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 Replies: 36 / Views: 2,892 |
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Valued Member
United States
206 Posts |
Hey all.. I'm wondering if I could get some suggestions on what to do. Lately I kind of feel like I'm in a rut with my collecting. I absolutely love Lincoln cents and Morgan dollars (and heavily collect both) but I know that completing a Morgan set (with all those expensive CC key dates out there) and completing the Lincoln set (with the 55DDO and other pricey key dates) is going to be difficult. I have a lot of silver and gold bullion coins.. I thought maybe I would sell or trade out and try and put together a 7070 album, but then I worry that the spot prices for silver and gold will skyrocket and I'll regret having sold them off. Have any of you 100% completed any sets without going totally bankrupt? I'd like to start on a series that I know can be completed in my life time. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
580 Posts |
I hear ya, Photoeric! I was in the same boat a few months back when I realized that there is no way I would be able to complete my set of IHCs given the limited budget I am working with. So I decided to look at shorter sets to work on and complete that would give me a feeling of achievement! That is why I am currently working on a set of Franklin halves. I also have several Kennedy half dollars I got from my mom. I have enough of those to start four or five sets that get through the early 80s! I figure I can complete that one by just getting rolls from the bank...at least up to 2002 when they stopped issuing them for circulation. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3294 Posts |
You should be able to do the 1946-? Roosevelt dime set in your lifetime for a fairly low cost. Same with the Washington quarter 1932-1998 Also as mklpat says, the Franklin half set is pretty attainable. One way to not feel like you get killed on the bullion would be to trade some of the bullion for the silver coins. Might not find any interest but it couldn't hurt to ask. |
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Moderator
 United States
23481 Posts |
Have some fun  collect the Silver Australian Kangaroos, or Kookaburras, or Koalas. If those are not to your liking you can collect the Australian Gold lunar sets or the Australian Gold Nugget sets The Gold nuggets come in fractional sizes so you can collect of 1/20 oz, 1/10 oz, 1/4 oz, 1/2 oz, 1 oz, 2 oz, 10 oz a budget for every collector  These sets are obtainable in a lifetime an most except for a complete Gold nugget set won't set you budget off to much. However  don't be bidding against other forum members like myself for the same coins  rggoodie
aka Richard
"catch em doing something right"
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1984 Posts |
My story might not be relevant to your dilemma, but I thought I'd share it for a bit of a different perspective. One of my good friends works in a coin and stamp shop. I spend quite a bit of time in the shop as well. What I notice is that people come into the store with items that they've collected/accumulated or that have been given or left to them. Some in sets, some not. What the dealer does is break up just about every set that comes in because there's little demand and less profit for full sets. So all of our sets are going to be broken up someday, whether we like it or not. I've also realized it's going to be next to impossible for me to complete sets of even quality for just about every type. For example, even if I were able to find every other Mercury dime in MS-63+, I'd still never be able to afford the key dates or any varieties in much better than fine. It's not even really about money: if I were to win a $100 million lottery, I probably wouldn't even bother to collect sets at all. I realized I was the only one who cared that there was a missing spot in the album. To 99.99% of the world a missing spot in a Lincoln cents album is just a Lincoln Cent. I wish I had realized this fully before I finished the 7070, but knowing it gave me the ability to sell half the gold page. I got rid of the coins I had purchased simply because there were holes that needed to be filled. I had a St. Gaudens but realized I wasn't a big enough fan to keep it when I could use the money for other things I like better. Now I am in the process of relearning how to be a coin collector rather than an album filler. If I happen to have 2 examples of a 1942-D Jefferson nickel in MS-65 FS, say one with target toning and one blast white, I'm going to keep both and treat them as equals. I am converting to 2x2s and blank album pages. I realized I was probably not going to be able to get a decent 1893-S Morgan, so I converted from a dated album to a dateless Dansco "Silver Dollars" album. Now I'm just acquiring coins I like and can afford, and there are no blank holes. I'm starting to love coin collecting again. That's just me, and who knows when this phase will change. I still see the need and use for date/mint albums, but the empty holes are starting to mean so much less to me now that I see that I am the only one they meant anything to in the first place. |
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Valued Member
 United States
206 Posts |
Hey halfabust: Thanks for the perspective.. that really is pretty interesting to me. I can remember more than a few times I was going through the common date Morgan basket or common Buffalo nickel basket at my coin shop and passed on a coin that I really liked (based on look or just feel of the coin) because I either already had that date, or it wasn't a 'key' date. I originally started in this hobby when I was left a completed Lincoln Cent collection 09-2001 with no missing holes from an uncle who died. I guess because a completed set was my catalyst for entering the hobby it's sort of been the only way I approach collecting. Sadly for me, and I'm sure many others, I fell in love with Morgan dollars and, short of finding a miracle completed set in BU including all keys at a yard sale (anyone here remember that post from over the summer?) I will never have the financial ability to complete the set. But your right, maybe working to complete full sets sometimes works against you as a collector. I just recently passed on a PCGS slabbed 1964 dime in MS-66. Not the highest grade in the world, but a beautiful coin for a good price. I passed because I 'don't collect' Roosevelt dimes. I'm really going to take what you wrote into consideration. Maybe by focusing less I can really start to appreciate the hobby again. |
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Moderator
 United States
6563 Posts |
The solution is simple. Join The Dark Side! There are a Lot of members that try to collect coins from all over specifically "One From Every Country". Best way to start is find a good ebay auction that has large variety of world coins and build upon that. I gotta warn ya that it's far more addicting that Lincoln searching and die varieties |
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Valued Member
United States
383 Posts |
I use the Whitman folders, so my solution won't really work with Danscos, but I simply put a nice looking coin in the key-date holes with the reverse showing. It somehow makes it easier on the eyes. Much better than an empty hole...at least to me.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2669 Posts |
Quote:
I am converting to 2x2s and blank album pages. I realized I was probably not going to be able to get a decent 1893-S Morgan, so I converted from a dated album to a dateless Dansco "Silver Dollars" album. Now I'm just acquiring coins I like and can afford, and there are no blank holes. I'm starting to love coin collecting again.
Excellent  Not so much because of the 2x2's and pages, even though that's how I do it now as well, but because switching your focus (in any direction) brought you back your groove  I looked at those empty holes and actually got stressed! I wouldn't bring the albums out to look at the coins that were there because of the ones that were not. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1179 Posts |
This thread made me realize that I too pass up on nice looking coins, ones that just really stand out only because I do not collect them! Man, that opens my eyes a bit to the beauty in other coins besides Lincolns :)
I originally started with albums and basically playing the "Fill the hole" game. It helps to keep you on track, but like many collectors, they have multiples that they just cannot part with but do not have a home for them. I'd suggest switching to 2x2 pages and allow yourself to customize to your liking. I have my Lincoln setup so any rare varieties have their own page and do not creat a hole in my binder. Thus, eliminating some stress to an extent. I know that I'll have holes, but I also know that they will be filled over time.
Starting a 7070 is a good idea. Now you can purchase those sweet looking coins that you didnt buy before because you didnt collect. I plan to start mine this year along side finishing my Lincoln's.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
581 Posts |
Short sets. I believe they were popular many years ago - as you can find older Whitman folders that cover the later Walkers, etc.
When I look at any of the three barber sets, I just shiver when I think of collecting those dozens and dozens and dozens of coins.
Imagination. A lot of ideas become almost type set ideas such as "Coinage during World War I".
I think most collectors agree that a focus is important, just don't get tied down to what an album is forcing you to "focus" on.
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Valued Member
United States
88 Posts |
I love the idea of collecting coins based upon historical events. Kabiye_Lady has a great idea about collecting WWI coins. You could collect WWII coins, coins of the Reagan administration, coins of the Carter administration, coins of the Great Depression. You get the idea.
I really think that there needs to be a better way for coin collectors to create albums for these individual types of collections. Something like scrapbooking for coins.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
580 Posts |
KL and Coinblogger have a good point as well. In fact I started another thread (listed below) about short sets because, as I mentioned earlier, actually completing the entire IHC set would be a daunting task considering my limited budget! So I opted to concentrate on a handful of them specifically from the Civil War years. https://goccf.com/t/33835&SearchTerms=short,set |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
19935 Posts |
Just like ceaton said, I got tired of playing the "fill the hole" game. I found myself passing on a lot of nice coins because I already had one....not any more. With the 2x2 pages I can put whatever I want in with my collection. Halfabustisbetter is spot on too. All our completed collections will eventually be broken up so other collectors can fill their holes. You might as well just collect WHAT APPEALS TO YOU and not get caught in the hole filling game.  |
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Valued Member
United States
135 Posts |
Canadian Small Cents 1920 to date. 5 key dates but none are budget busters and it all fits in one album.
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Valued Member
United States
383 Posts |
I just got the Whitman folders for the small Canadian cents. Forgive me, since they're not in front of me, but there's one year that has something about a shoulder and there's another year that has something about small dots vs large dots. Any idea where I can get more info or pics on these? I figure since you've got those you'd know.
-SJU
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Replies: 36 / Views: 2,892 |
Posted 01/14/2009 10:14 am
