I don't care about the registries but I do care about completing a certified mint state Walker set with coins that meet my standards of quality. I am also in the Bill Jones camp in that I get a lot of satisfaction through examination, study and pride of ownership.
Sometimes, it’s better to be LUCKY than good. 🍀 🍺👍
I've only ever completed one set, the state quarters. It did make me happy but on the other hand whenever I complete a set (I've completed almost 150 in my main hobby, trading cards) there's a bit of a delayed feeling of vague disappointment because you have nothing more to work on. I've transitioned more towards collecting world coins by type so that's a project that will never end and I shouldn't have that problem, in this hobby at least, ever again.
@Sonorandesertrat interesting take on Completion. Thank you for sharing. It occurs to me that I have never not thought of collectible coins as not part of a series. I guess that's because the Whitman blue folders were so ubiquitous when I started collecting back in the 1960s (or late 1950s). And the Red Book of course lists the coins in complete sets/series, so that I could quote every mintage figure for the most popular series (still can, for Wheaties and Indians). The Box o 20 is a "new thing" for me, I have only heard that the last few years.
Conversely, I have seen sets that were complete, but largely contained coins having negligible eve appeal. Go figure.
As a person who has been guilty of buying some of those coins “having negligible eve appeal” I can tell you some coins in a complete set mean more to me than others. For example, as a type collector, I have never been a great fan of the 1873-4 “With Arrows” type coins. They just don’t turn me on, but they do have a place in history. After Congress adapted that standard for the silver dime, quarter and half dollar, it remained in place until the Coinage Act of 1965 replaced it. Without those coins, the type set have a minor hole in the continuum.
After getting some outrageous quotes from dealers on those coins, I did find a quarter and half dollar that I liked, although some here didn’t like the half dollar because it had been dipped. So it goes. You can't please everybody. When I got the dime, I more or less said, “to heck with it” and bought a hole filler. It’s PCGS PR-63, but it has been dipped and it has too many hairlines. So it goes. The hole is filled.
I am close to finishing a set of at least one coin from each British king or queen, that is collectable, from Edward the Confessor (even a couple before him) to Queen Elizabeth II. Not all of those coins are stunners. In fact many them are pedestrian, either because they hardly exit in great condition or because they prohibitively expensive in high grade. There are also a few kings who deserve to be represented by a fairly cheap hole filler.
I didn’t want to have to take a second mortgage on my house to buy that collection, and I don’t have 40 years left to complete it as I did with my U.S. type set. I wanted the coins to enjoy the history. Of late I’ve been working on a notebook with pictures of each piece with bullet points on the history of each king. I know I’ll lose money when I sell that collection because I paid too much for some coins and didn’t buy great examples for others. It doesn’t matter to me. I’ve had fun. That’s what collecting is all about.
Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
@giorgio11 said:
My alma mater Yale is offering numerous online courses through Coursera.org, including one smash hit taught by Dr. Laurie Santos called "The Science of Well-Being," simplified to "Happiness."
Without stealing her thunder or lessening the enjoyment of folks who might want to take this course, one of the bottom lines in the opening sessions is that many of the things people think will make them happy--good grades, a good job, more money, a great love life, a perfect body--in fact do not make them happier. In fact, some of these things beyond a certain point make them less happy.
It got me to thinking about the things that make me happy.
Without giving away my own answers (which are personal and not very relevant to anyone else, I don't think), I'd like to hear from you.
What makes you happy?
Do coins make you happy? What part of "coins/numismatics" makes you happy? Is it having coins? Is it having more coins? Is it learning about new series/new discoveries? Other?
Is there a point of diminishing returns, i.e. a point at which having too many coins makes you less happy? (And since I would like to hear serious, informed opinions and discussion about this, please go out of your way to let other readers know if you are being ironic/sarcastic).
Do you find that the prospect of buying a new coin actually makes you happier than receiving or having that coin?
Talk amongst yourselves ... and thanks for your answers.
Kind regards (and wishing you more happiness),
George
After an initial false start--they announced the course was ready prematurely while they were in fact still putting the finishing touches on it--the course is now, in fact, live at Coursera.org, still called "The Science of Happiness." It is free, although for $49 (and no, this is not a commercial; I'm still debating whether to purchase a certificate--they say that buying the certificate makes you 10 times more likely to finish the course and put in the work, and the course fees are used to provide online learning to people around the world--certainly a worthy cause. And the provide financial aid for people who need it.)
I'm on Session 2 now, and one of the exercises is keeping a journal for a week on two things: Savoring and Gratitude. E.g., pick five things today, and really savor them. Write down what they are. Stay in the moment. Share them with someone. Take a pic to help you savor longer and later. Same with Gratitude. Pick five things, write them down.
I am grateful for many of the relationships, some of them completely unexpected, that I have formed with some folks via this website, as well as some other coin dealers and clients I have met at shows.
I'm also grateful for Mrs. VDB in more ways than I can count. The one real constant in my life.
I'm grateful that I can still work in The Hobby of Kings and have good health, a good mind and good finances to be able to do so.
Can one savor a coin? I'm going to try to pick a few today and see how that works out.
Anyway. It's interesting to me that psychologists have gone from "treating, identifying mental disorders" to helping "normal" people increase their sense of well=being and happiness.
Wishing you more of the same today. What are you really savoring? What are you really grateful for?
Many other countries have superior happiness indexes to the US. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Happiness_Report A lot of smart people can manage various hobbies without letting them becoming unhealthy or obsessive. Collecting and numismatics should be part of the study of US history and the broader culture not be a narrow hobby apart from the historical backdrop. For some people it is not a sociable hobby, with collectors car pooling to clubs and shows but an individualistic and almost adversarial pursuit. We should be getting more of our youth interested in this as well as other hobbies, however it is not fashionable in many parts of the US. My nephews have no interest in numismatics. And another intellectual hobby scholastic chess is not fashionable within school peers, as too nerdy and impractical.
Actually the lecturer already pointed out that (according to whatever survey she sourced) Americans were the _least happy people in the world, _ and that they were slightly less happy now than they were back in the 1940s, even though they obviously have more "stuff" (both basics like more-widespread indoor plumbing) and more extraneous things like computers and tech. All these are On Average.
I couldn't agree more about numismatics being most rewarding when one considers it in its historical context. But then, I have just "discovered" (reaffirmed) via part of the course materials that one of my chief character strengths is a love of learning, so that's not a great surprise. I love learning about new coins, new coin series, and why they made what when.
I never could get my nephews interested in coins either. But I am reassured every time I do a show, those youngsters are out there. Some of them are just interested in making money, but some of them develop into the kinds of dealers some people here say they prefer! (No conflict of interest.)
Chess was not fashionable 50 years ago when I was in high school either, but man some of those chess players were smart as a whip. And now you have Chessmaster! Thanks for your note.
For me the positives in numismatics and other scholarly fields have been altruistic and smart people willing to share their knowledge who have not been in the hobby for personal advantages. My aim in this and other hobbies was to have more win/win experiences where you come off with a better understanding of numismatics, grading standards, and technical aspects connected to the hobby. When I go to the small coin shows, those who over-grade, over-price items hustling potential buyers is a major turn-off and make me think twice about going back. Other hobbies like astronomy and telescopes are geared much more to the expansion of knowledge and love of the subject matter to the greater good.
Had one of my best coin days ever yesterday. Spent over 4K on 6 certified error coins with Fantastic Eye Appeal. One for personal use and five for inventory. That 15% ebay coupon kicked in to make reasonable prices, in addition to the negotiations.
I also received a huge lot of lower-priced raw major error coins to go through. These lots are super fun to sort. They do take a lot of work to process, photograph, and list. Good stuff tho.
And Then I get my PCGS grades for my first ever submission of error coins to them I submitted at Long Beach. I submitted my very best 5 raw error coins to PCGS and my next 22 best raw error coins to NCG.
The grades were better than expected
I even got that super big raw error graded that some of you may remember, came in at MS64
@ErrorsOnCoins said:
Had one of my best coin days ever yesterday. Spent over 4K on 6 certified error coins with Fantastic Eye Appeal. One for personal use and five for inventory. That 15% ebay coupon kicked in to make reasonable prices, in addition to the negotiations.
I also received a huge lot of lower-priced raw major error coins to go through. These lots are super fun to sort. They do take a lot of work to process, photograph, and list. Good stuff tho.
And Then I get my PCGS grades for my first ever submission of error coins to them I submitted at Long Beach. I submitted my very best 5 raw error coins to PCGS and my next 22 best raw error coins to NCG.
The grades were better than expected
I even got that super big raw error graded that some of you may remember, came in at MS64
@ErrorsOnCoins can you be more specific for those of us (like me) who don't know what you mean? "I even got that super big raw error graded that some of you may remember, came in at MS64."
Thanks and I'm glad you had a great coin day even if I'm late responding here (my bad for that).
Comments
I don't care about the registries but I do care about completing a certified mint state Walker set with coins that meet my standards of quality. I am also in the Bill Jones camp in that I get a lot of satisfaction through examination, study and pride of ownership.
Sometimes, it’s better to be LUCKY than good. 🍀 🍺👍
My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947):
https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/16292/
I've only ever completed one set, the state quarters. It did make me happy but on the other hand whenever I complete a set (I've completed almost 150 in my main hobby, trading cards) there's a bit of a delayed feeling of vague disappointment because you have nothing more to work on. I've transitioned more towards collecting world coins by type so that's a project that will never end and I shouldn't have that problem, in this hobby at least, ever again.
@Sonorandesertrat interesting take on Completion. Thank you for sharing. It occurs to me that I have never not thought of collectible coins as not part of a series. I guess that's because the Whitman blue folders were so ubiquitous when I started collecting back in the 1960s (or late 1950s). And the Red Book of course lists the coins in complete sets/series, so that I could quote every mintage figure for the most popular series (still can, for Wheaties and Indians). The Box o 20 is a "new thing" for me, I have only heard that the last few years.
Kind regards,
George
@BillyKingsley and @Walkerfan good luck in your collecting pursuits. I think whatever and however someone wants to collect, that's what's right!
Kind regards,
George
As a person who has been guilty of buying some of those coins “having negligible eve appeal” I can tell you some coins in a complete set mean more to me than others. For example, as a type collector, I have never been a great fan of the 1873-4 “With Arrows” type coins. They just don’t turn me on, but they do have a place in history. After Congress adapted that standard for the silver dime, quarter and half dollar, it remained in place until the Coinage Act of 1965 replaced it. Without those coins, the type set have a minor hole in the continuum.
After getting some outrageous quotes from dealers on those coins, I did find a quarter and half dollar that I liked, although some here didn’t like the half dollar because it had been dipped. So it goes. You can't please everybody. When I got the dime, I more or less said, “to heck with it” and bought a hole filler. It’s PCGS PR-63, but it has been dipped and it has too many hairlines. So it goes. The hole is filled.
I am close to finishing a set of at least one coin from each British king or queen, that is collectable, from Edward the Confessor (even a couple before him) to Queen Elizabeth II. Not all of those coins are stunners. In fact many them are pedestrian, either because they hardly exit in great condition or because they prohibitively expensive in high grade. There are also a few kings who deserve to be represented by a fairly cheap hole filler.
I didn’t want to have to take a second mortgage on my house to buy that collection, and I don’t have 40 years left to complete it as I did with my U.S. type set. I wanted the coins to enjoy the history. Of late I’ve been working on a notebook with pictures of each piece with bullet points on the history of each king. I know I’ll lose money when I sell that collection because I paid too much for some coins and didn’t buy great examples for others. It doesn’t matter to me. I’ve had fun. That’s what collecting is all about.
After an initial false start--they announced the course was ready prematurely while they were in fact still putting the finishing touches on it--the course is now, in fact, live at Coursera.org, still called "The Science of Happiness." It is free, although for $49 (and no, this is not a commercial; I'm still debating whether to purchase a certificate--they say that buying the certificate makes you 10 times more likely to finish the course and put in the work, and the course fees are used to provide online learning to people around the world--certainly a worthy cause. And the provide financial aid for people who need it.)
I'm on Session 2 now, and one of the exercises is keeping a journal for a week on two things: Savoring and Gratitude. E.g., pick five things today, and really savor them. Write down what they are. Stay in the moment. Share them with someone. Take a pic to help you savor longer and later. Same with Gratitude. Pick five things, write them down.
I am grateful for many of the relationships, some of them completely unexpected, that I have formed with some folks via this website, as well as some other coin dealers and clients I have met at shows.
I'm also grateful for Mrs. VDB in more ways than I can count. The one real constant in my life.
I'm grateful that I can still work in The Hobby of Kings and have good health, a good mind and good finances to be able to do so.
Can one savor a coin? I'm going to try to pick a few today and see how that works out.
Anyway. It's interesting to me that psychologists have gone from "treating, identifying mental disorders" to helping "normal" people increase their sense of well=being and happiness.
Wishing you more of the same today. What are you really savoring? What are you really grateful for?
Kind regards,
George
Many other countries have superior happiness indexes to the US. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Happiness_Report A lot of smart people can manage various hobbies without letting them becoming unhealthy or obsessive. Collecting and numismatics should be part of the study of US history and the broader culture not be a narrow hobby apart from the historical backdrop. For some people it is not a sociable hobby, with collectors car pooling to clubs and shows but an individualistic and almost adversarial pursuit. We should be getting more of our youth interested in this as well as other hobbies, however it is not fashionable in many parts of the US. My nephews have no interest in numismatics. And another intellectual hobby scholastic chess is not fashionable within school peers, as too nerdy and impractical.
Actually the lecturer already pointed out that (according to whatever survey she sourced) Americans were the _least happy people in the world, _ and that they were slightly less happy now than they were back in the 1940s, even though they obviously have more "stuff" (both basics like more-widespread indoor plumbing) and more extraneous things like computers and tech. All these are On Average.
I couldn't agree more about numismatics being most rewarding when one considers it in its historical context. But then, I have just "discovered" (reaffirmed) via part of the course materials that one of my chief character strengths is a love of learning, so that's not a great surprise. I love learning about new coins, new coin series, and why they made what when.
I never could get my nephews interested in coins either. But I am reassured every time I do a show, those youngsters are out there. Some of them are just interested in making money, but some of them develop into the kinds of dealers some people here say they prefer! (No conflict of interest.)
Chess was not fashionable 50 years ago when I was in high school either, but man some of those chess players were smart as a whip. And now you have Chessmaster! Thanks for your note.
Kind regards,
George
For me the positives in numismatics and other scholarly fields have been altruistic and smart people willing to share their knowledge who have not been in the hobby for personal advantages. My aim in this and other hobbies was to have more win/win experiences where you come off with a better understanding of numismatics, grading standards, and technical aspects connected to the hobby. When I go to the small coin shows, those who over-grade, over-price items hustling potential buyers is a major turn-off and make me think twice about going back. Other hobbies like astronomy and telescopes are geared much more to the expansion of knowledge and love of the subject matter to the greater good.
Had one of my best coin days ever yesterday. Spent over 4K on 6 certified error coins with Fantastic Eye Appeal. One for personal use and five for inventory. That 15% ebay coupon kicked in to make reasonable prices, in addition to the negotiations.
I also received a huge lot of lower-priced raw major error coins to go through. These lots are super fun to sort. They do take a lot of work to process, photograph, and list. Good stuff tho.
And Then I get my PCGS grades for my first ever submission of error coins to them I submitted at Long Beach. I submitted my very best 5 raw error coins to PCGS and my next 22 best raw error coins to NCG.
The grades were better than expected
I even got that super big raw error graded that some of you may remember, came in at MS64
Thanks and I'm glad you had a great coin day even if I'm late responding here (my bad for that).
Kind regards,
George
For me coin happiness is assembling a well-matched set by grade of Indian head nickels.
Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.-Albert Einstein