Focusing, or collecting with a theme

stevereecy

Now that I'm back in the fold, I've bought a few coins. Nothing special, but it seems like every time I see something cool, it changes the direction of what I want to collect.

First I bought a few things on-line, mostly because they looked beautifully toned. So I thought about nicely toned world crowns. Then after I got a book (I know...I know...don't flame me), I realized one of the coins I bought wasn't all together that large. But, I was intrigued by the history of the coinage (the vatican and the papal states), so I figured I'd go with that.

Over the weekend, I took a trip to my local coin store, and I saw some nice high grade coins that seemed like a relative bargain, so I snagged them. They were both small coins. I also grabbed a Peru 1/5 Libra...a really small gold coin with an interesting die clash error. I was thinking it might be kind of humorous to put together a "iddy bitty" coin collection of nothing but really small coins from around the world. There are some small ones.

I also bought a 2-stuiver silver coin (Holland) from the early 1700's and I was realizing you can collect them by date.

Nextly, when I looked up my Peruvian 1/5 Libra, I was impressed with the beauty of Peruvian coins. This is not my first Libra...I've bought others in the past because I really love their coat of arms.

See what I mean? How do you focus??!!

So after all that, I'm thinking I'll focus on Peruvian coins, and Vatican coins, and maybe just anything really really small for the humor of it all.

I realize that if I focus too much, I'll never find coins for sale that will fill my collection. But if I don't specialize enough, I might not recognize a real rarity when it comes my way. Is the trick to specialize in a few countries? What do you do?

Steve

ajaan

Focus? What the heck is that?

theboz11

I buy beauty on round metal objects. That's as focused as it get, and still keep some semblance of sanity.

BillyKingsley

If you limit yourself to one thing, or one small group of things, then you are invariably going to miss something you'd like to have in your collection, either from not knowing it's there, or passing on it saying it does not fit your collecting parameters. That will change...

I don't limit myself to anything. On one hand, it's great as it gives me endless leeway with my collection; on the other, it means I may never complete a series, but that is not my overall goal.

Welcome back to the hobby, By the way. I scanned your welcome thread but was too busy to get in a welcome reply to it

adamlaneus

Focus is something that is important in photography.

It's okay to lose your focus a bit when collecting. But when photographing, it is almost always a mistake not to focus.

FilthyBroke

I have found it to be much easier and less stressful to let the 'focus' thing alone.

I hear some people telling us how we somehow may be less of a collector or how we're wasting time or money if we don't focus. Honestly, I like where I am. Though my collection is hard even for me to describe or catagorize, it's better now than ever before. However you decide to do it, best of luck and I'm sure it'll be fine.

JCMhouston

I was able to focus exclusively for almost a week, then I forgot about it.

British is my main area of colelcting interest, then I added Germany and Switzerland as secondary areas of interest. And I stick to it until something pretty comes up from another part of the world. I was very narrowly focused for quite while, unfortunately I found myself in a position where I could only add a coin every year or two, and to be honest it wasn't fun reviewing auction catalogs for months or years at a time and not finding a coin I needed for the set. I think a lack of narrow focus has allowed me to build in other areas at different times.

determined

I was glad to see the responses so far because often the advice is to focus on a set or you'll end up with nothing but random coins. I don't believe that. But if true then I will call one of my sets the "Random Interesting Coins Set".

Although I do focus on a couple historic areas, Alexander the Great and his Successors, for example. I also collect any coins that I find interesting. They can be either beautiful or have historic significance or both. Often it will lead me into learning about another area of history that I knew little about before.

And don't get me started on World coins. There's so many attractive coins! You mentioned collecting Peruvian coins. I collect those also. Love 'em!

There's just way too many interesting coins.

But sometimes I do have to rein myself in a little.

I think you will eventually gravitate to some specific areas. But don't ignore those random coins that catch your eye.

TwoKopeiki

<< <i>But when photographing, it is almost always a mistake not to focus. >>



Actually, out-of-focus photography has its uses. For example, Orton technique combines in-focus and out-of-focus images into a single image to create a very unique effect.

Something like this:



P.S. I know you were trying to be tongue-in-cheek. I just like showing-off some of my work

stevereecy

Thanks for the replies so far. So, most of you don't focus. So that makes me wonder what you put into the flea-bay search engine when you're looking around. Right now, I can input "Peru silver", and at least get a manageable list of stuff. How do you winnow it down? I'm also "afraid" that if I see too many things I want and buy them, I won't be able to buy more expensive stuff that I REALLY want when it comes along because I'll constantly be broke.

I'm advocating a balance. If you only see one or two coins a year that fits in your focus coinage, you need to add another country or another type. If you see too much stuff, you need to cut something out. Isn't that what naturally happens?

So what *DO* you put into the flea-bay search engine?

Over the last week or so, I've gone into Flea-bay's "World Coins" section and then typed in the following:

crown toned
Florin toned
ms
toned
toning
peru reale
vatican toned

etc.

Don't you all do something like that???

Steve

OchoReales

I haven't had a problem with the focus of my collection. Guess that I'm in the minority. My sig line says it all.

theboz11

what you put into the flea-bay search engine


What ever interests me when I sit down, don't expect to find much, But a Sunday search of 1500 medals worldwide for example can often turn up something of beauty if I am bored

May see something here on the forum and hunt for it until purchase, or at auction.

Sylvestius

Sylvestius

Sorry I forgot you couldn't read my mind!

If you feel you must focus, or at least have some notion of a focus then I have a solution. Rather than trying to focus on ONE thing, try focusing on a handful of sets. Have say, between 4 and 8 different collecting areas that make up the whole. I find this way I have enough focus to feel i'm heading somewhere but enough variety to avoid running the risk of losing interest. Work on one of your collections until you tire of it and then move onto one of the others.

It seems to be working for me!

SaorAlba

<< <i>Focus? What the heck is that? >>



I would love to see someone analyze and make sense of my collecting patterns.

1960NYGiants

As others have said: why focus?

If you buy eye appealing coins on a modest budget you will eventually have a large beautiful collection. Learn the history behind the coins / era of mintage to provide a story for each piece.

Even though I am focused on completing my Canadian decimal set, I still pick up coins, tokens, and medals that catch my eye and the price is right. Some I hold onto and some I use for resale / trading.

To quote HRH: "Have fun with your coins"

DNADave

I focus on hoarding and accumulating.

bidask

Welcome to the Darkside

stevereecy

<< <i>Welcome to the Darkside >>



Yeah, I see the dilemma now. I can tell you that I was admiring my oh so few aquisitions and then I happened to catch a glimpse of a Franklin Half Dollar in the same Dansco. It was shocking how boring that coin was to me compared to he beauty of my new coins. Maybe "beauty" is a theme. I don't know. I guess I'll fumble through this.

Steve

TwoKopeiki

<< <i>

<< <i>Welcome to the Darkside >>



Yeah, I see the dilemma now. I can tell you that I was admiring my oh so few aquisitions and then I happened to catch a glimpse of a Franklin Half Dollar in the same Dansco. It was shocking how boring that coin was to me compared to he beauty of my new coins. Maybe "beauty" is a theme. I don't know. I guess I'll fumble through this.

Steve >>



I found that when I started venturing into Darkside, I was all over the place. There were just so many wonderful designs! After a while I found my focus and have been pretty happy with keeping it. I used to spend a few hundred dollars on 10 coins of different designs, from different countries - now I spend the same few hundred dollars on one coins to add to my primary collection. I still appreciate other Darkside designs without owning the coins.

1jester

Be careful of what you try to focus on...you might just become another numismatic failure!

coinkat

Focus...


Word of moment... and that moment has passed

oldshep

Forget focus.....but you can have one or more themes...ships, animals,South American etc. and then also aquire coins that catch your eye, those are sometimes the ones you will charish the most

Shep