Lets Reflect On 2015

I started collecting more seriously in 2015 I learned quite a bit and my collection grew somewhat too.
I learned that old doesn't mean its expensive, I thought that the 1800s coins I'm buying would be alot more expensive then what I'm getting them for. There are alot of fakes that look real and real coins that look fake, so never trust a picture. Not knowing that fishscales exited now they are my favorite.

Now for the collection. When I saterted this year I had a small jar with 25 copper, 2 12 sided dimes now around 3000 pnnies and a roll and a half of 12 sided dimes, started 2 albums dimes and nickles that are 75% done. My sliver coin collection only grew 8 coins but that was from only chr and the 5 fishscales I bought. Also alot of junk coins like nickel dollars, I now have around 60 of them that I just keep for fun.

Thats pretty much all that I can remember

For more than 20 years my collection has been in a mature state. I don't really need to acquire any more.
Nevertheless my collection has grown more over the last 20 years than in any period previous.

For me, a collection can be complete with a single coin, for example a nice gold $10 of 1913 or as a set, such as a type set of silver dollars 1935- 1967.

I second that. I have slowed my ebay purchases a lot lately.

As for 2015, I was on co-op from January to the end of August so I have the opportunity to save up and buy some higher grade coins (but now I'm back at university for my last year of studies). With much less stress and a lot more time during my co-op term, I got the chance to read up on plenty of coins. Picked up Haxby's book to get familiar with tokens too. I feel like I might hit a phase where I really get into collecting tokens (but it has yet to hit me).

This past year I really got into the CCF (checking it a few times a day when I get the chance). My grading has gotten better, but there will still be plenty to learn in 2016

In 2015 we stopped adding one of everything ($50 face value or less, silver or less) the RCM produced to our collection. It was just too much to keep up with (didn't have time to enjoy one coin before the next box was arriving) and too expensive. Still picked up some continuations of series though such as the silver dollars. Switched our focus to mostly upgrading and completing our pre-2015 circulation collection.

Market seems to have stabilized somewhat and some early signs of a rebound on the circulation side. Helped by the drop in the Canadian dollar and the corresponding growth in the US and international markets for Canadian coins. Somewhat hopeful that the flood of NCLT that started in 2012 and "destroyed" the secondary market is slowing. The dealers don't seem to have been clearing out as many 2015 coins as they are still clearing out 2012-2013 ones so have probably reduced their ordering of individual coins in response to the fragmenting and flooding of the market in new RCM releases.

Focused more on upgrading our circulation collection. Particularly replacing slots that just have "hole-fillers" with higher grade examples. Added a significant number of MS Victorian cents this year. Also starting to pick up a sampling of Colonial Tokens. Added a significant # of UHC coins as well. This is the latest one.

I finished off my Canadian Silver Dollar collection by purchasing the '47 Maple Leaf and '48; both in AU55. There are still a couple of other upgrades I want to do but have all the varieties I want in this series.

very nice coins the_sifu! Now if you can just direct me to that sellers ebay store......

This year has been a great year for me in terms of collecting. It's hard to imagine I only started collecting this time last year. In that span, I've collected over 90% of the 5 cent silver series, including all varieties(in the front of the Charlton), in VF or higher. I plan on totally completing the set this year including the 1921, before I move onto anything else.

My two best cherrypicks are: 1. My avatar. It's an 1885 small 5/5 AU50-55 that was in a lot of 6 coins that I got for around 80$ (if I remember correctly).
2.My-soon-to-be avatar. A box of 1953 pennies in bank rolls/tin foil rolls(that are still mint). got each roll at an auction in Northern Ontario for 2.50$ each. I've opened a few rolls and found some stunning errors and very high grade coins. This was probably the most fun I've had all year!

I've made a few friends and also learned a ton. Look forward to many more years.

Thanks the_sifu, the odd deal I get makes it worthwhile but I'm always willing to pay a fair price for a coin I need. That last large 8 you posted it quite nice. I've got one almost that nice here: https://goccf.com/t/245712

I paid almost full trends for that one. They don't come up often and I've been told that they are scarcer than the price indicates. You did very well with yours.

edit: just noticed you commented on that post a while back and I never replied! No doubling on the 8, just some crud

I started with the beginning of this year filling my Canadian Gaurdmaster books. I think I'm a little backwards. I get the albums first then I add the coins to to them.
Canadian coins were a total mystery to me. A ton of varieties and way too much to learn. I picked up a couple really good books-Charlton Standard catalogs- and began to see some of the varieties but have a long way to go to be comfortable with actually knowing if the coin I'm buying is actually that variety.
I've recently picked up about three or four silver dollars.
Now I'm buying sets of rolls. So many coins...so little time.
I have completed the pennies except for those pesky varieties and have a complete set of nickles from 1922-present with very few holes and even some of the near/far ones.

Happy New Year!