How often do you look at your coins?

Barry

In my experience, there are two basic types of collectors - the hole fillers (like me) that are working towards completing a predefined set of one sort or another, and those that are captured by the beauty of individual coins.

When I get home, after buying a coin, I look at it for a while, enter it in my database, then it goes into its permanent home. This may be a slab box, a 2x2 storage box, or an album. Seems I rarely take them back out to admire (which also requires forethought when stored offsite). I get more satisfaction from the hunt itself.

How about you? It's a snowy night with nothing good on TV. Do you take out your collection and admire it?

AbesNeighbor

I don't have a dog, TV is really bad except for a couple of those crime investigative programs and college basketball, my daughter is 18 and never home anymore, my wife likes to read, so I have "Coinage". (That's the term my wife gives it)

KlectorKid

Im a real appreciator, when I find a coin I like I buy it,.......... go home see what I think the grade is, look for anything I missed while I was buying it if I just bought a nice coin it is usually glued to my hand for hours.

AbesNeighbor

My problem is I like too many of them. When I first started out, I followed the good advice of choosing one area and collecting there. Then I started finding all kinds of coins that intrigued me and just bought them...Now I'm Broke :-)

leothelyon

Every night, before bedtime, I'll dangle one back and forth in front of my eyes until......zzzzzzzzzzz............., works everytime.

Seriously, I look at them quite often and daydream about the millions I'll make when I sell. lol

Leo

barberlover

Unfortunatley, do to the times we live in, only as often as i get to the bank. But i deliberatley chose a bank close to where i live with saturday safety deposit box access. I thought about bringing my coins home once, but my sense of the times tells me it's not a good idea.

dpoole

There're a few favorites that I'll pull out to gaze at from time to time. It's fun: I'm always surprised by how great a particular item really looked, like I'd forgotten. I feel the same way about going through the boxes, pulling out items I'd not thought of in awhile with regard to how they looked, where I'd gotten them from, the plans I'd had for them, etc. I might come on here and find somebody to chat back and forth with about an aspect I discovered or was wondering about. All really relaxing and fun!

Great hobby!

MadMonk

All of them: 4 to 6 4 times a year
Some of them: at least twice a week

Jamericon

At least once a month. My collection is more quality so the quantity is smaller. Even then there are maintenance checks and then admiration checks.

Steve27

I always have an inexpensive set or group of coins within reach so that I can look at them every day. I've found that I get just as much enjoyment from the well worn cheap coins as the expensive ones I only see rarely.

GP

I only have one coin stored off site, so I get to look at most of my small collection whenever I want. Usually once a week or so, more when i have new stuff coming in as I will compare the new coin to older ones and such

Lakesammman

Good question...it's partly why I got into coin photography. While they are in the bank, they are always on line so, if at home, at work or on the road, I can always enjoy them. I try to photograph them to show the best feature of the coin (the features I enjoy in person) so it's always on line too. I've been able to easily share them with coworkers and family that way too.

FrattLaw

Several times a week I'll pull out my rather small collection and go through it. I have both slabbed coins and albums and for some reason, I just like the albums better. It's easy to look at and it gives it a sense of accomplishment when it is finished. I like the slabs and those collections as well, but it's just not the same when I have to lay out a collection on a table and peer down at all of those coins.

Someone should make an album for slabs that has the look and feel of a Dansco or Whittman album.

Michael

Zerbe

I put together a proof barber half set, one coin at a time. After checking it out and paying for it, each coin went straight to the bank box. The set bacame complete last year and I took all 24 barbers home. The set had 11 PR68s and 8 PR67s, and the rest PR66. Well, I actually was amazed, when I saw all 24 coins at once. They just about hypnotized me. Every coin I bought was blast white, so it was one huge mass of blinding white. Looking at a whole complete set is difficult, because of security, so that was an unexpected pleasant surprise. Unfortunately 5 of those coins were NGC and did not cross, so I sold them and now I am trying to replace them with PCGS. Some day, when those 5 coins are replaced, I will have another, complete set, 'feast for the eyes'. Zerbe

Pushkin

Like Lakesammman and others, most of my coins reside an a cold, dark, dreary bank vault (to make matters worse, they are already entombed in little plastic coffins), so not as often as I would like. However, I keep a few of the "pretties" around to look at, especially when I'm depressed - which is fairly often. Fortunately I have a beautiful family and an absolutely gorgeous cat to look at, so the coins being in the bank isn't as bad as it seems. What I wish is that I could share them with others more (really), especially the toned Indian cents. There is something about showing a beautiful coin to a collecter and having that person agree that is a true emotional high, or in seeing someone else's "pretties". For me, the coins are works of art and little jewels that contain souls and project a special and unique beauty. I'm not a hole filler, although I have been very, very lucky and all the holes are all filled. As for photography, I don't know yet. Starting Tuesday a professional photographer is going to try and show me how to take pictures of the "toners" and catch the beautiful colors that radiate in different light sources and at different angles (both for raw coins and those in plastic coffins) - I hope I'm not an "F" student in this endeavor. I would love to have about two dozen stunning toned IHCs, six giant Maine Coon cats, and start a traveling coin museum and cat petting lounge. OK, so it sounds like I'm a whacko Anyway, I love to look at coins and I really enjoy being around other people who love to look at coins and cats.

asnooker

I look at mine every night. I usually sit down at the table and pour over them. That was one reason I started collecting darkside coins. It gave me SO many different kinds of coins to enjoy, and at much cheaper prices! I have some remarkable coins to look at and it didn't break the bank. I don't have to lock them away in a safety deposit box either.

Lakesammman

Hey Pushkin:

When we get together to look at coins in your cat parlour, remind me to take my allergy pills....

mbbiker

I don't have any coins that cost me over $44.00 and that way my whole collection can stay home and i don't have to worry about it. In my bedroom I have little plastic stands with slabs on them so every time i go in my room i see coins and every time the coins look different because of the way the sun is hitting them.

meos1

I generally keep the newest additions at home a while so I can examine and reexamine them. After that off to the bank. But like most, I have a small colection on premise. Most of this is stuff my Dan put away. It is really cool to comb through the raw stock he stuck away years ago. I just finished his franklin set in VF - EF condition by finding the date I needed right in the raw mix! So now the Whitman album is complete. I also enjoy talking to my few coin buddies on the phone about series, designs, grades, I get really hyped up about the whole thing. Its contageous. So much so that a fella at work over heard me talking at lunch to one of my numis friends and started bringing in Merc and Morgans for me to grade and advise him on. The next week the guy turns up with a lincoln cent whitman book. So I snagged another. I really love the hobby.

Dan

smprfi

I look at least part of my collection every day.

DesertLizard

I carry around 1-2 slabs with me every day. Sometimes the same one[s] for 5-7 days. I look at my coin[s] several times during the day while daydreaming, stopped at the light, waiting at the airport, watching the ball game, etc.

I feel it keeps me connected to my collection. It started by accident when I forgot to put a slab into the vault and carried it around until my next visit. It was/is great.

Baley

I look at *some* of my coins every single day, others only once every couple of weeks, if that. Like most, I have a small low value collection at home, and the big stuff in a bank box, so Ironically, it's the best pieces I only get to see once in a while, and rarely take home, and the less disireable pieces that I have 24/7 access to

one thing I'm very happy about is what I call my #2 type set, that I keep in the 2 old Whitman albums at home ( one book each for small and large coins) because when I upgrade a coin in my Dansco type album that is at the bank, the now #2 coin goes into the Whitman at home and it either fills a hole or displaces a lower graded piece, and then i can see it whenever I want!

I do wish I could see some of my prizes more often though. I like the idea of taking pictures of them so I can have them on the computer, just haven't gotten around to it yet. Have pretty much memorized every detail of my proof Morgan, Proof Walker, and mint state 1812 half eagle, have spent so much time gazing at them

58Flyer

Usually for me the most exciting part is buying the coin. Its really fun trying to pick out the best because its always... "That one looks nice so I"l get that, no wait, what about that one?" When I bring it home, I put it in a book and admire it for some minutes. Somedays I might look through my book. When my dad looks at my coins I always get involved with it and look at my coins for 10-20 minutes.

LucyBop

I have so many collectibles that I enjoy looking at, lately, I have been in a Archie comic book buying frenzy and have found myself looking at those an awful lot. I seem to look at some of my coins atleast once a day...

BillJones

I look at some parts of my collection constantly. I just love 'em. Some other parts that fill holes in my type set get less attention.

A few pieces I would like to look at more often, but their value precludes me from keeping them at home. I'm gradually building a digital picture library of my coins so that I can look at any of them on the computer any time I like. Still that's not as good as the real thing.

leothelyon

Most of the time I only glance at them, maybe 1-2 seconds and no more. I do know if I find myself staring at them too long, I'll get slapped by the wife!

Leo

ARCO

I put them in Dansco albums so that the cumulative collection can amaze me with their beauty. I look at my coins, especially the barbers every day numerous times a day. I check them out on my computer and in person.

I AM an addict...I am currently taking medication to help me mellow out a bit!! LOL

Tyler

Woodwind

My individual coins (2x2 cardboard holders and slabs) I look at about one or two times a month.

My proof sets, mint sets, and modern commemorative coins and sets are in a box, and so I look at them about once every two months.

onlyroosies

I look at them every day, Would you like to look at a few of them with me.
My Roosie Set

Twowood

DesertLizard has a great idea... He carries a slab or 2 around with him.
I go thru phases like Lucy and right now I'm in love with the 2002 Britannia and I'm looking at it every chance I get. Next week it'll be something else. Twowood

Dave99B

I usually keep only my last 5 or 6 purchases handy. I look them over numerous times before they get salted away for longer term storage. I don't care it they are $5 or $2500 coins; I need them handy for awhile. I try to memorize what they look like.

Once they get rotated out, I only check em out 3 or 4 times a year.

Dave