Trip to my LCS today

I apologize in advance if this post is not to everyone's taste. It's purpose is to hopefully entertain and/or inform other forum members/numismatists.

I've been a forum member here for a few years. I belong to other forums both coin and non-coin. This forum in particular stands out, as many of you know, as being exceptional in it's content. There is a treasure trove of numismatic and historical information available via the search bar.

I was first introduced to coin collecting by my Grandmother as a kid. Sometime in my mid to late thirties (less than a decade ago) I rediscovered the hobby. I have never been a man of great wealth and therefore must live vicariously through the exploits of others. But I love the hobby, and history, and learning. After a bit of trial and error I learned to "buy the book before the coin". I found that I love to pore through 90% looking for nice examples for spot. I found a favorite series , Washington quarters 32-98. I built a raw crusty collection of silver Washingtons that are in a Library of Coins album. I put together a nice set of clad Washingtons ( thank you @cladking ). I discovered, learned about, and even own a couple cheaper examples of Merriam tokens/medals ( thank you @DCW ). I discovered that there was a name for "the look" i love so much and that the term was coined on this very forum ( Thank you @LordMarcovan ). Point being, it's been fun and worthwhile.

I am fortunate enough to be close to a pretty good LCS. The owner and his family have become friends. I haven't been there much in the last few months. I've always played in the shallow end, but it's been more of a drought as of late. There was no way I could justify in good conscience spending more than ten dollars on coins today. But I decided to stop by anyways, even if just to catch up and maybe talk a little politics/economy/state of things, etc.

They were pretty busy. I spent about forty five minutes looking through some 90% and some world/miscellaneous silver that he sells for about spot. I joked that in today's economic climate I was switching my CircCam collecting from quarters to dimes. I found three perfect crusty Roosevelts. An 1880 Canada ten cents. A 1918 and 1922 three pence. And a 1925 10 centavos. I knew without asking him what he would tell me my total was........drum roll please..............ten dollars.

I might have ( definitely ) bought the Mistruzzi papal medal he was selling at spot, but since I didn't have the money I pointed it out to him and he pulled it from the tray.

I think the reason that I am sharing all of this is that I was very cognizant in that moment that my enjoyment of the hobby was greatly enhanced by the knowledge I have learned here and elsewhere - instead of hampered by my financial restraints.

Thanks for reading!