What's the most you've ever sacrificed to get a coin?

STONE · May 26, 2010 11:04PM

I want to steer away from monetary transactions as much as possible because those are overwhelmingly the most common sacrifice you are likely to make to get a coin. But would work, at least to me, is an uneven trade where you had to give up some of your coins of far greater value in order to get a coin(s) you really wanted instead! Then again these are just examples and ideas to think about.

For me, I've sacrificed full nights sleep, in order to wake up at odd hours of the night (2-4 AM), in order to snipe a bid on eBay.
But probably my largest sacrifice was missing the rehersal of my High School Graduation in order to attend a major coin show! To be honest, I didn't care too much that I missed this because it wasn't really that important anyway, and the real thing was still a couple days later!

So, lets hear your stories - this could get interesting!

speety · May 26, 2010 11:07PM

I missed taking two AP tests to attend the St. Louis Central States show a while back. Oh well, it's making a couple of history classes reallly easy now... lol Also, that was the show where we picked up the 1852 S$1, the first real sign that the interest was there to take on the seated dollar set.

JJM · May 26, 2010 11:14PM

I just gave up a few rounds of golf next week to pu a MS66 Morgan toner............
I didnt have enough Toner Morgans ya kno.............

notwilight · May 26, 2010 11:17PM

<< I just gave up a few rounds of golf next week to pu a MS66 Morgan toner............
I didnt have enough Toner Morgans ya kno.............

>>

Now that is a sacrifice. Certainly not worth it for a Morgan in my opinion. Would I five up golf for a large cent? a 1794 dollar? I guess I would but since I'm a member of a club, golf has no marginal cost to me. Would I quit golf for coins? Don't think so. Last night we watched "The Greatest Game Ever Played", the story of Francis Ouimet winning the 1913 US Open beating the favored Brits including his idol, Harry Vardon, who was, by the way, a great gentleman in losing. My kids, including my kindergarten daughter who claims to "hate" golf, loved it. They especially liked Eddie Lowry, the 10 year old but wise beyond his years caddie for Ouimet. Hard to find evenings like this or even similar historical events in coin collecting. --Jerry

OKbustchaser · May 26, 2010 11:30PM

My late wife and I spent the first day and a half after our wedding to attend a show. (Well, actually I attended--she merely tagged along.) Hey, doesn't EVERYONE honeymoon in Long Beach?

That's also where my tag line occured.

Hussulo · May 27, 2010 12:10AM

A lamb and a goat.
Seriously probably having to sell ten gold coins out of my core collection to pay for my newp.

CaptHenway · May 27, 2010 12:17AM

Do virgins count?

ctf_error_coins · May 27, 2010 12:20AM

Loss of sleep and stress on a certain coin.

To pay another ONE coin, I have sold over a thousand coins and I still owe quite a bit.

Longacre · May 27, 2010 12:36AM

<< 

<< I just gave up a few rounds of golf next week to pu a MS66 Morgan toner............
I didnt have enough Toner Morgans ya kno.............

>>

Now that is a sacrifice. Certainly not worth it for a Morgan in my opinion. Would I five up golf for a large cent? a 1794 dollar? I guess I would but since I'm a member of a club, golf has no marginal cost to me. Would I quit golf for coins? Don't think so. Last night we watched "The Greatest Game Ever Played", the story of Francis Ouimet winning the 1913 US Open beating the favored Brits including his idol, Harry Vardon, who was, by the way, a great gentleman in losing. My kids, including my kindergarten daughter who claims to "hate" golf, loved it. They especially liked Eddie Lowry, the 10 year old but wise beyond his years caddie for Ouimet. Hard to find evenings like this or even similar historical events in coin collecting. --Jerry >>

I agree with Notwlight. Golf is simply too important. In fact, Mrs. L is letting me play in Hawaii which will be a treat. Your very own Longacre has played at the Mid Ocean Club in Bermuda, which was one of the nicest ocean-side courses I've ever played, but is looking forward to playing in Hawaii.

Barry · May 27, 2010 1:11AM

First born male child

determined · May 27, 2010 1:15AM

There was a Chinese eBay seller who sold the hard to find ancient Chinese and Silk Road coins that I collect. He would always post his eBay auctions Saturday nights at around 9:00pm California time. But the problem was that he would list his best coins as Buy It Now. A couple other collectors knew this as well. And I'm sure they were sitting there, just as I was, on a Saturday night, repeatedly refreshing this seller's list to try and BIN the cool and rare coins first.

So sometimes I would miss out on half, or all, of Saturday evenings with my friends just to compete for coins.

But he no longer sells on eBay. So I'm a free man again on Saturday nights.

renomedphys · May 27, 2010 1:26AM

I used to worry that I would lose credibility with my wife, but coin (profit) related events of late have remedied that. About the most I ever had to sacrifice was getting stuck with a crappy personal line of credit from the bank until I realized that they were charging me like 14.9% annually instead of the 7.9% that they promised. I pressed the bank to remunerate the difference, which I held out on with the payoff. There were three months of no payment and hasseling from the bank while it all got sorted out, but in the end, I beat the bank. Now it's a year later, and I find this tick on my credit related to three months of late payments on this account (the only late payments I have ever made on anything in my life). This is all the bank's fault, they ate the charges and refunded me the difference in interest, and now it affects my credit!?! I'm back on the war-path!

jmski52 · May 27, 2010 1:28AM

I sacrificed a roll of Gold Maples at the last St. Louis Show. I still can't believe I did that.

llafoe · May 27, 2010 1:46AM

<< I used to worry that I would lose credibility with my wife, but coin (profit) related events of late have remedied that. About the most I ever had to sacrifice was getting stuck with a crappy personal line of credit from the bank until I realized that they were charging me like 14.9% annually instead of the 7.9% that they promised. I pressed the bank to remunerate the difference, which I held out on with the payoff. There were three months of no payment and hasseling from the bank while it all got sorted out, but in the end, I beat the bank. Now it's a year later, and I find this tick on my credit related to three months of late payments on this account (the only late payments I have ever made on anything in my life). This is all the bank's fault, they ate the charges and refunded me the difference in interest, and now it affects my credit!?! I'm back on the war-path! >>

It sounds like the bank beat you.

BBQnBLUES · May 27, 2010 1:47AM

Nutrition !!

Had to live on Ramen noodles for a month to pay for a coin from Civitas. ha

joshieboi · May 27, 2010 2:23AM

$20,000 at age 22-23... Tough coin love.

RWB · May 27, 2010 3:27AM

What's the most you've ever sacrificed to get a coin?

I once sacrificed a chicken to the goddess Numisma, although it was already fried. The goddess didn't answer. Maybe next time I'll try a different approach.

Billet7 · May 27, 2010 4:30AM

I have angered my wife more than once. This is one of the deepest sacrifices one can make. Not only is she mad...which puts everyone in a bad mood...but certain acts are, we'll say, withheld for a period of time.

djdilliodon · May 27, 2010 4:47AM

When i was building my franklin proof set, i could not find an example from 1961 worthy enough in PF67UC. I searched the net like mad and local shops like crazy for a year and a half till i found the one i wanted. Funny part after going through all that trouble i go and sell all of them i had in order to further improve my MS franklins.

BillyKingsley · May 27, 2010 5:55AM

I have gone hungry in order to get something for one of my other hobbies but not yet anything like that for numismatics, yet. (I have only been doing this since May 2008, the other hobby has been with me for 18+ years.)

It was something where I knew for sure it was the only example ever made, it was on Ebay and I was going against another strong collector...who happens to be a friend of mine...so I knew if I didn't get it then, I would NEVER get it. I have no regrets but to this day he still doesn't know it was me who outbid him, thanks to using my mom's ebay account.

The sad thing is it only cost me $70.

ChrisRx · May 27, 2010 6:38AM

<< Loss of sleep and stress on a certain coin.

To pay another ONE coin, I have sold over a thousand coins and I still owe quite a bit. >>

PICTURES!!!

mumu · May 27, 2010 6:44AM

After falling asleep with 10 minutes left in the auction to get my avatar coin and losing it to Rick Tomaska of the famous R&I coin outfit, I waited 3 weeks for the feedback to hit so I could get the buyers name. Had to then post here to find out who the buyer was. Called about 10 times over the course of 2 months as they tried to track the coin down. Finally got to offer Rick 50% over what he paid in the auction for it. He accepted and shipped out. Worth every second and cent spent as it is my favorite coin. All for a coin with a book value of about 40$

BillJones · May 27, 2010 7:31AM

When I was raising money to buy my first Gobrecht dollar, I sold an MS-61, brown (estimated slab grade) 1795 plain edge cent . I got the dollar, but after a few years I began to regret selling the large cent. I did buy a slightly better one to replace it a couple of years ago, but the price was quite high, more than twenty times the selling price of the one I sold many years ago. But I did eventually sell that Gobrecht dollar for a handsome profit, so things sort of balanced out.

ctf_error_coins · May 27, 2010 7:33AM

<< 

<< Loss of sleep and stress on a certain coin.

To pay another ONE coin, I have sold over a thousand coins and I still owe quite a bit. >>

PICTURES!!! >>

Stress..........

Over one thousand coins for one coin .................

gummibear · May 27, 2010 7:38AM

I am always moving coins out to get new ones in. Have had to let go of ones that I was sure I never would to get another. Oh yeah and I have been brown bagging it for thirty years to save the money for coins.
Richard

WoodenJefferson · May 27, 2010 7:44AM

I drove my car over a cliff when I was attempting to retrieve what I thought was a silver quarter on the floor board. Turns out it was just a clad

Actually, I just missed a car payment once in order to buy a nice 38-D Walker, but the other story sounds better.

JJM · May 27, 2010 7:55AM

good stuff, lol...............

STONE · May 27, 2010 9:09AM

<< good stuff, lol............... >>

tightbudget · May 27, 2010 9:20AM

Crappy lunch at a coin show for a nicely toned 1964 half dollar in a World's Fair holder.

coindeuce · May 27, 2010 12:05PM

I sold my Registry caliber 15 piece 1878 7/8 TF Morgan set to the owner of the "California Collection" Registry sets to finance my purchase of the 2nd finest 1878 8TF VAM 14.11. The owner of the "California Collection" sets owns the finest VAM 14.11(PCGS-67). He once asked me to sell my VAM 14.11 to him, to which I replied: Go fish!

ChrisRx · May 27, 2010 12:31PM

What's the most you've ever sacrificed to get a coin?

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