Top 5 Items A Coin Collector Needs?

I've had a microscope now for a few years made by Intel. It looks like a toy but it works great. It has 10x, 60x and 200x power. It allows you to take pictures under all powers and save them to your computer by USB. Digital Blue QX3 by Intel. I bought it to use with my stamp collection and it works great for coins too. Look at it on Amazon here http://www.amazon.com/Prime-Enterta...92359&sr=8-1

A microscope, eh? Sounds awesome, may have to pick one up just for taking pics to post here for my CCF peeps instead of my iPhone. :) Would definitely up the nerd level a notch or 3. My girlfriend already rolls her eyes when I break out this bad boy to do roll searching:

http://www.amazon.com/Donegan-OptiS...89321&sr=8-3

I can only imagine what she'll say when I pull out the microscope. hehehe.

I agree that knowledge is power! And this forum might be the best place to get it AND learn from others' opinions and experiences at the same time. That said, you do need key tools (which others have listed here) to be successful. Which specific ones? That also comes from knowledge... and personal preference.

By the way, nice moniker, yuengling. I used to love me some Lager. Well, I still do, but I can't get it in Texas!

I'm heading to upstate N.Y. for the holiday. My list of things to bring back includes a case of Yuengling along with some Finger Lakes Rieslings.

Zorb? never heard of it ill have to see what your talking about.

hahaha perhaps... but I don't know that either is any less nerdy than the other. :) I swear she's just waiting to catch me off guard and stick a picture of me sporting those nerd specs on FaceBook.

Here's my position on why I like the nerd specs: My vision is fine but I'm not getting any younger, and staring at the miniscule dates on Roosevelts for 2 hours can give anyone a headache unless you're Lee Majors. These sweet jammies allow me to have both hands free, look over (or under) the magnifier to catch the football game or movie, then shift my eyes back to focus on the DDR (hopefully) coin in my hands. And even if you have 20/20 vision, you need help to see the fine details of any coin, therefore magnifiers are a must. It's just a function of how suave and debonair you want to be while using them. The Most Interesting Man in the World probably doesn't need magnification, but I do. Come to think of it, he could probably make my nerd specs look awesome.

I like the egg, merclover. Very Austin Powers.

Yes, it's still nerd central.

Actually your all missing the most important item that should be used in this or many other hobbies.
A Vodka Martini. Gen if that is the preference.
My reasoning is using this one item for coin or other collecting hobbies makes anything and everything you buy and/or plan on buying look much better. Appears to be more valuable. Makes you not want to even argue many of the subjects on this forum that start those arguements.
Even all your friends, neighbors and most relatives are now more likable.
The only downside is stopping it's use.