What Does Your Family Think About Your Hobby?

I showed this to my friend and he said he thinks I am "obssessed nerd, money waster, and savvy investor." My parents kind of think I'm between money waster and investor (not too savvy though). They think the coins I have are worth money but not very much, and they think I spend too much time looking at them so they see it as a waste of time and money.

My dad is completely supportive because back in the 60's his parents (my grandparents) would give him every Wheat cent they found, so he had a collection which he still has to date of wheat cents. My grandmother collected 1964 Kennedy halves, because she had some sort of obsession with Kennedy (still does, idk why never asked her, she's 83 now) and she managed to have around 42 90% silver halves, that also ended up in my hands about 8 years ago and will forever be with me. She also gave me a 1922 Peace dollar that a customer from her sewing job back in the 50's-60's gave her as part of a payment.

My mother is also supportive. I try to teach things to her and sometimes she'll get them and other times she won't understand a thing I'm saying. I have, however, taught her to recognize the sound of silver.

I guess you could say numismatics is partly in my blood. My grandfather on my mom's side used to be a collector until he sold it all off, and my great uncle on my mom's side who's in his mid 70's is also a collector, but I'm not sure how avid he was. I know he still has quite a collection still, from what I've heard.

My family is mostly indifferent to my hobby. They don't care too much or get involved, they let me do as I like as long as I don't mess up anything. Most of my relatives don't mind me looking at their old money if I asked, and more than a few are happy to share one or two pieces. Though my mom did express that she would prefer that I collected stamps instead (which she did in the past, when she had more time) since they don't circulate like money and so are less dirty.

I used to have to read Coin World out in the open while everyone else watched TV. Now at least I have my laptop.

My grandparents collected but not my parents generation. They see it as a old hobby but valuable. My dad collects non Christmas odd practical nutcrackers and my mom collects toys so I'm kinda seen as the sane one.

My parents were always supportive of course because they could see the education I was giving myself being interested in coins and really a teenager could have worse hobbies than collecting coins.

My current girlfriend however has a very odd perspective that I never really expected from her. She has ZERO interest in my coins. Doesn't want to see them. Doesn't want to see the new items I add to my collection. Really doesn't care about any facts of information I might have to share about them. However, she has expressed many times how she really does respect my hobby because its not a waste of my money. She has equated it to her love for purses and sunglasses where she loves buying them but they are worth nothing to no one but her after she pays hundreds of dollars for them. She likes how I collect something worth hundreds of dollars that I can also sell for hundreds of dollars later if I wanted to to another collecter.

Again for her I found that to be an oddly poignant and accurate opinion.

My family don't care about my hobby, my parents, brothers and sister have no idea I collected coins. A few friends know I collect because I talk about it and they sometime ask for advice and see if I can help selling theirs when needed.

My family supports it. My wife is annoyed by it. The paraphanalia associated with collecting can sometimes be scattered throughout the house when I've been on a bender. My young sons collect with me. My friends know I collect but have no idea how seriously. They mostly think I collect Buffalo nickels and wheat pennies, when, in fact I'm in the hobby about as deep as one can get with my means. I fall into the savy collector/investor category. Making good deals on quality coins so that the potential to make money (even though I never intend to sell) is there. The history, the chase, the find, the beauty, the value, the deal, the "it's never complete" are all things I love about the hobby. It's an escape and a continuation/extension of my childhood that just keeps on going. It's a healthy and productive way for me to geek out.