Is there a natural (or unnatural) progression for coin collectors?

llafoe

When I began collecting, I favored proof coins. They became too "sterile", so I got bored and went esoteric; tokens, medals, errors, commemoratives, colonials, etc., but in short order, they didn't look "real" so I went to business strikes. I've stayed with business strikes the longest (never bought any Satin Finish coins). Is there a natural (or unnatural) progression for *most* coin collectors? Are collectors attracted to the pretty coins (proofs) then become collectors of esoteric only to land with "real" coins (coins intended for circulation)?

Most "collectors" I buy from locally either buy from Littleton or from the coin dealers on TV. Is that where most collectors buy their coins? I haven't bought any coins (from ads placed in the local newspaper) that were slabbed by any TPG from these collectors.

ctf_error_coins

Morgans, to Silver Proof sets, to Errors, and then Old Commens, back to Errors, then 7070, then back to Errors, then Errors, Errors and ONLY Errors.

llafoe

<< <i>Morgans, to Silver Proof sets, to Errors, and then Old Commens, back to Errors, then 7070, then back to Errors, then Errors, Errors and ONLY Errors. >>



We've all made our errors... I try to learn from my errors, but to COLLECT them?

TexasToken

It was really a funds issue with me, when I was 20 or before money was tight as had to pay for college, room and board, meals and etc so I only had money for Lincolns, G-VG Buffalos, Kennedy halfs and what not. At 21 when funds became a non issue, in fact I had to spend a lot for tax reasons it opened up classics like bustie halves, dollars, seated, etc.

pakasmom

I went from liking MS examples to preferring VF-XF.

MidLifeCrisis

I think there are probably about as many collecting progressions as there are collectors. After all, one of the great things about the hobby is that it allows you to express your individual tastes through your coins.

For example, my collecting expriences over the years has progressed very similarly to many other collectors in SOME ways...but very differently in OTHER ways.

questor54

It used to be said that if collectors stayed active long enough, they would all migrate to large cents.

In the past couple of years, I have redefined my own collecting scope - still not completeable - and with enough variety to keep me interested. I have decided that I will only buy PCGS, NGC, ANACS, ICG. For US, only PCGS or NGC. No raw coins, no matter how tempting.

Pre-1946 world coins by type and strike (which is to say, if a coin has been struck in both MS and Proof, I can collect both).
Pre-1946 US coins by type and strike (I have a very fine definition of 'type' - so I 'need' lots of coins).
Post-1945 US coins struck in gold, silver, platinum by type and strike (including bullion) - so I buy the ATB silver proofs, but no ATB clads, for example. My silver eagle type and strike set is complete with seven coins for another example. My Eisenhower dollar type and strike set is complete with four coins.

I hope I will have enough maturity to refine things further.

edix2001

1. Collect from pocket change, clean them up
2. Collect from bank rolls, clean them up
3. Collect mint packaged, clean them up
4. Stop collecting coins, begin collecting potential mates
5. Collect again, this time from dealers, lose money
6. Become dealer, lose money
7. Specialize within reasonable budget, blow budget
8. Rinse, repeat

crispy

<< <i>It used to be said that if collectors stayed active long enough, they would all migrate to large cents. >>



I have never heard this but find it to be interesting. I have been all over the board on collecting over the years, but always find myself gravitating toward the early cents. There are many affordable nice old coins to be had. As for myself, the older the coin, the more desirable. Due to their small denomination, there are many grades available and many varieties. These work horses touched a lot of differnet hands. Great old history and that's my draw to the early cents.

Baley

currently circulating type coins > 20th century copper, nickel, silver type coins > seated era coins + 20th cent. gold > capped bust era coins + later 19th cent. gold > draped bust era coins + early 19th cent. gold + colonials + common patterns > flowing hair silver, early copper, early heraldic eagle gold, better colonials, better patterns > small eagle silver, capped head gold, 1793 copper > small eagle half dollars and small eagle gold, other R7 and R8 coins > popular trophy coins (1913 nickel, 1804 dollar, Brasher doubloon, 1822 half eagle, etc)

Sonorandesertrat

70s-early 80s: set collecting (Barber halves, Standing Liberty quarters, Buffalo nickels), 16th-19th century German-Austrian silver coins
Bad interactions with some dealers (i.e, tired of getting ripped off): 25-year hiatus
2007-present: certified type coins (1/2 cents-double eagles, 18th century to 1921), large cents, 18th & 19th century tokens, medals, antiquarian numismatic literature

LindeDad

We must all be unnatural we spend hundreds of dollars for a piece of metal that says "One Dollar" on it.

fcloud

I went from buying coins that were cleaned as that is what most people liked in southeastern Wisconsin in the mid to late 1970's, to a point where I don't want anything you can tell has been cleaned. Now, I like the varieties and I don't know what is next.

I started collecting as a paperboy in about 1967 or 1968, and picked everything I could from circulation. Now, I'm in a completely different league. I seem not to be able to get past mercury dimes, but I keep trying.

AMRC

Yes. For collectors I offer the following. It is a different progression for investors and dealers which are atypically branches from collecting as well. But I wanted to keep it simple.

Discovery - Realizing you like owning/looking at/handling coins.
Unfocused Hoarding - Buying anything that gets in front of you that you like.
Focused Hoarding - Creating a second, third, forth, etc. set of something.
Focused Collecting - continously upgrading a completed set, or starting something new instead of creating duplicates.
Groundbreaking - doing some type of collecting/research that is ground-breaking.


Not everyone gets to all of these.

scotty1419

I went from modern clad (lincoln memorials, Roosevelt dimes, etc) to Morgans to Peace dollars to Franklin halves to Walking Liberty Halves to Morgans back to the full Lincoln set.

bronzemat

I went from collecting beginners stuff like lincolns and morgans then went to building a type set which I am still doing but have several upgrades I need to get & for a full year now I progressed to ancients & currently enjoy them the most.

I still buy a few U.S. type coins but I need 13 more and I would rather buy 4 or 5 ancients for the price of one EF+ Barber Half.

GrumpyEd

<< <i> Most "collectors" I buy from locally either buy from Littleton or from the coin dealers on TV. Is that where most collectors buy their coins? >>



I've seen evidence of this in collections people sell but on forums and at shows I hardly ever talk to people that buy that way. I wonder if it's a quiet group of collectors that rarely get out "the snowed in collectors" or something like that.

renomedphys

For me it was: luck out with change find > obesessively fill holes > almost finish something > girls > high school > college > marriage > good job > kids > find old coins > re-obsess > fill all holes this time, damnit! > build a fun PCGS registry set > sell registry set > concentrate on a quality collection > redefine quality > redefine quality > redefine quality>........... (you get the idea) > go broke or die trying!

scotty1419

I think in the long term and short term, as you develop as a collector you often redefine what quality means personally. Each time I start on a new set - the more I learn about that type, the more my grade range preference usually changes.

Just the same, I feel that when starting out, there's a large amount of ignorance about quality and honest coins - but you learn about this and improve your own definition of what makes a quality piece.

In terms of different sets, I think there's a large majority of people who start with modern sets. Then, as you learn more about previous types and earlier sets, you begin to branch out.

RWB

Watch out for the ones with extended canines and a video crew following them around.

Coinsponge

You may be right. Many start collecting pretty coins and end up gaga over coins like the December 2010 coin on the PCGS callendar. Of coures quite a few start with ordinary coins in change and go from there without ever passing throught he pretty stage.

BaseballAbs

I seem to like to progress from purchasing the cheepest coin i can find of what I'm collecting to fill a book, to finding the most rare coin for what i can afford.

scottgardener

The general timeline seems to be:
1. Pull from circulation into folders, plus wheat cents and WWII nickels
2. Modern proof sets and $10 to $20 widgets without a discreet plan
3. Morgans and Peace dollars, Walking Liberty halves, or some other set with affordable commons; and, tending to buy the holder
4. Finding one's calling, learning about the ins and outs, and spending a lot on one pivotal coin that either finishes the old sets,
Or, more frequently, starts the new.

yellowkid

My tastes very quickly changed from white or slightly toned coins to pieces with color. I seldom see "white" coins that interest me.

fiveNdime

<< <i>I seem to like to progress from purchasing the cheepest coin i can find of what I'm collecting to fill a book, to finding the most rare coin for what i can afford. >>


thats the same progress ive made.