I think I'm gonna give up coin collecting

LanLord · November 16, 2006 6:47AM

Shizzle, I went to the Santa Clara show today and I was absolutely and completely bored out of my gourd.

I couldn't believe it, everything I looked at just made me wonder what the heck I was doing there.

I think I'll just put all my stuff away in the vault and just forget about it for a decade or two.

What a horrible feeling to simply fall out of favour with a hobby.

291fifth · November 16, 2006 6:50AM

It happens. Sometimes it's good to just lock up the collection and walk away for awhile.

ColonialCoinUnion · November 16, 2006 6:50AM

I can't say that I've ever heard of this affliction before - but fortunately there is a cure:

First, stop buying coins.

Second, stop going to coin shows.

Third, stop hanging around coin related chatrooms.

That should do it.

AU58WALKERS · November 16, 2006 6:56AM

I felt and did the same thing in 1995.
.... BUT I came back and feel good about it.

coinlieutenant · November 16, 2006 6:56AM

Tom,

I have been feeling the same way lately. It doesnt surprise me that you are feeling this way either, especially after everything that you have gone through the last year or so. You have a new body and probably a new outlook. Coin collecting can be addictive, and a big shift in priorities can result in placing collecting further down the list.

Knowing you, you will always be a collector. Perhaps moderation is in your future with numismatics, combined with much more hiking and biking.

John

Cladiator · November 16, 2006 7:00AM

Tom can I hold onto your LOC albums for you?

seriously though...it happens, take a break for a bit and the drive will come back.

Zoins · November 16, 2006 7:00AM

Now isn't the worst time to leave the hobby since prices seem high. If you do want to come back later, a good time would be when the US is in a recession.

Cladiator · November 16, 2006 7:01AM

Hey with the new hips and all you should give me a call one of these days and we can go out metal detecting

notwilight · November 16, 2006 7:02AM

I'll be glad to stop by and take away the offending items. I understand they can cause severe depression with this mindset and I'll just get them out of the house while there's still time.!!!

--Jerry

classiccoin · November 16, 2006 7:06AM

the greedy dealers and 3rd party graders are just screwing themselves as more collectors who are the ultimate end user become frustrated and leave the hobby forever.. all of the slimey coin doctors and low quality rehashed and resubmitted junk in holders and everything else is about enough for any true collector to call it quits..

it has become crystal clear this industry is not able to police and regulate itself and anyone who tells you different is full of it

Cladiator · November 16, 2006 7:08AM

<< it has become crystal clear this industry is not able to police and regulate itself and anyone who tells you different is full of it >>

MikeKing · November 16, 2006 8:01AM

maybe you need to move to the east coast. seasonal changes can be real challenging.

FatMan · November 16, 2006 8:16AM

<< It happens. Sometimes it's good to just lock up the collection and walk away for awhile. >>

Good advice. You'll be back in short order.

Baley · November 16, 2006 8:17AM

it just means you have a nice collection, and can't find anything to improve it.

stman · November 16, 2006 8:33AM

I'll need to check with Dog97, but it seems you qualify for the ol' grumpy collectors club. You're a true collector at heart it seems, you ain't going nowhere!!

Myqqy · November 16, 2006 8:42AM

Did your boredom come about quickly, or was it sudden? Are there aspects to collecting that are frustrating you? Have your collecting interests been challenging you? Are other areas of your life becoming more important?

410a · November 16, 2006 8:49AM

AUCTION! Yes! Yes! Auction it all off now! Prices are high you got
a great collection or so I hear. Consign it all. Rest. Take a break.
The prices will be a rush for you. Then, when it is all over.
You can start again. Start anew.
Prices are bound to go down eventually. If I could tell you the
prices and show you the invoices from 1994 thru 2000. You say
Wow! When is this gonna happen again? It will and you will be
ready for it. Your good eye for quality and pockets full of cash.
Then of course I could be wrong. In that case (unlikely)
Nevermind

Stuart · November 16, 2006 9:05AM

LanLord: Take a break from coins for a while, and see how you feel in a few months after recharging your batteries.

WoodenJefferson · November 16, 2006 9:22AM

Hope you did not bump your head in the region of the occipital lobe?

Bobk · November 16, 2006 9:30AM

Yea, and I'm gonna give up drinking

Give it a break. Everything has its season. Bob

Cladiator · November 16, 2006 9:51AM

<< it just means you have a nice collection, and can't find anything to improve it. >>

As someone who's had the privilege of flipping through LL's Library of Coins albums I can testify that this statement is 100% correct.

Russ · November 16, 2006 9:59AM

<< Shizzle, I went to the Santa Clara show today and I was absolutely and completely bored out of my gourd. >>

Sounds like a typical show in my area. I'm an optimist, though. I still go hoping to find something exciting buried among the piles of picked over crap the dealers have been hauling from show to show for years.

Russ, NCNE

kiyote · November 16, 2006 10:01AM

I've slowed way, way down... the 20th Anniversary fiasco, as well as the "special uncirculated!" W platinum coins really soured me on collecting. I made a good salary but still can't keep up with all of the products coming out, and the First Wives coins have yet to be offered. The reoffering of the 2005 silver proof sets was another head-scratcher.

I haven't quick, I'm just going to be way more selective, which is what I should have been all along.

Instead of 40 $50 coins per year I might just shell out $2,000 for something special, put it away and forget about it.

kiyote · November 16, 2006 10:03AM

<< Hey with the new hips and all you should give me a call one of these days and we can go out metal detecting

>>

That is actually an AWESOME idea. I guarentee you'll never find another way to get your heart racing that much over a VG 1941 Mercury dime.

STONE · November 16, 2006 10:24AM

I've had that feeling a few times at shows and at shops.

You go around looking for something at a reasonable price, but can never find it; no matter how hard you try.

Frustrating!!!!

MrEureka · November 16, 2006 10:37AM

The darkside beckons!

Michigan · November 16, 2006 11:19AM

I don't think it is unusual to get cynical and jaded about this hobby, there is a lot of BS going on over a number of things connected with it. Walking away from coins is probably not a bad idea just to clear your head for awhile.

bidask · November 16, 2006 11:27AM

<< The darkside beckons! >>

You said it! Actually I had a nice US experience at the St.Louis.$ show. I bought a 1919 d merc 10c raw for MS 60 money and was notified today that PCGS is grading it 64 !!

BlindedByEgo · November 16, 2006 11:38AM

I often feel like that until the next big (for me) purchase opportunity comes up. Then it's like a kid in the candy store!

rpw · November 16, 2006 11:47AM

Hi, I normally participate in the currency section but saw this under Santa Clara. You have to realize that there is a major currency show on this weekend, PCDA in St. Louis and a tremendous currency collection is being auctioned there. I was going to go to Santa Clara until I discovered that any dealer who has anything to do with currency (even if their major dealing is coins) is in St. Louis this weekend. I live near Monterey and am staying home this weekend for that reason.

dthigpen · November 16, 2006 11:56AM

Good idea.

Doogy · November 16, 2006 12:16PM

<< The darkside beckons! >>

indeed! i've pretty much weened myself off of US coins, as the type and desigs of world coins are stunning! there are soooo many varieties to collect, it would be hard to be bored.

TheRaven · November 16, 2006 1:02PM

I think it is healthy to walk away and not read the papers and magazines for a while.....

I have basically done this for a few months now, with the exception of ordering a 3 coin silver set (which I still don't have).....

With some of the 2007 foreign bullion coins poping out I think I need to spend some of my saved up cash.....

Dog97 · November 16, 2006 1:59PM

<<<I'll need to check with Dog97, but it seems you qualify for the ol' grumpy collectors club. You're a true collector at heart it seems, you ain't going nowhere!! >>>

I agree stman.

Everybody is scamming everybody else, ripping everybody off trying to squeeze every single red cent possible from a sale.
The dealers are spiteful & staple their safetymailers so we can’t reuse them, they even pop the bubbles so we can’t even get any leftover functional bubble wrap.
We’re responsinle for getting our payments to them but all they are responsible for is cashing the check.
We’re sposed to pay them for their time waiting in line @ the PO and for drinks afterward, and for gas, oil and wear on their tires when they go to mail our coins because they are too stupid to write it off their Schedule C and too cheap to hire an accountant to do it for them.
They dig empty Snickers boxes, paper towels & klenex out of the garbage and wrap our coins in them because they are too stingy to BUY something we might reuse.
No good coins left unless you spend 100 x sheet, the dealers are shoving their recycled overgraded overhyped junk down out throats and we are sposed to thank them for it.
You can’t voice your opinion on a junky coin somebody posts because we are too stupid to judge a coin from a picture unless it’s a “respected board member” selling it because their pictures are good @ auction time.
AT, repaired and body shopped coins are in as long as they are pretty.
Ohhhh & ahhh over a pos and become an instant “highly respected board member.” Say something less than flattering and everybody tells you to go away you insulting troll you hurt my sissy feelings.
AT is a state of mind, we can’t tell unless we were there and saw it done.
We've discussed Morgans to death and have nothing left to talk about except bad eBay auctions and count fake Chinese Trade Dollars to fall asleep.
All my expensive pop top Registry Set coins are now pop 1000/200 and are indeed mere coke machine fodder.
Jimmy Swaggert, Robert Tilton, George Bush and Oral Roberts are going to hell but scammers here are embraced & forgiven.
Yeah LanLord, I’m about burnt out too.

BigE · November 16, 2006 2:13PM

Has to be one of the best assesments I ever read, except you can still use the popped bubble wrap in your wood stove--------------BigE

BlindedByEgo · November 16, 2006 2:49PM

<< <<<I'll need to check with Dog97, but it seems you qualify for the ol' grumpy collectors club. You're a true collector at heart it seems, you ain't going nowhere!! >>>

I agree stman.

Everybody is scamming everybody else, ripping everybody off trying to squeeze every single red cent possible from a sale.
The dealers are spiteful & staple their safetymailers so we can’t reuse them, they even pop the bubbles so we can’t even get any leftover functional bubble wrap.
We’re responsinle for getting our payments to them but all they are responsible for is cashing the check.
We’re sposed to pay them for their time waiting in line @ the PO and for drinks afterward, and for gas, oil and wear on their tires when they go to mail our coins because they are too stupid to write it off their Schedule C and too cheap to hire an accountant to do it for them.
They dig empty Snickers boxes, paper towels & klenex out of the garbage and wrap our coins in them because they are too stingy to BUY something we might reuse.
No good coins left unless you spend 100 x sheet, the dealers are shoving their recycled overgraded overhyped junk down out throats and we are sposed to thank them for it.
You can’t voice your opinion on a junky coin somebody posts because we are too stupid to judge a coin from a picture unless it’s a “respected board member” selling it because their pictures are good @ auction time.
AT, repaired and body shopped coins are in as long as they are pretty.
Ohhhh & ahhh over a pos and become an instant “highly respected board member.” Say something less than flattering and everybody tells you to go away you insulting troll you hurt my sissy feelings.
AT is a state of mind, we can’t tell unless we were there and saw it done.
We've discussed Morgans to death and have nothing left to talk about except bad eBay auctions and count fake Chinese Trade Dollars to fall asleep.
All my expensive pop top Registry Set coins are now pop 1000/200 and are indeed mere coke machine fodder.
Jimmy Swaggert, Robert Tilton, George Bush and Oral Roberts are going to hell but scammers here are embraced & forgiven.
Yeah LanLord, I’m about burnt out too. >>

Enough of the happy gas - I can't stand it anymore. My gut is about to bust from laughing so hard.

It was supposed to be funny, right?

RegistryCoin · November 16, 2006 2:57PM

<< It was supposed to be funny, right? >>

Dog97 · November 16, 2006 3:02PM

<<<It was supposed to be funny, right? >>>

No, not really.

TwoSides2aCoin · November 16, 2006 3:08PM

Does this mean there is going to be a big SALE now ?

(nevermind, I see it's going to a vault) !

stman · November 16, 2006 3:12PM

Hey Dog, LMAO, but truthfully it's the truth basically everything you said. Doesn't sound very positive. They want positive on here. Folks think he's joking? Hahahaha

<< They dig empty Snickers boxes, paper towels & klenex out of the garbage and wrap our coins in them because they are too stingy to BUY something we might reuse. >>

Yeah I got one of them #10 envelopes with the slab wrapped in a paper towel sitting in my rural mailbox one time. And yes, from a "Respected" board member. I paid at least 5.00 for shipping and insurance on that one. But it's OK, probably self insured. You did know coin collectors have gone into the insurance business didn't you? I didn't say much at the time. After-all.... it was a "Respected" board member, and well, I learned you just don't do that here.

WoodenJefferson · November 16, 2006 3:27PM

Dog97 · November 16, 2006 3:33PM

Oh yeah stman, I forgot to mention the self insured thing. That's a new thing I'm going to try when I sell off my stuff. Whatever a coin sells for I'm going to have the buyer put that same amount in a jar on his desk in case the Post Office loses it. That way he can reach into his jar, pay himself back and be made whole again.
stman you are a ray of sunshine in my very dark & disturbed mind. I always look foward to our late night PM exchange of grumping, fussing & complaining to each other.

Dog97 · November 16, 2006 3:44PM

stman · November 16, 2006 3:45PM

<< We've discussed Morgans to death and have nothing left to talk about >>

Yeah we used to discuss these via PM late at night. But we didn't just say something was "pretty" we discussed how it got pretty and if it made sense. Now there is something I'd like to know that might be worth discussing...... How come all the deep obverse (and sometimes not deep) toned Morgans years ago, on the reverse you would see some kind of tone. Usually a ring of gold/brown around the periph. Sometimes a small crescent of some sort, but something, some kind of tone on the reverse. I actually liked the ring of tone around the periph. Now as you know I don't collect Morgans anymore, but I've owned and seen a few....... The question

why don't we see that as much anymore? I see a DEEP obverse toned Morgan, with a blast white reverse, no kind of tone around the periph.... nothing!!!! And I see that quite a bit these days. Maybe not go there?

No doubt a few will chime in with all the scientific data on this. I just don't get it. How bout you Big Dog?

Konahead · November 16, 2006 3:46PM

SNAP OUT OF IT!

Dog97 · November 16, 2006 4:03PM

<<<No doubt a few will chime in with all the scientific data on this. I just don't get it. How bout you Big Dog?>>>
stman, few can grasp the complexities of all that. Fewer yet even care. PERIOD.
I think maybe LanLord is down in the dumps cause his new ass is bothering him. Maybe we should let him into our Circle of Grump™

stman · November 16, 2006 4:07PM

<< I think maybe LanLord is down in the dumps cause his new ass is bothering him. Maybe we should let him into our Circle of Grump™ >>

Yeah, OK back to the topic. Well, I pre-screened and pre-qualified Lanlord for the grumpy collectors club. I understood that to be my job. You have the final say so. So?

Dog97 · November 16, 2006 4:42PM

<<<Yeah, OK back to the topic. Well, I pre-screened and pre-qualified Lanlord for the grumpy collectors club. I understood that to be my job. You have the final say so. So?>>>

You checked his credentials thoroughly, right? You sure he’s not a dealer? Did you check his eBay & Yahoo! record?

Elcontador · November 16, 2006 4:49PM

Lanlord has a point and Dog wrote it up well. I've bought all of two coins in the last year. It gets very frustrating, seeing pretty toned coins that don't look how toned 170 year old coins should look go for 2x to 3x greysheet or more. People can't seem to get enough of this stuff.

Ditto re auction coins that have ridiculous reserves. You know the drill, the dealer is asking the moon for the coin, it grows moss on its north side for four to six months, so he puts it in an auction for the same amount, hoping to finally get a bite.

I've given up looking for pre 1835 material; some 'investor' will write a blank check for it. Perhaps I've set myself up for this, as I'm looking for a business strike Barber Half in PC 5 or 6, which is probably the ugliest classic coin for the grade. Perhaps I'll have to convert to Islam and make a pilgrimage to Mecca in order to find one. I already visited the shrine in Fátima, Portugal, and that was two years ago, so I guess it didn't work.

I can really understand his frustration. I'm not one to buy a coin just because (fill in the blank). It's either a nice coin at a reasonable price, or no thank you.

stman · November 16, 2006 4:58PM

<< <<<Yeah, OK back to the topic. Well, I pre-screened and pre-qualified Lanlord for the grumpy collectors club. I understood that to be my job. You have the final say so. So?>>>

You checked his credentials thoroughly, right? You sure he’s not a dealer? Did you check his eBay & Yahoo! record? >>

Yeah, he's good man. I actually met him briefly in person at last years ANA. Now, he never said he wanted to be "In" but once we recruit they really don't have a choice do they? And we don't recruit and just let anybody in.

Dog97 · November 16, 2006 5:06PM

<<< << <<<Yeah, OK back to the topic. Well, I pre-screened and pre-qualified Lanlord for the grumpy collectors club. I understood that to be my job. You have the final say so. So?>>>

You checked his credentials thoroughly, right? You sure he’s not a dealer? Did you check his eBay & Yahoo! record? >>

Yeah, he's good man. I actually met him briefly in person at last years ANA. Now, he never said he wanted to be "In" but once we recruit they really don't have a choice do they? And we don't recruit and just let anybody in.>>>

Ok, he’s in since you vouched for him. Can’t be too careful nowdays with all those wannabe grumps trying to infiltrate us.

I think I'm gonna give up coin collecting

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