If a collector doesn't care to look through change, is he/she still a collector ?

coinsarefun · June 23, 2019 1:44PM

Say they have a collection of coins, medals and tokens slabbed
but, never assembled a coin series or looked through change,
does it make them less of a collector?

illini420 · June 23, 2019 1:49PM

I sort of thought about that earlier this week when I took my change jar to the coin star machine. I know I usually took a look at stuff before putting it in the jar, but it felt wrong not going through it all again before cashing it in. Ha!

MasonG · June 23, 2019 1:50PM

No point looking through change if you collect world coins.

ctf_error_coins · June 23, 2019 1:52PM

As an error guy, I do not look at change unless it has just been released (current year).

When I want a cool error coin, I look to someone else who found it or bought it from someone who found it, etc.

Their labor is cheap, or undervalued, IMO.

oldabeintx · June 23, 2019 1:52PM

Hope not. Haven't looked at my change since the late 60's.

BillDugan1959 · June 23, 2019 1:52PM

No point in going through change if you value your time at more than two cents per hour.

Zoins · June 23, 2019 2:01PM

I don’t think it’s necessary, but so do think finding coins in change provides an experience not available other ways.

Many people stopped looking in change once it was hard to find silver and other old coins.

MFeld · June 23, 2019 2:05PM

Not unless the collector is (supposedly) a collector of pocket change.

Walkerfan · June 23, 2019 2:08PM

Heck no, I really have no interest in pocket change.

jmlanzaf · June 23, 2019 2:11PM

Fun question, but this is potentially the kind of attitude that kills hobbies. One of the things that made stamps unfriendly to newbies was that old-timers were always telling them that they were doing things wrong.

There is NO HIERARCHY of collectors to my mind. If you want nothing but pocket change in your collection, you are as much a collector as someone with a complete proof gold type set. You just have different interests.

P.S. I know that this would be a more relaxed forum if FEWER people were staring at their pocket change and imagining rare errors.

ARCO · June 23, 2019 2:15PM

@coinsarefun said:
Say they have a collection of coins, medals and tokens slabbed
but, never assembled a coin series or looked through change,
does it make them less of a collector?

Collecting pocket change? Sort of like collecting rocks out of your garden?

Mdcoincollector2003 · June 23, 2019 2:17PM

I do, why you may ask? It takes five seconds to look at the change you just got and I have found many wheat cents, minor errors, and some silver.

BryceM · June 23, 2019 2:25PM

I listen for silver, but that’s about it.

PerryHall · June 23, 2019 2:29PM

I collect US gold coins. After many years of searching I finally gave up trying to find any in my change.

lkenefic · June 23, 2019 2:32PM

Maybe a different perspective : when I was a kid, I remember sifting through Lincoln Cents trying to find a '72 DDO. It was much easier to find silver then, but not totally unheard of today. Back in the day, it was also how I filled my albums.

Obviously, times change and so do collecting habits and interests. I'm much more interested in finding a nice Classic Head LC for my type set than culling through Lincoln cents. For me, the time is better spent searching through auction sites and online dealer inventories.

That said, I still won't pass up a silver piece if it comes my way in pocket change.

Zoins · June 23, 2019 2:32PM

@PerryHall said:
I collect US gold coins. After many years of searching I finally gave up trying to find any in my change.

Gold coins are certainly hard to find but so are “golden” coins

RogerB · June 23, 2019 2:51PM

Sure. I look though my credit card receipts every day - but have yet to find a "keeper."

amwldcoin · June 23, 2019 2:59PM

I used to look through my change like a hawk....when I got it! I just don't use cash except at coin shows and rarely get any change.

jwitten · June 23, 2019 3:00PM

I hardly ever use cash, but on the rare occasion I do, I still glance at my change. Obviously, there is never anything worth keeping.

Zoins · June 23, 2019 3:03PM

I wonder how this is going to affect future collectors as my impression is that may collectors got started collecting as YNs by looking through change. Then when collectors got older and had some disposable income, they would switch to buying coins for collecting.

If collectors no longer have the YN experience when collecting is free, will this reduce collecting's popularity in the future as it needs to complete with other things to spend disposable income on, without the fond memories of youth?

ricko · June 23, 2019 3:10PM

I have always checked my change.... still do....and yes, I do cash transactions frequently. Kids still get change as gifts, or to buy goodies...The hobby will survive... Cheers, RickO

smokincoin · June 23, 2019 3:20PM

I almost always use cash and takes 30 seconds or less to look through the change every evening. Anything worth keeping gets kept and the rest goes into the jug which gets taken to the bank once or twice a year. To me, to answer your title question Stefanie... yes. Your OP question... no.

Jzyskowski1 · June 23, 2019 5:03PM

Made me wonder when I heard that a group of collectors and dealers or such were releasing a bunch of collector coins into circulation similar to the w quarters for regular folks to find and perhaps be drawn to the hobby. Anyone know how that’s working out?🙀jzyskowski

Walkerfan · June 23, 2019 5:35PM

@PerryHall said:
I collect US gold coins. After many years of searching I finally gave up trying to find any in my change.

Not any Walkers being spent, these days, either.

thisistheshow · June 23, 2019 5:59PM

I already know that many collectors no longer or never have checked their pocket change. That doesn't make them less of a collector.

I do not collect errors, nor for the most part any coins I may find in circulation (other than lad Washington's), yet I find it difficult to even put my change in my pocket without giving it a glance.

coinpalice · June 23, 2019 7:31PM

i always check the newest quarters for the W mintmark

BLUEJAYWAY · June 23, 2019 8:42PM

Always have, always will.

daltex · June 23, 2019 9:59PM

No. There is no such thing as a "coin collector". It is just an umbrella term for all of us. It is simply too broad a field to collect EVERYTHING. Those who try end up with accumulations, not collections. If I'm only interested in NCLT of Pacific Ocean nations (or for that matter Seated coinage) there is little point in checking my change. If I'm interested in minor die varieties of Memorial and Shield cents, it would be foolish not to.

Bottom line: nobody is going to tell me I collect the wrong way.

chrisfl · June 23, 2019 10:04PM

not less of one ... but they can miss out on a "found in the wild" find. they can be the most fun. a 1940's cent in pocket change puts a smile on my face.

rln_14 · June 23, 2019 10:18PM

I always check my change, never know what you find

Hemispherical · June 23, 2019 10:40PM

Always check. Dislike being shortchanged.

Hard to believe but there are some (behind a register) who cannot count.

ricko · June 24, 2019 6:02AM

Just to revisit this thread, a coin collector is one who collects coins... no matter how, no matter what type of coins. Method, types, varieties only matter to those of different interests, not to the hobby. Cheers, RickO

2ndCharter · June 24, 2019 6:05AM

I collect National Bank Notes - I keep checking but I've never found one when getting cash out of the ATM.

cardinal · June 24, 2019 6:45AM

Some time ago, I helped a friend sort through some dimes. She had 5 mint bags with $1,000 in dimes in each bag. That's 50,000 dimes!!! The crazy part was that they were all mint state Mercury dimes that had been set aside during the 1940's, and we were searching for any rare dates.

coinsarefun · June 24, 2019 8:00AM

Wowsers @cardinal That would frighten me to death to go through that many
I guess the reason being that I'm losing eye sight from all the steroids so I'll stick to the big stuff
BTW, you didn't say what you guys found

Broadstruck · June 24, 2019 8:39AM

I pull out wheat cents and silver... Not enough hours in the day to glance for varieties.

cardinal · June 24, 2019 8:46AM

@coinsarefun said:
Wowsers @cardinal That would frighten me to death to go through that many
I guess the reason being that I'm losing eye sight from all the steroids so I'll stick to the big stuff
BTW, you didn't say what you guys found

We did pull out a number of gem Mercuries from the 40's. Sadly, no Full Band 45's! We also found some dimes from the 20's and 30's, but none of those were key dates or uncirculated.

Eric_Babula · June 24, 2019 9:39AM

@coinsarefun said:
Say they have a collection of coins, medals and tokens slabbed
but, never assembled a coin series or looked through change,
does it make them less of a collector?

To me, there is no such thing as “less of a collector”? In my world, it doesn’t matter if you only collect what you find in pocket change, or with your metal detector, or through roll searches, or if you only go to coin shows or your LCS and buy what’s there, or if you only buy on eBay, or if you only buy 4-digit, 5-digit or more expensive coins. You’re still a collector. Each person has to collect what they want, how they want, and within the financial means that they have. There is no right or wrong way to collect.

And, I don’t value one type of collector over another. It seems that some collectors look down on others who do not collect the way they do. In the OP, it reads as if one is looked down upon if they don’t search their pocket change. More frequently, I feel like those who can afford the 4-digit + coins, slabbed only by PCGS, look down on those who can maybe rarely afford one 3-digit coin. Regardless, it’s wrong to look down on how another collector collects. It hurts the hobby. I’m just as happy for the person who gets excited about finding a silver VF Roosie in their pocket change that can fill a hole in their Whitman album as I am for the person who just finished their PCGS gold Registry set all in MS-66+.

Jzyskowski1 · June 24, 2019 10:35AM

What the heck is 3. Digit coin 😳20 -40 bucks slabbed all day eBay I feel rich 2 coins a month. My pensioners perspective 😔😩🙁🤩🙁😔🙀jzyskowski

savitale · June 24, 2019 11:02AM

I’m down to about 10 retail cash transactions per year. I do glance at my change but I can’t recall ever finding something worth keeping.

I suspect the slow demise of circulating coinage will affect the low end of the hobby since folks won’t need to buy things to fill in empty holes in their circulation finds Whitman folder. Probably not much impact beyond that though.

DiggerJim · June 24, 2019 11:22AM

I agree with @Eric_Babula & @Jzyskowski1 & @savitale. I look at everything. You just never know. I’ve been at this less than one year and have come a long way IMO. But some of the above comments kinda hurt after listening to all the “how are we gonna get more people interested in this hobby” comments. You maybe could have gone at it differently. Us bottom feeders will keep searching and eventually stumble on a diamond one day and we will be the happiest guy on this forum. And then buy the 3-4 digit coin.

Still reading you guys every day.

DiggerJim

thisistheshow · June 24, 2019 11:31AM

Its like saying someone is not a collector if they don't check their Peace Dollars for VAMS

I posted a thread a few days ago saying I looked through 160 face of 90% Washington's and I said up front I know it's not for everyone. We are all collectors or we wouldn't be here.

johnny9434 · June 24, 2019 11:32AM

yes and no. I do a quick glance for silver or the random wheat back that shows up

OKbustchaser · June 24, 2019 11:42AM

Pocket change is what I use to buy "real" collectable coins. Didn't search it in 1962...still don't. Doesn't mean I think those who do are wrong--just different.

asheland · June 24, 2019 11:45AM

Although I collect mostly gold and type coins, all slabbed, I still find myself looking through my change. I can't help it.

Eric_Babula · June 24, 2019 11:53AM

@Jzyskowski1 said:
What the heck is 3. Digit coin 😳20 -40 bucks slabbed all day eBay I feel rich 2 coins a month. My pensioners perspective 😔😩🙁🤩🙁😔🙀jzyskowski

Sorry, didn't mean to exclude you..........1-digit coins are great, too, if that's what you collect! I just got eight 1965 Kennedy Halves at the bank for $4.00, and I'm happy about that!

DIMEMAN · June 24, 2019 12:31PM

No need in looking thru change for what I collect. I do make sure it is all modern stuff.

Bullsitter · June 24, 2019 12:44PM

I look, usually find 2-3 wheat cents a year, no silver in years.. Always put them back in circulation for new or young collectors. Found a 1937 Lincoln that was VF a few months ago...

Gluggo · June 24, 2019 7:17PM

I use a Credit Card , Amazon, Pay Pal so I never have any change. Food gets delivered so no never again. No need for change.

If a collector doesn't care to look through change, is he/she still a collector ?

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