Hey, I Promise This Is The Last Coin For Quite Awhile ... Uh

Or maybe you could open your own coin shop one day. lol

=> hmmmmm, interesting ... yah, but I was kinda thinking that "artist" might be my next career .... sandwich artist!!

Maybe. That depends on how you spend not on how much you spend. My yearly average has been a lot less than $17k but I have been at it longer. Over those years I have wasted $17 (at least) on bad decisions, fakes, overpriced things and the like. I probably have spent another $17k on accessories (cases, envelopes, flips, albums, computer related toys for cataloging, cameras, film and gas to drive to shows). You may note I did not mention books and other forms of education. That may be another $17k all by itself. If I sold all my coins today, some would bring 10x what I paid. Some would bring a tenth. A few would be refused by every dealer in the hobby. (What was I thinking when I bought that one?) Overall, the chances are good I would retrieve what I spent on coins, make a small profit on the books and have to eat the accessories. It is a hobby. If you want to make money, counterfeit. I used to say invest in stocks but that didn't work out for some people either, as with coins, because it depends on how you do it.

Since Steve has been in the hobby, I have spent less than 25% of his number on coins and probably an equal amount on accessories and books. Of course, I'm not employed (they call it retired) and don't blow up anything except, perhaps, beginners' delusions that ancient coins are a quick and easy way to vast wealth. If I had minimum wage for all the hours I have spent studying coins and interacting with others on numismatic subjects my income for some years would be a lot more than Steve's spending.

Here is my advice to you: Invent something miraculous (Dynamite, Jersey Walls or Google would do), make billions and don't worry how much your coins cost. While you are working on steps one and two, I suggest spending only the money that you would on other foolish pleasures. At least collecting coins rarely leads to broken necks and frostbite.

=> you can say that again!!

Yes, that is good advice ... hopefully the cash that I'm spending isn't too much of a waste?

Ummm, but as far as getting my money back, that is a no-brainer

=> I don't ever intend to sell my coins, so that shouldn't be a problem for me (it may be a problem for the dude/dudess that inherits my animal-farm ... but it won't be a problem for me)



Thanks for everybody's comments ...

wise words indeed ds!

however, I'm still going to keep telling my wife it is an "investment".

so if mrs chrsmat71 come on here asking if coins are a wise investment, everyone smile and nod your head yes!!

Ummmm, is Mrs. chrsmat71 investing in silver by any chance?

chrsmat71 => I'm having some technical difficulties (originally, I posted a photo of a chick's hand with really cool/expensive fingernails, but then I deleted it and tried to follow bobbyhelmet's advice) ... sadly, that is not as fool-proof as it might seem to most of you (I like to refer to myself as being "techno-amish" ... I don't even own a cell phone!!) => worst engineer ever!! (best manager ever!!)


sorry, bobbyhelemt => sadly, appparently I don't understand ... *sigh* (maybe I'll ask one of my young techno-minions at work to line me up!!?) ... but thanks for the effort (I am a bit like my dear old late Mother, who merely put masking-tape over the flashing 12:00 on all of her electronic devices!!)

(R.I.P. Mum => I'm a chip off the ol' block!!)

Though I cant promise you wont be chastised for your choice of pictures

No worries, the techno-geeks will no doubt be able to help, basically, as an analogy, what it does is simply 'point' to the picture in its original location and tell the forum software to display the picture, hey presto, no memory needed.

Its the same as posting a link to a webpage, just a different button is used.

One thing to note though is that if the picture in its original location changes or is removed it will alter what is in your post, not usually a huge problem but sometimes you will note in old threads pictures are missing, this is what happened to them.

If you need an area to 'fiddle' about in here is a link to the testing area and dont forget there is a 'preview post' option before posting a post:
http://www.coincommunity.com/forum/...p?FORUM_ID=1