Why you collect what you collect

Zsmartie

From what I see on the various discussions on the board, I collect a coin that seems to be not as popular. That does not bother me and I do not care what other collector collect and there are a lot of coins out there and it is good there are a lot of choices for members to collect. I will not downgrade anything someone else collects. It is all good and and great hobby. For me I concentrate on Morgan silver dollars. That is for several reasons. My grandparents were born in the 1880s and after married moved from Iowa to S. Dak. to homestead in the late 1890s. They endured the dirty 30's and the Great Depression and due to my grandfathers astute farming and investing came out well from the period. My Dad was born in 1917 and early on after college was a S.Dak. highway patrolman. I have a photo of him standing next to his patrol car. Boy if that would not scare you, nothing will. A 1940 vintage patrol car racing at 45 down the road, wow! Anyway after returning home with a broken arm from a brawl with a drunk my mother laid down the law and he soon resigned. Throughout my Dad's life he carried in his trousers a silver dollar. I wish to this day I had preserved that coin, however, typical of a kid I have no idea what it was. I inherited some two dozen silver dollars, Morgan and Peace, and soon sold them. Stupid! So anyway not to drag a story out, I now collect Morgan silver dollars. An additional reason for my collection is I live in Montana. Montana became a state in 1889. There is so much history in Montana in the late 1880s. So now you know why I collect what I collect.

FranklinHalfAddict

@Zsmartie said:
From what I see on the various discussions on the board, I collect a coin that seems to be not as popular. That does not bother me and I do not care what other collector collect and there are a lot of coins out there and it is good there are a lot of choices for members to collect. I will not downgrade anything someone else collects. It is all good and and great hobby. For me I concentrate on Morgan silver dollars.

Morgan dollars are one of the most collected coins in probably the world.

silverpop

i collect whatever gets my notice, i'm not caring if the coin is popular or whatever, if it gets my notice it's collected

CCGGG

I primary collect PCGS certified Morgans. I completed the 97 coin date/mm coin set some years ago and have since gone through a few upgrades of that set. History is what drove me to Morgans especially the history associate with the Comstock lode. If those dollars could only talk about what they bought in the 1880's .

I do collect many of the key dates/mm's from other series but Morgans are my favorites.

ACop

Growing up as a poor kid I had always heard of silver dollars on TV but never seen one until I bought a morgan at a coin shop in florida somewherewhen I was probably 10-11. I remember asking for them at the bank and being disappointed when they'd give me S B Anthony's. I diidnt love the morgan design but still loved the idea of the silver dollar. When I discovered the Peace dollar and liked the design, it became my favorite. I of course also love Bust dollars, but not as easy to collect.

BillJones

I enjoy it, and that covers a lot of stuff.

Ezmoney

I like whatever’s purdy!

hchcoin

Great post. My collecting habits change like the weather.

Stooge

I discovered PCGS slabbed coins right after I showed a coin dealer some of my coins and he said they were cleaned. I told him I never cleaned any of them and he said they were old cleaning. They were Morgans and I had about 2 dozen of them. They were stolen and I never replaced them. I recently over the past 6 months picked up about 5-6 PCGS Morgans. I think they're great, but others think they're "Dreck".

About 20yrs ago I was looking at a set I could do that wasn't a wallet buster and I chose Roosevelt Dimes. Been collecting them ever since.

ChangeInHistory

History, eye-appeal, and study.

BillDugan1959

Because...

Timbuk3

Gold !!!

jedm

Cents... just because they're copper and the older they get the more brown and chocolaty they can be if they've got nice surfaces. Quarters - Barbers especially- because the state series got me back into the habit of collecting after about 35 years of not collecting. Dollars because they're big and heavy (well except modern small size ones of course) and I like the intrinsic value in the silver ones.

Paradisefound

Yes Mr. Dugan ......?

@BillDugan1959 said:
Because...

AUandAG

I started collecting post WWII in the bay area of CA. My father worked the shipyards during the war. After, we moved back to Carson City (my grandparents still were living there). So, I grew up in CC and remember silver dollars were pocket kings. Although I collected cents and nickels and the odd something or other, I eventually began my CC quest for dollars. Then I inherited my Great Grandfather/Grandmothers presentation 1870CC. I did not know it was in the family nor did I know the story behind it until just a year or two before inheriting it. So, being basily connected to CC dollars I cannot ignore them. Forever stuck on Carson City dollars!

bob

Paradisefound

I collect what I like and my likes are all over the place ..... mostly gold but silver as well.
My Mom gave me 2 old circulated Morgans and that's how I started this hobby

Unknown

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Type2

No one gave me anything so I worked for all of it that is why when I buy something it better be worth it or I will lose $$$ so there better be a good return if I ever sell it, I will take a lose from time to time but that's to free up $$$ to rebuy a good deal so I will make up any loses. I will collect anything I can to make a buck. It can be Silver, Gold what ever if you always buy right at the start you will never go wrong.

Welcome and have fun doing what ever you want it's your $$$.

Barberian

I like the look of large, circulated silver coins, so I collect mainly halves and circulated classic commemoratives.

rmorgan

In the 60s my dad showed me his coin collection, explained the pages in his copy of his Red Book, and taught me how to build my own sets from what I could find in circulation. So I got my own albums and started collecting from the change I could find. I remember from those days finding older types in circulation: wheats, buffalos, mercuries, liberties, franklins, and in my grandma’s coin jar a few indian heads. So now that I have more time and am getting back to collecting, I‘m focusing first on those earlier 20th century coins – resuming where my boyhood collection left off. Then, I’ll see where that takes me.

Insider2

Because I cannot help myself.

SmEagle1795

It lets me hold a piece of history... and isn't nearly as expensive as sculptures.

BillDugan1959

@Paradisefound Because is a totally sufficient reason and answer.

Two year-old niece taught me that a long time ago.

Her parents always told her "because" and that became her stock answer.

I collect coins because.

ricko

@Zsmartie ...It is a hobby....collect what you enjoy...it is not necessary to justify your interest...Have fun, Cheers, RickO

Namvet69

I have an insatiable appetite for history and coin collecting fills the bill. Peace Roy

asheland

If I like it, I'll buy it. Sometimes I call myself an idiot.

Walkerfan

Walkers---Beauty, History & Rarity.

SanctionII

I collect a variety of series, but have focused on 1936-1970 proofs. I collected flat pack proof sets as a kid with my father.

ARCO

I collect em' all. I focus on Half Dollars, specifically Barbers and Seated Halves. I love the classic coinage and I love that both series are in the middle of collector's interest - not too many collectors, especially the Seated Halves.

OnlyGoldIsMoney

I collect one series only: $2.50 Liberty

Below are reasons that factored into my choice

1. They're gold
2. Low mintage and low surviving population coins are within my budget, unlike similar coins in the more popular series.
3. They circulated in the Old West and were minted in the Antebellum South.
4. Only about 5 stoppers (1841, 1848 CAL., 1854-S and 1864)

toyz4geo

I am still trying to figure out why I collect what I collect. Somewhere along the way I ended up with some nice PCGS MS66FS War Nickels. I then updated some and added to them, ending up with a registry set that it is getting pricy to add to. So........I started to pick up other dates and mints of Jefferson Nickels, all PCGS graded. I purchased a group of OGH Jefferson’s from Airplanenut (eBay auction) and later a group of 20 MS Jefferson’s in rattler holders (now up to 35....and still looking,). Now my Jefferson’s take up 10 PCGS blue boxes.. I look at that sometimes and wonder how did I get here.

SeatedToners

I collect proof seated liberty coins. Started with quarters and now have some half dollars too. I like them when they’re colorfully toned with highly reflective surfaces. They look like gemstones when you hold them in your hand and move them in the light. I started collecting coins when I was younger then 10 years old and I’m now in my 30s. I was interested in them when I first started but they were out of my league. I tried working on some other series, but I just wasn’t into it, so I’ll stick with my seated toners.

Unknown

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RB1026

@ChangeInHistory said:
History, eye-appeal, and study.

I have to echo this. My coin collection definitely revolves around my love for history. For me, the two passions are intertwined. So, my interests are pretty diverse and it allows me to collect whatever I like, whenever I feel like it. I have everything from a Fugio (NGC F-12 CAC) to an 1849-O Gold $ (PCGS XF40) to a Reagan $ (PCGS PR70DCAM) in my collection. If it looks good and strikes a historical note that means something to me, I'm in. Love them all

Baley

I have a large collection from years of being single and buying "whatever i liked" that i could afford and was a decent value. Now, with a family, and all the US coins left on my want list have dates that start with 179 or 180 and start in the thousands for
Very Goods and go up from there, so i might buy a coin every couple of years if I'm lucky. Collecting vicariously through you folks! Thanks for sharing!

ctf_error_coins

I collect Bonsai Trees.

Here is one of them, ever hear of a 4 and a half foot tall bonsai?

EXOJUNKIE

Obsession ... OCD ... mental illness. I can’t control it.

johnny9434

i like a lot of things to collect. that includes different bullet casings that i find at the range. more stupid stuff to collect i guess. its all good

SiriusBlack

Coin wise I'm not too specific. I have my 7070 type set, Lincoln album, and I like Indian Head Cent's and Liberty Seated Quarters.

Non coin, I collect cameras. I have two interesting military related ones, an authentic WWII German Luftwaffe leica, and a Nikon F that was owned by a photojournalist who was killed in action in Vietnam while covering the war. That one is going to be donated to the Newseum in Washinton DC later this year assuming they commit to it. They don't buy, but you have to go through a process where they determine if they want the item for their collection or not since it costs them money to house and research items. They want to be sure it's something they'd display. They contacted me about it though so odds are good they'll want the camera and all of my documentation on it.

I also collect Beau Brownie Kodak Cameras from the Art Deco era.

crazyhounddog

Why do I collect? Because I am a collector at heart. I collect mainly buffalo nickels cause I find them extremely beautiful. I also collect other denominations along with gold coins. I also kinda collect large notes, horse blankies, along with a few other hobbies that keeps my interests up. Coins have always been my point of interest most all of my life.