POLL: Have you ever shown your entire collection to another collector?

MrEureka

It just struck me how odd it is that I've only shown my collection to one other collector, and to no dealers. In my case, it's not because I'm all that secretive. It's just that nobody really gives a ratsazz about my coins. I'm thinking my experience is typical, but I'm asking anyway...

Zohar

Andy,
I couldnt agree with you more.
I know no one else outside this and a couple of other forums who cares or understands the appeal of this hobby.
Zohar

TwoKopeiki

Hmm...

My entire collection? As in all of my 20ish coins???

Nobody

Bailathacl

I think we tend to toil in obscurity....

JZrarities

Describes me perfectly too.

ZERO

FilthyBroke

I've shown them to a few close friends, but they don't show very much interest.

But that's why we're here on this forum, right? I'd love to see that Central American gold in your sigline!



added: Unfortunately, I don't know any numismatists outside of the forum.

wybrit

I answered "So many I can't even count them on my fingers," but I have to qualify that. I have pictures of all my coins online.

No one has seen much of my collection in 3-D.

Aethelred

Right now I am not even sure I have seen my entire collection!

JCMhouston

<< <i>It's just that nobody really gives a ratsazz about my coins >>



I know that feeling. I've got part of mine on my web page, but I don't know of anyone locally that would have any interest in the odd bits I collect.

Aethelred

<< <i>

<< <i>It's just that nobody really gives a ratsazz about my coins >>



I know that feeling. I've got part of mine on my web page, but I don't know of anyone locally that would have any interest in the odd bits I collect. >>



Just too a look at your webpage, that 1752 Halfpenny is nothing short of amazing!

ajaan

I'm with the dead king on this one, I don't even know where my entire collection, hoard?, is. It seems I have coins everywhere, at least that's what my wife says.

farthing

I had to vote 5-10, even though no one else has seen all of the ~10,000 coins I've got around here.

I did haul my entire Conder collection to the May British-American token conference in Seattle, ensconced in 2 large 3-ring binders. I showed them off to several of the other collectors there.

skingspan

I get a couple dozen hits a a day on my world crown blog but that is not my entire collection.

worldcoinguy

Zero for me. I've had the pleasure of meeting 2 faces from this forum in person but circumstances have prohibited a real numismatic show and tell.

Sapyx

My answer would be "I did, once, but not recently".

Quite a few years ago now I took my entire collection to a dealer friend of mine for insurance valuation. There were about 6100 coins in the collection at the time; there are about 9100 now.

spoon

Not the entire collection, that's just impractical (well, not anymore).

But I have used several in connection with cultural awareness training or liaison ice breakers. Sort of like show and tell, gives a tangible connection to history and seems to work - gets people to pay attention at least and for dealing with others shows you have an interest in their culture. And I've shown off the highlights to friends and coworkers, with a history lesson to go along with it and, aside from the usual suspects, everyone's had a keen interest.

So I don't think coins are so geeky that average people can't relate. I've had good success showing mine off. Then again, I have the SME/geek reputation and people kind of expect this sort of stuff from me.

I also carry a Prussian 5 mark pocket piece which I whip out every now & then in bars when folks might be inclined to take interest. When I do I'll usually hear stories like "I found a nickel with a buffalo once, bet that's worth sumthin" or "my dad had a bunch of those german coins with the swastikas and stuff", etc.

BillyKingsley

No one has ever seen my entire collection, nor likely ever will.

I'm not a very social person in real life, I prefer to do my human interaction on the internet. LOL. Of cource, I have met quite a few people from my various forums, even a few from here, and had I carted around my entire collection I likely would have looked through it with them, if they wanted to.

Even I get bored looking at hundreds of coins where the only difference is the date and mintmark, and that is the majority of my collection-circulating American coinage, pulled from change or rolls!

I show most of my new purchases to my mom and brother, but they don't care about them like I do, and don't get all the nuances of each coin that I do. Or maybe I just have more time on my hands...LOL. Actual purchases are few and far between, so they havn't gotten to a saturation "That's enough for now" point yet...

tbirde56

> Unfortunately, I don't know any numismatists outside of the forum.
> who gives a ratz azz?

That pretty much covers it too.

2ndCharter

As a paper money collector, it's real easy to show off my entire collection. I simply carry around an album or two of full-size color photocopies of all of my notes and show them off to anyone who expresses the least bit of interest. No security issues that way, it's a lot of fun, and you strike up great conversations with lots of folks.

3Mark

<< <i>It just struck me how odd it is that I've only shown my collection to one other collector, and to no dealers. In my case, it's not because I'm all that secretive. It's just that nobody really gives a ratsazz about my coins. I'm thinking my experience is typical, but I'm asking anyway... >>



Andy:

If you bring yours to Chicago, I will look at it You have seen some of mine Both of us have seen Steve's collection, even though it takes several days. At one time, I saw all of Preussen's collection and he has seen most of mine.

Larry

goossen

It's on my website, but I can't be sure about of how many people saw it...

Hussulo

I show each coin I buy to my father in law as he also collects coins. So he has seen my whole collection coin at a time but not all at once.
I have shrunk my collection down in size and now only have around 70 ( I've sold or given away most of the coins that don't fit into my collecting focus) coins but most are kept at the bank so I don't really get to see the whole lot at once either. I've only really got my pictures to admire.

olmanjon

Even my wife has not seen my entire collection. I am a very social person but none of my friends care about collecting coins. It apparently is a very personal thing.
Olmanjon

SYRACUSIAN

That problem, of having noone to show my collection belongs to the past. That's without counting viewers that saw photos of my coins posted on the web.

Ever since we've formed a group of collectors-friends, we meet up very often, have seen each other's collections several times and we obviously buy sell and trade with each other, lately, almost exclusively I'd say if it weren't for some major auctions. The odd ebay purchase is the exception for me the past few years, because I can always buy coins from members here, if I want to venture out of my main collecting area. Or I can wait the next time I go to CICF.

MrObvious

The first thing I thought when I opened this thread was "Man, I'd love the chance to see Andy's collection."

Of course, then I had to admit that no one besides me has ever viewed my entire collection. And even I don't do that very often.

Walmann

I offered to once, and she thought I was getting fresh, resulting in a slap in the face.

MacCrimmon

To date, only one person (forum member) has seen about 90% of it (at that time). The other 10% or so was in another SDB.

IGWT

I've posted every coin in my collection to the CU Forums at one time or another. Does that count?

spoon

<< <i>I offered to once, and she thought I was getting fresh, resulting in a slap in the face. >>

You collect Vietnamese coins, eh?

Silvereagle82

<< <i>Right now I am not even sure I have seen my entire collection! >>



I agree .... Since my collection is in the safe deposit box ....... I don't think I've ever really seen in "all" spread out in front of me.

I will bring it home one day and spread all out in front of me so I can see in all at once

Konahead

<< <i>Right now I am not even sure I have seen my entire collection! >>




I't been a while for me as well!

TwoKopeiki

I guess I can't really say that I haven't shown it to anyone when close to 600 people viewed it here...

theboz11

I voted for so many I could not count, but I have a counter on my site

I told my brother that I might leave my coins to him. My brother told me that when they buried me, he was going to throw the coins in the hole after me.

TwoKopeiki

<< <i>I voted for so many I could not count, but I have a counter on my site

I told my brother that I might leave my coins to him. My brother told me that when they buried me, he was going to throw the coins in the hole after me. >>



A-ha-haha. Good one, boz!!! Make sure to let us all know where it will all go down and we'll "rescue" your hoard

terribleredmonster

My girlfriend and my two best friends are aware of my collection. They have seen large portions of it. They politely inquire about new additions to it and patiently indulge me when I show them off. They are good people and are just being nice to me, so I don't take advantage of it. I think it would be something akin to the level of awkwardness and boredom of forcing your neighbors to watch a slideshow of your vacation for them.

So no one has ever seen my entire collection other than me.

covers

It is too bad that more coin shows do not have exhibits, and that the few that do make it so difficult to see the material.

Although nobody has seen my ancient coins, other than on the internet, the world and US coins and currency I used in my "Paying The Postage" exhibit shown in Washington in 2006 were seen by maybe 10,000+ visitors. The exhibit used "A" frames with material mounted at a reasonable height so the material could be seen easily and captions were kept at a minimum.

Paying the Postage exhibit