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Pillar of the Community
United States
4809 Posts |
My Two Cents: I think what bugs me is the business trend to "build brand" and "create the market" for tons of crap that in general does little more than enrich the less scrupulous and bankrupt society. I can understand how folks can be disenchanted with something that brought years of interest once it becomes a franchise business. I note here that several folks appreciate the special mint series and collector specific productions. To each their own. Not my cup of tee and if that makes me old school or purist by definition its a label or two that I can live with...or without. It does not matter. Fair enough customers never imagined products and services created by pioneering businessmen and women and in many ways can't imagine worlds withou radial tires and color TVs and automobiles. But the creation of some of these modern coin series just creates more to ignore for me and others. And all the QVC type promotions and sales: yuck! Gold plated quarters that get released to the wild once the luster is lost...the excitement of the purchase faded. Westerners are fascinated by the purchase...addicted might be a better word. So as long as we are going to be mesmorized by marketers we will have our share of gold plated quarters and QVC must have collages. |
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
I have never suffered 'burnout'.
Started with classic Australian coins in my mid 'teens, and achieved my aims before I was 20 years old.
I VERY SLOWLY took up and interest in ancient coins over a period of five years or so. That interest spread into numismatics generally, that covers ALL centuries.
Numismatics have now been part of me for over 50 years.
Along the way, I have enjoyably acquired a lot of peripheral numismatic knowledge, associated with World history of all cultures, over the last 2,500 years.
It seems the wider your numismatic interests, the less likely you are to suffer from numismatic burnout.
And I STILL collect current coins from pocket change, just as an elementry school kid would!
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Valued Member
United States
449 Posts |
Quote:
I hate all the modern coins. I mean, they are virtually the opposite of collectable, especially with all those dumb ATBs and presidential "gold" dollar yeah because it would be a lot more fun and collectible to have the same quarter design for 100 years.....  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1215 Posts |
crazyforATB, I disagree... Even if you have the same kind of quarter, you got key dates, mint marks, error coins, die varieties and perhaps even patterns.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1132 Posts |
I like what I like. No amount of variety or change will swade my personal like or dislike for what I'm interested in. I pick up Statehood Quarters here & there from circulation, but I didn't go all out & order a subscription to the silver series. However, I bought a 2007 mint set because I wanted a Indiana quarter proof. Doesn't mean I want them all...I'm from Indiana & I wanted a nice example. I don't bend over backwards looking for presidentials, but if I come across one I don't have I still shell out a buck & pocket it. I don't get bent out of shape because a new commemorative comes out & I don't wanna shell out $100 for it. Let the big spenders worry about that & when the decide to sell it I'll pick it up if I like it. I got a commemorative Washington 90% silver half in OGP for $12 last month.  . I pick up a box of pennies from the bank here & there. It passes the time, is inexpensive & I have fun learning about varieties along the way. My collecting style isn't for everyone, but I have fun. What's more important than that?  Edited by CopperCastle
10/17/2014 02:26 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1192 Posts |
You just collect what you want to collect and realize you don't have to collect every new gimmick coin that a produces. Also please encourage what young collectors like collecting and don't push them into things they don't like. I was a young teenager when the State Quarters came out. I didn't have much interest but my dad encouraged me to use my allowance money to buy rolls of uncirculated state roll quarters. I got sick of spending all my allowance money for years on them. It soured me on the hobby from the most part until I got out of college and rediscovered what I had collected before them. I'm from Indiana too and stop collecting after that State Quarter came out. The funny thing was I was super into older silver coins and foreign silver bullion and proof eagles. It was all super cheap back them when it was $6 a ounce so I got tons. Even today I prefer silver dimes over anything. I got back into it but only after I found a whitman Mercury dime album on sale at hobby lobby. For some reason I only collected type sets before that since I didn't have access to albums and hated folders. I do have a State Quarter album but that was more of a type set too. Edited by Bertensgrad
10/17/2014 02:41 am
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Pillar of the Community
3772 Posts |
My experience in coin collection is quite similar to that of 'sel_69l'. Got a couple coins of the pre-modern period from family when I was young, I went on to collect a selection of change. First of my home country, then on travels from other countries. Slowly started a type collection of world coins (not that it ever could be completed) and after only few of those coins current at the time came my way, I started sorting through junk boxes stepping more and more back in time.
While I still pick up the odd modern coin, just because it is interesting or to further my collection of dates/countries (there are so many different dating systems and so many countries), my key interest is now with ancient and medieval coins. It never becomes boring because coins are linked to history and finding one from a different region/ruler is still exciting.
Can one hit the wall like 'TheForce' described? Yes, certainly - for me the urge to get a type set from every modern country is gone, especially with so many issues by so many issuing agencies creating a novelty market.
Collectors collect for various reasons and when the key aim cannot be realised or is no fun anymore (eg having to register for nclt issues and hoping that I might be getting one is not for me) the question one has to ask oneself: should I change my focus or should I give up?
Living in Australia for some years now, I have more than 90% of the pre-decimal types/years. Do I want to complete the set or improve the quality of the coins to a top grade? Personally this is a big "Maybe" to the first part and a clear "No" to the second. For the same amount I would have to spend for a 1930 Penny or a 1923 Halfpenny I can get quite a few ancients, which give me personally more pleasure - let me win the lottery big and I might splash some of the spare cash out for the missing coins.
Americans are privileged to have a very long line of coins which can still be found in change or mint-rolls (except perhaps Norway and Denmark, not sure about those) which can add some excitement to coin hunting. But on the other hand it is a disadvantage because there is no closed chapter (one can draw artificial lines somewhere but only removal of older types after some sort of currency reform would provide a definite cut) - yes, I know about the large cents, the 2 cents and some others you will not find in change but that doesn't change the general idea.
'TheForce', I hope you find renewed interest, perhaps by expanding your area of interest - if not, then have fun with whatever other hobby you pick.
Edited by Medieval
10/17/2014 06:31 am
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
I too am starting to think of stopping coin collecting. Starting that is and I do that about every 20 or 30 years too. One of these days, for sure, maybe. I've actually cut down going to coin shows 4 times a Month. Now down to 2/Month.
As to modern coins. Regardless of collectors that hate them, more and more kids are becoming collectors due to them. Not those baby sized dollars though. No one wants them and kids don't collect them either. But as to those Quarters. It started a all new thing for manufacturers of Albums and Folders to make and many new makers pop up every day. Parents like them due to educational benefits. Yet those baby sized dollars just sit, sit, sit.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4809 Posts |
You are probably right about that carl. I think modifying a circulated coin's design adds interest and creating proof versions equally so. I enjoyed collecting the State Quarters (and looking for the varieties) and now the National Park series... no issues there whatsoever. What bothers me (that's probably not the right word either) are the creations of non-monetary coins (e.g. to commemorate a team's success in last year's World Series) and the like. It's like creating a 'limited' stamping of a bottle cap that was never intended to be put on a bottle, limiting the production to create artificial scarcity, and selling for big money to create higher margins for producers and salespeople. It feels phony to me and gives me the impression folks are getting duped out of money (I guess it's theirs to spend, so what's the problem?). And to that extent, to each their own. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1215 Posts |
I am a young coin collector (16 years old) and let me tell you this: I did not start collecting because of the ATB Quarters or State Quarters. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4809 Posts |
That's fine. It would be fine if they had. What the OP offered was that in his opinion (if he is a 'he') modern coinage has become unnecessarily dull and complex. A matter of opinion in which I share (especially on the issue of ugly renditions of presidents past).
So the questions that comes to mind: are all the variations being created to spawn new collectors or rekindle old ones? Or maybe, are they all out there to break up the monotony of decades without change in a series? Or maybe, are all these modern series, including non-monetary issues, there to create an expanded market to the delight of collectors (and the people who profit from their sales)?
Maybe all are valid reasons in and of themselves or combined.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4870 Posts |
"Dull and complex" is a good way to put it. I often wonder how many people are brought into the hobby by the multiple designs each year and how many current collectors become turned off by them and end up leaving the hobby. It is mind boggling really the amount of quarters for example being put out each year.... 5 different designs by 3 different mints, then the proofs, and the silver proofs. That's like 25 different quarters each year!! HOLY COW!! It is maddening!! Then there are dollar coins...the Presidential and the Native American dollars. Billions of these are sitting in government vaults, the general public has no interest in using them, they will never work until the greenback is withdrawn from circulation. I am not sure if the Native American dollars are even issued to banks for circulation. Seems silly issuing circulating quality coins to a "collectors only" audience. The edge lettering is horrid, the designs are ugly, the $1 makes them look like Chuckie Cheese tokens for crying out loud. And with the multiple designs comes bloated mint and proof sets at a bloated price. Overall I think the hobby is just bloated with junk. I admire the Royal Canadian Mint though because even when they issue commemorative quarters, they still produce the Caribou quarter along side with them weather its to circulation or from a NCLT sets. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
589 Posts |
No Sac dollar since 2001 has been issued for circulation in the traditional sense. From 2009 through 2011, the NA dollars could be ordered online, I know during 2009 for face value, directly from the mint. A lot of folks abused the system for credit card reward points (purchase a bunch with I believe free shipping, then took them to a bank). No prez dollar has been issued for circulation since 2011 either. Speaking of the RCM, anyone notice the sheer number of individual issues produced yearly? And tons of quarter ounce silver sold at such a premium. |
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Valued Member
United States
300 Posts |
It's too bad the 2012 NA reverse had to be wasted on the NA dollar. Otherwise agreed on the Chuckie Cheese comment. RCM is on a coin a day rampage--but some of them are nice for admiring--probably not for investing. |
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Valued Member
United States
300 Posts |
Edited by Gothic
10/20/2014 08:59 am
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Replies: 22 / Views: 3,624 |
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Posted 10/16/2014 8:43 pm
