Do your friends and family ever make fun of you for collecting coins?

dsessom

This weekend, my wife and I spent some good quality time together (a rare thing with our schedules) and we were talking about things we could do together for enjoyment because we have completely different interests but I love her to death. Anyway, I mentioned coin collecting and my wife said something to the effect of "I love everything about you, but your coin collecting just shows what a big dork you are".

Ok, I am a self professed computer geek. So I guess I can add "Coin Dork" to my resume as well...

Anyone else's friends or family ever say things like that to you?

COALPORTER

Heck yea! Even my shrink put down my hobby.

Swampboy

Funny, I always thought of myself as a 'Coin Geek'.
'Coin Dork' has such a nice ring to it.
I like it.

commoncents05

Constantly. Almost verbatim what your wife told you. I just remind her that she's the one dating me, so she must be guilty by association.

-Paul

LanLord

Are you kidding, my wife and girlfriends all think I'm a numismatic stud!

Justacommeman

<Do your friends and family ever make fun of you for collecting coins?>

If they knew I did they would. MJ

AUandAG

I've often told this story:

About ten years ago, my wife of 35 years who does not like coin collecting, wanted a new couch. Heck, I thought the old one was just fine
but we'd had it over 15 years and she just got tired of looking at it. Well, I'd just changed jobs and money was an issue. Bank account had
been drained while I was looking for work.
So, to please her I went into the safe and with her looking, opened a tube of dollars and took one out and put it in a 2x2 and told her to go
sell it at the local coin shop and go buy her couch.
Her reaction was, BS or WTF or something ladylike I'm sure.
So, I insisted she just run right down to the coin store, sell the dollar, and go buy the couch she'd been looking at. She left and I immediately
picked up the phone and called the coin guy and told him the story and said be fair.
She came back all excited and said the guy paid her $2500 and showed me the check. Then the next thing out of her mouth was, "how many
of those do you have?".
Needless to say she became a believer and now we do coins together. She does look at them with the thought of selling them and buying
something else but I just stifle that a bit!
Got to make it interesting to her to make it work for you. Hell, my wife ignored my geeking for 35+ years, but not anymore!
Oh, the new couch looks just fine!

bob

doh

My now fiancee did a couple times...or at least she'd make fun of my 6000+ posts here, but when I'd say, "Hey, do you see that ring on your finger? It used to be a 13-S quarter," she quiets down. Now she actually likes to hear (or fakes it well anyway) about my set or what I'm buying and selling. She's the perfect girl.

airplanenut

My friends may make fun of me, but then I point out that coins paid for all of my flight lessons. And then they get a free flight. And THEN they're impressed To be fair, the most likely way for me to be introduced now is, "this is Jeremy... he flies planes."

kimber45ACP

<< <i>Do your friends and family ever make fun of you for collecting coins? >>



When do my friends and family NOT make fun or me for collecting coins?

My wife told her doctor I was into collecting coins and he said "That's what you do when you retire, not when your 45"
Her sister said the same thing. I just figure they're the freaks, not I. We'll see what a nerd I am when the economy collapses
and the doctor and sister are pulling their gold fillings out for a loaf of bread while I'm eating fillets.

Also got the question "why did you spend 2k on the 2008-w Buffalo 4 coin set?"
Just sold the set for 10k and got the reply "wow, why did you only buy one set?"

dbcoin

I have a similar story. I was a geek until I went to a local show and came back with about 55 hundred dollar bills and plopped it on the table. Wasn't so geeky anymore!!!

silverpop

Nope

Ed1840

Dork is the word my family uses also.

notwilight

My son makes fun of everything else but he kindo likes coins himself. He'll figure out it is an area to make fun of sooner or later. --Jerry

tahoe98

...i've heard the word BLASPHEMER now and again. usually from me.

speety

Haha yup! My age doesn't help me fit into the stereotype either

Ohh well, girlfriends come and go, but if you think the 1851 or 1870-s seated dollars are going anywhere you are crazy!

Ahrensdad

My wife thinks all coin people are weird...especially me. I remind her though that when it's time to spend it, the money doesn't look weird, does it.

ksammut

<< <i>I've often told this story:

About ten years ago, my wife of 35 years who does not like coin collecting, wanted a new couch. Heck, I thought the old one was just fine
but we'd had it over 15 years and she just got tired of looking at it. Well, I'd just changed jobs and money was an issue. Bank account had
been drained while I was looking for work.
So, to please her I went into the safe and with her looking, opened a tube of dollars and took one out and put it in a 2x2 and told her to go
sell it at the local coin shop and go buy her couch.
Her reaction was, BS or WTF or something ladylike I'm sure.
So, I insisted she just run right down to the coin store, sell the dollar, and go buy the couch she'd been looking at. She left and I immediately
picked up the phone and called the coin guy and told him the story and said be fair.
She came back all excited and said the guy paid her $2500 and showed me the check. Then the next thing out of her mouth was, "how many
of those do you have?".
Needless to say she became a believer and now we do coins together. She does look at them with the thought of selling them and buying
something else but I just stifle that a bit!
Got to make it interesting to her to make it work for you. Hell, my wife ignored my geeking for 35+ years, but not anymore!
Oh, the new couch looks just fine!

bob >>



Great story - thanks for sharing.

My wife loves that my 8 year old son and I collect. She loves the history coins represent and that my son is learning that history along with math - he pretends he has his own B&M and we buy from him but he has to make change in his head. Also, he reads every coin book we can find which is a great thing too.

joshieboi

Coin collectors are awesome!

No, not really, they ask politely what do you collect? I somewhat agree with my pops in that you need turnover to make a profit. But if you do it for fun, make sure you set a designated goal as to turnover your collection. These coins will be here long after we're gone so it doesn't make sense to pile up treasures that will never be used except for bragging rights to other collectors. Might as well liquidate slowly to pass on the fun of collecting and in exchange take a trip around the world to spend time with the people who mean a lot to you, instead of in a room looking through a Diopter to determine value and designations of our coins.

-just a thought.

fiveNdime

<< <i>Dork is the word my family uses also. >>


same here, but now ill be sure that they add 'coin' to it!


my ex used to complain i was 'buying' money. luckily we didnt need a new couch!

she was extremely mad that (some of it) was only worth what the appraiser said it was worth.



i got my nephew into collecting, he lives near denver!

when my son was born, he was upset... he wouldnt be getting my collection.






coin dorks!

Raybob15239

My wife refers to the CU coin forum and VAMWorld as my coin porn.

AUandAG

<< <i>My wife refers to the CU coin forum and VAMWorld as my coin porn. >>

yellowkid

The present administration is not interested in my coins, but does enjoy tokens, particularly merchant type, or anything with an animal on it. Guess what I am buying??

pakasmom

My husband doesn't. But I've stopped telling my "friends."

BobSav

It could be worse, you could be a STAMP collector. :{

Bob

291fifth

Make fun ... not really ... but never showed much interest or enthusiasm.

PerryHall

<< <i>My husband doesn't. But I've stopped telling my "friends." >>



You mean your friends other than us fellow forunites, right?

ajaan

One time my wife and I were walking to a coin show, I think it was FUN, and as we neared the door she commented "those are some of your coin geeks" while pointing to some guys outside smoking. So, her preferred word is 'geek' not nerd or dork.

renomedphys

Nope. Not nerdy enough. (You should see the crowd I hang with.)

lkeigwin

Whenever it comes up I pull out a pocket piece and show it. Then I say something like "That was minted in 1814, when Napoleon was exiled to Elba". Or, "In 1876 Bell invented the telephone".

If you lead with a little historical tidbit the tone of the conversation goes from "geek collects coins" to "history buff with intriguing relics".

Bob, that was a great story. You must have grinned for an hour.
Lance.

sfwendy

Now, now, Bob,

Just because a friend of mine pointed to my framed print of an Inverted Jenny and said, "Wow! That's a cool stunt flying stamp!" doesn't necessarily mean she was making fun....

IGWT

I have two teenage daughters. They'd make fun of me if I were President of the U.S. But the coins make it oh so much easier.

sfwendy

Now, now, Bob,

Just because a friend of mine pointed at my framed print of an Inverted Jenny and said, "Wow! What a cool stunt flying stamp!" doesn't necessarily mean whe was making fun....

CEOGBOSE

They tease every now and then when I ask to go through there spare change jars.

bidask

I had 2 girlfriends at different times drop me in my young adult life.

Now my wife is making fun of them.

johnny9434

my ex said " me or the coins " and no i dont even miss her

ajman

AUandAG, if you don't mind me asking, what dollar was it that sold for $2500? I don't mean to be nosy, but am real curious.

Raybo

If anyone made fun of my hobby i'd beat them up.

dizzyfoxx

They don't make fun of me, they just think I'm plain nuts!!!

AUandAG

<< <i>AUandAG, if you don't mind me asking, what dollar was it that sold for $2500? I don't mean to be nosy, but am real curious. >>



Unc 1901.

only have 19 left...uggggggggggggggggh

bob

Lewy

No, and I intend to keep it that way, lest I be laughed out of town.

erickso1

<< <i>

<< <i>AUandAG, if you don't mind me asking, what dollar was it that sold for $2500? I don't mean to be nosy, but am real curious. >>



Unc 1901.

only have 19 left...uggggggggggggggggh

bob >>



Just thinking that your conversation went about as well as it possibly could have. I can easily envision a scenario given your circumstances at the time that started with "You had what? And it is worth this? The whole time? 19 more?!?? (laser beam eyes)"

My wife calls me a dork. Then I remind her that she collects rocks (and has her whole life). Balance is quickly restored.

Coppercolor

After her first coin show my wife asked me why coin dealers all have grey skin, I think she was being serious.

I remind her that my dad collects "electical wire" and my mom collects our voice messages. Comparatively, I've been looking pretty good for a while now

Jeff

19Lyds

"Do your friends and family ever make fun of you for collecting coins?"

Not to my face they don't 'cause they know I always carry a roll of nickels in my right hand!



Why I oughta..........

crazyhounddog

All the time! Then one day they found out what they're worth and now, well, lets just say thay don't tease me anymore

melvin289

<< <i>After her first coin show my wife asked me why coin dealers all have grey skin, I think she was being serious. >>



Just tell her they have been dipped one time too many.

To answer the question, Like MJ, they probably would if they knew I collected coins. There has not been a member of my family in my house for close to a year now. They don't have a clue what I do.

Ron

WTCG

This hobby/ business has so many kinks and quirks that it's often difficult for people who aren't involved to fully understand. However, numismatics isn't the only hobby that gets a strange reaction from the public. Admittedly, the folks who collect comic books or the Star Trek fanatics are stereotyped much worse than coin collectors are.

pharmer

<< <i>After her first coin show my wife asked me why coin dealers all have grey skin, I think she was being serious.

I remind her that my dad collects "electical wire" and my mom collects our voice messages. Comparatively, I've been looking pretty good for a while now

Jeff >>



That was one of the funniest posts I've ever seen on this site.

heavymetal

My wife laughs everytime I check my pocketchange for anything interesting and look at every paper bill that I handle for errors and such but she is well aware of the value of " our collection." HM

DennisH

Not since I sold my main Morgan set and paid off the house.

DorkGirl

I had a friend at work who was always giving me grief about "spending that much money on coins." He spends his in Vegas.....go figure.