Regrets Of A Coin Collector Who Came Late To The Hobby

Good story. We're probably pretty close in age. I love to tell today's youngsters that, in the late '50s, I could assemble the entire Walking Half set (albeit with many well worn) from circulation and searching rolls in about 4-5 months. Problem was, I couldn't afford to keep them because the face value was too high, so I would turn them in and start over for the in of it. I kept very few, and then only keys in Fine or better!

Maybe you are too late to that party.

But there are other parties going on right now.

As an example, the error and variety party seems to be really picking up steam. AM wide varieties, Cuds, die breaks...it seems this niche is exploding. It definitely isn't my cup of tea in collecting-- but you can find them in pocket change if you work at it.

Wait a minute - are you saying Ike dollars could explode?

I know...although a bit later. I worked my junior and senior year co-op at a bank in 1973 - 74 and we would still see 90% silver. Not "a lot" but it was there. We had a customer that owned 5 car washes and he would bring in bags of $500 in quarters that we would dump a bit at a time in the coin counter / wrapper. I could hear the different sound of the silver ones as they were spinning around. I did buy a little silver but at $1.35 an hour wage.... not much. I remember we had a customer come in with 3 rolls of $5.00 dimes that she wanted cash for. It was 3 rolls of Mercury dimes. I wanted so bad to cash those out but at my earnings that was 2 full days pay. So 3 of us tellers bought 1 roll each.
I am enjoying "this" party tho.

Yea, I'm one of ya'all, there, born in '51, so all coins were readily found in pocket change. My dad started collecting for Boy Scouts, was a scoutmaster so became interested at a very young age. Had all the Whitman folders through Morgans and Peace even. We were middle class folk but he sure put the dough into it. I remember folders with no holes, Mercs was one, Walkers another. I don't know what ever happened to that collection, got on the outs of family differences in the 70's and he passed in 82. Knowing my mother, she undersold it as was her manner. Somebody scored quite the deal for sure.

I'm a few years younger than the majority of the posters in this thread, but I remember in the late 60's early 70 doing Whitman folders of Lincoln cents, nickels (not sure if buffalo or Jefferson), and dimes. The only thing left is a 1909 VDB cent. Probably spent the rest on "stupid " kid stuff.

Yes.