To follow up on Saint Guru's "What the hell am I doing?" thread...

MrEureka · October 19, 2006 5:27AM

Please tell us the method to your madness. In other words, what do you collect, what don't you collect, and why? Also, tell us if you have a goal and if you think your goal is realistic.

notwilight · October 19, 2006 5:29AM

I collect random things that make me happy. I'm over my younger compulsive days when I needed to put endless energy into completing a set or collection--not that there is anything wrong with that for those of you who do.

--Jerry

guitarwes · October 19, 2006 5:32AM

I'm trying for a MS type set. But, collect anything that "blows my dress up" so-to-speak.
I like all toners, big time!

MrEureka · October 19, 2006 5:33AM

I collect random things that make me happy. I'm over my younger compulsive days when I needed to put endless energy into completing a set or collection--not that there is anything wrong with that for those of you who do.

Interesting. In my "younger compulsive days", I'd collect the way you do now. Now, I'm far more focused and goal-oriented.

saintguru · October 19, 2006 5:41AM

Well now.

I will add that I have changed my goal. I wanted to build a set of Saints with a minimum MS64 and the higher the grade the better. All coins had to be original surfaced. I did not care about completion. It was definately quality over quantity.

NOW...I have decided that rarities are what I want, so I have sold or traded many of the coins that are not so hard to find in lieu of the real biggies. I'd rather have 20 killer coins than 48 mixed-rarity. i believe that the demand for the better coins will superced that of the less scarce dates over the long haul.

TorinoCobra71 · October 19, 2006 5:42AM

I LOVE to collect almost anything PRE-1965.....Gold and/or Silver!

TorinoCobra71

Moose1913 · October 19, 2006 5:48AM

<< <i>I collect random things that make me happy. >>

I couldn't have said it any better.

saintguru · October 19, 2006 5:52AM

That would have to include stuff that wifey would definately not approve of.

Then she would get my COINS!

DUIGUY · October 19, 2006 5:53AM

<< <i>I collect random things that make me happy. I'm over my younger compulsive days when I needed to put endless energy into completing a set or collection--not that there is anything wrong with that for those of you who do.

--Jerry >>

mrearlygold · October 19, 2006 5:54AM

An interesting evolution. A collector from the midwest who finally sold his completed goal ( I think it was completed) of dimes, went on to rarities.

Myqqy · October 19, 2006 5:56AM

My goals have been to complete a full set of dates and mintmarks for morgans from 1878-1890- in a dream world, every date and mintmark would be represented by an attractive toner example and an attractive prooflike example. No bland white widgets allowed. I'm still working on a complete cameo set of franklin proof half dollars, and working on a complete date set of bust half dollars by date only. And I'm doing a 1970 birth year set with any and all coins international.....
I need more money......

silverpop · October 19, 2006 6:01AM

world and US coins

If the coin has good looks and i don't have it or need to replace one of my other coins i'll buy it

No goal

1798CentCollector · October 19, 2006 6:10AM

My goal is to collect the Cents of 1798 in the top 12 of the Noyes Blamd Condition Census and in with excellent surfaces and eye appeal. Additional criteria, where possible, is to acquire examples with interesting provenance. Completion of obtaining all 44 varieties of 1798 cents ( not including the NCs) is probably not realistic, but completion was secondary to the other criteria. I find the early cents, varieties, die states, and their history entirely fascinating.

1921obsession · October 19, 2006 6:19AM

I bought my wife a DMPL Morgan as a Christmas present two years ago. When it arrived, I was hooked, and back into coin collecting after a 25-year absence.

A few months later, I realized that a complete set of DMPL Morgans was a ludicrous goal given my budget. That same day that I stumbled upon a really nice 1921-P VAM-24A on Ebay. An attitude adjustment was in order, and a collection was born. Today I have almost 75 individual 1921 VAM's, and collecting them all (well, except the '21D 1X) is a realistic goal. That is, as long as I stifle Norm, Terry and a few others who are bent on discovering them faster than I can collect them.

MikeInFL · October 19, 2006 6:20AM

I am actively collecting towards two goals....

The first goal is a redbook variety set of matron and braided hair large cents in XF-AU grades. Since childhood, I've been interested in large cents, and this was one of the first things I picked back up when I got reinterested in coins a few years ago. I think this goal is realistic, and I am about 60% complete.

The second goal is a US type set. Again, something I started as a child that I am continuing as an adult. As part of this goal, I'm also putting together a 1905 proof set. For the type set, I'm about 50% complete and I think completion of this set is realistic, although some of the very early types may present financial challenges to aquire them in grades that I would find satisfactory.

I have several other numismatic projects (including circulated Washingtons and Lincolns), but the two listed above are the ones that I spend the most time, effort, and money on...Mike

Barndog · October 19, 2006 6:23AM

capped bust half dimes by die marriage and remarriage, goal is 91 die marriages (one more to go). Ideal minimum grade is XF...below that I will seek upgrades. The 91/91 is realistic as is the minimum grade goal. I may need two lifetimes to achieve the latter, but I'm working on that too.

Baley · October 19, 2006 7:51AM

Complete US type set 1793-2000 in gold, silver, nickel, and copper; Draped bust halves by die variety; Draped bust quarters and Lg size capped bust quarters by die variety.

They're realistic goals except for a few "stoppers", which I will need to win the lottery in order to acquire.

Coxe · October 19, 2006 8:06AM

I have collected most classic coins except SGDEs.

For the past 20 years or so, I have been doing prooflike Morgans. It is nearly complete as I concentrated on the keys and semikeys and didn't spin my wheels and blow my money trying to do crossovers all that much. Have some great coins in ANACS holders.

Over most of those two decades, I have also been doing Morgan varieties....mainly as an excuse to keep my upgrades and dupes like any good packrat. (Hey, they are different coins!)

I got into Peace dollar varieties even though I never liked the design and the grading is all ove the place. Have been seriously contemplating liquidating all of them. The one restraint is that I have a very good discovery VAM of the '35-S to my credit.

I do Fugios though very much on the back burner. I love colonials (real ones, not the British imports) and will definitely return to them.

My braided hair half cents is complete and will likely go to auction at FUN as long as the market looks right for it or a better option presents itself. In half cents, I also hoard 1811 and have been doing a die state set for the wide date for ages.

Got into the 1960s SMS coins for who knows what reason. The '65 through '67 sets have been completed for a while but it looks like a bad time to sell them. Probably will gift them to one of my kids. I am keeping the 1964 SMS ones though. I have the cent (PCGS SMS65RD) and the quarter (PCGS SMS64) and will just get the others as they become available, priced ok, and are nice.

Got out of shield nickel varieties, seated varieties, New Orleans half dimes, SF silver minors of the 1860s, quarter and half eagles from SF of the 1860s and 1870s, and Egyptian gold and found none of them to be particularly profitable even though I bought tough pieces in down markets and held for a long time.

Probably TMI here.

shirohniichan · October 19, 2006 8:10AM

I have a number of sets I'm working on. Some are active, and some are on hold.

US Transition Year Type Set (about 60% complete, missing all of the big $ items)
Currently on hold since I'm priced out of the market on early copper and silver dollars

Candian Type Set
100% complete, but still working on upgrades

Commmonwealth George V Silver Type Set
3d 10% complete
6d 10% complete
shilling 80% complete
florin 80% complete
half crown 60% complete
crown 50% complete (probably can't afford the Waitangi for a while)

1875-78 World 20 Cent Piece Equivalent Set
90%+ complete; working on upgrades and getting the final coin I'm missing

Chopmarked Trade Dollar Set
50%+ complete; on hold (getting too expensive to complete)

US 20th Century Type Set
30% complete
Since my Transition Year Type Set is getting so expensive to complete, I've turned to my 20th century type set. I have one for my daughter's Whitman folder, also. It seems odd to have so many coins but not to have a single Walking Liberty half. I'll have to get one one of these days.

MrEureka · October 19, 2006 8:29AM

Like my sig line says, I'm collecting gold coins of the Central American Republic. One day, I may add silver. The goal is completion, primarily so that I can write a much-needed book on the series and illustrate it with my own coins.

I'm also collecting coins of the early 19th century independence movement in Latin America. This is a huge undertaking, especially for Mexico, but the coins are so important, interesting and under-researched that I feel I have to try. If I live long enough and make enough money to fund a meaningful collection, I'd love to write a book on these as well.

Finally, I'm collecting Scandinavian coins. My goal isn't completion, obviously. This is a huge field. I also have no desire to write a book. I have no hope of adding anything of importance to our collective knowledge of the series. Instead, all I want of this collection is to learn enough to intelligently participate in the Bruun auction, likely to take place in the 2020's. (He died in 1922 and his will required that his incredible core collection not be sold for 100 years.) For some reason, this captured my imagination. I'm having fun visiting Stockholm and Copenhagen once or twice a year in search of coins, not needing anything in particular but looking at everything.

Leiana · October 19, 2006 8:33AM

I am working on a US type set, mainly because I am interested in one illustrative example of all major types of US coins. Kinda like a visual history of the United States.

I like to imagine what might have been going on the year a particular coin might have been minted, like in 1804 the Lewis and Clark Expedition was starting and Thomas Jefferson was president.

I also like to have special coins in my collection, ones that are tied to specific memories or stories or friends.

-Amanda

saintguru · October 19, 2006 8:34AM

Shouldn't you be on the Darkside with these alien orbs?

mgoodm3 · October 19, 2006 8:37AM

I have gravitated toward copper for a while now. I started with proof indian cents and have slowly worked into matte proof lincolns and MS indian cents. I have soured a little on the proofs lately, probably just me moving around the field as I find new things that interest me. In my roll as photographer, I have found that I can enjoy other people's coins almost as much as my own through pictures. I have lately been thinking kinda like JB

and pondering having just a few really nice coins.

morgansforever · October 19, 2006 10:13AM

96 ASE's, 2001 D Buffalo's, 95S Kennedy silver halfs, 93S Morgans, any condition, and 1955 P,D, and S dimes. Just some coins that I feel will only increase in value as time goes on.

Keyrock · October 19, 2006 10:25AM

My goal is this set US Cents circulated 1793 to date. I have always enjoyed the copper, sold my proofs and now just focus on the circulation strike cents. It is a doable set just need the time and patience (and money). I have numerous other set besides the coppers which I hope to complete too, but the coppers are my first love.

Elcontador · October 19, 2006 10:35AM

At the moment, I would be happy to look at some MS 65 Barber Halves where I didn't need to either take Compazine or check to see if my tetanus shot vaccination was current before doing so.

jabba · October 19, 2006 11:30AM

I have fallen in love with worn out CC Morgans so Im doing a P01-AG3 set maybe a G4 if I cant find anything lower.

ldhair · October 19, 2006 12:00PM

Over the past 40 years I have put together so many sets and each one was special at the time.
Now it's type coins that satisfy my addiction to this great hobby.

My only goal at this point is to just have fun, both here and with everything I do.

bidask · October 19, 2006 12:39PM

Today I bought a raw 1904 s dime in original vf. I also bought a nice original raw 1809/6 1/2 cent in EF. I also bought a NGC AU 55 1800 $ 5 gold piece with some semi pl surfaces. And finally I bought an original NGC EF 45 Pillar $ for pittance. Really no rhyme or reason other than they were exceptionally nice for their grades.

BAJJERFAN · October 19, 2006 1:01PM

Morgans; my ass likes Morgans. My goal is to get a complete set; again. I also want to add some toners esp common date higher grade stuff like 80-s in 66; some PL examples and some DMPL coins. I expect to have at least the major varieties as well as a bunch of different sorts of toners in a range of grades. I mite have several hundred coins of all kinds when I get done, ranging from blast white to fully toned. Oh, and I don't mind having nice examples as duplicates either.

Doogy · October 19, 2006 1:07PM

good thread!

I focus primarily on world gold coins; I am fascinated with the history behind these issues, their many monarchs that are featured on them, and the amazing artistic designs that are featured on these coins. I am slowly but surely building a collection that I'm proud of, although I'm a far cry from building an Eliasburg world gold collection. I find that NGC does a great job with world coins, and I trust them with my grading of them.

I also collect a few US issues, but mainly limited to US gold and the 2005 Marine Corps dollar (hey, i'm a Marine vet; why not?!). I may be biased, but i think the Marine Corps proof dollar is one of the most beautiful coins produced in the last 100 years in the US. The Iwo flag raising on the obverse, with the tastefully represented EGA on the reverse, makes for one beautiful coin. As an aside; I plan to carry one as a pocket piece all day tomorrow and this weekend in honor of my former roommate while in the Corps. He was killed in Iraq on Oct. 21, 2005 and I think about him often. This coin seems a fitting tribute to his sacrifice.

Doug

Doogy · October 19, 2006 1:09PM

<< <i>My goals have been to complete a full set of dates and mintmarks for morgans from 1878-1890- in a dream world, every date and mintmark would be represented by an attractive toner example and an attractive prooflike example. No bland white widgets allowed. I'm still working on a complete cameo set of franklin proof half dollars, and working on a complete date set of bust half dollars by date only. And I'm doing a 1970 birth year set with any and all coins international.....
I need more money......

>>

ohh! i'd love to see some pics of your cameo Frankies you've accumulated so far!

Doug

To follow up on Saint Guru's "What the hell am I doing?" thread...

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To follow up on Saint Guru's &quot;What the hell am I doing?&quot; thread...

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To follow up on Saint Guru's "What the hell am I doing?" thread...