And The Survey Says !

My first coin purchase was a Morgan silver dollar (which I never saw) from my father when I was around 8. I traded it back to him for a bicycle several years later (a great trade). I started being serious about buying coins when I was around 12 or 13. I purchased a lot of wheat pennies and some silver at 5 times face over the next few years before I joined the army. Also started pulling copper pennies at this time. The few short years where I collected coins when I was a teenager helped me when I got out of the army and went to college. I was married with two children and another on the way. I sold them to a couple dealers and made money and paid a few bills!

In 1999 my business focused on sterling silver and silverplate flatware and holloware and the internet made it's buying and selling easy as locally no one here in Clarksville Tennessee likes the stuff very much. My interest in coins never faltered and I collected State Quarters and the copper pennies still but for the most part numismatics was not an issue where I invested (wish I knew about silver eagles back then). Got back into coins big time a couple of years ago when my antique mall business showed dealing in coins to be profitable for me.

Question 2.

The definition of a master is specialized knowledge in a field. It takes 1000 hours of study to become truly competent in anything and 10,000 hours to become a "master" at it. With American coins there are too many variables so I will simply say I am an expert/master in pennies and a fairly competent individual in other late 19th and 20th century American coinage. My experience with foreign coinage is limited to a little Canadian stuff.

Even over a lifetime one is CONSTANTLY learning more and more about different collecting fields in coins and specific issues that may be a part of a specific coin. Thanks to this forum I have learned some things and that is why I have hung around since I have found this place. Remember this secret to success as it is especially true in coin collecting. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. Learning is a slow and often monotonous experience. But from that experience you gain advance collecting skills and it will allow you to cherry pick at coin shops and coin shows. The finest way to study? Play with LOTS of coins and read LOTS of books. Happy learning! Sincerely, John Leckrone

I've been collecting for nearly 30 years now.

I'm a generalist, so I'd rate myself as "master of many numismatic fields, novice in a few, expert in none".

Question 1: I started collecting in 1987 and did so somewhat diligently until 1993. At that point I had university and two small children so collecting became less of a priority (and frankly, I didn't have the money to collect, erm, money). I picked back up just a few weeks ago now that the kids are both in college themselves and I'm done with grad school.

I am a novice, no question. Learning more and more everyday.

Clinton

I received my grandfather's collection in 1986. I didn't become a serious collector until 2002.

I guess I would reluctantly call myself a master collector. This hobby embodies the old adage, "The more you learn, the less you know".

had a collection of some sort for about 25 years but have been into it this much ever (last 3 months). 2 a, for sure. I like to collect, so I try to finish sets and also am attacted to pretty(high grade)coins. Don't have much extra money so roll searching is what I do most.