How Has Your Coin Collection Evolved Over Time?

I started collecting when I was eight. World coins were what lured me: collecting coins from different countries, foreign cultures with alien customs - yet we had coins, and they had coins - something we had in common. That part of my collecting has not changed, indeed it has grown deeper. The collection is also still largely "aimless" - many collectors narrow down their collecting field to a particular country, time period or type. I have not, and do not want to.

What has changed:
- Obviously, the budget has increased.
- I no longer keep doubles or duplicates of any kind. I used to keep ("hoard") pretty much everything; now I'm quite vicious about culling. If I get two coins that are the same date, mintmark and variety - one stays, the other goes.
- I used to be more into banknotes than I am now; I once hoarded/collected them to the same extent as my coins, but no longer. I now only actively pursue banknotes issued by countries that never got around to issuing coinage.
- Ever since joining a coin club, I have become more interested in other aspects of numismatics: particularly tokens and medals.

Started with filling Whitman folders in the late 60s through 1980 with my grandfather. Canadian included since we were on the border.

Went to college and all but forgot the hobby until the mid 90s and even then did very little except to get the stuff out from storage and looked to update the folders. Put it aside again until about 2008 or so.

Found CCF in 2011 and found I had a LOT to learn as a lot had happened since I was serious about coins.

I have expanded into proofs for some issues, now not so concerned about keeping a running date set of every denomination. Sold off some currency I had to buy a few coins to fill other holes. The Ike nuts on here made me really desire to finish off the few I did not have in that set (and found some varieties existed so I had to have those also).

I was avidly roll searching JFKs to finish off the date set and that made me branch into proofs and varieties/clashed dies etc.

I have started to upgrade my Buffalos from being al acid dates and started (sort of!) an SLQ collection. Since the forum lit a flame under me for coins once more, I have obviously been on the lookout for good deals, have had some, and now wonder what I missed during the years the hobby was on the back burner. However, it was those years the kids were still home etc., so I don't consider that time as lost years at all.

Just curious why the switch? Why didn't you change over to Whitman albums?

That's a great line. Aren't we all?

I started with cents... got into my grandpa's drawer when I was little and took home 157 wheats, the oldest being a 1937. In the early days, I really didn't care about condition. I then branched out to nickels, and when I got my first job, I started into the other denominations... later on, I decided I wanted all of my Lincolns in XF or better... and revised that to AU or better except for the pre-1920s. The ultimate goal is to have a Lincoln set eventually with every coin showing at least a trace of mint luster. Some dates, like the 1926-S, will be hard. I'm also very close to completing my Buffalo and Mercury sets... those are next goals.