A new 'ol boy quits lurking--hopes to contribute
majorbigtime
Posts: 2,937 ✭
Hi folks. I've been reading these boards for awhile and decided to register to participate.
I've been collecting, primarily US coins, for over 50 years, but am still in my 50s (started very young). My Dad (RIP) was very supportive when I was a youngster. We used to go through all the coins from his dry cleaning business, trying to complete Whitman boards. He would take me to the big shows in Southern California, and would spend generously on my collection.
I have great father and son memories of our coin hunts ("is this a 3-leg nickel?"--it was), and going to the big coin conventions. We met dealers like Joe Flyn, Paul & Art Kagin, Dave Bowers, Jim Ruddy, Jay Clyne, Abe Kosoff, Jerry Cohen, Abner Kreisberg, and the Goldbergs to name a few. Back then, they were nice to kids and often would give a youngster a "deal." I would sometimes buy through mail order from the Numismatic Scrapbook or B. Max Mehl. I fondly remember the excitement when a new coin arrived in the mail. We also would order directly from the mint, starting in 1957.
My interest in collecting went through typical ebb and flow. College, grad school, professional and family demands would intervene. I remember the roll craze of the late 50s and early 60s--we used to save rolls of new cents, nickels, and a few silver dimes, quarters, and halves. I remember the excitement of the "new" Memorial cents in 1959, the Kennedy half craze in 1964, and the GSA dollar sales. During this period, I bought some junk and some treasures. My favorite set is a first year of issue by denomination, which is complete except for three of the gold pieces. Fortunately, I was inactive during the overheated market of the late 80s. Undoubtedly, the biggest change was the introduction of certified grading, first with ANA paper certificates and then the introduction of slabs. This considerably leveled the playing field, reduced the number of altered coins and fakes, and the upgrading and downgrading of coins, depending on whether you were a buyer or a seller. Although I have mostly been accumulating coins, I force myself to sell every once in a while just to get a feel for the "real" market.
"Been there, done that" is a phrase I could use for coin collecting and investing. In my opinion, the two are inseparable as it would be foolish to spend serious money on coins if you don't believe they will hold value and appreciate over the years. Unfortunately, my son has absolutely no interest in collecting. I have tried to drag him to coin shows or to visit the safe deposit boxes, but no way. Someday he will inherit a great legacy, and I have to be sure to give him a roadmap on how to dispose of the collection and realize fair value. He did state that I could designate a few "special" coins that could remain a part of the family heritage.
Well, enough of my rambling for now. I look forward to joining-in on the discussions.
I've been collecting, primarily US coins, for over 50 years, but am still in my 50s (started very young). My Dad (RIP) was very supportive when I was a youngster. We used to go through all the coins from his dry cleaning business, trying to complete Whitman boards. He would take me to the big shows in Southern California, and would spend generously on my collection.
I have great father and son memories of our coin hunts ("is this a 3-leg nickel?"--it was), and going to the big coin conventions. We met dealers like Joe Flyn, Paul & Art Kagin, Dave Bowers, Jim Ruddy, Jay Clyne, Abe Kosoff, Jerry Cohen, Abner Kreisberg, and the Goldbergs to name a few. Back then, they were nice to kids and often would give a youngster a "deal." I would sometimes buy through mail order from the Numismatic Scrapbook or B. Max Mehl. I fondly remember the excitement when a new coin arrived in the mail. We also would order directly from the mint, starting in 1957.
My interest in collecting went through typical ebb and flow. College, grad school, professional and family demands would intervene. I remember the roll craze of the late 50s and early 60s--we used to save rolls of new cents, nickels, and a few silver dimes, quarters, and halves. I remember the excitement of the "new" Memorial cents in 1959, the Kennedy half craze in 1964, and the GSA dollar sales. During this period, I bought some junk and some treasures. My favorite set is a first year of issue by denomination, which is complete except for three of the gold pieces. Fortunately, I was inactive during the overheated market of the late 80s. Undoubtedly, the biggest change was the introduction of certified grading, first with ANA paper certificates and then the introduction of slabs. This considerably leveled the playing field, reduced the number of altered coins and fakes, and the upgrading and downgrading of coins, depending on whether you were a buyer or a seller. Although I have mostly been accumulating coins, I force myself to sell every once in a while just to get a feel for the "real" market.
"Been there, done that" is a phrase I could use for coin collecting and investing. In my opinion, the two are inseparable as it would be foolish to spend serious money on coins if you don't believe they will hold value and appreciate over the years. Unfortunately, my son has absolutely no interest in collecting. I have tried to drag him to coin shows or to visit the safe deposit boxes, but no way. Someday he will inherit a great legacy, and I have to be sure to give him a roadmap on how to dispose of the collection and realize fair value. He did state that I could designate a few "special" coins that could remain a part of the family heritage.
Well, enough of my rambling for now. I look forward to joining-in on the discussions.
0
Comments
Russ, NCNE
Registry 1909-1958 Proof Lincolns
welcome aboard
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
Katrina
Chris
My Collection of Old Holders
Never a slave to one plastic brand will I ever be.
W.C. Fields
Got any pics.
That's a well written and thought-out introduction.
I believe that you will be a valuable part of this forum.
Forbid it, Almighty God!
I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!
~PATRICK HENRY~
President, Racine Numismatic Society 2013-2014; Variety Resource Dimes; See 6/8/12 CDN for my article on Winged Liberty Dimes; Ebay
Jade Rare Coin eBay Listings
Coinlearner, Ahrensdad, Nolawyer, RG, coinlieutenant, Yorkshireman, lordmarcovan, Soldi, masscrew, JimTyler, Relaxn, jclovescoins
Now listen boy, I'm tryin' to teach you sumthin' . . . . that ain't an optical illusion, it only looks like an optical illusion.
My mind reader refuses to charge me....
My 1866 Philly Mint Set
Great history, I wish I had as much background in coins.
I've been around them 34 years, off and on like you, but looks like you have a couple of the decades
that were fun to collect in under your belt.
<< <i>I fondly remember the excitement when a new coin arrived in the mail >>
Ahh, to be young again. Even though I WAY overpaid for all my coins from Littleton when I was a kid in the 70's, I still remember the excitement of receiving new ones.
Welcome to the boards!
"Exactly."
My OmniCoin Collection
My BankNoteBank Collection
Tom, formerly in Albuquerque, NM.
Joe Flynn is a name I haven't heard for a long, long time. I think my first mail-order purchase was from him when I was a kid.
New collectors, please educate yourself before spending money on coins; there are people who believe that using numismatic knowledge to rip the naïve is what this hobby is all about.
don-gemini
Sorry, I can't post any coin pix--I have neither the knowledge nor the equipment to do so.
My son's 19 years old. I never have been able to instill any interest in coins with him. I do have a few youngsters that I'm working on numismatically, and I send 'em coins at Xmas. Heck, I've been known to give coins as birth and graduation gifts too. They will stand the test of time, but some think I'm nuts!
It concerns me that there are not more young folks interested in numismatics. It could have market implications too, but I believe in the intrinsic value of classic coins (although I'm dubious about moderns and big premums for a few grade points). At my age, anything earlier than a walker is a "modern" that was made during my lifetime.
To me, coins are fun, historical, a great way to pass time and not a bad place to park a few buck$. I still look forward to Coin World each week, attend local shows and try to get to all the Long Beach shows.
I'll be speaking to you again soon, numismatically!
Yes , I too can remember going through the days take, parents owned a bakery, and filling in whitman albums. Sadly though I trading most of the coins for slot cars in the 60's
Herb
<< <i>
It concerns me that there are not more young folks interested in numismatics. It could have market implications too, but I believe in the intrinsic value of classic coins (although I'm dubious about moderns and big premums for a few grade points). At my age, anything earlier than a walker is a "modern" that was made during my lifetime.
To me, coins are fun, historical, a great way to pass time and not a bad place to park a few buck$. I still look forward to Coin World each week, attend local shows and try to get to all the Long Beach shows.
>>
However you define moderns the fact is that there is a huge range from the rare to the common.
There is range in metallic content, collectibility, importance, and artistic merit. While there may be
a little greater likelyhood of moderns being common in lower grades and hence having larger spreads
in higher grades the fact remains that the magnitude of this spread is far lower than with older coins.
There is also frequently a higher multiple between these coins with the older coins.
While the "intrinsic value" of the older coins is often higher their numismatic value is often very many
times this value.
As far as the importance of newer collectors, it would be difficult to disagree and it might be wise to
encourage them.