How many times have you (mostly) sold everything and started over again?

braddick · December 25, 2014 9:36AM

Twice for me.
The first time was right after college, before moving back east for a job offer.
The second was moving to San Diego county and needing a down payment on a home.

Since then, odds and ends get sold but my core collection remains fairly intact.
Biggest regret? Had a simply delightful Chain cent in VG that I sold for 1K (this was back in 1985) along with other
totally original type.

mozin · December 25, 2014 9:41AM

Back around forty years ago, I sold off almost all my coins taken from circulation. Silver was high at that time. Never much sold off sets since then.

jdimmick · December 25, 2014 9:46AM

Once,

sold personal collection to open a B & M back in 2008. Started repurchasing personal coins late 2011 when we were making piles of cash. things now are quite slow, haven't had big funds to buy anything huge as of late. bought a coin at Baltimore that was 16k and it was tough to absorb the spent funds.

puffer · December 25, 2014 10:13AM

I sold a lot of precious metals and collectible coins around 2009 and got into stocks. Biggest investment mistake I ever made. Trade what you know and seek seasoned unbiased counsel with all your financial decisions.

MGLICKER · December 25, 2014 11:04AM

As a decade long buyer and seller of coins, my "collection" has been quite fluid.

Would be nice to put a real silver type set together.

ricko · December 25, 2014 11:38PM

Never..... collection stays...that is why I buy them... Cheers, RickO

Boosibri · December 25, 2014 11:48PM

Once officially. I flipped from commems and random stuff into gold. Funny enough, the coin that got me into it was one of JDimmick's that he notes above. An 1850-D $5 which was my first gold coin and one I have to this day. It has sentimental value being the coin which stated off my passion for rare gold.

I have turned over my collection of gold partially as my standard evolve and my interests refine but it has always been narrowly focused within that niche.

crypto79 · December 25, 2014 11:57PM

Sold my (mostly inherited) childhood collection to fund living at the beach during the summers while in college

Sold my back into collecting type/all-over-the-place collection to focus when I found my niche

One day I will sell everything again when I find the perfect vacation house.

duck620 · December 26, 2014 12:02AM

Twice for me.Often think about all the coins that past though my hands..........

Ken.

Sonorandesertrat · December 26, 2014 12:23AM

Sold almost everything three times.
1978: Sold my British gold and Austro-German talers
1988: Sold my Swiss shooting medals and coins, early Colombian silver and gold, several bags of circ. U.S. silver coins, and Peace dollars
2007: Sold my Barber half dollar and Standing Liberty quarter sets, as well as assorted colonial and federal U.S. type coins
Now: collecting large cents, selected U.S. medals, coins for a Dansco 7070 album, numismatic literature, and random stuff (including contemporary counterfeits and electrotypes). My collection is less focused than before, but I am enjoying it more.

Type2 · December 26, 2014 12:23AM

Sold off a lot of stuff that i can pick up when ever i want. Keept all the stuff thats a bit tuffer to find. But I never sold everything to start over just cleaned house a bit.

Nickcap · December 26, 2014 12:30AM

I am in the process of selling my entire collection. I just cannot have it right now since I am going through a nasty divorce.

One day after this is over, I will collect again.

BillJones · December 26, 2014 12:38AM

I have never sold out completely, but in the early '70s, when I took my first run as a coin dealer, I sold a number coins that I had collected in high school. Fortunately I didn't sell anything that was really "important."

lkeigwin · December 26, 2014 12:52AM

Never. If anything displeases me I sell it, not the whole collection.
Lance.

shorecoll · December 26, 2014 12:55AM

Twice'ish. Once sold everything to buy out a business partner. 2nd time sold most of my good stuff to start a new business. In retrospect I wish I had found another way both times. I have never been able to rebuild what I sold the first time. I have also sold bulk silver at market tops, but that's what it was there for.

DennisH · December 26, 2014 1:02AM

Once officially. Sold off the main Morgan collection to pay off the house.

Doing it again now more or less. Maybe to boost the kitty for early retirement, maybe to buy a trophy coin.

scubafuel · December 26, 2014 1:05AM

Only once, to go to college. I don't recommend ever getting back into coins if you sell your entire collection, because you'll have to live with the regrets!

Luckily, most of the good stuff in my series was still available when I finally got back into it. Some is likely gone forever though.

A VG chain cent for $1k?? Now that is a heartbreaker...

johnny9434 · December 26, 2014 1:09AM

once in my twenties because was in need of cash. never did again

jdimmick · December 26, 2014 1:28AM

To comment on some of the above after posts, there is only one , maybe two coins I regret selling. Everything else , I have been able to re-quire nicer .

there is an 1870-cc quarter in an old green pc 25 that I would love to have back. it is the one coin that I truly wish I had back to this day.

the other is an 1803 draped bust dollar , that was just so nice. PCGS 53 that I bought from stevel elwood back in the day.

ARCO · December 26, 2014 1:33AM

<< <i>To comment on some of the above after posts, there is only one , maybe two coins I regret selling. Everything else , I have been able to re-quire nicer .

there is an 1870-cc quarter in an old green pc 25 that I would love to have back. it is the one coin that I wish I had back to this day.

the other is an 1803 draped bust dollar , that was just so nice. PCGS 53 that I bought from stevel elwood back int he day. >>

Twice for me.

There are about 50 coins I regret selling. Can't find them nicer or cheaper.

paesan · December 26, 2014 1:45AM

Never have sold an entire collection or set, but when I do, I'll be moving on and would not rebuild the same set. It's like going out with a girl that you broke up with.

Paesan

bosco5041 · December 26, 2014 2:19AM

I don't know if this is a what you ask but I started over many years ago because my collection was stolen by a friend visiting at my house. He stole the entire collection which was only a few hundred dollar collection at the time. I traced them down and connected him to the theft. I did not report it to the police because he promised he would repay me. Silly me, he did not repay me but around $40. Needless to say our friendship is not more.

yellowkid · December 26, 2014 5:43AM

I've sold collections in different areas many times, have actually sold a good many of my coins to help pay for my Florida place two years ago. My interests change and there is only so much money. Some one told me once that if you couldn't sell a coin it owned you. It's just stuff, albeit neat stuff.

oih82w8 · December 26, 2014 5:43AM

Once, earlier this year, I tried to sell a few of my "higher brow" coins in varieties collection...they did not do very well. I would not do it again.

Dave99B · December 26, 2014 9:37AM

Never.....I have turned over some coins over the years, of course.....maybe 10%?, but usually it was because I upgraded to a nicer example.

Dave

cladking · December 26, 2014 12:43PM

Just once. It was when I discovered girls and that there was no money left over to buy coins anyway.

Purfrock · December 26, 2014 2:15PM

Never. I do, however, sell off coins when I upgrade, or am disappointed with. That's about it for now.

TwoSides2aCoin · December 26, 2014 2:59PM

Just once. And if I get married again, I would sell it all first. Woman and my coins never got along. That's why I'm alone and have coins.

Some claimed I had the wrong woman. Some said I had the wrong coins.

nwcoast · December 26, 2014 3:09PM

Not yet.
Have sold portions and pieces for upgrades, but the WHOLE thing?
No way!!!! (Borderline) hoarders do not sell their hoards.

OnlyGoldIsMoney · December 26, 2014 3:18PM

Once - from 2006 to 2008 I sold off complete Buffalo Nickel, Mercury Dime and Walker short sets, partial Large Cent and and Morgan Dollar collections, and my 1950-1964 CAM and DCAM (cent through half) collections.

Today my collecting is limited to the $2.50 set in my signature line plus modern gold commemoratives purchased at or about melt.

nepbrs44 · December 26, 2014 11:11PM

Sold it all off in my early twenties. Never again till I sell the whole thing.

ms70 · December 26, 2014 11:30PM

Once. I was slowly becoming disenchanted with collecting and wanted a Shelby GT500 instead. I still have the car and I'm collecting again.

JJSingleton · December 26, 2014 11:30PM

Only once. Sold off my first collection of Morgan Dollars. I miss several of those coins so I am unlikely to sell off my current collections until it is time to stop collecting in total.

DeepCoin · December 26, 2014 11:41PM

Three times, once when young I sold off all my low grade collection when silver was almost $50 and ounce. Mostly Mercs and Washies, was VERY happy to get the money in those poor days. Twice more, when I decided I had too much money tied up in coins I sold off my No Bands Merc collection (which I still miss!) and also more recently my Washington collection (no regrets).

Now working on a type set that will probably last a good long time as there is no monetary pressure to sell for any reason.

sparky64 · December 26, 2014 11:47PM

Never, but it's high time I unload all the common, damaged, bland and redundant ones that plagued my early collecting style.
i.e. 10 pieces of junk rather than 1 nice keeper.

Mission16 · December 27, 2014 12:28AM

Yep. Sold both my Indian and Lincoln sent sets about a week after I filled the last hole. That was about 1990, I don't recall what I spent it on but it was probably frivolous.

Didn't start collecting a series until Proof PAE's came about. And in recent years, an "everyman's" 7070 type set.

SmEagle1795 · December 27, 2014 1:31AM

Twice, once in my transition from poor quality US to good quality US, then to ancients. I don't have a crystal ball but I don't see myself selling the bulk of my coins for a long time. I have about 10 pieces I could live without and 10 more which could be upgraded, but the rest would be difficult to improve upon so I'm keeping them.

rec78 · December 27, 2014 1:51AM

Once. In 1979 I needed $6,000 for a down payment on my first house. I sold my Morgan collection for exactly that amount. I wish I would have gotten a loan instead. I never replaced the quality of that set. With the dispersion of the Redfield dollars in the 1970's it was easy to complete a nice quality set of Morgans for a fairly low cost. (I had $2,200 invested in the set). That was most of my value in coins at the time. I still have most of my childhood sets intact however but they aren't worth very much money. After I bought my house I started to slowly re-accumulate coins over the past 35 years.

Bob

jcping · December 28, 2014 12:50PM

Done that once on Spring 2008 when I felt I had a hard time to add coins (the coins that I needed were all expensive) to my grand daddy type set. Paid off my mortgage and this is the best decision that I ever made ;-)

Right now, I am re-grouping and look forward a new series to collect.

Rayman311 · December 28, 2014 1:06PM

Once. The collection was fragmented and I found a new direction.

dagman100 · December 28, 2014 1:16PM

For me, it was a change over from moderns to early gold and liberty gold ($5).

curly · December 28, 2014 7:54PM

Once, when I was a young pup, I sold everything to buy groceries. Mrs curly cried.

Now, I am an old dog and I have been slowly selling everything and buying real estate to keep Mrs curly comfortable.

Treashunt · December 28, 2014 9:50PM

twice.

Baley · December 29, 2014 2:51AM

I sold a lot of my common silver coins in 1979-1981 to get a smaller number of older type coins, and sold some gold and silver 2010-2012, again to fund better type coin purchases.

Give me one more bullion run before all is said and done and I'll be out of all my 20th century type coin duplicates, BU rolls of 90%, generic gold, ASEs and AGEs, etc and into US coins dated 1793-1797

crazyhounddog · December 29, 2014 2:53AM

I sold some of my key date buffs to a guy that made me an offer I couldn't refuse. I am now in the process of replacing them.

How many times have you (mostly) sold everything and started over again?

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