Ever been in a Coin slump??
keets
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I seem to be in the middle of a Coin slump. It's not that I have lost interest in collecting or anything like that, I just can't convince myself to make any significant purchases right now. That's been going on for well over six months now. To me, it seems like the kind of things I'm trying to find are either unavailable or priced past a point I feel is reasonable for me to pay. Auctions which in the past have cycled through at least twice a year with interesting, desirable offerings have been pretty much empty.
I haven't had this happen in more than 15 years.
Fortunately, there is other stuff to pique my interest so I've been looking but not buying in some new areas. Also, it's caused me to delve into my collection and to really "look" at what's there.
Ever had such a slump??
Al H.
Comments
yes, and I feel the exact same way.
And it has been about 6 months for me also
BHNC #203
Been going on for a couple years for me
I really WANT to buy something.
Just haven't found anything.
As you mentioned, the material just isn't there.
This feeling is actually quite common among collectors of many things. Not just coins. I think it relates to a feeling of being priced out of the market more than anything else. The collector looks at prices and decides that, from his financial standpoint, the collectible he loves looks like a poor value for the money. Not willing to cut his standards, he just stops participating in the market.
I agree with 291fifth. I'm to the point where I only have holes in my folders for the semi-key & key coins, and am not prepared/able to go after those. So I'm left with just keeping up with each new year's issues. That & minor trades. But even those opportunities are fewer & farther between......... Frustrating.
The darkside beckons
Latin American Collection
When I get in a funk like that I start looking through my collection for varieties and mint errors. Often gets me back on track and, even without finding anything special, it makes me appreciate what I have.
The darkside beckons
291fifth summed things up nicely and I actually spent about an hour last night looking at Canadian Dollars, but apparenly the same thing. so now I focus in the interim on what Windycity stated.
I am closing in on completing of my 7070 Type Album (No Gold) again and I am kinda choosy about the last four holes.
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Or you have the money for a change and nothing is showing up for your sets
Lafayette Grading Set
Yes, that's the way I feel. U.S. coins have too many issues going on right now, and I've hit an unexpected brick wall with the one U.S. coin I need to complete a set.
I have one "dark side" coin that is a brick wall, but that was expected.
Yes...been there...done that...when my wife had cancer I lost all interest in my coins and my guns, talk about a slump...since she has been cured...little by little I came out of that slump and am back into being myself again.
It's a little different for me as more of a dealer/collector. But I also have periods where I can't bring myself to buy anything and other periods where I can't stop myself from buying. It's just natural. Some of it's what happens to be available to buy. I think some of it is just life cycles or biorhythms or whatever you want to call it.
Yes, and then when it rains, it pours!
That's what other hobbies are for. I rotate hobbies all the time.
I have several hobbies, so moving between them seems to prevent such slumps....just never enough time to do all the things I want to do... so that seems to prevent any potential issues.
Cheers, RickO
Busy day, busy day...no time to make dessert... so maybe just a glass of Cabernet...
Many times! But I also think right now the falling prices are making me hold back until I see where they stabilize.
WS
Sometimes, a slump can last so long, I feel I may be sadly phasing out of the hobby. But almost as a surety, if I keep looking at coins online and at shows etc, inevitably something will come along that I feel like popping for. I think that the longer I'm at this and the larger the collection gets the longer the distance is between purchases. It just takes more to get me excited than it used to, thats not a bad thing.
Sometimes I feel the US market is so maxed out and I've met most of my goals there, its hard to find something both interesting and a good value. By the time I see it its passed through to many hands. My last significant purchase was Dark Side Swiss Double Taler. Those are rocking my world. Who knows where those will take me, but I'm def not out of coins. Its I'm my DNA, just taking the chains off and opening up all the possibilities.
Slump. That reminds me of a farmer who bought some gold roosters and silver eagles from me. He was born with the name. Then there is a friend named Rich. Tells me he was born Rich and he will die Rich. And in between, he is going to be filthy rich. I don’t blame them.
For me, it's been about finding the right stuff for the collection, and have only made one addition this year. I have gone after some nice hole/registry inventory fillers, but have been blown out of the water. From what I'm seeing, attractive, properly graded eye appealing coins still have a following. I'm not in an Eeyore mood, unlike a few posters here.
10-4,
My Instagram picturesErik
My registry sets
I also collect political buttons and tokens, and there is a lot of interesting stuff that you can buy in that area that costs a lot less money and has far fewer grading issues. It has problems, which I refuse to buy, is okay or quite nice. You don't have to worry about 70 grading points or even 11 gradding points on the MS scale.
More a mood than a slump. I’m stubborn and that affects me most.
I slumped for years........literally. It wasn't till my grandson brought over some rolls of steel cents he found in a house that was going to be razed that I perked up.
(My grandson demolishes buildings with his dad)
Pete
Bought two coins all of last year for myself. Neither for my core sets either, they were just so nice and original I wanted them. Ill be on the hunt this weekend though for a piece or two for my Barber Dimes set.
I feel the same slump in my collection. It seems to have been going on for the better part of a couple years.
I've bought a couple nice coins during the time, coins I knew I wanted and knew I would like, but in the end it was just something to put into a safe place and hopefully be happy that I did it sometime in the future.
It sucks
@keets
Also another factor is working for a dealer or being a dealer. You and I see much more material than the average person. We know what customers want and try not to buy that for ourselves, but for them. We see so much material we lose track of what we collect ourselves if we collect at all anymore.
Slumps are good. It's a time to re-evaluate priorities and weed out stuff that doesn't float your boat. I sold about half of my collection last year. It was definitely the right thing to do and re-invigorated other areas of the hobby for me.
If the entire idea of collecting loses its luster for me someday..... no big deal. I have plenty of other interests to keep me occupied and I don't absolutely need the value of the collection to keep me solvent.
I just move around numismatics. Currently working on several different "creative" sets, including foreign and medals. Spending more time reading, learning photography, As with many of you, I would do more with US coins, do more upgrading, but knowing I or my heirs will likely take a big haircut slows me down at the price levels I've run into.
Slumps can help you figure out what you really like and appreciate in your collection. Sometimes when there's so much stuff available, I'm just buying, but when the thin times come, it's good to regroup and appreciate what you have.
During the thin times, I'm trying to keep focus and limit what I buy that is not part of my core collections. This can be both challenging to withhold, and enjoyable to acquire. One reason for the limits is because when pieces are available, sometimes collections are being disbursed so I have to be prepared to buy multiple pieces in a short time, which I'm not always able to do to the extent that I would like.
I've been in one for a couple years now.
I also went through a BIG slump when my wife died.
I have since partnered up with a fantastic lady who actually encourages my coin craziness. Wife did too.
But .... CURRENTLY.... I'm not finding anthing that REALLY says "special."
I have some sweet stuff and enjoy it.
But lately I'm finding that I enjoy much more modest material that is just plain "wholesome" and/or "attractively circulated."
The transition "feels" strange, but it's current and running.
I have a box of stuff in to Great Collections right now just coming up for auction and as my previous sales with them, I find after the box hits the mailbox, I don't have any regrets.
And that's sorta surprising.
But.... my real surprise was looking at the stuff I sent in and it was ALL US.
I included one darksider that I ...should....have returned but it was just too much bother and I regret now not doing that.
Some of my old "wants" seem not so important. At one time, I thought I ...needed... a Pine Tree Shilling and now.... meh.
Kinda weird.
Oh well, I've changed directions before and probably will again.
After all it's SUPPOSED to be a "hobby."
I also wanted to mention that I can take pleanty of pleasure in enjoying others collections here. Some neat stuff I’ll never own for one reason or another. It can be enough for me just knowing the stuff exists. Maybe its only my purchases that are in a slump which I’m equating to a slump in my collecting interest.
Absolutely. You spend time developing a set and at some point the coins needed to complete it are either too elusive, too costly, both, or there just aren't any left other than upgrades perhaps.
My main collecting interest started as a simple type set (a Dansco, darkside so not the 7070). Once that set was pretty much done I sat and looked at it for a long time before deciding what to do next. Turned out I got interested in some date sets, varieties, and now even some errors. Had to let the thoughts percolate for awhile but eventually I saw what 'needed' to come next.
Medals and exonumia make a good option too in that there is rarely an end point like to a 7070 or a defined set. Well, you could pick a set, but if you go for themes then that is pretty open ended. Especially if the theme is 'I like it'.
Another thing I tried was standing up a vanity website while I wasn't buying much (and trying to manage respectable photos to populate the site). Lots of new skills there, plus doing research on some of the content. So a buying slump can happen, but eventually something takes off and all of a sudden I've had a run on coins to buy. Ones I never thought I'd get, yet here they are.
The geek in me made me post this.
Your observation that the coins you want are "either unavailable or priced past a point [you] fee is reasonable to pay" brings me to the conclusion that it is possible that the coins you seek are at a new higher price point and those prices are reasonable. I have noticed the coins I want have dried up considerably and the ones that do show up are going for prices that are much higher than anyone would expect. This has been going on for awhile and it is clear to me that the coins I am interested in have gone up in price regardless of what the price guides say. One could hope that there is a cycle where these coins become available at better prices but it could just be the indication of a new reality as to the value of the coins that you are seeking.
I just went through a slump at the end of last year after 8 years of pure passion. I wanted nothing to do with coins starting in November. Now I've come back with a fervor.
Twas a short slump!
Only when I have other more important expenses to worry about. That usually doesn't last very long. The other thing is finding the right coins....that can be a challenge in and of itself.
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 been in a huge slump for years. I got into the hobby in 2008 and until 2010 or 11 I was spending part of every day on it. Then, I trailed off. From 2013 to late 2017 I was pretty much totally out of the hobby...so much so that I have even forgotten not only some of the stuff I once knew, but also where most of my collection even is. It's not that there's nothing to add, either. I collect low-end circulated stuff, and that's usually not hard to find. I also collect world coins (whatever I can get my hands on, I like it all) and those are pretty easy to find as well. I just stopped.
In April 2013 i came literally 5 minutes short of dying from a disease I didn't even know I had. That played a role, because after that I didn't really touch the hobby for a while...I even had to give up a hobby that used to be #1 because I had to pay for the medicine that keeps me alive somehow, and that hobby only worked if I got everything available. Coins were never my #1 hobby, except for a short time in 2008-10 (or maybe a little later, I don't remember for sure).
Now, I'm starting to get back into it. I'm not really buying anything but I'm back on the forum regularly. It's a start! I'm saving up for a possible trip for my main hobby so I'm basically looking to spend$10 a month or so this year. Unfortunately my local coin shop closed in 2017, which limits my options.
Even when I was away I wasn't totally out of the hobby. I still read the Numismatist every month, and I still checked every coin my family got...and I did make a couple of purchases periodically. But I was mostly away from the hobby.
yes, i am in one right now. my interest level has not waned, but my impulse to buy has. i never thought of it as a slump, but maybe it is. i thought it's just that i have out-priced my taste.
Sure. I've gone months between posts here on this site, entire seasons between going to coin shows and almost a year between purchasing coins.
It's good to step away once in a while and re-evaluate. Things happen, life happens. Bigger, more immediately important purchases happen. Then you come back with renewed interest, a new angle or perspective or follow a new avenue to start collecting.
It's less a slump than a sabbatical.
"Bongo hurtles along the rain soaked highway of life on underinflated bald retread tires."
~Wayne
I don't believe any of you experiencing this "coin slump" are doing nothing more than.....responding (watching) what the coin market is ACTUALLY doing.
Might I challenge each of the coin slumps, to find a NEW venue to purchase from? I do not necessarily mean a new to you dealer....but go find another avenue to purchase from.
Do not be afraid to make an offer at 75 to 80% of asking price either. You might be pleasantly surprised.
My slump was over a decade long but I’m back now.
My slump is caused by having one just graduated from college, another in her second year and another going after next year.
Haven't bought or sold anything in two years. Only three type coins interest me. They're tough to find, and at best, I'll be able to buy one of them a year. It could easily take years to find one of them.
It's harder for me to rotate hobbies; after running for 49 years, I have worn out the cartilage in my right hip, so although fortunately, it didn't get to the point where I am in pain and am working out on the cardio machines at the gym, I can't run any longer. It was a big deal.
My other hobby is photography. To improve / expand my horizons there is very time consuming and technology driven endeavor. I don't want to spend 45 minutes editing a photo it took me several minutes to compose and shoot, and it's an easy thing to get into.
It's a lot easier for a helpful person to point me in the right direction re numismatics than with photography.
I still like to travel, but that's a once a year thing for a big splash sort of trip.
"Seu cabra da peste,
"Sou Mangueira......."
Sure. Seven or eight years ago I started to just pay attention to the hobby in the wintertime and pretty much just put everything away the rest of the year, and I've been on a diet, rarely broken, of just one significant acquisition a year. I spend a ton of time reading and looking, and do very little buying. That's been enough to keep it interesting when I'm active at all.
I look at roughly 200 coins online per day but have not found anything that makes me press the buy button as of yet.
"A dog breaks your heart only one time and that is when they pass on". Unknown
brings me to the conclusion that it is possible that the coins you seek are at a new higher price point and those prices are reasonable.
and that conclusion would be wrong, but you can indulge it if you'd like to.
I dont know what you collect so it is difficult for me to say too much but if the only coins that you collect are only available at a price point you believe is too high----why is the conclusion "wrong"?
Many Collectors need to have an 'expensive' collection and an 'inexpensive' collection.
Or a 'difficult' collection and an 'easy' collection.
These don't have to be in the same kinds of item or genre, but coins and exonumia offer many choices or alternatives.
With more than one collection, when you can't do one primary interest (for whatever reason), then you can do the other.
Of course, one caveat is don't get so carried away with the inexpensive item(s) that you tie up too much funds that it gets in the way of your 'greater' or primary interests.
One can avoid a 'coin slump' by diversifying one's numismatic interests. Monomaniacs often make great achievements, but monomaniacs have a way of experiencing burnout.
We are living at a pretty great moment for coin-related books too - coin books can stimulate you when you are having a rough patch in the collecting/accumulating part of the hobby.
It happens all of the time. In the past couple of years I've focused more on the stock market. I've started taking some profits some of which will eventually find their way into the coin market.
At this time yes. And many times in the past.
I was very active in my niche area in November and December, finding and buying some nice stuff. I also took the time and devoted the effort to post many threads and in those threads post photos of many of my new pick ups and of my best 1950-1970 Cameos. It was time consuming and fun, with some welcome feedback from other forumites.
However, since finishing that I have deep sixed the collection, have not spent time on the hobby, have not been very active on the forums and have be snowed under with legal work. I assume I will come around back to the hobby later this year.