Im Looking For Suggestions On Older Coin Collecting

Depends on which grade you want them in...If you are looking for f-vf coins, Liberty nickels aren't that expensive besides maybe 3 years...
Excluding the 1913 of course

Take a look at the 2c and 3c coins. The 3 cent coins were struck in Nickel and Silver and the years overlap. Some of my favorite coins!

Sooo... inexpensive, and you want proofs, and you're looking for classic coinage?

Good luck.

I would second the Liberty nickels. The three keys, 1885, 1886, and 1912-S will set you back a couple hundred bucks each even in the lower grades. However, all the other coins are affordable even in high grades and there are plenty of proofs to be found (My RedBook, which is older granted, lists proofs of 1885 and 1886 (PF-63) as being cheaper than EF circulation strikes.)

Thanks for the great answers.. I guess I envision a circulated book set but nothing extensive I kike to be able to complete something and move on to another set...

too expensive to me is 500.00-1000.00 for a single coin, not saying I wouldn't pay it but when every coin costs half a months wages then kids starve lol...

ill sit down with my RedBook and see what tickles my fancy.... I dont need MS quality coins all the time but want a nice collection all the same...

hawaiian coins can be expensive especially from hawaiians... they dont always play nice with non islanders.. but I will check it out cause I have seen some pretty coins from hawaii before the brits..
Thanks again

My experience has been with Liberty nickels, and as other posters mention there are just 3 that are expensive: 1885,1886 and 1912-s. there are only two with mint marked coins in the series: 1912d and 1912 s.. Of course half the series is after 1900.

You also mentioned proofs. I believe the proofs in the later years of the liberty head nickels are about $200, but that is not my thing.
I think it is a great looking coin and has a lot of stories behind it.

Once you get into silver things get more expensive. And of course gold is big bucks!

I've also been interested in Shield nickels, and later year large cents. Based on your budget they may fit. Not that I want the competition, haha.
There are several expensive Shield nickel years 1877-1881 (two of which are only proofs), but I'm planning to avoid those.

Thanks been my experience. Hope that helps.

Looks like you are getting some good suggestions.

Let me give you some thoughts.
For doing high grade sets, with proofs and still stay into a average
coin collectors budget, the best sets are modern.

I call them the presidents
Lincoln
Jefferson
Roosevelt
Washington
Kennedy
Ike

Of these Lincoln is the hardest an Ike the easiest. The Jefferson set
is a lot of fun and a very nice looking set when completed with high grade and proof coins. The big Ike dollars are a good set ... I wish there was more coin (made for more years).

My favorite presidential set is Washington, the 1932 to 1998 set can be a challenge, and the first page has some high price coins. I like that it is a set that ends ... you don't have to keep putting the new coins each year.

Also think about the modern commemorative dollars, you can do proofs or UNC's ... or both, check out the commemorative section for some good post on these.

You were asking about older coins ..and want high grade or proofs.
As others have posted, older coins and proofs means expensive.
Most all the classic coin series have at least a couple higher priced coins.
The majority of collectors never finish these sets.

The Mercury dime set can be done, but most never fill the 1916 D hole,
the 1921 D and 1921 are also expensive in higher grades.

Walking Liberty half dollar have several expensive coins, but can be completed in lower grade coins.

Buffalo nickel sets also have a few set stoppers 1918/7, 1916 over 16 and the 1937 D 3 leg buffalo.

Indian Head cents, another hard set. Pre 1879 coins in high grade can be very high. Also the 1909 S ... It is in the $400 range in lower grades.

Pretty much all the sets that have pre 1900 coins will have some very hard or impossible coins to complete.

So what could you do. As others suggested a dollar date set or proof set
are both very good sets and can be completed ... Type set can take many years.

Or you can just buy nice coins that you like, and not worry about completing sets. There are coin cases or albums where you could what coins you choose.

You could buy a blank Dansco binder .. Put a blank cent page a blank nickel page ... blank dime page .. Etc and fill it any way you want

Just something to think about ... Enjoy what ever you decide to do.

Except for 1oz silver coins, I haven't spent more than $100 on any coin. I have some nice Large Cents, Steel Cents, Indian Head cents, Winged Liberty "Mercury" Dime, Buffalo nickel, Half Dollars, Susan B. Anthony dollars, Presidential dollars, Sacagawea dollars, Large Eisenhower dollars, the 50 State Quarters + Territories, 2009 Lincoln Pennies, Westward Journey Nickels, etc.

Notice, most of those coins are circulated coins. Only the very old coins I have to pick up from the coin shows for less than $30/each.

You can definitely build a nice collection from circulated coins. I make it a habit to ask my bank and any place I shop if they have half dollars or dollar coins. If I'm getting change then I ask for coins instead of bills. The fun of hunting & finding coins is part of the hobby!