I started out collecting when I was 8 years old 10 years ago. I took a long break but then began again around 2-3 years ago and have bean seriously collecting for around 1.5 years.
I started probably around the late 70s, when my dad started us by looking through pocket change, and eventually took us to a coin show. Then, I collected a little here and there thru about 1983ish. Then, mostly off (some purchases in High School and college, but not much. And, on and off since then. Wish I had the time to delve into the hobby more completely! Some day, I'll get to retire and spend more time on the things I really like to do!
First coin show in winter of 1967-68. I was eight years old. I never stopped collecting after that, but didn't have a lot of money for it until I started raising pigs when I was in high school. Coins and beer competed with each other for a while, but I usually had enough money for both.
1966, 53 years collecting and selling for the the majority of the past 18 years. Both storefront and eBay.
On BS&T Now: Nothing. Fighting the Fight for 11 Years with the big "C" - Never Ever Give Up! Member PCGS Open Forum board 2002 - 2006 (closed end of 2006) Current board since 2006 Successful trades with many members, over the past two decades, never a bad deal.
I think it was 1959, when the Lincoln Memorial cents started replacing the Wheat cents, that I first took notice of coins. I thought the new reverse was a streetcar for quite a while. That was actually a thing back then. So I was 10 then, I'm 70 now = 60 years.
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 ... ?
Since 1950, when I got a Columbian half on my paper route....been collecting ever since...sometimes more diligently than others, but coins - no matter what country I was in - always fascinated me....I do not have all the coins I collected... various moves and lifestyle changed lost them in the shuffle... still have some of the old ones though...Cheers, RickO
Looks like I'm pretty much tied with @BillJones and @1946Hamm and beaten by, among others who perhaps have yet to speak up, @Ricko .... pretty august company, IMHO. I'll take it.
Coin collecting for me started in the mid 80s after I found a mercury dime with a metal detector I bought at Radio Shack. I began attending shows and collecting as much as I could afford at the time. Pretty much stopped from the mid 90s until about 5 years ago.
Since about 1973 when my dad returned from his SE Asia tour courtesy of the USAF - lots of Australian, Singaporean, Vietnamese and Japanese coins and banknotes.
Tir nam beann, nan gleann, s'nan gaisgeach ~ Saorstat Albanaich a nis!
Started with a Lincoln cent album given to me by my grandfather when we visited a coin show in Orlando in the late 70’s. A long break as I discovered girls, cars, and chasing a career. Got interested again when I entered my mid-40’s.
Cool stories! For me, a few years in the 70's as a kid; then started up again in 1995 - the 1995 DDO 1c got me interested again. My sister-in-law worked at a bank and got me a box of 1995 1c, found 4 of them
I guess when the Dr that birthed me gave Mom and Dad a 1921 Morgan dollar. (Wasn't born in 21) I had that one graded by PCGS MS62 in early 2000's and had it stole as well. I have since bought 1 back but its not the same. Anyway, that got me started when my parents told me about it in the '70's. Been buying off and on since then. Have been out of it for the last 10 to 12 years, just now getting back into it.
I started Whitman Folders in 1955. I got really serious in 1963. My first big purchase with a partner was a large batch (50) of 1968 Proof Sets. The dealer gave them to us at a steal! He knew the market was dropping and the only "steal" was the money we lost. LOL. I learned a very important lesson that month.
Someone in 1975 that had been collecting that long would have started in 1931, the year my patenal grandparents got married, looking at uncirculated buffalo nickels and 1920s cents the way we look at ATB quarters, not having to hide their gold from Roosevelt yet, but not being able to buy booze legally (especially if they were only 8 at the time).
About 1949 I guess.
A "Mr. Skinner" gave a talk to our class. 4th or 5th grade.
He had actually SEEN Lincoln. Not for very long but he described the carriage and the parade he saw.
He gave each of us kids a 1949 penny with a dent inside the O of ONE. I kept that coin for years. Can't recall now when the last time I saw it was. Wish I still had it.
Funny how things like that stick. Without that little penny, I probably would have forgotten him.
Coins can create memories.
When I was 6 my uncle showed me his cillection. Later, he bought me a Lincoln folder for my birthday and I started I started to fill in the holes from my dad's pocket change (he would only let me keep the pennies and occasional silver). That was 1970
1965, I was in a bowling league (77 or so average.)
After paying for the games and shoes, I had a dollar left. The other kids went to the Chinese restaurant for the lunch special...I went to the bank and traded the paper for 2 silver halves, which they usually had.
Suppose that I was more of a silver hoarder than a collector.
I started coin collecting seriously in 1987, but stopped in 1993 for about 25 years and started back up again about 2-1/2 years ago. Not very long I guess, less than 10 years. For the 25 year break, I collected Nolan Ryan cards. Now I do both, but with a bigger focus on coins.
Comments
2 years ON N' Off
Happy 3 months Anniversary @Coin_nut1977 and continue having FUN learning and collecting
Since February 1961.
I started out collecting when I was 8 years old 10 years ago. I took a long break but then began again around 2-3 years ago and have bean seriously collecting for around 1.5 years.
50 years.
I started probably around the late 70s, when my dad started us by looking through pocket change, and eventually took us to a coin show. Then, I collected a little here and there thru about 1983ish. Then, mostly off (some purchases in High School and college, but not much. And, on and off since then. Wish I had the time to delve into the hobby more completely! Some day, I'll get to retire and spend more time on the things I really like to do!
Rocking my "shiny-object-syndrome"!!!
Summer of 1961.
First coin show in winter of 1967-68. I was eight years old. I never stopped collecting after that, but didn't have a lot of money for it until I started raising pigs when I was in high school. Coins and beer competed with each other for a while, but I usually had enough money for both.
1966, 53 years collecting and selling for the the majority of the past 18 years. Both storefront and eBay.
Fighting the Fight for 11 Years with the big "C" - Never Ever Give Up!
Member PCGS Open Forum board 2002 - 2006 (closed end of 2006) Current board since 2006 Successful trades with many members, over the past two decades, never a bad deal.
Since 1979, on & off. Lately, on for about 10 years.
Off and on from about 8 years old...... which was a long time ago.
The longest stretch of "on" is most recent, lasting about 9 years. I think it will last much longer than the other runs.
Great transactions with oih82w8, JasonGaming, Moose1913.
Since fall of 1959. I was 13. My history teacher collected coins and gave me a 1936 nickel that got me started.
.
54 years
Since 1961. Lots has changed since then.
“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson
My digital cameo album 1950-64 Cameos - take a look!
I think it was 1959, when the Lincoln Memorial cents started replacing the Wheat cents, that I first took notice of coins. I thought the new reverse was a streetcar for quite a while. That was actually a thing back then. So I was 10 then, I'm 70 now = 60 years.
Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays, y'all all!
(The Southern über-inclusive collective noun.)
Kind regards,
George
Out of change early 60's. First purchase was a 1968 proof set for too much money from a mall coin shop.
Since Christmas week, 1959.
Since 1950, when I got a Columbian half on my paper route....been collecting ever since...sometimes more diligently than others, but coins - no matter what country I was in - always fascinated me....I do not have all the coins I collected... various moves and lifestyle changed lost them in the shuffle... still have some of the old ones though...Cheers, RickO
Looks like I'm pretty much tied with @BillJones and @1946Hamm and beaten by, among others who perhaps have yet to speak up, @Ricko .... pretty august company, IMHO. I'll take it.
Kind regards,
George
Since 1967 here.
8 years
2011 I was 7
Collector
91 Positive BST transactions buying and selling with 56 members and counting!
instagram.com/klnumismatics
Coin collecting for me started in the mid 80s after I found a mercury dime with a metal detector I bought at Radio Shack. I began attending shows and collecting as much as I could afford at the time. Pretty much stopped from the mid 90s until about 5 years ago.
Since the early sixties.
Since about 1973 when my dad returned from his SE Asia tour courtesy of the USAF - lots of Australian, Singaporean, Vietnamese and Japanese coins and banknotes.
Since the early 70's
I started about 54 years ago. My uncle put me to work sorting Lincoln cents.
Sometime in 1968
Off and on since 1957
Started with a Lincoln cent album given to me by my grandfather when we visited a coin show in Orlando in the late 70’s. A long break as I discovered girls, cars, and chasing a career. Got interested again when I entered my mid-40’s.
Cool stories! For me, a few years in the 70's as a kid; then started up again in 1995 - the 1995 DDO 1c got me interested again. My sister-in-law worked at a bank and got me a box of 1995 1c, found 4 of them
Successful BST Transactions: erwindoc, VTchaser, moursund, robkool, RelicKING, Herb_T, Meltdown, ElmerFusterpuck, airplanenut
I guess when the Dr that birthed me gave Mom and Dad a 1921 Morgan dollar. (Wasn't born in 21) I had that one graded by PCGS MS62 in early 2000's and had it stole as well. I have since bought 1 back but its not the same. Anyway, that got me started when my parents told me about it in the '70's. Been buying off and on since then. Have been out of it for the last 10 to 12 years, just now getting back into it.
Since I was 6 years old. I still have my Whitman Blue Book of wholesale prices that I bought when I was seven.
I started Whitman Folders in 1955. I got really serious in 1963. My first big purchase with a partner was a large batch (50) of 1968 Proof Sets. The dealer gave them to us at a steal! He knew the market was dropping and the only "steal" was the money we lost. LOL. I learned a very important lesson that month.
Staring in 1968, I collected for 2 years. Since, I've been collecting for 4.5 years which is a total of 6.5 years.
40 yr
I see what you did there......
Great transactions with oih82w8, JasonGaming, Moose1913.
Since spring 1964.
Gosh, I’m getting old.
🎅 🎄
A: The year they spend more on their library than their coin collection.
A numismatist is judged more on the content of their library than the content of their cabinet.
Since 1985
Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value. Zero. Voltaire. Ebay coinbowlllc
Since 1975, so 44 years on and off, mostly on.
Someone in 1975 that had been collecting that long would have started in 1931, the year my patenal grandparents got married, looking at uncirculated buffalo nickels and 1920s cents the way we look at ATB quarters, not having to hide their gold from Roosevelt yet, but not being able to buy booze legally (especially if they were only 8 at the time).
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
Off and on since the late 70’s or early 80’s.
About 1949 I guess.
A "Mr. Skinner" gave a talk to our class. 4th or 5th grade.
He had actually SEEN Lincoln. Not for very long but he described the carriage and the parade he saw.
He gave each of us kids a 1949 penny with a dent inside the O of ONE. I kept that coin for years. Can't recall now when the last time I saw it was. Wish I still had it.
Funny how things like that stick. Without that little penny, I probably would have forgotten him.
Coins can create memories.
When I was 6 my uncle showed me his cillection. Later, he bought me a Lincoln folder for my birthday and I started I started to fill in the holes from my dad's pocket change (he would only let me keep the pennies and occasional silver). That was 1970
1969 with coins taped to cardboard.

Later came the Whitman.
This is page one of my Lincoln cent collection circa 1973
My Saint Set
1965, I was in a bowling league (77 or so average.)
After paying for the games and shoes, I had a dollar left. The other kids went to the Chinese restaurant for the lunch special...I went to the bank and traded the paper for 2 silver halves, which they usually had.
Suppose that I was more of a silver hoarder than a collector.
Sort of wish I had lunch with my pals instead.
I started coin collecting seriously in 1987, but stopped in 1993 for about 25 years and started back up again about 2-1/2 years ago. Not very long I guess, less than 10 years. For the 25 year break, I collected Nolan Ryan cards. Now I do both, but with a bigger focus on coins.
Donato
Donato's Complete US Type Set ---- Donato's Dansco 7070 Modified Type Set ---- Donato's Basic U.S. Coin Design Set
Successful transactions: Shrub68 (Jim), MWallace (Mike)
My initial interest began back around 7th or 8th grade (paper route got me started). But got back into it around 2003 with more funds to play with.
Thank you!
Wow! I have a lot to catch up. I Better start eating healthy
Doesn’t take much. I started just recent found a buffalo and thought is was cool!