When collecting started, What you collected, and Why

Bossman88 · February 25, 2008 4:10AM

I started in 1960 as an 11 year old. Uncirculated coins of all types. My goal was to fill all my whitman coin folders with uncirculated coins to complete a set of all US Mint issued coins produced since my birth year of 1949. Very proud to say I have complete uncirculated and proof sets and since 1999, I update each year thru mint subscriptions. Now working on my PCGS Registry sets.

BobSav · February 25, 2008 5:15AM

I too started around 1960 with the blue folder for Lincoln pennies. My mother worked part time at " Brigams" ( a boston ice cream shop ).
She would let me sort through her "tip" money for pennies to fill the holes. Man that was fun when I found a new one. I still have that folder.......

Bob

pf70collector · February 25, 2008 5:24AM

I started in 1975 with my first purchase from the U.S. Mint-a bicentennial proof set. I still have it. I guess I was always a modern collector even back then. Though stamp collecting was my true passion back then with great encouragement from my mom. She would take me to Hutzlers in Baltimore and stamp B&M shops. I think that is where I got the collecting gene from.

cladking · February 25, 2008 6:09AM

I started in 1957 with buffalo nickels from circulation.

My father offerred to let we boys go through his change and have for free any
coins we needed for our collections. My brothers were getting first crack at the
cents so rather than take picked over coins I went with the nickels. It just made
sense to get 5c free rather than a penny anyway. Also I liked old coins and in
those days the buffalos certainly looked old. Most before 1927 lacked dates. I
got pretty good at telling the dates apart though since I was able to watch them
wear off over a period of years.

It's ironic that I didn't really even like uncirculated coins and didn't attach much
importance to condition. I'd always look for buffs with nice solid dates but didn't
realize that one should look for higher grades for the first year or so.

It was the mid-'60's before I was exposed much to more serious collectors. This
was when I started learning a lot more about coins and found a few copies of the
coin magazines. Fortunately I wasn't taken in by the roll and bag boom and even
managed to make a few dollars off of it. When the price crashed the only thing I
had was a few gemmy '58 dimes which had been mislaid (and still are).

After the buffalos I collected just about all the US non-gold series one or two at
a time. In the mid-'70's I got into world coins to pick silver from junk bins but soon
found that there were sometimes pretty rare base metal coins in them, too. Once
I had the Krause pretty much memorized I got into tokens and medals as well just
to have more stuff to learn and more opportunities to cherry pick and collect more.

About ten years ago I started focusing on the moderns since I felt time was running
out to accumulate them. It appears I jumped the gun a little.

dizzyfoxx · February 25, 2008 6:33AM

About three and a half years ago. Early Commemorative coins, with toning that appeals to me. Why? ...'cause they're purty.

seemyauction · February 25, 2008 6:45AM

I sat for hours looking through Wheat Cents with my grandfather.

The first coin I ever purchaced, was at a little show that is still in the same location, an 1865 3 Cent Piece......I was 5 or 6 years old.

I can still remember my grandfather's puzzled look when he ask, "What made you decide on a 3 cent?"

I told him, "I don't know, its just different than the Wheat Cents."

lmking304 · February 25, 2008 6:49AM

My grandfather had a little tin. An English Breakfast tea tin, the kind for loose tea. In the old tin there were a few old coins. Specifically a 1936 Mercury Dime, I loved, I had to have.

He knew I coveted that little tin. When I was a teen he gave it to me. I held onto it through a few rough years.

Now the tin is diplayed in my kitchen, Mr. Merc is in a 2x2 and I am collecting everything! I am trying to have focus, but I am so new to making conscience coin buying decisions, that I want them all!

blueifalcon · February 25, 2008 8:21AM

Around 2003 after finding the bay and seeing wheat pennies for the first time in decades. However, I quickly migrated to the Morgan Dollar, because I fell in lust with her. I also like any kind of silver coins within range.

DoubleEagle59 · February 25, 2008 8:24AM

Started in the early 60's with my older brother.

My Dad would bring home the 'money box' full of change every Friday night and we'd pick through it. You could find coins (Canadian) going back to the early 1900's (dimes and quarters).

Our first 'album' was a paper notebook which we would scotch tape the coins into.

JoeLewis · February 25, 2008 8:25AM

I started collecting in the early 80's. The only sets I was working on were Lincoln Memorials and Jefferson Nickels. I remember going through my dad's huge jar of coins (pocket change) on the living room floor trying to fill in the holes.

These sets were very doable from pocket change (except the very early Jeffersons) so they suited my 10-year-old allowance quite well. I remember drooling over an uncirculated Franklin Half I saw.

joecopper · February 25, 2008 9:21AM

I started mid60's Buffaloes and SLQ's -- saw the light in late 90's om early copper

percyb · February 25, 2008 9:22AM

Mostly Liberty and Roos Dimes...when I was 10...my father had a laundrimat...and the machines took dimes. It all started then...to bad I cracked a few to buy goodies from the Good Humor man.

Cameonut · February 25, 2008 9:33AM

I started collecting in the early 60's from change that was in bags from parking meters. So my Whitman folders were full of cents, nickels, and dimes. I could not afford quarters or halves. In those days, the silver coins circulated freely, I did get one early circ Walker from pocket change.

I also got a proof set for my birthday or Christmas starting in 1961. That is what ulitimately hooked me on collecting.

Eagleguy · February 26, 2008 12:24AM

My grandfather got me started in the mid 70s with his Whitman folders of Lincolns, Jeffs and Buffs. When he died I inherited the rest of his collection, mostly Lincolns in 2x2s. We also found several paint cans in his garage filled with rolls of cents and nickels. I spent years going through them, filling out my albums, rolling the "newer" stuff and separating out all the wheaties. Occasionally I'd find a merc dime or even a barber or two mixed in. I can still smell those cans and those rolls in my memory. Ah, good times!

JH

ahooka454 · February 26, 2008 12:40AM

I started collecting coins and the like about 4 years ago now. I got hurt at work and was in the hospital recovering. Anyway, I had a birthday shortly after my injury and my dad got me QDB's " Experts Guide to Collecting & Investing In Rare Coins." I was hooked and read the book 3 times in about a week.
My dad tried many times over the years to get me to collect, but I was busy chasing girls and parting. 40 years this hobby has been good to him. I hope I get half as much from coins as he has gotten.

I havent looked back since. Its funny how becoming 100% disabled at a young age can have positive impacts on ones life. If this injury never happened I wonder if I would be here today collecting history???

I hope Im still here in 40 years...

crispy · February 26, 2008 12:42AM

Any old wheaties I could find and afford to keep. Even a few pennies were a lot to set aside for a little kid at that time but I would make that sacrifice when I could. Scouring my Dad's change was a daily highlight, but I had to replace the coins I took with my own. He wanted me to understand the value of money. Shining his shoes was often a way to get a wheatie or two if I didn't have any "replacement" money. Now that was what a being YN was all about.

crispy · February 26, 2008 12:44AM

<< <i>Anyway, I had a birthday shortly after my injury and my dad got me QDB's " Experts Guide to Collecting & Investing In Rare Coins." >>

Great book. I was paging through it just Sunday evening during the Oscars.

ChuckC · February 26, 2008 12:57AM

In a nutshell:

1987, coins in circulation, grandpa.

ahooka454 · February 26, 2008 1:00AM

<<Great book. I was paging through it just Sunday evening during the Oscars. >>

Yea it is. It created a monster in me for coins! If theres any one book I recommend its that one. I t covers so much and really is about just the heart of collecting coins. Sorry, that book means alot to me. I never thought one book could change my life and one did.

ArizonaJack · February 26, 2008 1:03AM

Just like many of you, I started by helping my uncle Skip search wheat bags in the 60's. He would take me to Ernie Lush Co. in Detroit on Saturdays and we would each get a wheat bag, I got the whitman folders and became hooked myself. My first show was a MI state show in Dearborn, and have been in and out several times. I will admit, I started back in this time when the 1st new buffalo hit my pocket change a few years ago....back with a vengance.

Shamika · February 26, 2008 1:42AM

Started collecting Lincolns in 1973 from circulation with an occassional addition via a local coin show. Why Lincolns? Because at the age of 7, my only source of income was $0.35/week for taking out the garbage thus elminating the option of collecting Saint Gauden's Double Eagles. It wasn't until I was old enough to push a lawn mower before I could afford the "expensive" stuff.

JJM · February 26, 2008 6:16AM

1970

crispy · February 26, 2008 6:27AM

<< <i><<Great book. I was paging through it just Sunday evening during the Oscars. >>

Yea it is. It created a monster in me for coins! If theres any one book I recommend its that one. I t covers so much and really is about just the heart of collecting coins. Sorry, that book means alot to me. I never thought one book could change my life and one did. >>

My first book and the only book that I owned for many years was the "Handbook of United States Coins - With Premium List" or "bluebook". The grades for most coins listed were: Good, V. Good, Fine & V. Fine. I wore the heck out of the that book.

droopyd · February 26, 2008 7:00AM

started collecting in the early 60s with lincoln cents from circulation - as that's all a little kid could afford! i don't think i actually bought my first coin for several more years.

CoinsAreNeat · February 26, 2008 7:11AM

I started collecting in 2003 with the regular coin boards and then got a collection passed down to me. Found a 1931-S cent in a bank roll.

mgoodm3 · February 26, 2008 7:14AM

Serious collecting as an adult: Early lincolns, half dimes, type. I thought half dimes were kinda cool. Had never seen one before.

When collecting started, What you collected, and Why

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