New Member - North Texas

Hello all,

New member checking in from the home of the Cowboys & Rangers.

Was recommended to this site by a friend as a good place on the Internet to discuss coin-related subjects.

Not new to collecting -- that bug bit me in 1985 when my dad gave me my first collectible coin (an 1883 IHC) and his two old Whitman Lincoln Cent blue albums. He also gave me an 1892 Barber dime and a 1945 Merc, both of which I lost somewhere on the school grounds.

30 years on, my little starter collection now occupies most of three shelves of an office closet, and I still add to it as much as I can from change, rolls, trades, and purchases.

I'm not much of a grader, to be honest, poor eyesight and all, so that's one of my main motivations to look for some coin-collector pals to give me some guidance for these lonely Morgans and Washingtons and Peace dollars suffering from my inept grading.

My favorite coin series is the 1932-1964 Washington quarters; I've got most of the back half of an UNC set (1948-1964) completed so far, and lots of circulated coins filling the holes from 1932 to 1947, picking up PCGS or raw coins for upgrades as time and money permit. It's relaxing and the "treasure hunt" aspect is always fun, searching those early morning hours on ebay for 10-minutes-left auctions and prowling craigslist for estates and lots.

At any rate, I've already spent several hours just browsing the forums looking at discussions and grading and some very thoughtful and insightful posts (I've learned at least 20 or 30 things I didn't know so far!) so thanks for letting me join your community!