Who has more fun in Numismatics, the Coin Collector or the Coin Dealer?

ctf_error_coins

Who has more stress?

pcgscacgold

Coin Collector, the fun of the hunt and pride of ownership

I would say the collector. It is not a job to them. I understand some people like their job, but many don't (and that includes some grumpy dealers).

pcgscacgold

Coin Collector, the fun of the hunt and pride of ownership

Oops, replied prior to voting.

jmlanzaf

I'm not sure either descriptor applies. A dealer can really want a coin and a collector can be patient and not care about losing an auction.

And a collector can not buy a coin for a time and still eat while a dealer may need to sell something to pay the bills.

ctf_error_coins

Coin Dealer, the fun of being emerged in numismatics and no worries if you loose a coin at auction.

@jmlanzaf said:
I'm not sure either descriptor applies. A dealer can really want a coin and a collector can be patient and not care about losing an auction.

And a collector can not buy a coin for a time and still eat while a dealer may need to sell something to pay the bills.

You never answered who has more fun? Your fun seems to be in parsing what others write.

I will make it easy for you. Who has more fun? Who has more stress?

1madman

Coin Collector, the fun of the hunt and pride of ownership

I say the collector has more fun because they own the coin longer (and enjoy it more than the dealer). Once the sale happens, it’s like 60 seconds of fun and it’s over.

messydesk

Coin Collector, the fun of the hunt and pride of ownership

Gray areas between collector and dealer aside, the collector is free to have more fun and very little stress. A dealer has to live with the stress of ensuring his or her business is able to provide them with a steady income, which doesn't exist for a collector.

telephoto1

Seems to me this poll was created with the idea of generating a certain outcome. You're on a site called Collectors Universe populated mostly but not exclusively by collectors, and the choices are also geared towards more people picking collector over dealer.

ctf_error_coins

Coin Dealer, the fun of being emerged in numismatics and no worries if you loose a coin at auction.

I was coin collector that turned into a coin dealer. I have been on both sides.

In my experience, I was way more stressed as a coin collector than as a coin dealer.

When I missed a coin that I needed as a collector, I was really bummed. As a dealer, no worries when I miss a coin that I am interested in as I will put the money to use on the next coin.

As a collector, it stressed me out when I needed a coin that I could not afford. As a dealer, I pass on cool coins all the time that I can not afford.

ricko

Coin Collector, the fun of the hunt and pride of ownership

I voted for collector..... I have no stress about current value trends, sales, profits or losses. Just enjoy my coins and their history. Cheers, RickO

hfjacinto

Coin Dealer, the fun of being emerged in numismatics and no worries if you loose a coin at auction.

Based on the sample here I don’t believe most collectors are happy. I see lots of angry collectors, so I said dealers

Catbert

Coin Collector, the fun of the hunt and pride of ownership

Presumably the collector has more fun and less stress since he does it for amusement and because of an OCD gene that is slaked.

The dealer is a business with assets and liabilities and the associated stress when profits are insufficient. I’d say generally speaking, over time coins become more like widgets rather than prized possessions. Therefore, less fun.

MFeld

Some collectors and some dealers have more fun.
Some collectors and some dealers have more stress - self imposed or otherwise.

Catbert

Coin Collector, the fun of the hunt and pride of ownership

@MFeld said:
Some collectors and some dealers have more fun.
Some collectors and some dealers have more stress - self imposed or otherwise.

Of course, just like the general humanity spectrum!

1630Boston

Coin Collector, the fun of the hunt and pride of ownership

I said collector although I know of a few dealers that really seem to enjoy their work, including @ErrorsOnCoins

FranklinHalfAddict

Coin Dealer, the fun of being emerged in numismatics and no worries if you loose a coin at auction.

I think dealers probably do but they also deal with more headaches in the hobby.

I view them as an NFL quarterback in the sense that they get more praise when the team is doing well and more criticism when the team is struggling.

asheland

Coin Collector, the fun of the hunt and pride of ownership

As a serious collector and work as a dealer, I don't own the shop, I have more fun on the collecting side, but it's still cool to do this for a living.

asheland

Coin Collector, the fun of the hunt and pride of ownership

Also, the owner of the shop, who is also a serious collector, probably feels the same. He collects mostly world and ancient coins, and the shop is pretty mainstream US and moderns, (bullion, too) so there's not a lot of conflicts with what he collects vs sells.

jedm

Coin Collector, the fun of the hunt and pride of ownership

I had to ponder this one for a bit. I only know a couple dealers, one quite a bit more than the other, and one seems to enjoy it and the other not so much so that didn't help me decide. I know one collector though, and that's me and I know I find the fun and enjoyment in the hobby, so that's how I voted.

nags

The question is basically, "do you enjoy your job more or your hobbies more?" If you don't derive more pleasure from your hobbies you need to find some new hobbies.

1630Boston

Coin Collector, the fun of the hunt and pride of ownership

@nags said:
The question is basically, "do you enjoy your job more or your hobbies more?" If you don't derive more pleasure from your hobbies you need to find some new hobbies.

I don't know...I enjoy my current job very much, every day for the past 10,000 days

dsessom

Most dealers are also collectors, and so most hold the same level of enthusiasm as we mere collectors. With that said, I would think the dealer may have more fun because they get to see (in hand) many coins that most of us only dream of.
At one ANA show, I got to hold an 1896-S Barber Quarter in MS66 that was valued at nearly $100,000. To me, that's a lot of money, so it was quite a treat to be able to see it in hand.

BryceM

I was at a coin show once a few years ago and I ran in to a well-known person in numismatics. That person remarked that I appeared to be having a good time. I said, "Yeah, isn't that the idea?" The person then commented about how it was a bit unusual. Apparently, to fit in, you need to be at least a little grumpy. The same can apparently be said for many dealers.

It's refreshing to meet people like Harry Laibstain. John Agre, or Charmy. They actually seem to be enjoying what they do and the vibe at their table is generally positive. For others, meeting them is just an opportunity to listen to a gripe session. I am constantly fascinated by the social interactions and psychology surrounding collecting.

For the OP, transitioning to being a dealer was clearly the right move, but I'm not sure you can extrapolate much from his experience.

Cameonut

Coin Dealer, the fun of being emerged in numismatics and no worries if you loose a coin at auction.

I have dabbled in being a dealer as I sold off much of my collection a decade ago.

As a collector, I had fun adding to my collection. The occasional hiccup is to be expected. I never got stressed, you win some and lose some. I have always thought that I was a caretaker for whatever time I owned a coin. After a few decades I got bored.

As a dealer, I had fun selling to other collectors of all ages and means at local shows. I was also offered plenty of material, much of which I would never have thought to look at. Bought some, passed on some. Bottom line is that my collecting horizons expanded which got me into branch gold, gold type, and capped bust halves. I guess that makes me a better collector, but I have had more fun as a dealer.

Fraz

Were that I had fun as a dealer.

Joe_360

Coin Collector, the fun of the hunt and pride of ownership

I believe coin collectors,
It has to be a lot to deal with as a dealer going to shows, travel, paying the table and hoping the you recover your investment. And then there's competition, even with the jokers on tv... Also, as a dealer, you're just a pass-thru, have a beautiful coin in your hand one minute and the next it's only a memory..

I guess I could be wrong, it would be nice to see what kind of cars the dealers are driving...

mavs2583

Coin Collector, the fun of the hunt and pride of ownership

I would think the coin collector has more fun, as someone who doesn’t enjoy it would stop, while a dealer may have a harder out depending on their inventory

BillJones

Coin Collector, the fun of the hunt and pride of ownership

When I was both, it was a lot of fun. Every time I upgraded something, selling the extra coin was a snap. Buying coins as a dealer had them coming to me cheaper. I was deducting the travel costs to shows on my taxes. The trouble with this is that I always to keep the collector under control.

However, since most dealers aren’t collectors, the collectors probably have more fun.

Onastone

Coin Collector, the fun of the hunt and pride of ownership

What brought about a question like this? Are YOU @ErrorsOnCoins having FUN? I think you are.

@dsessom said:
Most dealers are also collectors

What? A grey area in a black & white question? Could collectors do some dealing too?

At any rate, I've seen people having fun on both sides. Met a dealer at a Flea Market and he was having a great time....very proud of his collection- even though he was selling it at the same time.

Okay, I've seen some grumpiness on both sides too. Arghhhhhhh...no way that's a MS65....you paid too much, I wouldn't pay that, I don't like it...grrrrrrr

Oh well, buy what you like and have fun..........or else!

3stars

Coin Dealer, the fun of being emerged in numismatics and no worries if you loose a coin at auction.

Being able to buy coins at wholesale minus from people off the street would be fun. Seeing what randomly walks in the door would be fun too.

jmlanzaf

@ErrorsOnCoins said:

@jmlanzaf said:
I'm not sure either descriptor applies. A dealer can really want a coin and a collector can be patient and not care about losing an auction.

And a collector can not buy a coin for a time and still eat while a dealer may need to sell something to pay the bills.

You never answered who has more fun? Your fun seems to be in parsing what others write.

I will make it easy for you. Who has more fun? Who has more stress?

I did answer the question. I don't like either option.

jkrk

Both at times. Neither at times.

1)stress for the collector? Watching with a limit as the coin goes elsewhere.
2)Watching his collection rise in value.. What's better than having fun and making money?
3)Needing money at a point in time and selling whatever coins they have to raise cash? Not fun.
4)The hunt. The find. The acquisition. Doesn't get better.
5)Annoying some dealers? Priceless.

For dealers....
1)Buying low and selling higher. That's the biz
2)Watching his/her inventory rise in value. What's better?.
3)Liquidating low cost difficult to find inventory in order to pay the bills. Not fun.
4)The hunt, the find, the "I will flip this easily, for a nice profit". Doesn't get better.
5)Pricing a coin too high knowing that the customer will pass (not wanted anything to do with him/her) and selling the coin to others for the "right price". Priceless.

CoffeeTime

Coin Collector, the fun of the hunt and pride of ownership

I’m in it for the hunt

Mr_Spud

Coin Collector, the fun of the hunt and pride of ownership

Collectors have more fun because dealers have to keep dealing to make a living even when they want to take a break. Collectors who sometimes sell coins to help support their hobby probably have more fun than both because they only need to sell something if/when they need to stretch to buy a special coin but don’t have to keep selling stuff non-stop.

humanssuck

Coin Collector, the fun of the hunt and pride of ownership

I collect for fun. I enjoy looking at coins and pursuing ones I want. I wont lose any sleep if I lose one at auction, and if the value of my collection were to go to $0 tomorrow, it changes nothing about my life or enjoyment of my hobby. So I vote for me having less stress and more fun.

coinbuf

We read multiple threads on why coin dealers need to drink because of the stress of doing business. One dealer constantly shows a plethora of alcohol that is consumed both during and after business/bourse hours. I'm no expert but any job that requires that much booze in order to tolerate your job just cannot be fun.

air4mdc

Coin Collector, the fun of the hunt and pride of ownership

Much more fun being a collector…..but in a sense a collector becomes a dealer when he needs to liquidate or upgrade coins. Maybe?

Sapyx

Coin Collector, the fun of the hunt and pride of ownership

Coin collectors, by definition, must be having more "fun" with coins. For them, it is "just a hobby", something to relax with and spend spare time with. It can be walked away from, put aside any time that serious business, family or personal problems arise, and be picked up again later when the crisis is over. And if a coin collector loses money on a deal, well, who really cares? It was just "spare money" to begin with. In short, coin collecting is "play".

For a coin dealer, coins are business. They can't just say "I don't feel like doing coins today", because their children will starve and the debt collectors come knocking if they don't. They can't afford to lose money on a deal, or even not make "enough" profit, for the same reason. On top of this must also be worry about crime; as a person publicly known for dealing in money, they have a bigger target on their back than your typical coin collector; a coin collector can easily collect anonymously; it's hard to be both anonymous and make good money as a coin dealer. In short, coin dealing is "work".

It's certainly possible to enjoy your work, even have fun at work. Many people do, and I'm sure many coin dealers do too. But, as with most jobs, coin dealing isn't always a leisurely boat ride floating down the river. There are times when you're sailing smoothly, other times when it's a seemingly endless succession of rapids and waterfalls, and other times when you're paddling upstream, furiously trying to make any headway at all against the current.

Ive had friends ask me if I wanted to become a coin dealer. My answer has always been "no". I reckon I'd have the "knowledge" part down okay; what I don't have is the business sense, the hard nose you need when it comes time to bargain. This is on top of a complete lack of expertise in, or desire to be, running a small business.

Namvet69

Coin Collector, the fun of the hunt and pride of ownership

I have a lot of respect for the dealers but ya can't beat the freedom of wandering around a coin show. The hunt continues. Peace Roy

Treashunt

Coin Dealer: When he overcharges you!

Coin Collector: When he cherry picks a great variety.

ctf_error_coins

Coin Dealer, the fun of being emerged in numismatics and no worries if you loose a coin at auction.

@CoffeeTime said:
I’m in it for the hunt

Then you would really like being a coin dealer.

The "hunt" is the most important part of the job and is also very fun.

I spend the vast majority of my coin time hunting.

cladking

There's a great deal of overlap between collector and dealer and it tends to increase over the life of the individual.

I have a tremendous amount of fun buying and collecting but I also have a tremendous amount of fun selling. In the old days I mostly sold in order to buy and did a lot of trading. What do I know though, I always had a lot of fun just looking at a collection.

I've always enjoyed every aspect of coins and the people I meet along the way. Coin collectors individually and collectively are among the most interesting people. Sometimes it seems almost tribal.

drei3ree

Coin Collector, the fun of the hunt and pride of ownership

There's such a broad spectrum of dealers and collectors...The learning curve for both can be quite painful financially, but in the end it's still a "job" for the coin dealer!

Walkerfan

Coin Collector, the fun of the hunt and pride of ownership

Why not be both? I think there are several dealers who have their own personal collections. As far as drinking at and after coin shows, that is to enhance the happy endorphins, not eliminate stress. 😉

MasonG

@Sapyx said:
And if a coin collector loses money on a deal, well, who really cares? It was just "spare money" to begin with. In short, coin collecting is "play".

There have been more posts made on this forum than I can remember by collectors who clearly disagree with this.

telephoto1

@MasonG said:

@Sapyx said:
And if a coin collector loses money on a deal, well, who really cares? It was just "spare money" to begin with. In short, coin collecting is "play".

There have been more posts made on this forum than I can remember by collectors who clearly disagree with this.

I'll take that one further and say that there are more collectors than one can count who proudly crow when they cherrypick someone or otherwise- in their mind at least- "get one over" on a dealer but can't stand the idea that someone else might actually make a buck selling them something.

OAKSTAR

Coin Collector, the fun of the hunt and pride of ownership

Absolutely hands down collectors. I don't believe I've ever met a happy dealer. The dealers I've met were "ALL" grumpy old men!!

Kliao

I'm a collector but do have fun doing a little dealing to make some cash in between to buy better coins for my collection. I have a lot of fun in both aspects. Otherwise, I wouldn't be in this hobby!

JBN

Coin Dealer, the fun of being emerged in numismatics and no worries if you loose a coin at auction.

Dealer in that you would have access to a great deal more coins and could build your collection with the aid of dealer profits.

Kurisu

Coin Collector, the fun of the hunt and pride of ownership

Attitude is everything.
Could be either enjoying it more

pursuitofliberty

Coin Collector, the fun of the hunt and pride of ownership

I think Collectors, generally, have more fun. If not, then most of us aren't doing it right.

Dealers, generally, have to make a living at being dealers. And while I think you can and should have fun and enjoy your job, operating a sustainable, for-profit business is not always fun.