Collecting: Quantity Vs Quality.......how Do You Collect?

I'm more of a quantity collector. Since a lot of coins are more than a house payment for me, I stay on the cheaper side, but it still makes me happy. Amazing how a G Barber dime still makes me smile for a few days.

Quantity or quality? For me it both and neither...LOL!

My interest lies more in the history side, than numismatic side of things. Hence I tend to collect coins and banknotes of only certain countries and of very specific era ... in my case it's Third Reich and Soviet Union; the two powers in Europe that have had quite an effect in history. Since I am more interested in historical aspect, I have zero interest in UNC coins. Though officially released for circulation, for me a particular coin is just a lump of metal, unless it has been used for a real transaction, during it's time of issue. Most joy I seem to get of circulated, but nicely preserved coins...

Sure, from investment point of view this is wrong approach, but fortunately my collecting is just for fun. Heck, it's the fun part that makes me drive a 1970 Buick Gran Sport during summer, from financial point of view that too is just crazy, considering the fuel prices here in Scandinavia :D

-JJ-

I think I'll have to post another answer (or maybe a clarification to my existing answer).

Because that's me too:


But my idea of "high grades" stops somewhere around XF/AU. I'm not going for anything MS unless it is extremely common and costs as much as XF or less... in particular, I try to stay away from shiny new coins that look like they were just taken from bank rolls (or, in some cases, are still in the rolls and taken out on request), but for some series (Turkmenistan 10 tennesi anyone?), it seems to be cheaper and easier to get the coin that way than to try and look for a less obviously new example.

However, I also like to get old coins for cheap, which often means that they are in very low grade. And for some reason, I like them being in very low grade (when I can identify them, at least). In some cases (such as Victorian pennies), I've found myself actually looking for coins in particularly low grades (it helps, of course, that a Victorian penny can wear down an awful lot before the date becomes unreadable; often the date is nearly the only detail remaining to identify the coin as a Victorian penny).

I'm definitely a quality-seeker over quantity. That's not to say I don't pursue particular series in quantity, such as Early & Charlotte Half Eagles, and my most recent interest, Indian Quarter Eagles. I have passed on far more examples than those I've found acceptable. As I add representative dates of each series, my main goal is quality upmost, pursuing the best that I am willing to reasonably pay for the date/coin. Eye appeal, character & originality being the most important aspects.

ET

I'd guess both. I have some really nice sets (BU Jeffersons, Dansco 7070, Lincolns, etc.). AND... I have tons of others, tubes, rolls, 2x2's, way too many (or not).

When I first started visiting the local shops and shows, it was more about quantity; and I'd often come home from the semi-annual show with 5-6 G/VG Classic coins rather than one or two XF coins. Over the last couple of decades, I've gravitated towards quality and finally have the self control to pass over a G coin knowing they patience will get me something better, eventually. This is especially true with US coins, where they are so abundant that I might as well hold out for the quality UNC w/ eye appeal that calls my name. For older world coins, if it's not damaged, has a clear date, and experience tells me they are uncommon, I'll take it as it is like it was my lucky day.

To this day, leaving a show with only one or the coins eats at me; I feel empty handed and unfulfilled, so I'm constantly searching the discount bins for a little added quantity.

I have no regrets because putting 5 coins into my collection when I get home is always more fun than one, and opening the box to a bonafied hoard is more fun than a mostly empty box with potential.

I can say that my 6 year old step son only cares about quantity, and his eyes brighten up more when he sees me open my box because there are 100 coins in it, not because any are in a particular high grade. He's going to have more fun with me holding two worn down El Cazadore coins than than one XF Boliva 8 Reales every time.

There will always be a home for those '82 G/VG coins with a clear dates and a good story, they keep the collection fun for me and the whole family :)

Now that I'm closer to sixty than fifty I find myself leaning to quality over quantity. Mercury dimes are my main passion. I'm not going to get into grades. Each person has a budget. Within my budget, I buy the coin, not the grade. Always have & I always will.
P.S. I'll bet there are other folks here my age & older that will tell you we got our quantity out of our change everyday. As for me, I also collected many silver coins flipping quarters, dimes & fifty cent pieces in grade school with my lunch money. Back in the late sixties & early seventies I was a paperboy & I had to collect the bill every month from my customers. I think it was about .35 cents a month. Those were the good old days. Most people didn't think to save their silver including me. The only reason I accumulated so much is because I liked to save my change. Most of it just happened to be silver! And for you Lincoln lovers, I saved every penny I ever found until the early seventies when I met my first girlfriend..................