O.T. - - but a prior thread got me thinking.......
DBSTrader2
Posts: 3,487 ✭✭✭✭
I came across the thread posted by Rickc300 about his unfortunate marital situation, and all the responses from fellow collectors in similar situations, and got to wondering.........
Are a higher proportion of Forum Members and/or coin collectors in general pre-disposed to marital problems, or are we just average compared to other population sub-groups?
If so (higher than the average), then why is that?
Is it because collecting is often a more solitary vs group activity?
Is it because spouses (and other family members) quite frequently do not share one's "passion" for coins?
Are coins something one "obsesses" over more than other things, leading to the equivalent of "football widows"?
Do coin collectors spend so much time & attention with their coins that they ignore their spouse and/or signs of trouble?
Is it the expense of the hobby which makes spouses jealous, etc, or puts family finances in a tight spot?
Are the personalities of coin collectors in general more likely to lead to such situations?
Do female coin collectors experience marital problems at a similar rate as male collectors?
Or did simply a small portion of the Forum membership respond with marital problems, and everyone else is still in a satisfying relationship?
I thought an unscientific poll might be interesting to see what other members think on the subject..................
As for myself, I run hot & cold on coins. I collect low-end (price-wise) coins to fill Whitman folders from countries around the world, extending a hobby started and shared with my grandparents as a kid, and often go long time periods between posts when work gets busy (I'm just treading water there these days..). My wife has nothing to do with coins (except to spend the circulating metal & paper varieties
), and the kids enjoy looking at their sets which I have helped them establish, but, as kids, would prefer to play sports & video games than to do any real collecting................. So far, my marriage remains intact.
Thanks for your responses & insights!
- - Dave
Are a higher proportion of Forum Members and/or coin collectors in general pre-disposed to marital problems, or are we just average compared to other population sub-groups?
If so (higher than the average), then why is that?
Is it because collecting is often a more solitary vs group activity?
Is it because spouses (and other family members) quite frequently do not share one's "passion" for coins?
Are coins something one "obsesses" over more than other things, leading to the equivalent of "football widows"?
Do coin collectors spend so much time & attention with their coins that they ignore their spouse and/or signs of trouble?
Is it the expense of the hobby which makes spouses jealous, etc, or puts family finances in a tight spot?
Are the personalities of coin collectors in general more likely to lead to such situations?
Do female coin collectors experience marital problems at a similar rate as male collectors?
Or did simply a small portion of the Forum membership respond with marital problems, and everyone else is still in a satisfying relationship?
I thought an unscientific poll might be interesting to see what other members think on the subject..................
As for myself, I run hot & cold on coins. I collect low-end (price-wise) coins to fill Whitman folders from countries around the world, extending a hobby started and shared with my grandparents as a kid, and often go long time periods between posts when work gets busy (I'm just treading water there these days..). My wife has nothing to do with coins (except to spend the circulating metal & paper varieties
), and the kids enjoy looking at their sets which I have helped them establish, but, as kids, would prefer to play sports & video games than to do any real collecting................. So far, my marriage remains intact.Thanks for your responses & insights!
- - Dave
0
Comments
Good for them. I never understood the obsession of many parents to get their kids into that hobby, and the disappointment they feel if the kids aren't interested. Some parents,more wealthy and more stubborn perhaps, go to great lengths to convince their kids, and even build collections on their behalf, I know some people who own up to 5 times each coin of their collection,the best for them, the rest for their children. I'm sure that the kids will liquidate all this in the blink of an eye when they will be entitled to do it, and I wish them well. You either have the collecting bug or not, I never had one collector in my family as far as I know but that did not stop me,only it also works vice versa.
A bit OT to Dave's question but not entirely.
myEbay
DPOTD 3
My OmniCoin Collection
My BankNoteBank Collection
Tom, formerly in Albuquerque, NM.
If someone is going to fault another person for a hobby, chances are they would just fault them for something else if the hobby wasn't an easy target. My wife supports my hobby - but that's because she knows how much I enjoy it, she could not care less about the subject itself. On the other hand, some people probably devote time to their hobby when they should be devoting time to their other... again, if it weren't for coin collecting, any other substitute would have the same effect.
She has been very supportive of my coin collecting thing, as demonstrated in a recent thread. Once she knew the title of Freeman's book she went on a relentless search for one. Before my daughter arrived, she would accompany me to almost every show and chat up and charm the sellers, probably to the point where I would get a better price. If I went alone, those few who recognized me would ask "where is your wife?" (translation: "yer a bum").
I don't believe coin collectors are any different than the general public, but then again we just celebrated our 30th anniversary in April.
Collecting:
Conder tokens
19th & 20th Century coins from Great Britain and the Realm