Time to get serious...

MrEureka · October 11, 2014 9:21AM

I once asked a friend why he was selling some great coins. He explained that it was time to get serious about his core collection, and that meant selling everything else to raise money for the core collection. Have you ever done that? Or considered it, and decided against?

DUIGUY · October 11, 2014 9:22AM

Yes,bin there done that.

coinkat · October 11, 2014 9:28AM

It is something I have considered- the problem is I could never sell everything else

Broadstruck · October 11, 2014 9:29AM

Yes I've done it too, but never sold anything that couldn't be easily replaced.

lasvegasteddy · October 11, 2014 9:31AM

guilty of such

MGLICKER · October 11, 2014 9:32AM

I recall that St Guru syruped his Saints some years ago.

Broadstruck · October 11, 2014 9:35AM

Sometimes it's easier to toss some items back into the marketplace to fund your main project instead of continuing to write checks with fresh money.

JerseyJoe · October 11, 2014 10:01AM

Once sold everything to go into a new area of coins.

ctf_error_coins · October 11, 2014 10:03AM

Yes, absolutely, I sold every coin that was not an error coin. I sold some coins that I really liked.

All the proceeds went into major error coins with fantastic eye appeal.

ms71 · October 11, 2014 10:33AM

Sure have. Nice to add a few items you'd have had a very hard time reaching for by letting go of a lot of items that aren't within what you are focusing on. Sometimes it takes years to find that focus.

TommyType · October 11, 2014 10:51AM

Doing it now....

But, it's not like I'm a big "core collection" guy. It's just that I have a dozen or so duplicates, upgraded, or unnecessary coins. And having that cash in hand would be good for some tougher needs....

Barndog · October 11, 2014 12:10PM

used to collect everything -- albums full of all types of US coins. Got serious and whittled collection down to bust coins: half dollars, quarters, dimes, and half dimes. Plus I collected some copper and some mint medals. And a commem or two here and there. And a nice PCGS OGH type set

Then got more serious. Sold all the bust coins to focus on half dimes. Sold the type set to buy two very rare half dimes.

Then even more serious. Decided to really focus the collection on capped bust half dimes, with just one example of each die marriage/remarriage. Sold off duplicates, die states, and other oddities to help me focus.

And where am I today: Capped bust half dimes, one example of each die marriage/remarriage. I have one duplicate, it is just so freaking nice I can't part with it (an AU coin, gold stickered to boot). And I own two capped bust half dollars...

AnkurJ · October 11, 2014 12:16PM

Have been doing so to fund a pair of cents.

WaterSport · October 11, 2014 12:46PM

YES! and it was because I saw someone ask the question as to wether I had an "Accumulation", or a "collection".

WS

SmEagle1795 · October 11, 2014 12:53PM

Yes, and haven't looked back at all.

Jinx86 · October 11, 2014 12:56PM

From when I was a dealer on my own running an ebay store I bought up so many coins. I have rolls be better date material, type coins, and tons of quality coins. Just so hard to figure out what I want to keep for myself now. I have 200 or so ancient coins that I don't even collect, I love the history but now that I cant sell for myself in an ebay store I feel stuck. I almost have to box up thousands of coins and ship em out to an auction house.

I took a step forward though and sent 25 coins to PCGS. I think Ill have another 50 or so holdered before I start selling. Putting a good portion of the fund into bullion as I see silver as a good buy right now and a nice place to hold some money.

I have yet to establish what I feel my core collection should be. I have been more of the investment collector I guess.

BillJones · October 11, 2014 1:17PM

I am too undisciplined to have a "core collection." The thought did cross my mind many years ago when the finest known 1792 half disme came to auction ... "Now if I sold my entire collection, I could bid on that" ....

But it was a passing fancy, and a good thing it was ... The coin was bought in at $100,000 because the bid did not meet the minimum.

My collection was worth about that at the time.

BLUEJAYWAY · October 11, 2014 5:45PM

Sold off 95% of "regular" coins years ago. Could not part with the error coinage though.

410a · October 11, 2014 8:04PM

Sometimes it's easier to toss some items back into the marketplace to fund your main project instead of continuing to write checks with fresh money. Text

GotTheBug · October 11, 2014 8:13PM

I'm doing it right now. I've been converting my collection of Canadian decimal coins and Capped Bust dimes and a few other type pieces into PCGS-certified Liberty Seated half dollars and upgrades to my Canadian Victorian half dollar set. It has actually been a lot of fun and challenging, both to locate pieces that I want and negotiating the trades. My goal is to change my collection's composition without having to shell out a lot of additional money.

So far I've been able to upgrade three Vickie halves and I recently sold a Capped Bust dime at break even to fund a nice Seated half.

Edited to add some photos:

A PCGS XF45 1835 Capped Bust dime became this piece:

A duplicate 1870 LCW Canadian half dollar in XF40, an 1875 Twenty-Cent Piece in AU50, a couple of other certified Canadian decimals and a little cash became this piece:

Bullsitter · October 11, 2014 8:27PM

Sold a bunch of my coins this year but not all, kept 18.

Waiting on 2015 FUN to spend the proceeds and it's just around the corner....

ranshdow · October 12, 2014 1:53AM

I have an active "core collection" of no-motto SF gold, with some with-motto and some Philly salted in. I also actively collect California trade and saloon tokens, and have been known to dabble in ephemera, bottles & books. I've got an old penny collection from when I was a kid, a nearly complete basic raw type set, and a very partial set of raw, circulated Morgans, all of which are inactive. And, I quite like Seated quarters, and may get active there as well. I would call this diversified, but I am plenty focused.

You need at least some price and intensity diversity in your collecting interests. Intensive obsession of time, energy and funds on one or two areas can make it un-fun and also lead to pressure decisions. It's easier to be patient when you can distract yourself with something else from time to time.

ricko · October 12, 2014 2:47AM

Never even considered it..... My collection stays and grows....Cheers, RickO

lordmarcovan · October 12, 2014 12:20PM

Did that with last year's conversion to the "Box of 20" concept.

Even my signature "holey" collection is gone, now, but for a tiny handful of pieces.

The only other thing I've kept of my old collections (aside from boxes of clutter I haven't had the time or patience to sell yet) are my detector finds. Those have more sentimental than monetary value anyway. (I've kept every old coin I dug while metal detecting for the last 22 years.)

Boosibri · October 12, 2014 5:58PM

I've stayed fairly focused on rare gold, in particular better date No Motto half eagles. I have expanded into other gold denominations, and occasionally stray into silver, particularly 1840's-1860's Seated quarters, and world issues. The guardrails which I try and strictly maintain are with regard to quality. I find that when I compromise slightly here for a rare issue, I end up selling the coin more quickly than I expected. As my budget is not unlimited and I struggle to let an A coin in my focus area pass, I more often than not prune my collection regularly in an effort to improve it.

3keepSECRETif2rDEAD · October 12, 2014 6:58PM

<< Sometimes it's easier to toss some items back into the marketplace to fund your main project instead of continuing to write checks with fresh money. >>

...IMHO...fresh money is the only good money...otherwise it's no longer a hobby, but rather an addiction

Erik

ColonelJessup · October 13, 2014 1:06AM

<< I've stayed fairly focused on rare gold, in particular better date No Motto half eagles. I have expanded into other gold denominations, and occasionally stray into silver, particularly 1840's-1860's Seated quarters, and world issues. The guardrails which I try and strictly maintain are with regard to quality. I find that when I compromise slightly here for a rare issue, I end up selling the coin more quickly than I expected. As my budget is not unlimited and I struggle to let an A coin in my focus area pass, I more often than not prune my collection regularly in an effort to improve it. >>

One of the great truths of collecting.

I was talking to a dealer/collector recently whose attitude has been, for the last couple of decades, that his core collection is always for sale..... from the bottom up or, for his jewels du jour, "too much" . While he has excellent access to coins, he has his own standards of "discipline". It works very well for him both financially and numismatically. but sometimes I worry he loses too much sleep trying to satisfy his wide-ranging interests . . .

originalisbest · October 13, 2014 1:12AM

Nope. Variety is what I like and I don't care to tie myself to one particular series, type or year slavishly.

TwoSides2aCoin · October 13, 2014 2:07AM

Sold a bunch to fund the business. I haven't gotten over how much I hate that. But it's business vs. bidness There's a big difference. One of these days I will be able to collect, again and one of these days I hope to "quit loving" 'em.

Type2 · October 13, 2014 2:42AM

Well you need to take one or two steps back to take three or four steps forward. I sell a lot of coins to get the higher graded ones in my collection. But that is just crazy me Type2.

ARCO · October 13, 2014 6:25AM

<< I once asked a friend why he was selling some great coins. He explained that it was time to get serious about his core collection, and that meant selling everything else to raise money for the core collection. Have you ever done that? Or considered it, and decided against? >>

About every six months.

I love all denominations, go on a buying spree, but realize that I do not have the funds for my core passion; Halves, and then I go about selling all the periphery coins. Wash, rinse and repeat, over and over again.

Tyler

leothelyon · October 15, 2014 8:02PM

I could give up one of my best kept secrets here but...................NOT!

Leo

JJM · October 15, 2014 9:40PM

Yip, sold hundreds of coins, little bit of everything, took that same amount of
money and put it into two tidy boxes of 20........

easy to manage, very liquid.....PCGS and older NGC's only

Boosibri · October 15, 2014 10:03PM

Mr.Eureka...what areas of your collection are you deprioritizing?

ColonelJessup · October 15, 2014 10:14PM

<< Mr.Eureka...what areas of your collection are you deprioritizing? >>

He has not yet fully operationalized his deprioritization but has promised me first shot on his "unsearched bags" of 61-D nickels

Boosibri · October 15, 2014 10:17PM

<< 

<< Mr.Eureka...what areas of your collection are you deprioritizing? >>

He has not yet fully operationalized his deprioritization but has promised me first shot on his "unsearched bags" of 61-D nickels >>

Jealous

AMRC · October 15, 2014 11:53PM

Yes, more than once.

ColonelJessup · October 16, 2014 12:12AM

<< 

<< 

<< Mr.Eureka...what areas of your collection are you deprioritizing? >>

He has not yet fully operationalized his deprioritization but has promised me first shot on his "unsearched bags" of 61-D nickels >>

Jealous >>

Play your cards right and perhaps you'll get a chance at his other 61-D coins. They may not be available in the same quantities. . . .

Walkerfan · October 16, 2014 3:13AM

Now THIS is something that I find acceptable or even commendable. I sold almost all of my raw coins and some lower graded slabbed coins, so that I could focus more on my primary Walker goals.

mozin · October 16, 2014 3:48AM

I am on that edge of selling off all my collection but the series I am still working on. Heck, I am even considering selling off some dups in my current working sets. The Bust Half Dollars I want seem to cost soooooooo much these days.

leothelyon · October 16, 2014 6:28AM

<< 

<< Mr.Eureka...what areas of your collection are you deprioritizing? >>

He has not yet fully operationalized his deprioritization but has promised me first shot on his "unsearched bags" of 61-D nickels >>

When the first certified 61-D sold for $28,000, I would be all over those bags.......searching. But for Mr.Eureka, he probably doesn't need the money.........

Leo

Time to get serious...

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The more qualities observed in a coin, the more desirable that coin becomes!

My Jefferson Nickel Collection

The more qualities observed in a coin, the more desirable that coin becomes!

My Jefferson Nickel Collection

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