Hello from a brand... and I mean brand ... newbie

Golfcollector

I am going to be joining the ranks of coin collecting for the first time. My young son is very interested in US coins and wants to start doing some collecting so that means I will be having the enjoyment of being at my sons side and watching him start his first real effort at a hobby of any type.

He has liked coins since an early age when he found his first one on the playground at daycare a few years ago. Since that time, he has seemingly been infatuated with coins.

I am a lifelong sportscards collector and up until recently amassed a huge collection of vintage golf cards. (you can still view them on the PSA site under my name Dave Johnson if interested) I am in the end stages of completing a deal and selling that entire collection to one collector who seems to be as excited to buy it as I was putting it together.

So....I will have some extra funds after the first of the year (and some now for that matter) to put towards my son's new found hobby.

I am looking for words of advice from you the experts and active members of this message board. I realize that I need to find an area of interest and something that will be within my budget. He seems to be most interested in Indian Head cents, and half dollar and dollars. Not a big fan of quarters, nickels and dimes, but we did put a state set together (just through loose change) and I think that is what has gotten him ultimately interested in this. I have not really collected coins...I do have a number of IKE dollars ( I used to get one for each year old I was from my grandfather until I turned 16) and I have probably a bag of 3000 or so wheat pennies...but I would not say I have spent much time looking at them, I just find a wheat and put it away.

At the same time, I would like to have something that should be able to increase in value over the years for my son if he decides to stick with it as a hobby. He is not very old at this time, but I don't think this will be a flash in the pan situation.

Sorry for rambling on....but any ideas, comments, suggestions, etc are GREATLY appreciated. I always tried to be helpful to others getting into the hobby of golf card collecting on the PSA boards as it was my passion and my area of expertise, so I look forward to reading all responses you can give to me here.

Thanks in advance

Dave

19Lyds

Welcome!

The best advice I could give is to go slowly until you are sure of what you are doing. Knowing the way kids usually react, yesterday just wasn't quick enough! Completing a collection should be more than just buying hogh grade coins as anybody with money can do that!

Once a decision is made on what to collect, do everything you can to learn about the coin. What is it supposed to look like? What design changes were made? What do the proofs look like? Are there any varieties? Any errors? What are the key coins?

Really get into the coin beyond the point of simply filling voids within a collection.

Once you do that, both of you should have a true appreciation for what you have done.

habaraca

Most Admiral undertaking.

I am envious,,,,,,, trying to get my grandkids interested.

So how old is your son.

Swampboy

Try a Dansco Type album.
This way he can get a feel for the history of coinage in America while he's finding out which particular series he's drawn to.

I don't collect as an investment at all so I can't advise you about that aspect of the hobby.

Have fun and

Golfcollector

19Lyds,

Thanks for the response!

Yes, I can say for having a youngster I am not overly excited about spending huge money on high grade coins, but it also appears that those will hold there value better in the long run (much like sportscards) I know I am oversimplifying this point...but it definately has an impact on the economics for both buyers and sellers as well as future potential in my opinion.

As for now, I am sure I will keep him off the error type coins. From what I have seen they are normally expensive etc and I personally don't have much interest in them, although i realize some would feel a collection of a particular issue or type of coin would not be complete without it.

Yes that is part of the deal for me right now....I want/need to take him to a shop or local show where he can see what is out there and maybe have a direction that he wants to go into....I do know he seems to like indian head cents (he has one) and I also think he may have an interest in franklin halves soon.......becuase he has been seeing dad read a biography on Ben Franklin recently and has been asking a lot of questions about this huge book daddy reads at night!

I have done some reading on coin collecting just over the last few days. I purchased a couple coin magazines from a local bookseller. Any books, guides etc that you would recommend to me? As I said this is all very new to me! Thanks again for the comments!

Dave

DUIGUY

It ain't all that bad! I don't care what these yahoo's say!

pakasmom

Golfcollector

habaraca,

Thanks for the note. My son is 5 and I appreciate that he may not stick with this, but it seems to be more than a passing interest, at least at this point. I always figured he would maybe get into the golf or other sportscards as he has been exposed to that alot with my collection. While he enjoys sports, especially NFL football and basketball, it seems like he is all about coin collecting...at least for now....

good luck with your youngsters....as I said I look forward to jumping into this with him, but I want to be able to help him and also learn along the way...right now I feel pretty helpless if he would start asking me many questions...good thing he is not that old yet!

Dave

Golfcollector

Swampboy


Thanks for the advice...Man that Kennedy coin looks sweet in your avatar...almost like black background or something....can't say I have seen anything like it!

I was thinking about maybe utilizing those coin albums and just starting out slow, however I did think it might be nice to have something that maybe is not such a huge undertaking from an amount of coins or money perspective to collect graded (and they don't have to be super high grades for that matter)

Again, thanks for the comments and suggestions...keep em coming!

Dave

NHSBaseball

Welcome to the Coin side of CU! If your son like Franklins, I see no reason not to encourage him in that- nice big silver coins that no longer circulate and can be had in nice condition without breaking the bank.

CoinJunkie

I'd recommend going to a coin show together, the bigger the better. You'll
get to survey a huge cross section of the hobby, and certain segments will
naturally call out to you. This will evolve over time, of course. Don't be in
a huge hurry to acquire material until you have a better understanding of
what constitutes quality and value. Be wary of the majority of what you
see on eBay.

That concludes Lesson #1...

RedTiger

The main choice for a five year old might be shiny vs. old, large vs. small.

Let the child select the coins they are interested in. I would avoid buying expensive coins for the child unless they fall into their normal budget.

For the average new collector I always write:
Collect what you like
Learn how to grade
Learn the typical prices for the coins you are interested in
Develop relationships with dealer and other collectors so as to get better deals and better access
Enjoy the hobby.

For a 5-year-old, mostly 1) Collect what you like and 5) Enjoy the hobby would apply. The rest won't mean much for someone so young. If he is like most five year old's, his interest will change quickly. Keep it fun, keep it light, don't put that much money into it.

storm888

Coin shows are the best introductions for YNs.

Small shows to start; larger ones, soon after.

Artist

Welcome!

This is a great hobby - I started when I was eight - I am 36 now.

rgCoinGuy

If its Indian Head cents and Franklins he likes, buy him a couple of Dansco albums for these. The Franklins will be fairly easy and not too much of a budget buster, and the Indian head cent album will be much more of a longer term project. Of course, the tougher dates of Indian cents, the 1877, the 1909 S, etc., should probably be bought in PCGS slabs, for authentication and protection of your investment.

I didn't read all of the responses, but if it hasn't been mentioned before, buy the book before the coin! A redbook is a good start.

Good luck and most of all, have fun!

RyGuy

I'm not new to collecting coins, but I took a lonnnng break. Only thing you should be doing right now is reading....lots of reading.

FatMan

Here's a Big FatMan Welcome to you!


It's cliche, but the best advise I have is to "Buy the book before the coin."

Golfcollector

NHSBaseball

Thanks for the note...I don't know if he is into Franklin's, but the old man might be!

Golfcollector

CoinJunkie


Thanks for the note. There is an upcoming show in Omaha Ne that I am planning on taking him to in a week or so, other than that we missed another one in our area, and I don't know of any others any time soon.

So ebay is that bad for coins in your opinion? I have had great experiences on ebay with vintage golf cards but I will admit it was a pretty small collecting group once upon a time and it seemed like it was always the same 6-10 of us bidding on the majority of stuff. We all got to know and help each other out....it is too bad if the coin segment is not the same, but I know you are talking about a LOT more collectors for something that is much more mainstream.

Golfcollector

RedTiger

Thanks for the advice. You hit on two of my biggest issues right now which is getting to know some of the local coin dealers etc and knowing who is reputable and maybe who isn't. There are a couple of local dealers who have been around forever, but as I mentioned being brand new I don't know them from Adam.....and it is not like I know a bunch of people who are into collecting to ask their opinions about the local shops.

Golfcollector

rgCoinGuy, RyGuy, FatMan

You mention read read read...I think that is good advice. I will check into getting a redbook..any other publications, magazines etc you would recommend? I am in the middle of reading presidential biographies (taking a break from my normal golf history stuff) and have completed 22 so far, so some lighter reading is appreciated by me right now!

If you have any suggestions on literature please let me know!

thanks again to everyone for all the warm welcome and the advice!

Dave

BBQnBLUES

Welcome Dave !!

Since your Son is interested in sports & coins... try to combine the two Go with "Big & Shiny".

Suggestions:

Silver 1 oz rounds (sports teams) in a Dansco album.

or Silver Eagles again in a Dansco

(If) he looses interest, you still have the bullion value..

lope208

Welcome the U.S. Coins side of things!

STONE

Welcome to the boards Dave

lasvegasteddy

welcome

best advice from me would be don't jump quick

stroll through these threads here as something will pop to you and always enjoy your coins

Fairlaneman

Welcome to the boards. Its always nice to see a youngster interested in the hobby. A PM has been sent to you.

Ken

Type2

claychaser

Another welcome to the boards!

One way to get started is to try to assemble a date and mint mark set of silver coins. Silver is way down, and you should be able to buy silver coins at around .7 to .8 times silver spot. I started my son on a walking liberty half set, and you should be able to find a lot of the coins in junk silver buckets and junk boxes. Even if you buy damaged, cleaned and "problem" coins, or if you lose interest, you can always sell off the silver coins for around melt value, so it's a pretty low risk way to get started. This could work on Mercury dimes, or the later roosevelt dimes or washingon quarters.

I also have my son grade the walkers using the "Making the Grade" book, and then also assemble cleaned, plated, damaged, and dipped coins so he had examples of what not to buy, unless its at melt.

By all means, don't buy any of the overhyped and overpriced modern stuff you see on tv, or those very low value early Lincoln cents you see in plastic.

BlindedByEgo

It sounds like your son is a bright kid - and luckily at 5 years old, he should be easy to satisfy for now. Maybe you could buy some cull or low grade Indian Cents and have him go through them for dates... I did the same at 5-6, 40 years ago - now I'm hopelessly hooked

Golfcollector

wow, thanks for all the responses....Yeah he is a bright kid...I mean he is my son correct!

are there any magazines or other books other than the aforementioned red book that are work getting and reading more on the topic....or do we need to figure out more a direction before there is additional reading that can be recommended?

Thanks!

Dave

claychaser

One good source for books, supplies, magnifiers, etc. is a fellow forumite and top flight dealer, Wayne Herndon. His supply company is Wizard Coin Supply, and you can order stuff over the Internet.

A good beginner's book on grading is "Making the Grade".
If you have an interest in Indian Cents, Rick Snow's book is a good reference, and also a cool historical read, as it ties on the historical events of each year of the series.

A neat blog to read is on Coin Rarities Online website, although it's mainly geared to more advanced collectors, you might find it interesting, and they have some really nice photos of the right coin "look" that I personally enjoy.

richardshipp

Wecome !

cladking

Any kid starting so young will probably have at least some interest
in collecting his entire life. Most collectors do have a tendency to put
their collections aside or sell them in their mid-teens though.

There's a great deal to learn for such a young child. It might be wise
to keep any collections fairly simple. There's no need to steer him to
any particular area but be sure that he is getting some value for his
money. It's important that as he develops his eye for coins that he
not be buying a lot of junk like culls, cleaned, or overgraded coins if
you are concerned about resale later.

Good luck to you both.

JJM

Golfcollector

cladking,

I think you are spot on here....my son being so young I am trying to educate myself as much as possible for a couple of reasons...

1) I can help teach him a few things along the way
2) So I can help assure he does not get "fleeced" when he does get a bit older an takes more control of this on his own
3) let's be honest...I will be doing the majority of the footwork for now, but sharing in this with my son will be a great great joy for me in my spare time.

This might sound strange but when I first got into collecting golf cards I was about 18 years old...and in the matter of just a year or so, I would have considered myself one of the better authorities on the topic in all of the US...mainly becuase 1) there were NOT a lot of US collectors and 2) I took the time to read, study, ask other collectors, research etc...basically soak up any and all knowledge I could get my hands onto at the time. I continued to do this and still do to this day. There is always something to learn about a hobby you love from someone else.

This was not easily done at the dawn of the internet area, but I made a lot of great friends and trading partners that have lasted for years along the way. In turn it has allowed me to share much of what I learned with others....I have a feeling I will try to do the same thing with coin collecting as it is my nature to do so....immerse myself completely into something.....but I know the learning curve will be slow and lengthy...I can say I am very excited he is interested in something new for me to learn about, so I too will be learning and growing into a new hobby along with my son...and I can say I am quite excited about it!

WinPitcher

Dave not sure if this was mentioned (I did not read all the posts) but how about the state quarters?

You can find all of them just from circulation.


Lincoln cents is another avenue you can explore.


A type set, cent thru dollar is also an option.


Kennedy halves can be bought at many banks.


Good luck


Steve

CoinJunkie

<< <i>CoinJunkie

So ebay is that bad for coins in your opinion? I have had great experiences on ebay with vintage golf cards but I will admit it was a pretty small collecting group once upon a time and it seemed like it was always the same 6-10 of us bidding on the majority of stuff. We all got to know and help each other out....it is too bad if the coin segment is not the same, but I know you are talking about a LOT more collectors for something that is much more mainstream. >>



Let's put it this way: eBay is a minefield with some buried treasure scattered about. I'd
recommend not purchasing anything expensive until you get to know the lay of the land
(to stretch the metaphor a bit more)... also don't buy anything expensive without a
return policy!

In terms of coin book authors, I find Scott Travers to be entertaining, informative, and
relevant. You might want to get a copy of _The Coin Collector's Survival Manual_ or
_One-Minute Coin Expert_. I might also recommend a couple titles written in a question
and answer format: _Coins: Questions & Answers_ by Mishler or _Facts and Fictions About
Coins_ by Lindheim (out of print but available used on amazon).

Once you identify the coin series of most interest, it might make sense to invest in
a text on each, although some of those books are pricey given the amount of actual
info they deliver. Buy used, if possible.

Most of all, have fun!

Golfcollector

WinPitcher


Great to see a familiar name from the PSA boards! Yep the state quarters is how this all got started (IMO)

I might try Kennedy halves if my son agrees. I still have an account at my small town bank (about 15 minutes from where I live currently and a population of 850 in the town) so I am sure I can find a few things there if I ask...plus everyone there knows me and my son which should help.

Thanks!

fiveNdime

my son just turned 6 and i plan to get him intrested (besides showing what i have) by starting with 'tooth fairy' ike dollars
his mom gives him 'golden' dollars for the piggy bank

Golfcollector

CoinJunkie

Thanks for the tips, and the suggested reading...I will look for a few of these (likely on ebay!) and see if I can find some used copies.

Gracias!

Cladiator

Golfcollector,

Are you from the U.S. originally? Do you or your kid have any ties to foreign nations? If so, you might look into collecting coins from there. Collecting coins from nations other than the U.S. is referred to as the "Dark Side" with the excpetion of coins from Canada which is commonly called the "Gray Side" because Canadians are almost Americans just not quite.

Dark Side coinage, for the most part, is just as readily available and much less expensive than U.S. coins. Also, it's fascinating to see the incredible designs that have been on coinage around the world in the past.

rgCoinGuy

A couple other good starter books for you would be either The Official ANA (American Numismatic Assoc) Grading standards for United States Coins and/or The Official Guide to Coin Grading and Counterfiet Detection by PCGS. Also the Cherrypickers guide Volumes one and two are good if you are going to roll search ( I know you said earlier no errors, but if you find them yourself there is no extra cost ).

Beyond that, anything written by QDB (Q David Bowers) is a good bet. Once you figure out what series you want, make another post and ask for more suggestions in that area and you will get all kinds of good responses from the wise people here.

Raybob15239

Just my 5 cents, but I would start with a Presidential Dollar set. You can buy at face and if he loses interest, spend it without loss. Putting together a state quarter set from circulation would be good too. You need to start him off with something that will hold his interest. He's not goig to "get" Morgan VAMs, or Capped Bust Halves, but he will enjoy finding that Louisiana quarter that he needs for his set in change.

Start small; he's 5. Unless you want to build an investment protfolio in coins, I would not start buying big stuff for the child. Let him discover whether he wants to collect coins on coins that won't cost you anything.

barbershopper

I started my collecting in 1943. I remember because of the shiny steel pennies. My God, how time flies!
I was watching my older brother working on his stamp collection.
He just said; "Why don't you see if you can find a penny for every year".
That's all it took. Within a year I'd started adding mint marks and nickels.
As they say, the rest is history.
As for your son, I think starting a collection from circulation the way I did would be best.
Before long, you and he'll have a good idea where to go with it.
At least he shouldn't have to put up with the jokes and hassles I did.
Half the ones who made fun of my collecting ended up as collectors themselves.
That is, if you consider collecting as buying roll after roll of unc. coins intending to make a fortune on them.
Good luck to both of you.
JET

CoinJunkie

<< <i>CoinJunkie

Thanks for the tips, and the suggested reading...I will look for a few of these (likely on ebay!) and see if I can find some used copies.

Gracias! >>

Golfcollector

Again, thanks to everyone for all their advice ....

And more thanks to a number of you who have offered to send my son some "samples" of some of your treasures to help get his collection started....

Talk about early christmas at our house!

I can't even wait until the first package arrives...I can tell you fired up will not begin to describe his excitement...
Thanks again for all the kindness.

Dave

zeebob

garsmith

<< Hello from a brand... and I mean brand ... newbie >>

How new can you be when it shows you joined the forum in April 2002 and you have 644 posts


anyways

ILikeMercs

<< <i><< Hello from a brand... and I mean brand ... newbie >>

How new can you be when it shows you joined the forum in April 2002 and you have 644 posts


anyways >>



read the thread......he's a cardboarder.

DeepCoin

Welcome. The advice regarding collecting choices are all sage and wise. If he really gets into it, you can always ask relatives for a Mint set for the holiday gift. It is a good way to begin a circulation set and at $24 or something like that, not an extremely expensive gift. You would be surprised how many people would love to have a certain gift they can count on giving and know the recipient loves getting it.

Golfcollector

Yes, I joined back in 2002 and am a long time collector of golf cards...Even have a couple of articles on the topic feaured in PSA magazines of years gone by.

Here is one of the two articles I wrote for the SMR

Dave article

If interested...take a short read...you may learn something new!

Thanks!

Dave