My first memories are of going through a paint bucket of Indian cents with my dad, him telling me how to read the dates... Really got hooked in Junior High when I bought an XF-ish 1864 L on ribbon for lunch money... He wanted a quarter but I insisted on all 45 cents of my lunch money. It filled a hole in our set.
I recall searching through my parents pocket change when I first started collecting. I decided to start collecting type coins after a few years. The first coins that I bought were an 1819 large cent and an 1853 w/arrows and rays half dollar for my type set. I recall eventually trading a bunch of stuff for a low end 1793 1/2 cent. Everything was visible but the surfaces were not choice. It was a pretty cool coin to own as a teenager.
Similar to @Regulated, it was a person, not a coin that got me started professionally when I was 17. My best friend had always been a coin collector and would show me binders of world coins on the weekends and after school. I was always impressed with his ever-growing collection -- both because of its history and value.
He got his first job working for a local shop in early 2009, around the same time I got my first job folding clothes for a low-end chain. Nine months later I had had it with the mind-numbing and surprisingly stressful retail apparel job, so I quit. At that very same moment in early January 2010 my friend's shop was looking for another part-timer. He asked if I would consider it. I still remember going to my "interview" (I basically had the job if I wanted it), being shown around by the store manager and awed by the Canadian paper money collection they had just received. I was sold, but knew nothing about coins (or stamp, which we also traded in). It took me a long time and lots of hard work, because I had to make sure I could converse with the clientele. Slowly, I became more comfortable buying and selling, eventually purchasing coins for my own collection. I worked that job for four fantastic years while I studied at college and university. I have been a full-time professional ever since.
It would actually be a person. One of my co-workers got me started doing wheat cents. Pretty soon, I was driving 300 miles round trip to a dealer to help fill the folder since we did not have one in my home town at the time.
It just sort of went from there. That was 25 years ago. (Still have the Whitman folders with the wheat cents)
Collector and Researcher of Liberty Head Nickels. ANA LM-6053
Comments
My first memories are of going through a paint bucket of Indian cents with my dad, him telling me how to read the dates... Really got hooked in Junior High when I bought an XF-ish 1864 L on ribbon for lunch money... He wanted a quarter but I insisted on all 45 cents of my lunch money. It filled a hole in our set.
Check out my current listings: https://ebay.com/sch/khunt/m.html?_ipg=200&_sop=12&_rdc=1
I recall searching through my parents pocket change when I first started collecting. I decided to start collecting type coins after a few years. The first coins that I bought were an 1819 large cent and an 1853 w/arrows and rays half dollar for my type set. I recall eventually trading a bunch of stuff for a low end 1793 1/2 cent. Everything was visible but the surfaces were not choice. It was a pretty cool coin to own as a teenager.
Similar to @Regulated, it was a person, not a coin that got me started professionally when I was 17. My best friend had always been a coin collector and would show me binders of world coins on the weekends and after school. I was always impressed with his ever-growing collection -- both because of its history and value.
He got his first job working for a local shop in early 2009, around the same time I got my first job folding clothes for a low-end chain. Nine months later I had had it with the mind-numbing and surprisingly stressful retail apparel job, so I quit. At that very same moment in early January 2010 my friend's shop was looking for another part-timer. He asked if I would consider it. I still remember going to my "interview" (I basically had the job if I wanted it), being shown around by the store manager and awed by the Canadian paper money collection they had just received. I was sold, but knew nothing about coins (or stamp, which we also traded in). It took me a long time and lots of hard work, because I had to make sure I could converse with the clientele. Slowly, I became more comfortable buying and selling, eventually purchasing coins for my own collection. I worked that job for four fantastic years while I studied at college and university. I have been a full-time professional ever since.
Dealing in Canadian and American coins and historical medals.
1935 Buffalo Nickel in VG I paid 25 cents for.
Complete Set of Chopmarked Trade Dollars
Carson City Silver Dollars Complete 1870-1893http://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/showcase.aspx?sc=2722"
It would actually be a person. One of my co-workers got me started doing wheat cents. Pretty soon, I was driving 300 miles round trip to a dealer to help fill the folder since we did not have one in my home town at the time.
It just sort of went from there. That was 25 years ago. (Still have the Whitman folders with the wheat cents)