What was your favorite "side" collection?

NeophyteNumismatist

Sometimes our main collection gets to a place where the remaining coins take long periods of time to find, acquire. Beyond availability, sometimes coins get too expensive to buy with frequency. In the periods between being able to find coins for the main collection, a collector may collect a lesser expensive set to stay engaged in the hobby and "scratch the itch" to buy a new coin. However, I have seen some VERY interesting "side" collections.

What was the most fun you every had in building a "side" collection? What attracted you to that as a secondary goal? If you have had multiple side collections over the years, which one was your favorite? Why?

ctf_error_coins

Bonsai trees.

NeophyteNumismatist

@ctf_error_coins said:
Bonsai trees.

Do you grow them from seeds, or buy them and shape them after purchase? Bonsai is as much an art form as a horticulture discipline. I would spend a fortune in dead trees if I tried.

FrankH

seanq

I've started (and abandoned) a few.

Right now I am filling some Whitman Bookshelf foreign type albums, and going back filling in holes in some US series albums I began decades ago. I am also constantly on the lookout for contemporary counterfeits of US coins. I occasionally like to cherrypick foreign or US varieties, usually I migrate to the most fruitful series like Shield nickels, Indian cents, pre-WWII German, and Colombian. I also have a die state progression of a massively repunched DIX Civil War token (212/416 for those who want to play along).

And it probably goes without saying that I am always looking for clips or other errors in series where I do not have a major focus. I recently picked up a clipped Chuck E Cheese token that made me just as happy as anything I've purchased for my main collection.

Sean Reynolds

ctf_error_coins

@NeophyteNumismatist said:

@ctf_error_coins said:
Bonsai trees.

Do you grow them from seeds, or buy them and shape them after purchase? Bonsai is as much an art form as a horticulture discipline. I would spend a fortune in dead trees if I tried.

A mix. I have some I grew from seeds started about 40 years ago. Others I bought non bonsai trees from a nursery 40 years ago and trimmed into bonsai. Some I dug up from the yard. These I watered for 40 years and just got back into forming them last year. I got so into it that I made a green house with a warm bottom and start taking large thick cuttings from bougainvillea, pomegranate, lantana, and grape. I also dug a huge pomegranate tree in February, put it in a training box, and now it is going crazy with new growth (photo below).

Just yesterday I got my very first order from Wigert's Bonsai Nursery of 7 bald cypress and one curved trunk Chinese Elm. Gunna play with them today

alefzero

Back in the mid-70s, beer cans was a fun one. Real treasure hunting too. Would go to old teenage drinking spots from the 40s and 50s, barns, ... It was huge for a while too, until Billy [Carter] Beer and all of those modern commemorative cans diluted things. There are still a number of hardcore collectors who pay up for the rare and interesting vintage ones. Still have a few, down from thousands. Here is a currently running auction to see some fun ones.

https://auctions.beercansplus.com/catalog.aspx

One of mine that I still have. Never opened (water content evaporated through the seam over decades) with a marked canning date of on or before 6 April 1938.

steve_richardson

I got at lighthouse album for national parks quarters (on sale) that I’m working on filling. Best part about it is that my daughters are helping me with it… I hope one of them catches the collecting bug. 😁

asheland

Silver. Pottery. Silver bars. Currency. It never stops.

braddick

These are all cool ideas above and this is a terrific and fun thread.
For me I've been on a kick collecting rare or unusual U.S. Dansco albums.
I recently picked up a 1966 edition of the 7070 type set. The pages are made
of a different material and the labeling of various coins is different and neat.

jesbroken

@braddick said:
These are all cool ideas above and this is a terrific and fun thread.
For me I've been on a kick collecting rare or unusual U.S. Dansco albums.
I recently picked up a 1966 edition of the 7070 type set. The pages are made
of a different material and the labeling of various coins is different and neat.

Pics? Too cool.
Jim

oih82w8

I figured that someone would mention sidearm by now.

I used to have a good sized collection of Antique Railroad Grade Pocket watches. Now o have three. I may have to pull the out and give 'em a winding.

I dabble in currency every once on a while.

coinbuf

The only thing I collect besides coins is a very small number of large size currently notes that I acquired along the way. My favorite is my battleship note.

braddick

@jesbroken said:

Pics? Too cool.
Jim

Quick iPhone pics!

I love how in 1966 the clad spots were titled "Coinage Law". That was new
to me.

There is obviously no spot for an Ike dollar (and no fifth page of modern coins).

These were the seller's photos:
(I have added a few misc. coins to the album since purchasing it.)

david3142

While I was working on what I considered my main sets (Morgans and toned 20th century type) I was finding it increasingly difficult to locate the remaining coins. I already had a couple of toned Lincolns needed for types and I started to think about doing a date set. I am now just 4 coins shy of a complete Wheat date set and I have had a blast doing it! Copper comes in such a variety of amazing colors. I now consider it one of my main sets and I care very much about continuing to improve it.

Here are some favorites:

FrankH

@braddick said:
These are all cool ideas above and this is a terrific and fun thread.
For me I've been on a kick collecting rare or unusual U.S. Dansco albums.
I recently picked up a 1966 edition of the 7070 type set. The pages are made
of a different material and the labeling of various coins is different and neat.

1630Boston

Project Numismatics

It’s very easy to get distracted on Heritage’s website. So many interesting areas of collectibles. I recently picked up my first game from HA. Not sure if I will ever buy another, but the nostalgia aspect is fun.

On a numismatic note, I’m currently dabbling in CWTs and Swiss shooting thalers / medals.

WCC

I have two secondary collections, Spanish colonial quarter real and Bolivian Republic decimal coinage (1864-1909). I recently bought a Bolivian coin for the first time in three years (an 1899 MS-64 CN 5C). The 1/4R has seven mints (NR and Pn from Columbia) but I haven't bought one of those in a long time. I'll only buy really nice ones of both now.

I periodically consider additional side collections but reject it for the same reasons. 1) I'm not putting any meaningful money into coins I don't really like that much and certainly not if I can't get most of my money back. 2) I'd rather buy duplicates for my primary collection when available (I have several) or add another mint/denomination. I mostly collect four of the five denominations and two of the four primary mints. The broader series has in the vicinity of 400 combinations (excluding varieties), so not like I'll ever run out of coins to buy.

Only exception to the above will be for "stacking". I'm interested in buying common US gold and maybe non-US too, but only at noticeably lower premiums to spot.

Manifest_Destiny

@braddick said:
These are all cool ideas above and this is a terrific and fun thread.
For me I've been on a kick collecting rare or unusual U.S. Dansco albums.
I recently picked up a 1966 edition of the 7070 type set. The pages are made
of a different material and the labeling of various coins is different and neat.

Wow, never saw that before, very cool.

joeykoins

Cool Thread!
I have a few, side collections. That take a back seat to my norm!
"Red Book" collection is one.
I have about 9 different years.
My earliest is the 1964!
Another, my "W" minted 2019/2020 ATB CoinRollHunted Quarters!
I'm up to 187 found, thus far.
My most important side collection.
Has got to be my
"Libertads!"
In various years. From fractional, uncirculated and proofs! Some raw, some graded.
As of now, my collection contains, 20.
Including, my 5 0z. 2021 Monster!

Cladiator

https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1089147/1958-inaugural-san-francisco-giants-set#latest

bronzemat

My side collections are Autographs, mainly Old Hollywood but I own plenty of current stars, too.
Comic Books
Action Figures
Non Sport trading cards

DNADave

Vintage photographs of deceased has been a recent challenge

NeophyteNumismatist

So, I am loving this thread. Wow...

@david3142 - Those are beautiful Lincoln cents. I can see how they stole your heart

@1630Boston - Nice like the rifle collection. I collect old shotguns.

@Cladiator - I love the old SF baseball cards. Those old, vintage designs are so fun.

@bronzemat - what comics do you collect? I collected early Spider Man and the special editions (like when he meets the president or someone "real life" famous). I also have all of the Garbage Pail kids from when I was a kid... what are your non-sports cards? Are they older?

@DNADave - Totally creepy and wild! How did you even get into that?

jacrispies

I have a handful of love tokens. Side project is filling a dansco 7070 with em. Haven't seen it done before, would be super cool.

MarkKelley

A complete set of Redbooks including both 1st edition printings and the 1963 error edition.

BillJones

Political campaign items from 1789 to about 2008. I have been too disgusted of late to go any later.

The 19th century material is most tokens, medalets and medals. The 20th century stuff is mostly pin back buttons.

BillJones

@MarkKelley said:
A complete set of Redbooks including both 1st edition printings and the 1963 error edition.

I have all of those. I got stuck with the 1963 error book when I was a YN and blew it off.

NeophyteNumismatist

What was the Redbook error in 1963?

bronzemat

@NeophyteNumismatist said:
So, I am loving this thread. Wow...
@bronzemat - what comics do you collect? I collected early Spider Man and the special editions (like when he meets the president or someone "real life" famous). I also have all of the Garbage Pail kids from when I was a kid... what are your non-sports cards? Are they older?

Mostly bronze age marvel. My dad has silverage, from his childhood, and yes, even the big first appearances of the main marvel characters. I have the Death of Gwen Stacy, Giant Size X-Men #1 in 8.0 grade, Lots of Key Issue X-Men, even Dark Phoenix Saga. I'm done with bronze age. I only buy some current comics, now and then, if it looks appealing.

We were buying the stuff in the 80s and 90s. We stopped going to comic cons in 2009. Now these comics are eye bleeding expensive, we're lucky.

For non-sport, it's mainly WWE Wrestling and LEAF Pop Century trading cards, which feeds the autograph side collecting, so a 2-in-1 in that area.

I sold my Garbage Pail cards, from my childhood, in the early 2000s. I know they're worth more now, oh well.

braddick

@FrankH said:

Ahhh. . . the Continental line of Dansco.
Nice!
(Rare too. They are rarely offered anywhere.)

Ridley06

I was trying to put together a conplete set of Peace Dollar, all being at least MS 63. However, the 100 year anniversary hit and they shot up in price. I have now started to get into standing liberty quarters, but I only have one MS coin though.

Mr_Spud

I think my collection of Boyd’s Batteries counts as a side collection 🌝

It fits in with my other side collection which is old medicine bottles and vintage scientific instruments and books, but also fits in with coins since they are also considered to be tokens similar to so-called dollars. This makes them double attractive to me because it combines both hobbies. Here’s a few of my old medicine bottles and stuff

BryceM

Things that go bang.

tommy44

@DNADave said:
Vintage photographs of deceased has been a recent challenge

Thought this one looks like Jimmy Hoffa

tommy44

World globes (as if you can't tell from my avatar)

MarkKelley

@NeophyteNumismatist said:
What was the Redbook error in 1963?

There was a page missing and another duplicated in the little-used Private Gold section.

dunkleosteus430

Fossils. I made a little stand for this one. "O" stands for "Otodus."

coinsarefun

Hmmmm, if I can’t find certain things I’m looking for I always add to any one of these collections.

.
Cleveland and Western Reserve Numismatic club
.

Argentina gaming tokens. Only need one or two more

.
As most here have seen, electrotypes, struck copies and Wyatt copies….very hard to find lately

.

alaura22

My woodworking
My 1984 Toyota 4 wheel pickup, ground up restoration
My HO Trains'
All keep me busy

Tramp

Some side collections are just as expensive as the coins are.

But when it's too hot in TX to do anything outside I'm filling holes in my second Lincoln set 1909 - 1958 in XF to AU grade in nice chocolate brown.

justindan

Good times, tomatoes, arrowheads and more.

ricko

For many years, I collected marbles - the old, Christensen style Guineas and Cobras. Also firearms, still do those, mainly handguns. Along the way there were side collections of very old playing cards (back when they had no numbers), hip flasks and knives. Cheers, RickO

TennesseeDave

Native American artifacts

NorthStar

Fun topic...
My side gig has been a collection of winter carnival tokens. It's been a fun and affordable way to scratch
that itch!
NorthStar

rec78

@DNADave said:
Vintage photographs of deceased has been a recent challenge

Do you collect the ones where the deceased person is made to look like they are alive? A lot of these are pretty creepy. Post mortem photos were common in the Victorian era and now sell for pretty good money.

Borrowed from an eBay seller:

pocketpiececommems

The 2 WASP Wings and Submarine pin were purchased from a coin dealer who had purchased them as scrap silver

Barberian

From my main collection.

CharlotteDude

Early half eagles.

jesbroken

Got bored waiting for various half cent auctions and started this a while back. Having fun with it. Philipine Centavo War Years in a digital album.
Jim