Are you sentimental about coins?

Bayard1908

I recently sold the last of my childhood coin collection, a nearly complete set of Jefferson nickels that I pulled out of circulation over 30 years ago and put in a Dansco. After finding this forgotten album at my parents' house, it literally took me over a year to convince myself that I should sell it.

I don't collect Jefferson nickels as an adult and have no interest in the series. Still, my memory of sorting through roll after roll of nickels as a boy made me hesitant to sell them, even knowing that they are utterly common coins.

lkeigwin

Yes. I lost a 3 cent silver piece in a burglary in the early '70's. It was only worth about $40 but it was from my grandmother born in 1862, same year as the coin, and I cherished it. As soon as I could afford it I bought a nice replacement. I still have it and I'm not a fan of the series.

It's easy to get sentimental over coins.

Lance.

AnkurJ

I would have never sold them regardless.

golfer72

I would have kept them. They are not worth much monetarily buy have sentimental value. Why sell ?

SilverEagles92

<< <i>I would have never sold them regardless. >>



I agree.

How much money did you get for the set?

Even if you got $500, is a childhood memory only worth $500?

MidLifeCrisis

Yes, a bit. My grandparents gave me two coins - an 1878-CC Morgan Dollar and a 1926-S Peace Dollar - when I was about 10 years old and that started me in the hobby. Unfortunately I sold those coins along with the rest of my collection when I was about 16...really wish I still had them and have often considered buying examples of those coins just to have in my collection.

In another way, I have traded or sold many coins in recent years that I wish I hadn't....I got reasonable and sometimes really good deals on them at the time, but they are coins I wish I still had in my collection.

lunytune2

I have a bunch of circulated sets in danscos that I filled out of circulation .. and when I needed to visit the coin store to fill the final holes, quanity was the key not condition .. I have 7 complete sets and 7 almost complete sets that I really am not intrested in but they are sentimental to me ... if I did sell I would never get what they are worth to me. I will keep them for my son.

lkeigwin

<< <i>I have a bunch of circulated sets in danscos that I filled out of circulation .. and when I needed to visit the coin store to fill the final holes, quanity was the key not condition .. I have 7 complete sets and 7 almost complete sets that I really am not intrested in but they are sentimental to me ... if I did sell I would never get what they are worth to me. I will keep them for my son. >>

Good thinking! Let him sell them.
Lance.

Mercfan

VERY sentimental.

I collected/accumulated between 3,000 and 5,000 coins between ages 12 and 16. I'm pretty confident that I still own all of them. I didn't especially like Jefferson nickels, but I could sure afford to collect them from circulation in the mid-sixties, and that's the first (non-Kennedy) Whitman album I completed. Roosies were a close second. I can't imagine that I will ever sell them--partly because of my sentimentality toward them, and partly because they're numismatically so unremarkable that they're worth more as a family heirloom than they would bring if sold.

I still have not only all the coins, but all the Whitman folders and bookshelf albums, the copy (typed on onion skin paper on a portable Smith Corona typewriter) of my initial attempt at a complete inventory of my collection, plus a variety of other related stuff.

If I were forced to sell my original "collection," the last items to go would be a couple of circulated rolls of IHCs given to my dad by his mom's dad (pulled from circulation during the 1940s in Ripley, MI); a couple dozen well circulated Morgan and Peace dollars given to me by my dad; and the 1955 Proof set in Capital plastic holder that my mom and dad gave me for Christmas in 1968.

mrearlygold

Ouch, you won't forget it.

And in answer to your question OH YEAH.

RedTiger

Unless I was moving, or down to my last dollar, I wouldn't have sold that set. What does a full set of Jeffersons in an album go for $50, $150? To my mind, it seems silly to sell that set unless you have absolutely no space or have absolutely no money left. Even if you aren't sentimental, some relatives might be and that album would be a prize to them.

Let me add, that I am against the buying of expensive coins for kids, like many seem to do, unless the kids show a tremendous interest in collecting. At least half the time, I would guess the gift coins are sold at the first pawn shop for 10 cents on the dollar, the first time the kid needs money for a date, or a trip, or a video game. In my mind, it is much smarter to give coins of low value and sentimental to avoid that scenario, and give the rest in cash or other kinds of gifts.

barbershopper

I sold my complete sets of Indian and Lincoln cents (no 1856 FE) in 1961 out of necessity.
It was really traumatic after the fact and I couldn't stop thinking about them.
Finally, 4 years ago, I had the means to replace them. I did so and with coins in
much better condition.
Then I started upgrading my other sets and finally got everything to where I was satisfied.
However, I had really nice circulated sets of buffalo nickels and walker halves.
Like you, all these came from circulation. It only took 6 weeks to fill the walkers.
Those 2 were so special to me I kept them as they were and never replaced a single
coin in either one.
I just wanted something to remind me of the good old days!
JT

Bayard1908

<< <i>I would have kept them. They are not worth much monetarily buy have sentimental value. Why sell ? >>



I'm a believer in the box(es) of 20 philosophy.

Connecticoin

I have albums of nicely circulated Lincoln Cents and Buffalo Nickels that I assembled between the ages of 11-14. I just looked at it recently and had forgotton that I had some semi-keys that are now worth slabbing -- 1909-S (Fine) and 1931-S (XF) Lincolns, and a 1926-S (VF) Buffalo. If I recall correctly, I scraped together about $15 to $20 each in allowance and lawn mowing money to purchase each one of those back in the late 70s. I have not decided if I will sell them or not.

However, I am starting to sell some other childhood coins (some BU dimes and quarters) -- I am somewhat sentimental about them, but I think others might enjoy them more than I will at this point.

numobri

I like the box of twenty but,it's still going to hurt.

PaleElf

<< <i>VERY sentimental. >>

mommam17

Only sentimenal about the coins my father bought for me. They will never be for sale till I`m gone. Wished I`d saved more of them.

RedTiger

<< <i>

<< <i>I would have kept them. They are not worth much monetarily buy have sentimental value. Why sell ? >>



I'm a believer in the box(es) of 20 philosophy. >>



I always say collect what you like, but at some point you are going to have regrets over your sale. At a minimum I would have kept at least one of the nickels in a Air-Tite or 2x2 or whatever just to have one of those early coins.

One thing I like to say is that you can never make old friends. Either you have long term friendships, or you don't. For that reason it is generally foolish to terminate an old friendship over a minor incident. No matter how many new friends you make, there is something different about the long term. It is sentimental to say this about coins, but no matter how much money you make or have, you will never have coins that belonged to you for that long again.

Well, what is done is done. Enjoy your box of twenty.

pursuitofliberty

Well put RedTiger ...

The journey is always forward ... you can take it forward, but you can never go back.

I am very sentimental over some of my coins ... and even though I have sold off parts and pieces at times,
I have always tried to keep some of the ones from that era of my collecting journey.

In that essense, they have additional history ... the history of my life embedded within their time with me.

doh

Very sentimental for certain pieces yes.

Snowman24

i would have to say very sentimental on certain coins

my first sentimental coin would be when i started coin collecting when i was in 1st grade 37 years ago

it was a clad dime that my brother and i found in the urinal at a public restroom but hey - it was a dime

somehow being older i'd convinced my younger brother to get it out - so in the end i finally got it from him

and it still has some black stuff on it to this day

makes a good story to tell

Snowman

yellowjacket

I'm becoming less so.
Garrow


(I'm keeping the Mercury Dime set I put together from pocket change in 1962.)

TwoSides2aCoin

I'm sentimental about people so I keep promoting coin collecting as a way of staying out of trouble and into the study of numismatics, which has a potential of giving hours of enjoyment, a feeling of camaraderie, and a simple hobby that needn't be RICH nor FAMOUS... just some fun.

PerryHall

I'm more cynical about coins than sentimental.

oldfolkie

When I was a kid the biggest connection to my Dad was coins. At 6 or 7 years old I had every shoeshine guy, taxi driver, and Old Sam, he ran the corner store, save every old buffalo nickel, standing liberty quarter, and walking libert half that they recieved. That was in South Philly in 1959-60 or so. We worked on completing every set and I remember our joy at acid-treating and finding those key Buffaloes. The only day I thought my Dad had gone crazy was when he found a 1942/1 Mercury Dime in the change he religiously went through. When he passed away 20 years later and those two suitcases of coins were passed into my hands I just couldn't do anything with them for awhile. After I finally cataloged everything they pretty much sat untouched for the next 20 years. Two years ago my Mom passed away and I brought out the old coins and completed every set we started together and even started a 7070 on my own. My two kids are showing some interest, mostly in those state quarters and the newer stuff. Whenever I can add to their history lessons at school with the coins I do so. My daughter loves the gold spouse coins, and she's only 10. When my uncles got together we always had our coin sharing moments. I have many great coin memories that I could share. I remember my Dad and I disagreed over the grading of his 42/1. He always swore it was VF and I would say I don't think so, it's a nice Fine. Well Dad, the way they grade them now, you are so right. No one thing I have could ever be a more powerful memory of my Dad and the things we did together.

oldfolkie

Hey, after I wrote that piece I went through all the icons and found a 1942/41 dime that could easily be the one my Dad found. This suits me a lot better than that old gold piece I just wish I could have. This got me thinking a bit about all the varieties that are out there right now. I know some people complain but it provides and awful lot of memory building possibilities--don't pass them up. without the memories attached it's hard to get someone attached to what you love doing. I for one can't wait for the National Park Quarters since my son and I have visited many of those parks and all he has so far is a collection of stretched, smashed, and imprinted pennies that do hold a lot of memories for him. So many of you are so passionate about your coins, share that with a kid--I know as a teacher it doesn't take much to get them excited and get them started.