The Thrill -- Historical Reminiscing
DRUNNER
Posts: 3,898 ✭✭✭✭✭
I usually do not post -- just not wanting to gum up the Boards, but I hang out here and respond on occasion. LunyTunes question on keeping original collections prompted a response from me some of you may remember from the past, but then it made me think. I have been looking at the Whitman folder that is the subject of that post . . . . .
My best numismatic thrills left an indelible imprint on me, and happened from about 1968 to 1971, an eternity if the life of a grade school-middle school kid. Sure, I have gone on to many more involved numismatic quests, but there was NEVER a time like that. I remember my childhood best friend, Robert Vaughn (no, not the actor), loving the history and 'oldness' of coins. I had showed him a few old large cents from my parents' old Iowa safety deposit box that they had somehow taken home, and we promptly cleaned them and reveled in their age. Robert's dad had an old magazine that listed a small ad from a mail order outfit selling coins. We mailed away, and got a mimeographed pricelist about 10 days later. We were SMITTEN !!!!!
In those days, a gallon of gas was about 35 cents and it would power a lawnmower for about 8 or 9 yards. He and I mowed, mowed, mowed. Well, it seemed like it, but we really only did about 2 other houses sporadically besides our own. Back then, you got about $2 - $3 for a suburban yard. A HUGE sum back then.
With nothing else to really pay for, the money was ours to 'invest', and I can remember sitting in his kitchen one summer morning looking at the pricelist we had mailed away for. We both had Whitman folders from somewhere, and although this was Salt Lake City and there were undoubtedly shops at that time, we never had mom or dad drive us anywhere. It was just too cool to embark on this numismatic odyssey ourselves! But, a buck was a BUCK . . . and spending that much on coins was a bit of a stretch. Still, we ordered . . . . . . .
We looked at 'wheaties'. Robert picked out a couple. They were graded as 'circulated' and you could pick from a list for 10c., 25c., 50c., or (heaven forbid) the individually priced coins from $1 to about $5. Those higher priced coins were in a realm where angels feared to tread. We ordered -- writing on a piece of notebook paper and listing our desires. I knew I was going to be the KING of our collecting duo-domain -- I asked for a 1909, the FIRST YEAR !!! It was listed for 50c. We tailored the order to about $3 even, got three $1 dollar bills, and carefully sealed it up. We rode our bikes down to the corner mailbox, and plunked the letter inside, starting the worst period of my life. The wait . . . . .
Yup, we gave it about three days before we started looking in the mailbox for a response. No way was it going to happen that fast. Back then, they actually told you it would be three to four weeks. Every day we hung out at his house, looking down the street for the mailman. I really had the dry-heaves after about the first week. Every day -- ANTICIPATION -- then crushing defeat. Our folders sat bereft of coins, although each of us just had 4-5 Wheaties coming. The summer dragged on and on. Every day was like the death of a pet . . . the mailman would arrive, then leave two destroyed adolescents.
I really don't remember the actual arrival. I think I was probably too excited to even breath when the package arrived -- and we opened it up to split our loot. Sure -- the 1909 was no better than AG -- nearly slick on the reverse but having that magical '1909' on the obverse !!! Sheeeeezzzz!!! Who else in the COUNTRY would have a coin that old??? I RULED THE NUMISMATIC WORLD!!!
Well, those days were the best. We continued collecting up through middle school, then of course we followed the pattern, putting our collections away. I lost track of Robert, and then had a kid at my high school rekindle my passion about 1994. The rest is Doily history . .
Those were by FAR the best days. There is no passion like the passion of a 12 year old kid.
I hope all of you have fond memories as well. That 1909 in AG was certainly as important to me as any Proof Saint would be now . . . actually more.
Drunner
(Doily Slut -- but sure wish I had that 1909 in a Doily!)
My best numismatic thrills left an indelible imprint on me, and happened from about 1968 to 1971, an eternity if the life of a grade school-middle school kid. Sure, I have gone on to many more involved numismatic quests, but there was NEVER a time like that. I remember my childhood best friend, Robert Vaughn (no, not the actor), loving the history and 'oldness' of coins. I had showed him a few old large cents from my parents' old Iowa safety deposit box that they had somehow taken home, and we promptly cleaned them and reveled in their age. Robert's dad had an old magazine that listed a small ad from a mail order outfit selling coins. We mailed away, and got a mimeographed pricelist about 10 days later. We were SMITTEN !!!!!
In those days, a gallon of gas was about 35 cents and it would power a lawnmower for about 8 or 9 yards. He and I mowed, mowed, mowed. Well, it seemed like it, but we really only did about 2 other houses sporadically besides our own. Back then, you got about $2 - $3 for a suburban yard. A HUGE sum back then.
With nothing else to really pay for, the money was ours to 'invest', and I can remember sitting in his kitchen one summer morning looking at the pricelist we had mailed away for. We both had Whitman folders from somewhere, and although this was Salt Lake City and there were undoubtedly shops at that time, we never had mom or dad drive us anywhere. It was just too cool to embark on this numismatic odyssey ourselves! But, a buck was a BUCK . . . and spending that much on coins was a bit of a stretch. Still, we ordered . . . . . . .
We looked at 'wheaties'. Robert picked out a couple. They were graded as 'circulated' and you could pick from a list for 10c., 25c., 50c., or (heaven forbid) the individually priced coins from $1 to about $5. Those higher priced coins were in a realm where angels feared to tread. We ordered -- writing on a piece of notebook paper and listing our desires. I knew I was going to be the KING of our collecting duo-domain -- I asked for a 1909, the FIRST YEAR !!! It was listed for 50c. We tailored the order to about $3 even, got three $1 dollar bills, and carefully sealed it up. We rode our bikes down to the corner mailbox, and plunked the letter inside, starting the worst period of my life. The wait . . . . .
Yup, we gave it about three days before we started looking in the mailbox for a response. No way was it going to happen that fast. Back then, they actually told you it would be three to four weeks. Every day we hung out at his house, looking down the street for the mailman. I really had the dry-heaves after about the first week. Every day -- ANTICIPATION -- then crushing defeat. Our folders sat bereft of coins, although each of us just had 4-5 Wheaties coming. The summer dragged on and on. Every day was like the death of a pet . . . the mailman would arrive, then leave two destroyed adolescents.
I really don't remember the actual arrival. I think I was probably too excited to even breath when the package arrived -- and we opened it up to split our loot. Sure -- the 1909 was no better than AG -- nearly slick on the reverse but having that magical '1909' on the obverse !!! Sheeeeezzzz!!! Who else in the COUNTRY would have a coin that old??? I RULED THE NUMISMATIC WORLD!!!
Well, those days were the best. We continued collecting up through middle school, then of course we followed the pattern, putting our collections away. I lost track of Robert, and then had a kid at my high school rekindle my passion about 1994. The rest is Doily history . .
Those were by FAR the best days. There is no passion like the passion of a 12 year old kid.
I hope all of you have fond memories as well. That 1909 in AG was certainly as important to me as any Proof Saint would be now . . . actually more.
Drunner
(Doily Slut -- but sure wish I had that 1909 in a Doily!)
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Comments
Reading your story makes me realize I had it easy as a kid, my grandfather took me to coin shows. I helped with yard work, painting the fence, cleaning out the garage and anything else he would pay me for to raise money to buy coins......
Thank you for sharing your childhood experience.
Coin Club Benefit auctions ..... View the Lots
Enjoyed.
"If I say something in the woods and my wife isn't there to hear it.....am I still wrong?"
My Washington Quarter Registry set...in progress
See http://www.doubledimes.com for a free online reference for US twenty-cent pieces
it took me back to younger days in st.louis mo. too
mowing yards then to shoveling driveways in the winter
yup
magazines although me and alan gales would bicycle over to a B&M that had a bid-board
even once or twice got an ice cream at woolworths and looked what they had in their coin &stamp counter
something very precious about those days gone by
heck i even found an 1894 v-nickel discarded on the roadside...man was that a day
great read
cheers