Shouldn't it be fun ?

Skipper53

When I started collecting a few years ago, I was having the time of my life.
With so many beautiful coins , I was like a kid in a candy shop.

Then I discovered I needed to get educated in order to make wise
purchases. Not only were there grades and varieties to look for,
it became evident that there were predators who would attempt to
sell cleaned, artificially toned, or even counterfeit coins !

Shouldn't a hobby be a source of pleasure ?

Learning about coins and the best ways to build a collection is fine.
If a collector begins to feel intimidated by the hair-splitting details of
coin grading or the very good possibilty that some con artist may sell
them a worthless coin, he or she may just decide it's not fun anymore.

Is there an enjoyable and relaxing way to collect coins without
getting overwhelmed ?
Your thoughts, please.
.

hamiltonjh

Yes, it should be fun.

there is sooooooo much to know about coins, especially your specialty. Dont worry about all the varieties and stuff immediately. concentrate on slabbed coins you know are authentic, or if you buy raw, do so from a reputable dealer in your area.

Study, learn more about your favorite coin(s) and as you grow in knowledge, you'll feel less overwhelmed. Just dont push yourself.

ARCO

Of course collecting should be fun. But when big money is involved the hobby is bound to be fraught with peril. Stick to the area where fraud has little reward if it is a big concern for you.

I personally only buy circulated coins that I can easily grade, that are original with nice eye appeal and any potential losses are quite slim.

I am having one Hell of a good time collecting. So good that I am a hardcore coin addict now.

Tyler

K6AZ

Decide what you want to collect, then learn everything you can about what it is you have decided to collect. And, there are some of us who look out for collectors in general and spread the word about unscrupulous people in the coin business. See the link in my sig file for more info.

BAJJERFAN

Yes it should be fun, but there is lots more to it than just filling holes in a Whitman album or whatever. Anyone with an eBay account. a PayPal account, a few thousand dollars and a few hours time can buy a set of Morgans but what kind of collecting is that.

nwcs

Yes, it should be fun. And I found the best way to keep it fun is to focus on what I'm wanting to accomplish and not what other people tell me I should accomplish. I learned a lot of the details and got bogged down, too. I ended up finding a level of knowledge I'm comfortable with and have no real need to go further.

DHeath

Neil has it right. You have to decide what part of collecting gives you pleasure. Is it knowledge, history, art, wealth building, competition, comraderie, etc. You also have to decide your level of intensity. At some point, if you over reach and become more intense that you wanted, it becomes a job. Just decide what it is that gives YOU pleasure, treat it as a hobby, and enjoy yourself. I don't have grandkids yet, but I fully expect to eventually give one of them (maybe several) a leg up in the hobby.

stujoe

Good replies.

I think another piece of good advice is to not buy coins you don't understand and that applies to grade level, varieties, series, etc. If you don't understand what you are buying, wait and take a little time to learn about it first. Ask questions here. Read. Put in some effort and you will be miles ahead of the game.

You can collect coins with very little effort and knowledge but you will more than likely get ripped off. Sad, but true. This is a hobby that requires some effort to protect yourself. Everyone makes mistakes. Just try and make sure they are mistakes you learn from and aren't too expensive.