Whats the public opinion on some of your other hobbies?
Leroy
Posts: 186 ✭✭✭
I enjoy collecting U.S. Philippine Peso's and Australian Florins however, I also frequent pawn shops looking for old Colt and Smith & Wesson revolvers. When I say "old" I'm talking 1950's - 1960's, that's not really old for a revolver or a coin.
The counterfeit coin market is really becoming an issue for coin collectors, it almost to the point that you're afraid to invest any money into a coin that isn't graded by a third party. Sure, if it's already graded then you know it's legitimate but now you have to pay a premium because of it. If you take the chance and buy an expensive raw coin, you can really take a bath.
Collecting revolvers is a whole different ballgame. It's a shame but, unlike coin collecting, when you tell some people that you collect guns, you can almost feel the tension in the room. I guess it's a different world today, I was raised with a rifle leaning in the corner of the bedroom and the thought of doing anything with it other than shooting cans never entered my mind.
Comments
Some of my work colleagues collect guns and are also nationally ranked sharp shooters. It's kind of cool.
Mid 60's Colt Detective Special. Kinda scarce with the 3" barrel.
I live in Florida. Where I live you don't go out the back door and fire off a few rounds unless you want the SWAT team at your house.
Be happy you don't live in Connecticut... I share in some of the same hobbies in private and I'm made to feel like a felon for doing so.
Here in North Dakota a gun collection is quite common. Among my coworkers gun talk is quite common and I would believe only 2 people of the 22 I work with don't own a firearm of some sort.
As for my other hobby, watch collecting and rebuilding, its looked at as a waste of time, more so than coins. They say no one wears a watch any more and you can just pull out your cellphone. I kept a tally of customers that I helped for a week and 65% wore watches. If they used the watch or not they still paid good money to have that one their wrist. Watch collecting, much like coins, can be very profitable. I've bought many movements "sold as parts" that only needed minor work and a recasing to be saleable. Majority of my collection is military related material, used and produced in times of war to meet the harsh demands and still be accurate up to +/- 7 seconds a week, that was in WWI.
Also collect vintage military service medals, mostly WWI-WWII.
https://drive.google.com/a/treasureislandcoins.com/file/d/1_ouRlWKk0GOObuTfU1_bcv-nWMgkGHQ2xA/view?usp=sharing
My other hobbies besides coins include: bicycling, birdwatching, hiking, fishing, gardening and horseracing.
I also enjoy reading nonfiction, especially about Native Americans.
I would think many in PETA, etc. wouldn't care for horse racing, and while it does have its ugly side, I still like watching them run, and playing in free handicapping contests.
As most know... I have many firearms, rifles, shotguns and handguns...I am also a certified trainer with a state certified school. My other hobbies include metal detecting (for caches, not coins in parks), old playing card decks, knives, challenge coins and cooking. Cheers, RickO
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
I've collected guns for many decades, most just to give to my kids, grand kids. They now own some pretty rare firearms. It was a pleasure to collect but sadly I will not be able to do so anymore after this election. We have a ballot issue that will require all transfer of guns to go through a licensed dealer (you get to pay for the transfer). The ballot issue is projected to pass even though all 13 county sheriffs and all police departments and the present Governor and the last three Governors have all come out in opposition to the ballot measure. However, Bloomberg with his billions is fu**ing with our state laws from NY and is outspending the NRA and others by a 10 to 1 margin. It appears that he's going to get it passed. It will make buying gun collections impossible unless you are a dealer. I would become a dealer but the law says I have to have a retail place of business and cannot operate out of my home. So, I'm screwed.
rant over.
Those that have bought guns from me on this forum, sorry but the source will dry up.
I also have collected Silver spoons from the 1800's with Western themes.
bob
Scrimshaw. Can't sell it anywhere just about. There are all sorts of new laws about selling, transporting between states, etc. It's hard to keep up. I don't actively collect anymore, but my collection is pretty much stuck with me. I'll probably donate it to a maritime museum or something similar...
mbogoman
https://pcgs.com/setregistry/collectors-showcase/classic-issues-colonials-through-1964/zambezi-collection-trade-dollars/7345Asesabi Lutho
What do people thing of my other collecting interests? I've been called "eclectic" more times than I can remember!
Leroy, it seems you are splitting your definitions. Your post title talks about hobbies, and then you go directly to collecting. While I TOTALLY agree with collecting being a hobby, there are obviously VASTLY many more hobbies than collecting. Hobbies of mine would include skiing, hiking, fishing, listening to music etc. etc.
As far as COLLECTING goes, my main collecting field these days is space memorabilia. I've got everything from V-2 stuff to pieces of the Hubble Telescope, but my main collecting focus would be the 1961 - 1975 timeframe, from Vostok 1 to the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP). This era is often called the "Golden Era" of Manned space exploration.
Given that it is a "sexy" subject, I'd say roughly 1/3 of the people that I meet are interested in it, with maybe 10% of ALL the people that I meet REALLY interested in it. Of BOTH those groups I'd say roughly 1/3 are women, so a bit more of a male "lean" to the field than female, but nothing like the roughly 98 or 99% overabundance of males in collecting coins as opposed to 1 to 2% female coin collectors.
So, when I mention that I collect space memorabilia, in general I get a fair amount of positive feedback.
U.S. Type Set
People sneer when I tell them I collect prison tokens.
They also sneer when I tell them I collect irradiated dimes.
I have also collected pistols for the last 7.7 years - most give positive feedback and I don't care about the others.
I do get positive feedback when I mention my collection of Breitling watches (at least from those that have a clue what a Breitling is).
“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson
My digital cameo album 1950-64 Cameos - take a look!
I collect presidential campaign buttons, and I have an HO gauge model train set-up. The political items tie in well with my interests in history. I used to collect a fair number of buttons from every race, but the 2012 and the current contest don't do much for me.
guns? All lost in a tragic boating accident. Happened to another guy I know. I still enjoy looking at them online.
When I have time I like to shoot wildlife and collect more horsepower. Plan on a Ford Racing whipple charger at some point, $6700 for the kit though, taking donations
"Your post title talks about hobbies, and then you go directly to collecting. While I TOTALLY agree with collecting being a hobby, there are obviously VASTLY many more hobbies than collecting."
Skyman, I guess that I did do a pivot on words there but I've always considered any type of collecting as a hobby. I had never really thought about it until you brought it up, about there being more hobbies than collecting. I'm not so sure about that statement. You have to keep in mind that people collect just about anything and everything. Did you ever hear about the lady in New York City that collected the cardboard from toilet paper rolls? Well, I probably shouldn't have used that as an example, I think that would fall under the "hoarding" definition.
That would make a good poll though, are there more collections or hobbies?
morgansforever, That is one fine looking machine
Metal detecting around New England. My wife enjoys coming out with me, adding to the fun.
Thanks it was a gift to myself. Bought it from a cop, with total Ford Racing adjustable suspension and all the original parts. Picked it up in March of this year with 9000 miles on it.
I'm kind of a everything kind of guy.
Hoard the keys.
Type2, Nice, very nice. Is that Ruger pistol a P89?
A have a few vintage 1895-1925 and newer Martin acoustic guitars. Prices peaked a few years ago, and are down slightly. The materials used in the vintage are now illegal on new guitars including Brazilian rosewood and many other tonewoods, and the demographics are changing with fewer young people playing acoustic. Like most collectors, I just enjoy playing them, so I don't care where prices go - nothing like a pre-war Martin tone, which can't be duplicated in a new guitar.
You can't beat old military surplus guns and antique fishing lures with the original box
Where I live, collecting guns, shooting guns, hunting with guns, and self defense with guns is the norm. People that don't hunt or fish are in the minority.
Www.killermarbles.com
Www.suncitycoin.com
Www.killermarbles.com
Www.suncitycoin.com
MorgansForever: great hawk photo!
I also collect stamps-a dead hobby they say. And a few odd playing card decks, too.
There seems to be a number of numismatists that also have an interest in the shooting sports. I remember having to buy my SW model 29 in 1972!
Other useless items I've been known to accumulate are books (mostly numismatic and biographical of persons from 1492-1840), fountain pens (which I actually carry and use), Rookwood pottery, art nouveau objects and other "junk" that catches my eye.
I guess they will have an interesting auction some day......
A: The year they spend more on their library than their coin collection.
A numismatist is judged more on the content of their library than the content of their cabinet.
@Nysoto I agree with you 100%.
I have played on old Martins and the sound they put out is like angels singing.
My only Martin is a Backpacker which goes everywhere I go and stretches the definition of guitar to the absolute limit lol
My other hobbies are Model Trains and Strip Clubbing.
Coins are cheaper and smaller than vintage surfboards - so I will stick with the coins...
WS
Opinions on my other hobbies (posted above) vary but not much worse than coins. I don't let the opinions of others influence my enjoyment of a hobby. Some hobbies probably are more favorably looked at by fellow hobbyists / players in that hobby.
Most people think it's lunacy. Some understand.
Lance.
I would give up coins before sailing.
My boat is in the foreground...
I almost went into shock when I learned this thing I won at an auction was dated from 2200 to 1600 BC. The label which is in error dates it 800 AD. Christies action sold a much nicer one for $70,000, another sold close to $5000 and one on ebay went for $240 so it might not be very valuable. Weren't people just coming out of their caves to stretch their legs back then? But this is not one of my regular hobbies
The more qualities observed in a coin, the more desirable that coin becomes!
My Jefferson Nickel Collection
Avid history reader, especially New England from colonial period, other areas are English and French nobles.
Collect 100+ yr western Gold Mining stock certificates with a concentration in Colorado Gold Mines from Cripple Creek.
Collection antique German toy steam plants and also machinist built model Hit n miss engine.
Getting a little too old to handle so I gave up girl scouting.
Nice Lance, ss must of been cranked up as you are in focus. Used to have a GSX 750, fun bike plenty of power, miss them days. Lunacy? I rode with guys who loved pulling the front end up at 80 or so passing cars on the highway, that's lunacy x 10 imo. Tell us about your bike.
Scott
Antique silver here.
My YouTube Channel