Starting From Scratch...

My son was about that age when I started with him.
He is 30 now. Sorry you lost your family collection.

Thanks for the quick responses it is very much appreciated

('') to CCF




"the-situ" has posted some excellent advice which I hope you act on. There's nothing like going to the odd show (or monthly bourse at the Best Western he suggested) as you & your son will meet like minded individuals who can also give you collector tips. If you're going to purchase some higher value 25 cent pieces than make sure you know how to store them.

When you go to the shows (or shops) be sure to pick up good storage binders and holders for your coins. Remember that you must preserve them in a dry location (just attended a summer workshop on collection preservation and the curator (presenter) was stunned by how many collectors get in trouble storing their valuable coins in poor conditions with no thought about water/light damage).

I would also suggest you try getting a few rolls from your bank so you and your son can inspect them yourselves. Also, let your family and friends know of your new hobby. Someone collecting change for a charity (or store clerk) might allow you to exchange their coins they collected for currency. My point is- get the word out and be creative in how you get your hands on coins (I'm sure that's what your grandfather did).

Good luck hunting!

Welcome to the forum!

Are you looking to just re buy the collection, or turn it into a long term hobby? This will dictate how to go about it. One you will go and buy in bulk which can be a hit to the pocket book quickly and the other way is still a hit but spread out over time. Either way, sorry about your pocket book lol.

Other members have said some of this but I'll reiterate as to also agree. ebay can be a very good way to start being able to buy little lots/ large lots/ and sometimes even half - entire collections of particular years or denominations. The only downside is you're not always sure of the exact quality of coins you will actually receive. Obviously the higher the grade the more expensive it will be per coin.

I've used J and M a few times and have had great experience with them thus far. Takes a little longer for them to put an order together but I've always received what I paid for. JandM.com is the website. The site also carries vast information of all coinage, mintages varieties etc which you can use as a reference or general knowledge.

Another great website for information would be coinsandcanada.com. Not an online ordering site like JandM but carries the same kind or references as the jandm site with added bonus of a grading section to help you understand what a coin would look like in different grades. Between the two sites they basically have just about everything covered. What might be missing on one site is covered by the other and vise versa. So using them both together will give you the most complete and accurate results.

to CCF!