You Know You're Addicted To Coin Collecting When...............

OAKSTAR

............you hear coins in songs.

Money I don't have any, I'm down to my last penny! 😂 🤣

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Hkx-Txg04M

1Mike1

When you see numbers and letters on a dumpster and it reminds you that you need to keep searching for a nice 1928 S for your set.

Shane6596

My digital speedometer in my truck. When i see 45, 53, 55, 62, 65 etc...i think of coin grades....uggghhh.

70 heck yeah

80 ummmmm better back down to sheldon speed

Walkerfan

When you miss or reschedule social engagements due to a conflict of interest with coin auction ending times lol

No Headlights

My friends phone number ends 1891. I think that's the last year of Seated coins.

Shane6596

Look at your post count

Don't go into the 1900's

Tyrus

LOL....this is a great topic...

We had a spate of warm weather in my neck of the woods a few weeks ago. It was the first real weather break of the year, and a very warm one at that. Coming on the heels of "just cold enough to stay inside" type of weather, as soon as it hit 70 everyone was outdoors.
Being an older gentleman I can really appreciate the local college coeds getting outside with all of the thongs, bikini bottoms, shorts etc...
So I'm driving by campus, and lo and behold! Beautiful women in summer clothes galore!
So what so I do? I'm driving by and one particularly beautiful gal had set up shop, sunbathing very close to the road. As I passed by she was in a "seated" position getting a drink and talking with an acquaintance.
So me being me (helpless and hopeless) I proceeded to grade her a VF 40. By normal standards she was very pretty with a nice body. But, I wasn't just going to settle. She very clearly had wear on both legs and even a bit around the scalp. Her neck/chestline was fully intact and appeared well stamped, hence the 40 grade.
It wasn't until I got to my destination a mile or so away that I even consciously realized what I'd just done.

alaura22

When you have to figure out how to set the alarm clock for an early auction

Clackamas1

When you have an intervention - usually your wife. Here is the thing - it's an addiction to assets not debt - so I would argue you can't be addicted to gaining assets.

alaura22

@Clackamas1 said:
When you have an intervention - usually your wife. Here is the thing - it's an addiction to assets not debt - so I would argue you can't be addicted to gaining assets.

You got me convinced, now to convince your wife might be a different story.

Lazybones

When you find yourself constantly poking your finger through the "TAKE A PENNY" cup while checking out at the register.

PerryHall

Several years ago, I was taking a walk in downtown Baltimore and came across a manhole cover with a neat die crack. After all these years I still remember it.

Onastone

When the weather pops up on the tv in the background, blah blah blah, winds, some clouds, blah blah, and suddenly he says it's going to hit 70 - it's perfect and that gets your attention!!!

DNADave

When you drive by an old coin laundry sign and almost wreck cause you thought you found a coin shop.

[Deleted User]

You develop an insantionable appetite for information about what your collecting. Fall flat on your face, get up and dust yourself off and keep collecting!

The_Dinosaur_Man

When I see a really nice coin and say to myself "I want to photograph that."

7Jaguars

LOL, and I thought I was the only one that does that - too embarrassed to admit. Heck, I even count pedal strokes on my stationary bike and think I may even hesitate when I hit 1877 or 1909.....

Jimnight

When your wife tells you enough is enough and brings you to court for support.

BillJones

When my brain keeps seeing new and interesting things just when I thought I was close to finished. Then my brain runs off to research new topics.

I have known collectors who complete a set and then sell it right away. Robby Brown might have been the most famous. He was the first to complete all of the large cent die varieties from 1793 to 1857. Once he completed it, he put it up for auction. On the days of the auctions, he was out building the collection again.

That’s not me. I have most of the stuff, and the funny part is I come back to it on a regular basis. I’m always thinking about a possible article, post or exhibit. I guess that might be the ideal way to spend your retirement. It’s never dull.

Meltdown

@DNADave said:
When you drive by an old coin laundry sign and almost wreck cause you thought you found a coin shop.

Ha, that happens to me all the time.

gtstang

When you see VDB on someone's license plate and think hmmm how cool is that...

BillJones

@Jimnight said:
When your wife tells you enough is enough and brings you to court for support.

My wife is the opposite. I spotted a very rare political token on the Heritage past sales site. It had one of those “make an offer to the owner” signs, but it had been sold more than 15 years ago. There had been some offers made through that years that the owner had rejected. I made a substantial offer, and he came back with a counteroffer. I hesitated, but my wife said “Take it!” I did and I ended up with the piece.

It is an 1832 Henry Clay piece which DeWitt describes as “very rare.” I had the other piece DeWitt said was rare plus the third one which, from my experience, is scarce. So now I have all three. I’ll post pictures and a write-up next week.

ricko

I get up early each day, no alarm, by 6am.... actually 7 out of 10 mornings, it is 5:55... and I think "ah, triple nickel" and get up. Cheers, RickO

Spud2020

When you play the lottery with the dates of key date coins that you need.

Tom147

When you see a coin, then you start figuring how much overtime you need to work in order to buy said coin.

oldabeintx

@BillJones said:
When my brain keeps seeing new and interesting things just when I thought I was close to finished. Then my brain runs off to research new topics.

I have known collectors who complete a set and then sell it right away. Robby Brown might have been the most famous. He was the first to complete all of the large cent die varieties from 1793 to 1857. Once he completed it, he put it up for auction. On the days of the auctions, he was out building the collection again.

That’s not me. I have most of the stuff, and the funny part is I come back to it on a regular basis. I’m always thinking about a possible article, post or exhibit. I guess that might be the ideal way to spend your retirement. It’s never dull.

You nailed me with the first two paragraphs. However, my habit of selling off completed sets is limited to series, and I savor them for a time. Type I hang onto. Went from US Federal to Colonial, to World that circulated here, to Us territories. Added first and last year of issue, birth years, proof type, mint mark examples. Not totally done but few "holes" left other than early gold ($$!!)- hey, I need to locate my maternal grandmother's birth year. "Addicted" is the right word.

Glen2022

@Jimnight said:
When your wife tells you enough is enough and brings you to court for support.

and worse yet, knowing where it will hurt you the worst, your coin collection in the division of assets.

BillJones

@Tom147 said:
When you see a coin, then you start figuring how much overtime you need to work in order to buy said coin.

Or how many months you will have to save to buy said coin. I have been there.

oih82w8

When I think that I could live off of ramen for...a while, to save up enough for a particular coin I want, not necessarily need.

TheGoonies1985

When you pawn your wife's weeding ring to buy a must own coin hoping you get paid so you can pick it up before she notices it is gone!!!

Just kidding I don't have a wife so no ring to pawn hahaha!!!

messydesk

When your first reaction to winning on a scratch-off is, "Woo hoo! There's a coin show tomorrow!"

OKbustchaser

When two days after you get married you drag your new wife out of the honeymoon suite to attend a coin show.

Hey, doesn't EVERYBODY honeymoon in Long Beach?

Steven59

When you have one of these somwhere in your home............

jkrk

@Steven59 said:
When you have one of these somwhere in your home............

I have the same problem. I was told that in today's world it will cost too much to have the coins hauled away.

NeophyteNumismatist

Three years ago I started with change; a Lincoln here, a Jefferson there. It was all very casual, cheap fun. Then, I got into rolls pretty hard; customer, federal... I didn't care. Whatever I could get my hands on. Still, I could maintain my composure in public.

Then, I hit the hard stuff. The type set was so accessible, and it felt like "everyone was doing it". I jumped in, and that's where I met half cents. The late dates led to middle dates, and then the earlies. Now, it's almost every night; attributing and searching for the next hole to fill.

But... I can stop anytime I want.

braddick

lkenefic

...when you're putting off what you really need to be doing... I hear a paper beckoning...

Tramp

When you check your business travel schedule to see if the destination aligns with any scheduled coin shows, especially the major ones.

may

When bored, you think about all the dates you have/need.

Puts me to sleep every time.

Jimnight

@gtstang said:
When you see VDB on someone's license plate and think hmmm how cool is that...

And hope that the paint on the letter B doesn't peel off

pursuitofliberty

They say addiction is a progressive disease ... doesn't matter if you quit, you pick up where you left off.

2013 I step away from collecting for a while, due to things that happened in life (and collecting, unfortunately). I had been collecting on and off (more on than off) for 26 years, and had just started to really pay more attention to Bust coinage.

Fast forward to January 2020 and what's left is in the SDB and the library is boxed up ... and nothing has been really looked at since maybe mid-2015.

I spend a couple hours checking out a friends father's collection, and giving him advice on what is valuable and what isn't, how to maybe sell stuff. A week later, half the books are unboxed. Within the month, the SDB box comes home for a visit. By April I'm looking at GC, HA and eBay and I buy a couple things. In May, I figure out how to check back in here.

December, I buy a 1820 O-103 Capped Bust Half in AU58, and I feel like I know what I'm doing. It's not my first Bust Half, but definitely my highest graded and most expensive one at that time. That week I meet @lkeigwin for the first time (in person) and we have dinner. I show him the coin. He thinks it's great ... wants to (and does) photograph it. He breaks out a bunch of his stuff. My mind is blown.

Steve Herrman is sending me emails ... other people like @drddm and @ebriker are encouraging me ... coins are offered regularly ... like a bunch of drug dealers!!

A year later I'm an Associate member in the BHNC. Last year, a full fledged Nut.

Now I attribute coins I'm not even interested in buying just to know what Die Marriage they are. I scrutinize Die cracks and chips, hoping to find another new Die State.

But yeah, I could stop again ... anytime!

Clackamas1

@Steven59 said:
When you have one of these somwhere in your home............

You don't have kids in college that need laundry money.

Dropdaflag

Over the last 25 years, I stopped twice and sold everything. I even got to 5 years on the wagon, only to fall off for the third go around. Its like they say. You pick up where you lefty off.

DoubleEagle59

You have this recurring dream of buying something and when you get change, the vendor hands you all this old Uncirculated coinage from the 1900's and when you wake up, you're totally ticked off!!

Glen2022

@Steven59 said:
When you have one of these somwhere in your home............

Now I know who is responsible for the change shortage. Although it seems to have lessened recently as I see no signs in the markets/stores asking for exact change only or credit cards.

I had a coffee can similarly filled with pocket change, took it to the coin star, and received over $120 for pennies, nickels, quarters, and dimes. with your accumulation, you might be able to convert it to a nice coin.

ARCO

When you feel like God has abandoned you after missing out on that key date with perfect eye appeal that was priced right.

emeraldATV

When Occam's razor is your last resort.

VTchaser

I get these bouts of rage when I see what price coins are sold on TV. I make a point to skip the channels when I'm surfing.

WingedLiberty1957

oldabeintx

When I see the initials "ED" and think "Environmental Damage".

johnny9434

@Jimnight said:
When your wife tells you enough is enough and brings you to court for support.

Don't be that dr about out 30 years ago that put his wife thru a wood chipper 😱