Cost Of Your Album Collection?

jbuck, If you travel to a show that's 20 miles away the cost for the round trip, at $0.50 per mile, would be $20.00. So the cost is not minor.
However, you also get the enjoyment and the excitement of the hunt at the show, which is a reason enough to go even if you don't buy something.
Postage is cheaper then traveling, and to me is part of the hunt for the coin so I don't figure it in the cost.

$0.50 of gas should get you a lot further then a mile unless you are driving a tank or a semi. Even my gas-hog V-8 car is about $.25 a mile. Still, I would say that gas is not trivial for a trip of 40 miles. Of course, outside the US, gas costs a lot more.

The IRS and most other government entities are pretty clueless when it comes to $, seeing as how insurance and depreciation are not really a function of driving your car for the most part. You have insurance and depreciation whether you drive your car, or it is sitting in the garage.

Kind of an interesting topic. I never really thought about all the miscellaneous costs involved in coin collecting. For example how much money was spent on coin collecting items such as 2x2's, plastic rolls, Albums, Folders, those long two row boxes for 2x2's and lots of other items. Then of course all the coin shows I go to. Usually about 2 to 4 coin shows a Month. One has an entrance fee of $5 and parking is $11/day. Most shows are free but the gas for your car getting there? Of course no one ever thinks about wear and tear on your car either. How about the coins given away to someone as a gift? Usually I give away 10 to 15 sets of either Uncirc or Proof coins for Christmas and a Ringed Red Book too. Then of course there is the coin books. I've got all the Red Books from 1 to present.
Now if you really want to get picky, think about the food and or coffee spent at a coin show that wouldn't have been spent if you didn't go. Of course for those that insist on cleaning a coin, there it that Acetone from Walmart. So now there is those safe deposit boxes that could be much smaller if no coins.
Someone should really make a list of all the things involved with this hobby. Might be a little scarry.

Don't forget that your time and energy are worth something too.Vigorous coin collecting can burn up to 10 extra calories per hour and if fueled by beer can add about 4 cents per hour to your cost.

And too what about the electrical bill from posting on this forum?

Bryan1315, reading what you have put into your 7070 albums makes me wonder how much different albums cost on average. That would be a good pole to take, if members are willing to divulge what it has cost, to put individual albums together.

Well it sounds like you have gone for quality over quantity in collecting.