Poll: Is Your Collection Larger/More Impressive Than You Ever Dreamed?

RichR

Question to the audience...if you could go back in time to when you were a "young collector", would you ever have imagined that your collection would be what it is today...or not?

Personally speaking, my collection is now larger than what an entire coin store in the 1990s would likely have had in its display cases and safe.

So therefore, I can't complain.

OAKSTAR

@RichR said:
Poll: Is Your Collection Larger/More Impressive Than You Ever Dreamed?

Yes. The coins I have today, are the coins I dreamed of as a kid.

ndeagles

Yes. I collected heavily as a kid, stopped in college and early adulthood (no money) then drive past a coin shop one day and thought to myself I wonder what a 1909-S VDB sells for these days. I decided to finish my Lincoln Cent collection, only needed that and the 1914-D. Oops, now my collection is larger and nicer than anything I could have dreamed of as a kid.

Raybo

More than I have ever dreamed.
I have been collecting for 50+ years and feel privileged to be where I am at right now.

Want the whole story?

I lost my FE/IHC (AU-BU) collection in my divorce, I didn't actually lose it, it was "stolen" by my ex and it made me sour on collecting.

I'm better now.

PeakRarities

Yes, 100%

hfjacinto

If you’ve been collecting for a while , your collection should be by default better than what you dreamed of, but the question is it truly better?

I don’t believe it is. Yes my collection is nice but I don’t have a $50 pan pacific slug or a half disme, a chain cent or a proof 1909 S VDB.

So in some ways my collection is nicer than I expected but it isn’t the collection of a crazy wild dream.

Dropdaflag

Yeah, definitely better than I thought realistically possible when I first started.

asheland

Considering my means, they’re limited, the stuff I have now I would not have even dreamed of 10 years ago…

I’m just very dedicated to picking the best quality I can afford and being patient, at least most of the time

RichR

When I hear of someone winning a mega lottery jackpot...I always say to my wife, "I would literally assemble a Smithsonian calibre US coin collection...and it would be a drop in the $$$ bucket!"

That's my wildest dream...to be able to employ a team to assemble a world class collection!

Walkerfan

For me, I started dreaming of early walkers around 1994 when Bruce Fox owned Golden West numismatics. I drooled over his advertisements. Around that same time a mint state 65 or better walking liberty complete half dollar set sold for $250,000. I was hooked And I thought that was the most incredible thing I had ever seen in Numismatics! I Started buying XF-AU coins from the 1930s and 1940s. I went to a few local shows and, basically, just did some dreaming and I read and educated myself a lot, as well. I bought a couple of certified coins, when I was almost through with college. After I graduated and got a really good job; I was inactive for a few years paying off debt and getting my career jumpstarted. I bought a few more coins, MUCH later, and thought that it would take too long and that I would be old, when completed. lol I decided to go for it, in 2009, as I couldn’t shake the bug. I went slow and steady and as long as I was progressing; I was happy and not discouraged. I finished my set in late 2021. Yes, I am sort of old, now, but my set has coins that I could only have dreamed of, when I was in my early to mid 20s. Perseverance and diligence has paid handsomely for me. I have also been extremely lucky and fortunate, as well. Things just always seemed to fall into place for me. It’s amazing, when you think about it… it truly is. Uncanny is the only word that I can think of to describe it. I think I had a guardian angel or something. I have far exceeded my goals and expectations. This truly is the hobby of kings.

SanctionII

I have been collecting as an adult since 1998. After 25 years my collection is large with lots of duplicates. I have collected mostly raw coins and am having the best ones graded. My best coins are very nice and not easily found raw. It has been a fun 25 years.

124Spider

Without any question! I never, ever could have dreamed about having the collection I now have!

Which is not to say that it compares favorably with lots of collections people here have, but it suits me--I love looking at my coins (whether paging through my albums or looking at my slabs, one by one), and I pinch myself regularly at what I have.

erscolo

I collected in two periods in my life, from the mid 1970s to mid 1980s, and then again from 2019 to the present. I am happy with my collection, which consists of mint state and proof coins of the United States from 1930 to the present (2556 of 2898). I also have some Canadian mint state and proof coins (305 of 2898). I collect both as my parental line in Canadian, my maternal line American. It is never about what someone else may or may not have, I simply enjoy collecting these types of coins. I cannot remember back nearly 50 years, I simply collect and enjoy what I have.

Conshyboy

Definitely larger, started out with just wheats and nickels now it's every denomination and foreign coins old and new

BLUEJAYWAY

Fell way short of what I dreamed about as a youngun. Life got in the way. No regrets though.

emeraldATV

Have you ever heard a song or just a melody that you can't get out of your head ?
Better yet, have you ever followed a soap opera that you must watch on TV, every day, or else ?
Have you ever taken on a job, with no job description, in a library ?
You gotta be kidding me. No way. Oh my God. How the hell ? What the front door is that ?
( these are my new favorite sayings )
My collection is very entertaining weather i want to be or not.
I must get back to work now.
Later.

pcgscacgold

No, I never dreamed of being able to own Early Gold or Gem gold coinage. The adventure has been a lot of fun.

Barberian

My collections and collecting dreams as a child and as a young adult are not the dreams or goals I have today. However, I like how I have morphed as a collector, have enjoyed the ride, like what I have today, and am amazed at the investment of time and money that has gone into it. It's been fun. Now, I've got to dump my childhood efforts and dreams, as well as duplicates and 'eBay mistakes,' and convert them into adult dream capital for a final assent to SLH dreamland.

Anyone interested in a roll of circulated 60-D small dates or 1919 Lincolns? (j/k)

Barberian

@SanctionII said:
I have been collecting as an adult since 1998. After 25 years my collection is large with lots of duplicates. I have collected mostly raw coins and am having the best ones graded. My best coins are very nice and not easily found raw. It has been a fun 25 years.

My approach and results with circulated halves and commemoratives the last 20 years have been very similar. The goal was to build Dansco sets from problem-free raw circulated coins of the quality that they would straight grade if submitted. There have been some nice surprises along the way. Some are being graded now.

Dreamcrusher

I have refined my collecting interests since when I was young and "yes" I am very happy with my current collection. The first lesson for me was learning that "larger" does not always mean "better." I count the people who I have become friends with through the hobby as part of my collection and that part far exceeds anything that I could ever have imagined. I have lead a full numismatic life and am very grateful.

rhedden

Sure, my collection is large and elaborate. I've been collecting for over 40 years now. I regret not ever completing a killer set of wheat cents, which was my numismatic fantasy as a coin-collecting 6-year old. Maybe that should be my next project?

Sapyx

I can say with confidence "absolutely not". My collection's database history proves it.

Way back when I started collecting, around 1981 or thereabouts, I kept an index-card catalogue of my collection - a paper database, if you will. Each coin was assigned a unique number - and I began with number 001, assuming I'd never get to 1000.

Forwards a bit to 1984, and my first home computer - a Commodore 64. As a budding computer geek and still a keen coin collector, I of course transferred the coin database onto the C64. I was at around coin #800 by this time, so I thought I'd better start on the right foot and use four digits for the new system - not five, because coin number 10000 was impossibly far away.

Now a quantum leap forward to around 2010 - and after buying a couple of bulk coin lots, I was now approaching coin #9999. I was going to have to bite the bullet, and add that fifth digit. It took me several months to manually edit the database to give nearly 10000 database entries that extra "0" at the start of each number; I remember it well. About halfway through; I discovered a keyboard macro that let me semi-automate the process, and I finished the job in the next couple of days.

Just tonight, I finished entering coin No. 14509 into the database. I don't think I'm going to have to worry about adding that sixth "0". But that's still a much, much bigger collection than 10 year old me would have imagined the collection would ever become.

So my advice to beginners: plan for the collection to grow bigger than you can ever imagine... and look up "autohotkey", just in case your imagination still isn't big enough.

MrEureka

I’ve been collecting coins since before I can even remember. But no, as a kid I never had dreams of what I could attain, nor thoughts of any limitations. I just kept at it.

pursuitofliberty

Interesting thought. In terms of sheer quantity, I suppose I used to think it might be bigger someday. And I think it was at one time (about a decade ago).

In terms of quality, depth and the types of coins and currency I own ... no, I really didn't dream of it being here all those years ago. Probably not even close.

I think most of us evolve with our taste and direction over the years, and sometimes that creates a far greater breadth than we might have imagined so many years ago.

BillJones

Yes, I own many coins that I would never have dreamed that I could have acquired back in the 1970s and '80s.

divecchia

I did not really collect as a kid. No money. I started collecting as a young adult in my early 20's. At the time, I could only dream of having a 1793 Chain Cent, a Gobrecht dollar or gold earlier than 1849 as I considered it untouchable back in the 1980's.

It's been a great ride and I consider myself very fortunate to have a collection that is more than I had dreamed of when I started.

Donato

ianrussell

I started focusing on my Australian collection a couple of years ago - and the coins I dreamt about 25-30 years ago are precisely the ones I'm targeting. It's motivating (for me).

• Ian

jacrispies

I remember the first time looking at my Dad's 20th Century Type Set used for his coin collecting merit badge. I was floored at the artistry and eye catching designs of the early to mid 1900's, and upon more research, realized there are older coins not in the set that I realized I would likely never obtain on a budget of $30 per coin shop visit.

Fast forward to present day, and I am working on a set of Capped Bust half dollars and related mint errors. I put in a lot of work buying and selling other coins, which is the only way I was capable of getting to where I am at now.

crazyhounddog

My collection is so large it’s overwhelming.

pointfivezero

Depends on who you ask, me or my wife:

Tim

OAKSTAR

@pointfivezero- I don't see VSS.

pointfivezero

@OAKSTAR said:
@pointfivezero- I don't see VSS.

Yep - there are several slabs out there I'm still on the hunt for:

Tim

OAKSTAR

Good man! I was asking because I didn't see it listed in your inventory.

TurtleCat

My younger self would be quite impressed with what I have now and disappointed at having sold anything, lol. When I was very young I never imagined being able to own any classic gold coin.

privatecoin

Most definitely. I never thought I'd get a modern proof lincoln for my album when i was a kid.

RichR

Unscientific survey of comments so far...it's pleasing to see that the vast majority here are both amazed by their collections and have gained both a sense of accomplishment and pleasure from this hobby.

Personally, my life would have a hole in it without coins...it's not like you can collect dozens of cars (unless you're Jay Leno...and stamps just don't do it for me!

PS...collector since 1976 when my father unexpectedly brought home the 3 coin silver Bicentennial proof set...those were coins 1,2,3! I was sick in bed at the time...with my 100th infected ear at age 9!

seatedlib3991

I am not quite sure how I should answer this. During a recent heat wave I ended up cleaning my office and found my very first coin journal. It is a loose leaf notebook and besides writing down the coins I collected the back third is a detailed list of coins I planned to collect. Circa 1974 when I was 13.
On the one hand I have only collected a few Bust half dollars. So my extensive list of various bust dates, denominations and types is a miss.
On the other hand my Seated collection has all but 2 specific coins and I have about twenty five other Seated coins beyond on the plan.
As they say in the casinos ITS A PUSH. James

WaterSport

I am still amazed at what I have today. In fact, I if I had to replicate it today - I would not be able to afford it!

WS

RichR

[I am still amazed at what I have today. In fact, I if I had to replicate it today - I would not be able to afford it!]

That's hilarious...I was just going to ask a second question..."Can you imagine starting your collection TODAY???"

ShaunBC5

My collection is no where near where I dreamt it would be. When I was a kid I thought quite a lot of myself and my earning potential. I hope to start meeting some of that soon. The collection should start getting to the level of my kid dreams once my kids are through college.

TPRC

No. Then again, I tend to dream big!

Walkerfan

@RichR said:
[I am still amazed at what I have today. In fact, I if I had to replicate it today - I would not be able to afford it!]

That's hilarious...I was just going to ask a second question..."Can you imagine starting your collection TODAY???"

Besides being extremely difficult, time consuming and cost prohibitive much of the good material out there has been upgraded.

JBN

Oh yes. More than I would ever have dreamed or aspired.

mbogoman

Quite simply, yes.

BustDMs

@ianrussell said:
I started focusing on my Australian collection a couple of years ago - and the coins I dreamt about 25-30 years ago are precisely the ones I'm targeting. It's motivating (for me).

• Ian

Plus competing with Nichole Kidman must be a blast. 😉

ianrussell

@BustDMs said:

@ianrussell said:
I started focusing on my Australian collection a couple of years ago - and the coins I dreamt about 25-30 years ago are precisely the ones I'm targeting. It's motivating (for me).

• Ian

Plus competing with Nichole Kidman must be a blast. 😉

I read that rumor that she collects Ancient coins. Keep her away from Australian coins!

Barberian

I recall going to an outdoor dinner party at one of my dad's friend's house in the early '60s when I was 6 or 7 years old and already avidly collecting coins with my older brother. Their HS senior son had Dansco or similar albums of 19th and 20th century coins that totally blew my Whitman Lincoln folder mind! Types I had never seen before. Three years later, at another dinner party hosted by another of my Dad's friends, I got to see Dansco albums of well-toned bust halves that blew my mind, along with bust halves stacked in a dollar coin cylinder. The edge lettering was SO COOL, and the design looked ancient!

Perhaps the visual impact of those moments looking at coins in a Dansco is why I have Dansco collections now, and will have Dansco virtual albums in the future once the coins are graded. The sets I've put together over the last 20 years would definitely blow that 7-year old's mind. The weight of a full SLH Dansco (>4 lbs.) alone would be impressive.

RichR

[[Their HS senior son had Dansco or similar albums of 19th and 20th century coins that totally blew my Whitman Lincoln folder mind!]]

So you hit him over the head with a ski mask on!!!

Manifest_Destiny

Yes, I've been all over the map on collecting over the years, including being out of the hobby for a long period of time until a few years ago. Quarters were probably my least favorite denomination back then, but now I have a complete set of seated quarters, almost all are VF-XF and I have developed an appreciation for the denomination across all series.

BobSav

I always dream that I could go back in time with the knowledge I have now. I would have made so many different decisions on what to buy. I have most of my receipts from as far back as the mid 1960's. By my rough estimate I would come out way ahead if that money was just left in the S&P 500 and not in coins.
Bob

steve76020

mine is larger but i remember the days when most of the pawnshops on main street in downtown ft worth , tx had a bid board. you would bid on a coin and check back to see if you won. one i was about 13 or less and i bid 5 dollars ( birthday money) from two people combined any way i won an 1804 large us cent probably in poor 01 maybe 02 but i won i have no clue at 68 years old what happened to the coin.