I realized I collect just to scratch an itch

Justacommeman

I travel excessively and I work sick hours and my free time is precious

Therefore:

Collecting is just a giant distraction for me for me. A welcome one

I'm enamored by the beauty of coins more then the history. When they meet it's a bonus
I don't sweat the financial aspects of it
I enjoy the hunt
I don't blink
I collect many things
I enjoy socializing at shows
I don't care if I ever complete a set
I could see myself taking a long break from coin collecting at any given time
I like what I have put together so far coin wise

MJ

Unknown

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MidLifeCrisis

I want to be like you when I grow up!

Swampboy

<< <i>I travel excessively and I work sick hours and my free time is precious

Therefore:

Collecting is just a giant distraction for me for me. A welcome one

I'm enamored by the beauty of coins more then the history. When they meet it's a bonus
I don't sweat the financial aspects of it
I enjoy the hunt
I don't blink
I collect many things
I enjoy socializing at shows
I don't care if I ever complete a set
I could see myself taking a long break from coin collecting at any given time
I like what I have put together so far coin wise

MJ >>



I agree with every point although the working sick hours phase of my life is in my rearview mirror.

TwoSides2aCoin

I like that. It's reason to celebrate.

crypto79

I take antibiotics to alleviate/scratch an itch from time to time, not quite the same thing but the journey to get to that point is more enjoyable.

As for coin collecting I care very much about the history and completion of a set and less about the aesthetics although the people I meet make or break the hobby for me.

Justacommeman

lousy edit. I call for a mulligan below.

MJ

TwoSides2aCoin

I care about completion, too. Money doesn't get in the way of that. Empty holes and pockets do.

MrHalfDime

"I travel excessively and I work sick hours and my free time is precious

Therefore:

Collecting is just a giant distraction for me for me. A welcome one

I'm enamored by the beauty of coins more then the history. When they meet it's a bonus
I don't sweat the financial aspects of it
I enjoy the hunt
I don't blink
I collect many things
I enjoy socializing at shows
I don't care if I ever complete a set
I could see myself taking a long break from coin collecting at any given time
I like what I have put together so far coin wise"

A very interesting collecting philosophy, and one in which we share a great deal. Perhaps the areas where we don't agree would be:

"I'm enamored by the beauty of coins more then the history"
I cannot separate the history from the coins, and it is that very history which brought me to collect the coins.

"I don't care if I ever complete a set"
Perhaps it is the OCD in me, but completion of a set is always an implicit goal whenever I begin a series.

"I could see myself taking a long break from coin collecting at any given time"
This is where our collecting philosophies differ greatly. I have been seriously collecting for over thirty years, and I cannot see myself ever stopping. Neither divorce nor open heart surgery were enough to make me take a break from collecting.

RYK

<< <i>I travel excessively and I work sick hours and my free time is precious

Therefore:

Collecting is just a giant distraction for me for me. A welcome one

I'm enamored by the beauty of coins more then the history. When they meet it's a bonus
I don't sweat the financial aspects of it
I enjoy the hunt
I don't blink
I collect many things
I enjoy socializing at shows
I don't care if I ever complete a set
I could see myself taking a long break from coin collecting at any given time
I like what I have put together so far coin wise

MJ >>


I agree with all of the above, except, again, the history component. I would flip the first statement (sort of). I am a big believer of the "history in your hands" aspect of coin collection. Obviously, I care somewhat less about the beauty of my coins.

MilkmanDan

<< <i>I'm enamored by the beauty of coins more then the history. When they meet it's a bonus
>>


I like this, although I personally switch beauty with history:
I'm enamored by the history of coins more than the beauty. When they meet it's a bonus.

Justacommeman

I think the history part of coin collecting is secondary for me because I didn't collect coins as a kid or even as a young adult. I collect other things that satisfy my pure history itch. As far as the set completion thing goes I am a work in progress kind of guy. I might finish some sets accidentally.

I also think I don't care as much about the completion aspect is because some of the type or date/mint marks don't come like I want them at all or often.I'd rather be without. Being that I never filled or had an album as a kid I don't have that fill the hole or completion aspect of the coin collecting bug. Believe I understood those that do and I totally get it.

Mr HD- I also think why the history part of collecting is secondary to me is that I was drawn to the beauty of specific coins first not that long ago. This was my hook. I also have OCD but obsess on the quest foremost. I also think why I could step away at any given time is that I haven't been collecting coins all off my life or even a significant portion of it. There are other things if push came to shove that I could simply walk away or take a huge time out without impacting me much. I love coin collecting in the today. It's a pleasant distraction today.

MJ

Kove

Some very good points. Being that our collecting interests overlap in some areas, I know where you're coming from.

Most of my collection is early 20th century, fairly recent, so the history is secondary to the beauty. I have many early commemoratives, made for collectors, so I don't often think about who held them. But many of the designs are amazing. However, with some of my other coins, when it comes to holding a coin with a 1600s or 1700s date on it, I do get caught up in the history.

Building a date/mintmark set can be both rewarding and painful. Except for the desire to know I completed it, I would normally never want 15 Arkansas halves, 3 Cincinnati's, or even 2 Alabama halves. I've got 140 out of the 144 silver commems, and once complete, I honestly don't think I'll ever feel the need to complete a full set again. But the challenge of hunting for the last few coins is exciting. And finding a worthy upgrade is still a thrill.

jmski52

I agree with your thought processes on coins. I only have two collections in process, but there are other coins I find that I simply can't live without and they have no common thread other than the fact that I like them.

+1