How Did You Stop Collecting?

Coinosaurus · February 22, 2011 2:29PM

If you took a break, why, and how did you get kick started again?

Monstarcoins · February 22, 2011 2:32PM

I usually take a break for ice fishing, but I got sick and couldn't go much so it will be interesting to see how the rest of the year goes. I think it is healthy to step away for a few months. Keeps things fresh.

melvin289 · February 22, 2011 2:48PM

I stopped when the Hunt Brothers tried to corner the silver market in 1982, I think. Prices on coins went crazy. I started back in the early 90's when a friend at work kept bringing coins he had to work to show me. It got me going again.

Ron

RedTiger · February 22, 2011 3:05PM

I'm slowing way down right now. With reports of fakes, fake coins, fake slabs in almost all venues I am discouraged. I have become much more careful in what I buy and who I buy from. At the current rate of slow down, and increase in fakes, with another year or two and I may be gone from the hobby.

fc · February 22, 2011 3:05PM

i stopped buying when i realized the coins i wanted to own cost too much for me.
now the past experience is just another notch in the gun handle when going
antiquing and looking for a quick flip.

another factor was the learning curve. at first it was so easy/fun to learn about coins
but as time went on each incremental level above that took much more time to
achieve. i had no wish to own a library of books that were worth more then my
collection to goto the next level. I have enough knowledge to seek out what I need
to know when that time comes, if ever.

and another factor which i found really annoying is that i was defining being active
as a coin collector was actually buying coins. It was like i needed a fix every month or something.
Checking website after website, auctions and ebay, etc...
After a while I got sick of looking at sub par material and trying to find a coin
within my budget that was problem free enough.. "to be in my budget range which
meant it had problems of some sort".

Every really nice coin, defined in different ways, was just to expensive so I would
find something that had a problem that i could afford (the problem usually being
honest wear).

i have no plans to start buying expensive coins any time soon. maybe when the
market crashes ;-)

Raufus · February 22, 2011 3:20PM

Great topic!!!

I collected as a kid. I loved my Dad's albums which he assembled during his childhood in the 1940s. I went off to college, pre-med, lots of other stuff on my mind, etc. and just lost interest for many years.

About 20 years later my wife and I started a tradition of going to Colonial Williamsburg around X Mas for a few days. There is a store in Merchant's Square called The Silver Vault. They have a small display where there is one shelf stocked w/17th and 18th Century Brit. and Spanish coins. I think that the main idea is to have some coins that were used around the time of the founding of the near-by William and Mary College. Anyway, my wife surprised me w/one for X Mas. I loved it. That started a tradition of getting one each year. This got me thinking about coins again.

In 2006, already thinking about coins again, I took interest in the 2006 Gold Buff. issue. I bought one. Then came the 20th Anniv. AGE Set. I bought one on Ebay for way over issue. This started me initially flipping moderns and then collecting an flipping moderns which I do to this day.

Then I started going to major shows. I used some of the moderns flipping money to get some Colonials (my favorite) as well as come nice currency.

Now I'm hooked, go to every Balto show, read the publications etc. and am trying to get my son interested.

Elcontador · February 22, 2011 4:20PM

Started collecting coins at age 12. Got busy with school and women @ University. Then to business school and getting my CPA certificate.

I got back into coins briefly when the last GSA sale took place, as I bought 12 of the GSA CC $s (eight were the ugliest Unc. Morgans I've ever seen).

Got out of it again when I started my own CPA practice. Got back into it again due to a combination of my being curious about what the coins I bought / found in the 1960s were worth, combined with the S.S. Central America gold coin haul, which was sold in the Hotel literally across the street from my office in 1996.

While I'm concerned with high prices and fakes re what I collect, I don't buy much, and I know and trust my sources.

291fifth · February 22, 2011 6:15PM

I stopped buying US coins when I was priced out of the market/felt that US coins were a poor value for the money.

I still collect obscure specialty items that are rare and unappreciated.

Baley · February 22, 2011 6:55PM

Took a little break from collecting 1983-1995, to focus on high school, college, and the first few years of working life.

magikbilly · February 22, 2011 7:06PM

Hi,

I seem to quit every few years and then start buying 1937-1942 Proof coins again. Last few times I did a set of heavily toned original PCGS coins. I have been doing this for 20 years! The other things I collect have been more steady interests, but just show me a clean speckled or rainbow Pr Mercury and I'm gone

Eric

PerryHall · February 22, 2011 7:36PM

I usually stop colecting when I run out of money.

Steve27 · February 22, 2011 8:34PM

I stopped collecting when I was a kid and silver stopped appearing in change. While I always checked my change for something interesting, I didn't become interested in collecting again until my father asked where his Franklin Mint silver was. When I responded that he should forget about those and figure out where his GSA Morgan dollars were instead, he found them, and gave them to me as a gift (1880-CC through 1885-CC). That's what got me hooked again.

ldhair · February 22, 2011 9:35PM

I started in 1964 with no breaks. Did have to slow down a few times to have money to eat

ambro51 · February 22, 2011 9:47PM

how do you stop collecting?

God takes away your life spark.

ricko · February 22, 2011 9:58PM

I have stopped a few times. When I moved to Barbados (well, I did put together some local coinage) and then to Europe. I know, a prime opportunity, but there were so many other things to do, I just did not even check out coins during that time. After I returned to the U.S., it was sporadic - see a B&M, stop in, maybe pick up a coin or two. Lots of moves, CA, TX, AZ, FL, and then WA. In WA I got serious again and started going to coin shows etc.. That went on for twenty years, until I moved here to the Dead Zone. Cheers, RickO

notwilight · February 22, 2011 10:18PM

Got married, had kids....

dsessom · February 22, 2011 11:10PM

Coin collecting is something I only recently got back in to. I was an avid collector when I was a kid, from age 10 to 14 or so. I remember getting a job when I was 11 or 12 helping a woman who was a Himalayan cat breeder. I cleaned out litter boxes and fed cats for $40 a week which wasn't shabby for a 12 year old in the early 80's. I spend most of that on coins. Every Satuday morning, dad would take me to Zorgers coins shop and I would spend most of my week's pay on newps. I usually saved a few bucks for Taco Bell, which was my other treat to myself.

When I was 14, I got into Motocross racing and stopped collecting coins. Then came High school, then I got married, had a kid, divorced, and remarried. From 2000 to 2003, I ran a techie website called PCExtreme.net and was heavy into PC gaming. By around 2003 I was drag racing on 1/8 and 1/4 mile tracks, and in Fall of 2007 I bought a new house and found my old collection while moving which re-sparked my interest in numismatics, and I've been collecting ever since. A few years ago, I started talking to Glenn Holsonbake and eventually started helping him. He is a great friend and I learn a lot from him. I recently decided to try my hand at being a part time dealer and opened my own website to sell coins, specializing in Liberty and Shield nickels.

I have met some of the best and most sincere, honest people in this hobby. I plan on staying a while.

BillJones · February 22, 2011 11:21PM

I had to stop collecting during the period when I went back to graduate school full time. I could see that I was in a dead end job and needed to get an MBA if I was going to advance. Money was very tight, and I stopped collecting for a about year in the late 1970s.

I curtailed my collecting during the boom and silver speculation period of the late 1970s and 1980. Prices were just too high for most things IMO, and turned to collecting a set of two cent pieces in EF. That is harder to do than you might think.

shorecoll · February 22, 2011 11:39PM

PerryHall stole my line...but I usually run out of money when starting a new business. I have stopped and sold out 3 times and it makes me sick to realize I actually had a decent eye back in the 80's and would have a small fortune if I could have held out. Now also I move on when I start getting priced out. Investors hoarding and chasing prices has affected many areas of numismatics, now including books. I only need 6 volumes of the Numismatist back to 1894 and have gotten blown out in the last three auctions by people who will probably never open the covers. Sorry for the rant.

OKbustchaser · February 23, 2011 2:04AM

STOP????

mommam17 · February 23, 2011 2:18AM

I stopped after collecting from 1968-1984. My 50 piece commem collection was complete, prices were up, and just had a second child. Sold 75% of my collection in 1990, came back in 1998 after seeing a TV show selling coins, was told that I should buy a coin once in a awhile. Very regretted words!

kimber45ACP · February 23, 2011 2:26AM

I ran out of money

johnny9434 · February 23, 2011 3:17AM

the lack of money does it for me.

jmcu12 · February 23, 2011 3:20AM

I thnk I am in the process of this right now actually. While I am not stopping entirely I am making a major slow down.

I am not slowing because of the economy, I just need to get other things in my "house" situated and in a better position. I will still go to all shows, and still will work for my local coin guy, but my buying is seriously curbed and I am starting to sell some things and fine tuning my collection.

It is amazing how we evolve, I think.

How Did You Stop Collecting?

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