When you have set your collection aside

laserart

for a length of time and sort of lost interest, at least active interest, how do you get started up again? I haven't gotten a "new" coin in months.

TwoKopeiki

Have you thought of a different area of collecting that you've never tried for the fear of knowing little about it? This might be a good time to start reading-up on it. Who knows, perhaps it will spark your interest...

However, from previous experiences, I can say that often when you get burned-out, it's good to distance yourself from that subject completely for a period of time. After a while, the things that frustrated you about it will fade and you will want to go back to it. Or perhaps your life takes you in a different direction altogether and coins will always be something that you can return to.

laserart

I have been collecting 1 per country, Part of the problem is there is not a coin shop within 50 miles of me. I suppose I could use ebay too but I also usually get coins from the "junk box" at a shop. Nothing expensive you see, just so long as it is something I don't have.

cyclonus11

Putting your collection aside is one thing. My interests bounce back & forth anyway. Having it stolen is a completely different matter. It took several gifts from family members before I could be coaxed back into the hobby.

shirohniichan

TwoKopeiki has good advice.

After I finished my Canadian silver dollar collection last year I lost interest in collecting. I think I'm going to read up on the British Commonwealth under George V to see if that sparks interest in that collection again.

I'm still working on an article for Numismatist on double dimes, but I've been priced out of the market and can't afford to add to my 20 cent piece collection right now.

Ricke

You know, last year I went through this a little myself. My wife and I decided to move and get a fresh start - not that we needed it, just trying to shake things up a little... for a while afterward, I wasn't in a position to work on my collection, which wasn't anything I had dealt with in 8 or 10 years, and before that, I wasn't much of a collector.

I passed the time by cataloging my collection in various ways, re-organizing and assessing what should stay and what could go.

I agree with Roman though, if it's frustration or boredom, distance yourself from it for a while and see if you want to pick back up later. There are also a number of people here, and elsewhere online that can service inexpensive coins for a world type set like you mentioned.

olmanjon

The last year and a half I switched from US to all greyside. Now I am also collecting some US that I nvever collected before. Try foreign--much to learn and lots of varieties.

ccrdragon

I have put my collection aside also - I have only purchased 2-3 coins in the last year... sometimes you just need a break from what-ever it is that you are doing and then when you are ready and the itch comes back, it will be fun again and you will never understand why you walked away from it in the first place.

BBQnBLUES

I found myself getting bored with US coins, like many of you.. Started browsing eBay for old Albums / Holders & discovered a new found interest

It's fun collecting by type + "filling each hole" (with a nice example) in a vintage album can be a challenge...

laserart

One thing that would help me is to update my Krause. It is a 1995 issue I got from Lord Minivan when it was already a few years old. I am finding that some of the coins I had acquired most recently are not in my book.

STLNATS

Over the years, I've developed several interests that I try to pursue concurrently. I specialized in a single area (roman folles of RIC 6, or roughly AD 294-313) for a number of years and found I wasn't enjoying it all that much, in part because the purchases were becoming less frequent. Now, between US nationals, ancients, papal medals/coins and Latvian paper money it seems when one interest goes cold another will spark, at least so far.

All of these didn't start at once, but took several years to blossom. I think that the suggestion to try something different is a great way to keep the interest alive. I've used this approach for the 30+ years I've collected, and now find that I have several "dead end" collections - those that kinda started but didn't quite have legs to keep my interest. So.......I've been impressed with Lord M's ancient project and though it'd be fun to try to round out my set with the proceeds from some of this underbrush.

Also, continuing to buy books and reading up on "your" topic is a great way to keep things fresh. The new series of Modesti papal medal books has really ignited my interest in this series again.

I even bought a remaindered James MacKay book "the complete illustrated guide to coins & coin collecting" from Borders the other day for $6. Nothing earthshatteringly new but lots of pretty coin pix and a different presentation help to see my coins in a bit of a new light.

There's always something new it seems.