How Do You Organize Your Collection? (A Beginning Collector Question)

Triggersmob GREAT IDEA!! I am going to steal no I mean borrow that idea.

You can always point to this forum post if you need to claim anything in the future.

Hi,

I recently got back into collecting after a 40 +/- year absence, so I am running into a similar problem.

#1 First off, for me, I figured inventorying my collection to know what I have is the first priority. So I briefly searched for a coin collecting program and ended up buying one named "Exact Change" created by Caveman Software. So far I like it and I have not found and problems with it. Now I can figure out the order I wish to store my inventory.

#2 For physical storage I have purchased the lens and coin roll boxes on the US Mint website, and 6 or 7 used PCGS or NGC 2x3 slab boxes as well

No shame in that.

I collect both US and foreign coins. My foreign coins are all in an album, there isn't much rhyme or reason other than bigger coins in the front smaller coins in the back. Then the US coins are as follows:
1) I collect by series so I have them in albums. I'm not picky so I have them in Dansco, Littleton or Whitman albums.
2) I also have a few folders for low cost coins, currently only small cents.
3) what doesn't fit in albums goes into 3 Whitman cases. They go by 1) silver coins 2) cents (large, IHC, LWC). I only keep coins in here that have a value more than face. And last one is supposed for clad coins. I have uncirculated moderns and classics.
4) I have a plastic roll holder for MS cents ( LMC and LSC)

Anything that doesn't fit and even stuff that does but doesn't have collectibility to me will get purged, moved to circulation, given away or sold if there is enough value to justify.

I don't keep coins to keep, so I have no issue purging what I have no interest in.

I'm in need of lots of advice, on all the aspects discussed here.
Main problem: I've collected, bought, hoarded, coins and currency my whole life, without much specific rhyme or reason. If it caught my eye, or I thought why not buy 25 thousand wheat back pennies, which I did over time, or kept every star note, or two dollar bill, or silver coins, or funny looking foreign money while traveling, or save all my change because there might be something in there, I think you get the picture.

I always figured I would sort it when retired, now retired, been working on it for months and haven't made much headway, especially since I'm now really into looking for errors.

My plan, put everything in 2X2's and separate, then put in large but all the same 2-3 inch high boxes. All currency are in sleeves and top loaders and fit in those boxes too. Then either create my own Excel spreadsheet or buy a commercial one and enter everything in it.

I've read posts that everything doesn't deserve a 2X2, but how else am I going to organize where everything fits in one medium?

I've read only keep stuff worth more than face value, well don't all pennies before 1982 have a higher value due to metal content, especially the wheats? Can't get rid of those.

All uncirculated have higher than face too.

Now I'm to volume, I have lots and lots of ammo cans full of change.



More ammo cans full of other stuff.






I feel overwhelmed and wonder if I'm doing it all wrong.
Am I planning right, just going to take years to complete?

I took me a year to organize my 150 thousand sports cards.



Like others I'm spending hours everyday on this.
Any advice?

Now those are some awesome coins and containers.
And I bet their worth a ton, none of my coins warrant such beautiful presentation cases.
Love those cases.



I only have 3 ancient coins, I think, I haven't even got to them yet to see what they are. If they are good, I'll look into using a case like you.

My advice and take it for what it is. You have too much. You really do. Its not a collection its more a pile.

Narrow down what you want to collect.
Pick the best of each
Get rid of everything else.

I did the same with Lincoln Wheat Cents, I got a few folders and had more cents than I ever needed. I gave a few away, I sold a few and I put the rest back into circulation.

In my extra's folder I only have 3 small cases and there are less than 100 extra coins that are duplicates. If I upgrade I'll sell the other ones I don't keep.

Sorry, that's my advice. Narrow it down to what you actually want to collect.