Is Your Coin Collecting An Obsessive-Compulsive Thing?

I don't know what you would call my obsession with coins, I'll buy BU 1922 and 1923 Peace dollars even though I have enough of them, Just to put them in a blank Dollar Dansco along with numerous Ike's and duplicate Morgans. You got a five pound bag of 150 year old foreign coins for $15, I'll take them too. A year ago I bought 2000 assorted 2x2's to put all my loose coinage in and get them into pages. I had enough to take care of all but about 200, now, I have around 4000 coins sitting and waiting for a home with bids in on bunches of other lots on various auction sites. I just can't seem to help myself. My desk, which is of substantial size, looks as if a small mint exploded on it. I have at least gotten the valuable stuff sorted from it all and locked away in the safe or at the bank deposit box. My latest purchase was a roll of 1925-1929 wheat cents for $3 on a live auction on Proxy-bid. Haven't received them yet and I have no idea what I will do with those. Someone stop me before I buy again!

My wife is totally obsessive about collecting Trollbeads. She spends all her non-working, non-eating moments on their forum. Her spending knows no limits..............that is obsessive. I enjoy collecting coins but don't lose sleep over a missed coin as I know I can find another perhaps in even better condition. I also enjoy just getting out the coins I have and going through them. Now, having said all that, I just finished filling a nice Dansco LWC set and the closer I got to completing the set the more I concentrated on my goal so I suppose that was a little obsessive.

It used to bother me to see an empty slot in an Album but then with over 100 of them, not sure if they all will be filled eventually. I have an older Whitman Album with a slot for the 1913 Liberty Head Nickel and so far can't find one anywhere. Same with that 1894S Liberty Head Dime. A dealer I know continues to give me Albums free knowing I will at least try to fill them all.

I get some satisfaction from completing a page, row, etc. But I do not feel "a need". I do like odd neat stuff too.

I guess I am pretty obsessed with this hobby though...I pledged awhile to keep $1000 in my account at all times (for smashing deals that come along once in awhile if anything) but I can't even seem to do that!

here are my " see comments below"

With my franklin album...definatly ocd! I'm one business strike away from the set, It'll be my first complete silver set too.

as for the others, I'm just happy seeing them evolve over time, and slowly filling up. the ocd doesn't kick in til I'm under 5 holes.

I just like them round shiny things...I think I'm part blackbird too.

Sometimes I feel very obsessed with collecting where I buy too much but then I can put it away for months at a time before I feel a need to get into it again. Did you ever get up at 3 or 4 AM in the morning to check ebay to see if you won a certain coin? Or stay up till 2AM just to try to sneak in a last second bid? Why is it all the good coins are auctioned off 3 or 4 days before I get my retirement check? Have you ever used your overdraft account to buy coins till the check comes in?

Its not really that bad with me but all those things have happened at one time or another. Compulsive! Who can tell.?

edgman/Tom R

No as it is my business. However I am respectful to collectors.