Are you private with others ....

Dave99B

about your coin collecting interests?

Quite frankly, I've always been uneasy telling friends that I buy and sell rare U.S. coins. Don't get me wrong, I trust my friends immensely. Many have a key to my house. I'm more concerned about them telling a friend, who tells a friend ....... I think you get the picture.

In a way, it takes some of the joy out of collecting. Many times I've decided to not show off a new piece for fear of getting "rolled" myself.

How about you?

Dave

supercoin

I'm definitely that way with casual acquaintances or neighbors regarding coin dealing. I just tell them I'm an undertaker, cuts the conversation short and they have a better rep than coin dealers anyway.

Dog97

After I show my friends my coins I make them go out on the porch and shoot an AK so it evens out. All the people that have my address from internet deals is what worries me. Only a little though.

nucklehead

I keep my mouth shut big time,always have. The only person I talk coins to is Mr. Lee as we live pretty close to each other and either talk on this and other boards or on the phone or e mails.If someone does happen to ask me about coins I just tell them "It's in a safe deposit box at the bank" or that I've sold all my good stuff a long time ago.

nucklehead

I keep my mouth shut big time,always have. The only person I talk coins to is Mr. Lee as we live pretty close to each other and either talk on this and other boards or on the phone or e mails.If someone does happen to ask me about coins I just tell them "It's in a safe deposit box at the bank" or that I've sold all my good stuff a long time ago.Sorry double post, hav'nt done that in a long time.

construct

I will show and tell with my closest friends, but that's all. Not even coin collector acquaintances. I must be something of a mystery to them.

SarasotaFrank

not a peep. I have my internet auction coins sent to a Mail Box Company.

Neptune

Here's my motto: Trust the mirror--- and a couple of family members. Like you said - people talk - and talk and . . .

Russ

I have two friends that I share this stuff with (one is a member here). They're also the only two people on the planet, outside of the alarm company and police department, that actually have my unlisted, changed once-a-year home phone number.

Russ, NCNE

nwcs

I tell some people I'm a coin collector. Most don't seem interested enough to ask more. If they did, I'd probably tell them some things. But I do tend to not talk about values or rarity all that much with non-collectors for the same reasons you mentioned.

CarlWohlforth

I tell everybody I can I collect. I also mention that my coins are in a safe deposit box at the bank. I use a P.O. box on my website and on eBay.

ARCO

I keep about $5 - 10 k worth of coins at my home, so I tell nobody!

Tyler

BlueCole

Only Blood/marragie relations. (but that doesn't mean i tell the wifey eveything!!!)

B.

09sVDB

I tell no one. I broke this golden rule the other day when my boss( who I've known for eight years, but has been my boss for only three monthes) started talking about his coins and metal detecting. I thought about it for a second, and then told him. I actually have gotten him to purchase a $20 NGC 64 St. Gaudens. Other than him no one but my immediate family knows. My wife thinks i'm crazy for being this way , but she trusts everyone.

keithdagen

I'll tell anyone about my hobby. Never know who might have interest. I don't worry about security, all coins kept in a vault, and the girls tend to dig a guy who has a feel for attractive gold and silver pieces.

airplanenut

I don't care if people know that I collect- I don't have enough valuable stuff in my collection for it to pose a threat... and that reminds me to put a few coins away in a few minutes...

Jeremy

keets

.......i'll talk to other collectors about coins and stuff. just had a club meeting tonight. other than that not really anyone knows. and i only tell them in detail about what i'd consider courteous asking them about. most collectors i know really stick to generalities----when somebody wants to know some real specific stuff i slow down. common sense rules the day!!

al h.

lordmarcovan

No, unfortunately, I'm a blabbermouth.

I know, for security reasons if nothing else, I should keep my mouth shut, but like a big, dumb, kid, I cannot contain my enthusiasm sometimes, and it bubbles over. I do like to show collectible and sometimes rare coins to a few noncollectors at work, and sometimes they are impressed.

Sometimes I can see their eyes glaze over with boredom, too. I have learned to recognize the look. No doubt it is the same look I give one of our chefs, who rambles on and on and on constantly about baseball scores or the football pool some coworkers have. I've told him before, "Hey, I'm a nerd. Nerds like me don't care diddly about sports." It doesn't stop him from coming into the office and asking if I'd looked at the latest scores. "Now, why would I do that?" I asked him. I guess because he sees me on the Internet (at this fine site, of course) he thinks I have all the latest scores. I've learned to keep a window open on ESPN, just to keep him happy and outta my face.

gsaguy

Good post Dave....thought provoking.

As a dealer I know many collectors and dealers in the industry, but I don't share my interests with others outside the industry. Since I retired from the oilfield if someone asks what I do now I sometimes tell them I'm unemployed. That's usually enough to change the conversation.

A while back when going through security at the local airport, the security guard seemed very interested in coins and asked if I'd contact him one day to talk about the subject. Since he didn't have my name I gave him the card of the fellow who owns the local coin shop. I'd just as soon have as few people locally as possible know my interests.

And even though many of you may have collections that you believe are not worth enough for someone to bother with, remember this. The fellow who decides to enter your home to steal that collection of yours that he's heard about probably has no idea of its value. But he believes it to be valuable because it's a COIN COLLECTION.

GSAGUY

RonMan

Good post Dave.

Like nwcs, most people that hear I collect coins don't take much interest and move on to another subject. My mailman probably has a pretty good feel for the number of coins I own. Most family members know I collect but don't have a clue what I actually have.

Russ...why do you change your phone number once a year?

RonMan

coinbuf

Great subject? Like most everyone else only my close family knows what I have in my collection.