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 Replies: 14 / Views: 1,588 |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
2781 Posts |
i started out collecting one of everything (type-set).
1500+ coins from 176 countries and I feel more like a hoarder than a collector. I am spending more on 2x2s than some of the coins are worth.
i would like to thin the collection a bit, maybe come up with some standards for what I put into a binder.
one of each is out of the question.
at first I thought 4 of each country max, but then I hit france, austria, spain etc that all have some cool and valueable older coins. I have 20+ from each (that are early half of the 1900s and that I just cant decide which to keep or sell).
so I figure 4 of each but allow a few countries to have their full page (20).... then I hit egypt... some cool old coins, but only 7. I know i'll never hit a full page (20) but cant trim it down to 4.... so 4 for each country, except 8 for some.... 20 for others.... heck, I might as well just keep everything...
i tried putting a $ value limit, $5 or more or it goes, but then I hit a series where loosing 1 coin from the row just doesn't seem right...
sorry for the run on story but I cant seem to get out of this... anyone else find themselves in the same spot? how did you manage your collection?
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Valued Member
United States
80 Posts |
I don't know the answer because my collection is nowhere near the size of yours. But I hope to have this problem one day!
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2878 Posts |
My collection is, I think, past the 7,000 mark - I'm really not too sure what's in it - as there's grey areas of what really are keepers and what aren't. I'd just keep everything. I have a couple of main focuses - but everyso often I'll add to one of the other areas. It's good to have focus - but a bit of variety is good to.
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Pillar of the Community
 Canada
2781 Posts |
Just curious Bacchus how do you organize? 2x2 in binders? Or boxes?
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
Up to about a year and and half ago I had amassed a collection of 15,000 + coins, US, World and ancients. I moved from my house to a motorhome so most of the collection had to go. It was good in a way because it forced me to make a choice of what I wanted to collect, everything or just one coin type. I decided to collect ancients only and to sell everything else. First I sold all my US coins, those went to dealers and I received fair prices for them. The world coins they weren't interested in unless they were rare. Any foreign silver coins they would buy for melt value. So with the price of silver being what it is I sold them and made a little above what I had paid for the coins. Some where sold on ebay in lots of 100 to 500 coins. I didn't make money, but I didn't lose any either. Some of the world coins were given as gifts to young collectors. I now have a collection of about 550 ancient coins and a few hundred of the older and rarer world coins that I held onto just in case. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2661 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1231 Posts |
Just send any you no longer want to me, i'll find a kind, caring place for them in my collection
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1801 Posts |
One of these days I think I am going to sell my entire collecton and buy two special coins. That way it will be easy for my two kids to divide when I pass. As for now, it is really hard for me to sell any of my coins, they are like my children and I love them all.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
863 Posts |
well if you think you are spending too much on the 2x2s just keep them in a jar. if you just put them in the jar without going through them they shouldnt gain too much more damage than they already have
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
9406 Posts |
Don't worry about the cost of 2x2's, if you think they are expensive you should try buying some is Australia. I keep all coins in 2x2's and treat them as being preserved for future generations. Collect everything and just enjoy it, no difficult decisions to make. Steve  |
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
7096 Posts |
Quote:
Collect everything and just enjoy it, no difficult decisions to make.
Steve
I agree in totality. Jim Edited by trout1105
05/25/2012 07:14 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2269 Posts |
I am dealing with the same dilema you are talking about. You look at your coins and thunk to yourself, I have a lot of coins I feel I will no longer collect. I came to that conclusion about a monyh ago. I decided it was time to do a little coin spring cleaning.
The first thing I did was to gather up all my coins and look at each of them. I made to areas, one for keepers and the other for sales. I thought it was going to be difficult to part with them, but when you have so many, you become less attached. When I was done, I hade a good amount of coins to sell.
The benefit of selling coins will be the new additions I will now be able to afford. Plus, my collection looks a little less messy.
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
I have a World collection of perhaps 3,000 coins. Before making a decision to buy each one, I ask myself three questions:
1.) Does this piece interest me for any reason?
2.) Is it good value for money?
3.) Is it within my budget?
I have always bought each coin on opportunity, without ever looking for individual coins. As a result, some may say the my collection is just an acumulation. Nevertheless collection paterns have formed within my collection. Some areas of my collection are strong, some not represented at all.
When it comes to disposal by my kids, each piece will have to stand on it's own merits. That's fine, because any collector will only be interested in individulal coins out of my collection anyway. Lets face it: almost all collectors build their collectons piece by piece. That is how mine was formed.
wade: With that scenario as a background, you may wish to consider which coins to cull from your collection, the money derived from which you may acquire new coins to add, in direction to which your collecting interests have developed.
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
3831 Posts |
I face the same problem as well. There are times when I stray away and buy random coins because they were a bargain. I end up selling them off regardless of making or losing money.
I guess it doesn't hurt to buy what you can afford even straying once in a while especially if it's a bargain. That is if you know what you are getting. When you sell, you still make a bit of money for the ones you want to focus on.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1391 Posts |
I have a friend who has a massive collection based on type coins from every country from KM World Coins catalog. If it is listed as a type he gets it. Certain countries that he likes he gets years on certain coin types. Most of his collection is based on circulated coinage but he does grab commemortive when he can. There are several countries where that he has checked off his list, he has every coin minted during the 20th century for those countries. Most of them are in 2x2 in binders. The collection is impressive. Just grab the "France" or "Canada" binder and start flipping though. Everything is labeled too. The whole thing takes up a small book shelf. There are easily +15,000 coins if not more.
My point is, if you like the coins and you have enough room in your house for a small bookshelf, who cares?
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Replies: 14 / Views: 1,588 |
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Posted 05/24/2012 5:17 pm
