In collecting, when do reach a point where you are content?

AnkurJ

Its a funny disease/addiction collecting. I have purchased a few gorgeous coins over the last few months, but I quickly look for the next thing. While it does not control my life, it did make me think what I was doing. I thought to myself, shouldn't I be happy with what I have, and not think about what else I want in my collection?

At what point does a collector step back and say, I'm Good. I dont need anything more. Did the famous collectors like Eliasberg or Norweb ever feel this way?

At what point did the Pursuit of Happyness become getting the next best thing? I know this is applies to many things other than collecting. Getting a bigger tv, a bigger home, a better car etc etc.

Have you ever felt this way? Why or why not?

Ankur

LotsoLuck

25th anniversary ASE's?

blu62vette

I find I go in waves. There are periods where I am convinced I won't find anything so I don't worry about it. Then there are the itching to buy periods.

Overall I am happy where I am and don't feel pressed to add anything right now. That will all change next time I see a coin I want.

AnkurJ

<< <i> That will all change next time I see a coin I want. >>



But that means you are regularly looking right?

Lets not get into the 25th ASE's....PLEASE.

blu62vette

I am looking but don't feel lie I need to find anything. I am also getting more and more picky.

Unknown

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AnkurJ

Realone,
Agreed.

But I do think that when I have completed this set, I will take a step back and think about taking a break.

Type Set Registry

Coin Finder

No.

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hchcoin

<< <i>

<< <i>Realone,
Agreed.

But I do think that when I have completed this set, I will take a step back and think about taking a break.

Type Set Registry >>




Sure you will...in this case a break in time= 1 second and then you will move to another set. You are hooked man and bigtime the sooner you admit it the better for all involved >>

fivecents

<< <i>Its a funny disease/addiction collecting. I have purchased a few gorgeous coins over the last few months, but I quickly look for the next thing. While it does not control my life, it did make me think what I was doing. I thought to myself, shouldn't I be happy with what I have, and not think about what else I want in my collection? >>

Seems to me you need to enjoy(focus) on what you have in your collection instead of always hunting for new acquisitions. You have purchased some gorgeous dream coins in the last few months, my hat is off to you for that. Maybe slow down a bit and enjoy what have. jmho

Justlooking

You always want more. Human nature.

DIMEMAN

NEVER.........not as long as there is a hole the set OR a needed upgrade!

coindeuce

Try thinking in terms of what you can GIVE to the hobby, instead of focusing on what you can TAKE from the hobby. Ever try spending time teaching YN's, or even your peers in a club setting? How about volunteering to help promote a local coin club through a civic event? You just might find it as rewarding as hunting for a physical prize. JMHO.

relicsncoins

When my eyes have failed to the point a quarter and an electrical box knockout look the same.

dogwood

With coins I am content now, after this chapter having lasted 6 years, with my most comfortable and steady income in my adult life, house nearly paid for, and having owned and subsequently sold all of the pieces that I'd dreamed of owning in my earlier forays in the hobby. I'm holding about a dozen good coins. Nothing bank-breaking but I'll be fine.

chumley

theres always bullion..no danger of addiction since its not collectable.....

NumbersUsacom

<< <i>theres always bullion..no danger of addiction since its not collectable..... >>



You might think a thing is so, or should be so, but tell that to the one who bid over $1,500.00 for a 7 oz Silver Engelhard bar on
ebay in the last 5 days, and he had plenty of competition.

JamesMurray

<< <i>

<< <i>theres always bullion..no danger of addiction since its not collectable..... >>



You might think a thing is so, or should be so, but tell that to the one who bid over $1,500.00 for a 7 oz Silver Engelhard bar on
ebay in the last 5 days, and he had plenty of competition. >>





Australian lunars,Pandas,Kooks,the list goes on...all with hefty premiums.

coinlieutenant

Coindeuce nailed the first part of it.

The second part of it is that it is just going to take time before you understand who you are as a collector. My humble opinion, keeping in mind that I am no master or as knowledgeable as many here on the board, is that you have gone in way too fast, are buying too much and don't know enough about grading, buying, or selling. You have bought and posted some really nice coins on this board, and you have also bought and posted some real dogs...and probably more of the latter than the former.

I don't mean that in a bad way, I really don't. I see that you are struggling with being discontent in the hobby and that reason is very clear to me because to some degree, I dealt with the same thing. Luckily for me, I didn't have the money to throw around like you do.

Nearly a decade ago, a now good friend gave me some good advice. He told me to look at as many coins as I possibly could to develop my eye. I think that is the first thing you need to do. A discerning eye that knows what makes a coin truly special is bound to bring your incessant buying to a much more reasonable pace. Three good things happen when you aren't going willy nilly hitting everything that moves (excuse the overt sexual ref). First is that you suddenly have more time to read about what you are looking for, which in turn makes you more and more knowledgeable, which in turn generally slows down your buying further. Second, it makes collecting all the more fun since you are almost always chasing, which to many of us is the best part. And third it makes your collection something you can be proud of because of your knowledge and hard work, rather than simply because you have deep pockets.

Understanding what coindeuce said previously and understanding the above principles will determine if you are going to really join and be part of a great and treasured numismatic community....or just another flash in the pan. I hope it is the former. Let me know if there anything I can help with. There are also a good group of VERY smart and experienced numismatists on this board with an amazing amount of knowledge that can help with the intangibles of what you are struggling with. Use them...it is one of the best things about this board.

All the best,
John

rec78

I will reach that point with approximately 200 more coins .



<< <i>Did the famous collectors like Eliasberg or Norweb ever feel this way? >>



I do not know about Norweb-but I am sure Eliasberg did as he had every known US coin at the time and many of them were the finest known. I think he quit upgrading entirely when he purchased his last coin-I forget what it was, somewhere abouts 1951. However, I do not know when he acquired his foreign coins.
Bob

jedm

Satisfaction is the death of desire.

ambro51

"content" to me means having a good knowledge and understanding, a fairly steady stream of interesting purchases and an overall goal which is somewhat attainable. I dont think 'content' really is the feeling one gets when you are 'done'...thats a let down type feeling. content is the warm fuzzy feeling you get for an ongoing 'rush'.


we are bred to want more. christmas gifts, birthday gifts, the splurge after the paycheck,.......its all more more more.

TwoSides2aCoin

A fabulous question, indeed.

CommemDude

It is tied to the fascinating psychology of collecting: always chasing something that someone else covets. Unfortunately, there are just too many coins out there for any one of us to corner the market.

One day you realize that the 'happinesss fix' you get from acquiring a coin (or new car, or ____) doesn't last very long once you are in possession of it.

Also, when you get older you will realize that all these coins will be disbursed someday when you are gone and they might be more of a burden than blessing to your family at that point anyway.

magikbilly

for me, it means now having all the stuff i did not see when i was looking at everything i could during the study part of my collecting. it means understanding and appreciating the things that brought the hobby into being - the back stories and history. it means having all the holes filled with exceptional, comprehensive material in good condition and as unique as possible. It means having all the reference books on the subject, having contributing to them as possible, furthering that hobby/research, adding what you can to the mix. It means understand the subject hobbies context in the larger scheme and its influences in other ares. then it means real appreciation and enjoyment while keeping an eye out for the odd item a few times a year perhaps. this applies to two of my 6 collections.

Best,
Eric

AnkurJ

Coinlieutentant, thank you for the insightful post first of all! I agree with some of your points and disagree with others. Personally speaking, it doesnt neccisarily take an expensive coin to make me happy. One of my favorite coins is a toned 1982 lincoln cent I found in circulation. It brings a smile to my face every time I look at it.

In regards to grading, there are some series I know fairly well such as bust halves and large cents, and others I know little about such as SLQ's. But with looking at many coins, my eye has become more discerning and I know what most problems look like now. Do I know what every problem looks like? Not a chance.

The only statement I disagree with is "You have bought and posted some really nice coins on this board, and you have also bought and posted some real dogs...and probably more of the latter than the former." While I have bought some dogs, I would say that most of the coins I have purchaed are nice. The first step is acknowleding that you bought a dog, and learning from it. There are some coins that people consider dogs, like chain cents with problems, that I have no problem owning, call them what you wish. I know many dont care for CAC, but my track record there proves this to me. Additionally, thanks to CAC, it makes it that much easier to buy coins sight unseen, which is how many of my purchases are made.

JedPlanchet

I'll never be content, my eye for quality has exceeded my affordability price point ...

shorecoll

Not to overanalyze it, but I think the condition you are describing is called...DEATH.

shorecoll

Dogwood had the answer...his version of a 12-step program...cut back to the 12 coins you really like while you wait for the next inspiration to hit.

keyman64

I always need my next 'fix' within the collecting realm so I doubt I will ever be content...fun!

TwoSides2aCoin

Participating makes me more content than not participating, and sitting on the sidelines in full gear being ready doesn't play the game. Truth be known, as an online "virtual world" exists, I'd be content if PCGS would play the WORLD SERIES of TRADING again.

GoldClause

<< <i>You always want more. Human nature. >>



This.

coinlieutenant

Good points...and I truly hope that you don't think that the post was an attack.

I will say quickly in response to your points, that having a good eye isn't the same as knowing how to grade. And having a good track record at CAC doesn't necessarily mean anything either. Properly graded coins are one piece of it, eye appealing coins that are special in some way are another. The only way you know that is to look at tons of coins.

Bottom line is that I think you should really just slow down...and that will make you happier. Read more about coins, buy less.

John

ctf_error_coins

I am extremely happy with my collection. I have focused my interests into making 3 error types sets, 2 of which are specific dates and the other being a general error type set.

I now have quit a few major errors that do not fit into my 3 collections, they will be sold or added to my inventory to be sold.

I used to find coins every week for my collection which has now turned to about one a month.

My focus is so tight now, I find there are less coins that I need to buy now.

But when one comes up that I need, I usually get that coin about 90% with a nuke bid.

Myqqy

I really like the idea of reading more about coins than actually buying them- i think it becomes easier to get drawn into the history and backstory of numismatics as one gets older and has more perspective on their place in life...

I remember reading a written piece/interview with the drummer Bill Bruford, who worked with Yes and King Crimson and lots of other folks across rock music- he talked about his perspective that a great guitarist can be "picked out" by this style, his sound, his approach to the instrument- so even if you don't know a piece, you can tell "that must be so and so" because their sound is all their own- and he thought drummers should aspire to having their own "sound" that would be the result of their artistry...

So, in a similer way, i think a collector's collection should be unique due to the artistry of that collector's eye and knowledge and patience... and almost all of us are on some point in that spectrum. so we keep on...

JBN

For me, coin collecting is definitely an addiction.

If a coin purchase is a good fit for my collecting desires, I am ‘satisfied’ by just looking at the coin day in and day out. My last group of three coins are an exceptional example – I love looking at them and have been satisfied for the last two weeks. No real desire to look for the next purchase, but that doesn’t stop me from my habitual perusal of coin sites and this forum. Coin collecting does not control my life – I have my work, my pool, my old radio restoration hobby, and my social and romantic life.

I cannot conceive of a time where I don’t need anything more. My series interests are overwhelming, when my financial resources are considered. Several series are simply placed out of bounds for me as there is no chance that I can fight a multi-front ‘war’ with my limited financial resources. I don’t look at coins in these series that are up for sale – no need to torture myself.

My pursuit of happiness comes from enjoyment of the coins I have. There are limited coins that I regret not sacrificing for (a 1890-O MS65PL dollar comes prominently to mind) but I derive my happiness from what I’ve achieved, not what is coming down the pike.

Excellent thought provoking post.

MrEureka

At what point does a collector step back and say, I'm Good. I dont need anything more.

You're not from around here, are you?

Seriously, most collectors will tell you that the hunt is far more important than the trophy. And if you lose interest in accumulating more trophies, it will probably have very little to do with the fact that you have a bunch of trophies already. It will be because, for whatever reason, you've lost interest in the hunt.

topstuf

I lost the incentive 2 years ago when I lost my wife. She had "the eye" and the interest and sharing was the fun of the chase. Even arguing over paying for them was fun.

No more.

Now they sit in the box and I look at em a couple times a year.

bidask

The final frontier for me was Gem proof gold.

FredF

I haven't even looked at anything in several months. I needed one specific coin for a set, and I got it (after a couple years of looking) back in February. At that point I realized there wasn't anything else I wanted. So every time heritage has an auction I go browsing through the catalog just to see, but nothing is jumping out at me. I did recently order my annual proof & mint sets, just because, but I'm happy with what I have. I don't want to get something "just to get something," you know? Sorta helped that at the same time work got really crazy, and has been crazy for a few months (crazy in a good way). The cool thing about the hobby is that it's not going to go anywhere while I'm taking a break .

I guess you could say I'm content, at least on the coin front .

-Fred

magikbilly

<< <i>I lost the incentive 2 years ago when I lost my wife. She had "the eye" and the interest and sharing was the fun of the chase. Even arguing over paying for them was fun.

No more.

Now they sit in the box and I look at em a couple times a year. >>



I'm sorry

Eric

khayse

>I find I go in waves. There are periods where I am convinced I won't find anything so I don't worry about it. Then there are the itching to buy periods.
I agree with this.

It also depends on which series I'm most into at the time. If it's one I have "finished", it's easier to be content when I'm just looking for upgrades that may take years to appear.

If it's a series I haven't completed...well it's tough to leave something unfinished.

-Keith

mach19

You will Never reform from numismatics........ ! Trust me !

MidLifeCrisis

Maybe I look at contentment in this hobby a little differently. I define being content as being happy and satisfied with ALL the coins in my collection, to the point that I feel I can walk away from the hobby or sell the collection or never buy another coin and still feel like I have accomplished something worthwhile in the collection that I built.

I'm at that point now and I've been that way for a while.

But that contentment has nothing to do with desire to buy another coin. I frequently see a new coin I want to buy. Whether I buy it or not, my feelings about my collection don't change.

That's contentment.

nankraut

<< <i>You always want more. Human nature. >>



so true

Tiny

I find contentment with each and every purchase of a coin I make. To hold it in hand
so that I can see it's beauty. Then to take pictures from many angles so that
I can save the vision I have just enjoyed and gaze upon it at any time I wish. Then it's off to the
SDB to where I make regular trips to hold in hand again. I can at anytime visit it by opening a file
on my computer. Ah the satisfaction is some times surreal.

RTS

In collecting, when do [you] reach a point where you are content?

I have never considered myself a collector per se but have owned coins over the years, mainly large cents (fair collection of Middle Dates,
fair collection of 1794s etc.). I entered 2011 having no coins in my possession as in December 2010 I sold or placed on consignment all my coins
and though I quite enjoyed learning about the coins through ownership I do not miss the coins whatsoever and I still quite enjoy numismatics
through Early American Coppers (Penny Wise), Numismatic Bibliomania Society (The Asylum), John Reich Collectors Society, PCGS U.S. Coin Forum et al.
I am considering a small set of early bust quarters(1796-1807) though I am really biding my time on such a project. In the meantime I am numismatically
content sans coins…and receiving a $20K check every few months from my consignment coins makes my contentment all the more.

Gone but not forgotten…

TwoSides2aCoin

Contentment