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To be a "good" collector does it take skill or just money?

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  • joecopperjoecopper Posts: 1,195 ✭✭✭
    Being a numismatist takes minimal funds, time, and the accumulation of knowledge
    Collecting takes money - modest amounts to a bunch
  • clw54clw54 Posts: 3,815 ✭✭✭
    You can enjoy collecting for small amounts of money, but there are a lot of coins you'll never get.
  • ZoinsZoins Posts: 34,353 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>You can enjoy collecting for small amounts of money, but there are a lot of coins you'll never get. >>

    If you're good, you can turn medium amounts of money into large amounts of money.
  • pennyanniepennyannie Posts: 3,929 ✭✭✭
    How much skill does it take to buy a PCGS CAC slabbed coin?? Before the TPG's started skill would have been a lot more important. I find very few raw coins that i would ever add to my collection now days.

    Someone that wanted to build a collection with ZERO skill and a lot of cash just needs to pick up the phone and call Laura at Legend. She would not rip a collector.

    So the answer is money first, skill second.
    Mark
    NGC registry V-Nickel proof #6!!!!
    working on proof shield nickels # 8 with a bullet!!!!

    RIP "BEAR"
  • TwoSides2aCoinTwoSides2aCoin Posts: 44,444 ✭✭✭✭✭
    If you're a YN who obeys his parents and washes behind his ears, you could be a good collector.

  • LongacreLongacre Posts: 16,717 ✭✭✭
    Either. Who was that guy on the West Coast who built a MONSTER set of $10 Indians? I don't think he had much history in numismatics, but he had a boatload of money. I believe he then sold the collection for an even bigger boatload of cash fairly quickly thereafter.
    Always took candy from strangers
    Didn't wanna get me no trade
    Never want to be like papa
    Working for the boss every night and day
    --"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)
  • lcoopielcoopie Posts: 8,873 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>You can be a good collector with just money and zero skill....as long as you are smart enough to hire the right advisor. >>



    that's still skill,
    in finding the right advisor.
    LCoopie = Les
  • BarndogBarndog Posts: 20,503 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>You can be a good collector with just money and zero skill....as long as you are smart enough to hire the right advisor. >>



    the Registry is proof of that
  • TwoSides2aCoinTwoSides2aCoin Posts: 44,444 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Maybe I don't understand the question and collect coins I like.
    I hope you find your answers soon.
  • WalmannWalmann Posts: 2,806
    To be a good collector knowledge and a good eye are what you may mean by skill. Some funding is needed as well but that may be minimal depending upon what you are collecting and how you are acquiring it.

    To be a great collector includes the above but throw in passion for what you are collecting.
  • TwoSides2aCoinTwoSides2aCoin Posts: 44,444 ✭✭✭✭✭
    A good inheritance might make an otherwise non-numismatic sort look like a good collector.
    It's important to look at every aspect of numismatics and from every angle.
  • lathmachlathmach Posts: 4,720
    Coin collecting is a hobby. It's something a person does for personal enjoyment.
    A person not well off can experience just as much pleasure as the richest person.
    To be honest, I enjoyed this hobby more as a teenager than I do now. At that time I earned 35¢ to 50¢ an hour, so all my coins came from circulation.

    Ray

  • DUIGUYDUIGUY Posts: 7,252 ✭✭✭
    image
    “A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly."



    - Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106-43 BC
  • coinpicturescoinpictures Posts: 5,345 ✭✭✭
    I'm doubly screwed... I have neither. image
  • gripgrip Posts: 9,962 ✭✭✭✭✭
    What TDN said.
  • NumisOxideNumisOxide Posts: 10,997 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Both.
  • dizzyfoxxdizzyfoxx Posts: 9,823 ✭✭✭
    It takes skill to make money in order to have the money to accumulate a collection of skillfully acquired coins.image
    image...There's always time for coin collecting. image
  • TwoSides2aCoinTwoSides2aCoin Posts: 44,444 ✭✭✭✭✭
    To have a successful thread on the U.S. Coin Forum, it takes great skill. For this, you can have a "YOU SUCK" award. See ? No money is involved.

    However, if you send me your address in PMs, I will send you a Wide AM cent. It's a business strike but the reverse was struck with a proof die.
  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 34,272 ✭✭✭✭✭
    It takes skill plus the ability to spot who other collectors perceive to good eye appeal. I’ve know a few collectors who read the books and knew quite a bit, but their ability to spot coins, tokens and medals that many other collectors considered to be “attractive” was less than perfect.

    Most guys with a lot of money and no collector knowledge usually end up getting the shaft. Even if they find “the right” advisors, most advisors are not angels. The temptation to charge top dollar for everything is too great. Most successful collectors have made it pretty much of a life-long pursuit. They are in the for long haul, and that often precludes losing a lot of money, at least in monetary terms (as opposed to inflation adjusted real dollar terms) when they sell.
    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • cladkingcladking Posts: 28,701 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I think a lot of what makes a great collector is passion.

    While the passion is internal it can be inspired by money, skill, blood, sweat, or tears. It
    can simply be inate and it can manifest in many ways.

    To each his own and I wish all collectors and their collections the best of luck though it is
    the investors who most need the luck. Some of the latter do extremely well though most
    fail. Collectors can't lose since they get their payback every day.
    Tempus fugit.
  • morgansforevermorgansforever Posts: 8,462 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Knowledge is power. Depending what you are purchasing, money also plays a part.
    World coins FSHO Hundreds of successful BST transactions U.S. coins FSHO

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