prices are not justified (to me.)" So you don't complete the set and it all seems like a waste of time and money from the beginning. But it's not. I feel the same way. There are two or three coins that I need to complete my favorite set.
But in a high grade I just don't think they're worth it. Like you, I could buy them but I don't. Maybe it's a wise decision not to. Maybe do a little upgrading, buy nice affordable duplicates, and don't concern yourself with the missing coins that you really don't want. Move on to something else. Maybe someday you will buy those coins to complete your set. Who knows? In the meantime, have fun with whatever other coins you chose to focus on. It works for me.
I'm close to being done with my Walker set but I will always be a Walker guy. I will Kickback and enjoy what I have done... this gives me great satisfaction. I have two other Hobbies, as well, that I like to work on. I will never get sick of coins and Walkers. I will just hold and maybe start another series. Never understood the guys who rush to sell as soon as they were done. That makes no sense to me, as I put my heart and soul into it and it is a part of who I am. I take great pride in it and it gives me a lot of pleasure.
Sometimes, it’s better to be LUCKY than good. 🍀 🍺👍
My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947):
https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/16292/
.> @Walkerfan said:
You said it. I feel the same.
@hydrant thanks for your recent kind words and support. Means a lot to me.
Sometimes, it’s better to be LUCKY than good. 🍀 🍺👍
My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947):
https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/16292/
Imagine if you sold the collection and a newly discovered variety or two became available sometime next year. Or what if you run across a stunningly beautiful coin that would have upgraded the one in your collection? At that point, will you regret having sold your collection? Your answer will probably tell you if you should sell now, or if you should patiently wait for your next opportunity.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
I have never understood the reasoning behind the concept of selling a collection as soon as you have finished it. I guess those who enjoy "the chase" more than anything else collect that way. For me "the chase" becomes a source frustration after a while. Going to show and even stepping into a coin shop always gives me a rush but failing to find something month after month or year after year gets old.
I get more joy out of studying what I have. I not look at something for a few months, but then I’ll read some bit of history and go back to it. I don’t have very many duplicates. Those are the coins I am most likely to sell. I can also lose interest in something completely or reach a point where I know that can’t got another further because of the price or rarity. Those too are items I might prune. Still I do have a core collection, and there are items in it that I have owned since the mid 1960s.
I hadn't bought a nice Large Cent for 2 years. Until yesterday when I was innocently minding my own business and came across one on a dealer's website that I really liked. I tried to ignore it for a day or two, but I kept coming back to look over his inventory. Yesterday, I decided that I really had no choice, the coin wouldn't let me get away. Game on!
I knew it would happen.
Well I've waited a week to think this over. I just posted to BST.