| Author |
 Replies: 117 / Views: 15,886 |
|
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1959 Posts |
I rubbed on a few coins with a jewelry cloth to make them shiny. In my defense, I was an 11 or 12 year old kid. I've been hooked by a few artificially retoned coins also. The other thing I always wish is that I would have bought the key dates to start off sets. The sooner the better IMO.
|
|
Rest in Peace
United States
10625 Posts |
Not searching the internet and finding CCF until 7 years after its' creation. I could have avoided several of the aforementioned mistakes also made by myself. I still make occasional mistakes but at least now I know they are mistakes.  |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
6326 Posts |
Omg....I've made em' all too, and still learn lessons all the time. Got in more than one bidding war through the years at coin auctions and estate auctions, for basically junk coins (condition-wise)....Large Cents...Flying Eagles...Morgans...you name it, I had to have it. The thrill of raising your hand with your number and being DETERMINED to own a particular coin...sigh It is fun though, you just need self control. I also poured alot of money into ultra modern coins years ago, thinking that, "in the future", it would be a nice investment for "when I'm old"...  |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
992 Posts |
I think I've made 'all of them', too, when it comes to mistakes.
The biggest ones were :
1.) Not buying the best quality I could afford, as opposed to quantity. One MS coin vs. two or three XF of the same coin are not equal.
2.) Lesser grades are always available, better grades disappear quickly.
3.) Proper storage. Do the research and decide on a method, and stick with it. I've gone from white holders to mylar flips to albums to slabs, every change costs money that would be better spent on coins.
4.) But the biggest one is sometimes getting involved with coins as an investment, not as an enjoyable hobby. You can make money and enjoy it at the same time.
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
A long, long time ago when I would show my coins to people they would almost always say those sure are dirty. Why don't you clean them and I did. I used to use baking soda and water paste on almost all my coins.
|
|
Valued Member
Germany
303 Posts |
Yea tooth paste on all those silver coins made them really shiny :D
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
3843 Posts |
Quote:For me it was buying lots of cheap U.S. junk . As I have mentioned in an old thread I went with quantity instead of quality . When I first started ,I would have rather have 10 common date AG-3 Buffalos than 1 BU common Mercury dime. Same here. Accumulated a lot of wheat cents and low end type coins (low grade & problems). Got them cheap but they are probably still worth less than I paid. Lots of them out there and weak demand. |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
6130 Posts |
I started out hoarding from circulation. All bronze cents, everything AU or higher, etc etc. When I had to move my whole collection a few months back, the whole thing weighed over 300 pounds. I'm working up the courage to cull 90% of it into a coinstar to have fodder to buy some things I actually want. I have also fallen for ebay listings that disclaim something very important (e.g. "stock photos" or "bid is for 10 coins") and ended up paying $5 for like $1 worth of coins. |
|
Valued Member
United States
422 Posts |
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
589 Posts |
sold my entire collection and did it again.  |
|
Valued Member
Australia
95 Posts |
My biggest mistake was trying out different cleaning methods, that lemon juice was brutal. It was all on junk coins, but still...
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
2543 Posts |
I have been collecting for a long .... long time, back from when there were no "mistakes" in collecting. But other newer collectors that I have met one of the biggest things that I have seen is people who think that all TPG's are alike. That a modern MS70 in an ANACS or ICG slab is just as valuable or should cost just as much as a PCGS or NGC slab. Or for that matter, newbie collectors who think that slabbed coins are the be all, end all of collecting. |
|
Pillar of the Community
Canada
2845 Posts |
Mistakes? One of many. Not closely examining ebay coin purchases immediately upon arrival and prior to removing them from the seller's 2x2. Learned my lesson when I noticed a coin had been switched, but too late for any recourse. Regrets? Not participating in the hobby with my family, when my children where young enough to share the experience. I'm making up for the past by involving my grandchildren. |
|
Bedrock of the Community
 United States
12822 Posts |
Mistakes? Yeah... still making them. o Bidding wars has been mentioned a few times here -- Guilty. o Not doing research and paying too much on a BIN because I just *had* to have it -- Guilty. o EUI (eBaying Under the Influence, which is a catalyst for the above two) -- most definitely guilty. Scotch and ebay should not mix. o Buying an "unsearched" roll -- guilty, but only once. o Not checking a package for damage before signing for it -- Guilty. o Hoarding Statehood Quarters from circulation -- yeah, guilty on that one too. o Cleaning... actually... NOT guilty on that one. Never done it. I could go on. But I'll spare you further tales of my stupidity, er, "learning". |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1911 Posts |
Probably starting collecting in 2008-2009... And buying most of my silver oz coins at $45 each. Lol
|
| |
Replies: 117 / Views: 15,886 |
First Page
Posted 04/10/2016 09:50 am
