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 Replies: 13 / Views: 1,379 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1613 Posts |
As a collector of forty-seven years and counting, I made myself a short and simple list of rules to follow not long after beginning and have adhered to them ever since. One in particular pertaining to collecting a series with several or more key/semi-key dates which would have holes. That rule is to not give up, accept failure. I can think of few other things which end a collectors interest in coinage than the frustrations of having a missing piece or two. To further explain my collecting style and why those five simple rules have kept me going continuously year to year (there were a few where only one or two coins were added) I'll use the Seated dime series as a reference. Around 2009, I began to pursue this very tough series by date/mint mark. Currently it contains all but 32 to completion with none added since earlier in the year. I knew from the beginning that at least three would not be found or at anywhere near what I could afford. Several others, which do appear but with rare frequency and being somewhat affordable, remain empty. Not once considering a poor graded specimen simply to fill it. This would be breaking rule number one, have a goal and stick to it. A hole filler, if you will, ruins the overall eye appeal and only leads to regrets and disappointment. Again, endangering the pursuit of coin collecting. My point is this. Holes motivate us, the thrill of the hunt. Looking at them against those we have leads to dreaming. Dreaming of one day finding that missing gem. These are things which make coin collecting truly enjoyable, satisfying. So it's okay to have holes.  ANA member - PAN Member - BCCS Member There are no problems only solutions - the late, great John Lennon
Edited by Ballyhoo
12/26/2022 10:48 am
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Moderator
 United States
94786 Posts |
When I first read the title - I thought you were going to talk about holes in a coin... not in an album, page, or folder. I too have a few holes in my albums (1909-S VDB being one - and a few in my Barber and Mercury dime sets, to name a few) |
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Rest in Peace
United States
18456 Posts |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
24945 Posts |
It's much better to have a hole than an ugly coin in its place.
Inordinately fascinated by bits of metal with strange markings and figures
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3848 Posts |
Sometimes I ponder whether or not it is worth even filling the key date hole. For example, the 1815 half dollar will cost a couple thousand dollars in a problem VF grade. They are somewhat common and easy to find. I would much rather pay $2,000 on a bust half that is very rare and extremely hard to track down.
Suffering from bust half fever. Want to learn how to attribute early half dollars by die variety? Click Here: http://goccf.com/t/434955Shoot me a PM if you are looking to sell bust halves. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
19118 Posts |
Submariners have an entirely different take on holes...
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2280 Posts |
There's tons of collectors that have the money to fill those holes, I know quite a few personally.
They just choose not to spend that much on a coin.
You realize when you know how to think, it empowers you far beyond those who know only what to think.
-Neil deGrasse Tyson
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3636 Posts |
Having holes in a set is something most of us have to accept. The easier sets where I managed to fill all the holes (for example, the modern clad, silver and gold commemoratives) I got a bit bored of when I reached the point I couldn't even do any more upgrades! The "thrill of the hunt", as you mentioned, was gone. And, thus, I eventually ended up selling all of those. My US type set will always have at least a few holes as some are simply too expensive. I've compensated a bit there by subsequently building mint type sets and proof type sets and adding popular varieties. And, upgrade possibilities are endless. My classic silver commemorative set is complete but there is always room for upgrades which keeps it interesting for me. My upgrade list is ever-changing; when I get close to finishing my list of desired upgrades I simply go through and add a few more to the list!  |
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Moderator
United States
94786 Posts |
Quote:
Submariners have an entirely different take on holes... What about screen doors?   On a side note - Russian subs have windows on them... (honest!) |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
756 Posts |
i dont mind holes. collecting early cents is a challenging pursuit. I currently need ~110 varieties from the 1700's. at the most recent coin show I attended there were 30 dealers and a single 1700s large cent. it was a nice 1795 S-77 in good 6. it was priced fairly but I already have a good 4.
i like hole fillers. ill gladly pick up a rare varieties in cull/poor condition if I dont have that variety yet. ill upgrade when/if the opportunity presents itself. this policy is mostly for R-5+ and up coins with less than 50 pieces extant. rare is rare. you dont get too many cracks at the rare coins. I also buy a lot of low grade copper for resale. if I luck into coins I need in the junk I am happy to keep them.
i have fillers for some of the most common coins. its hard for me to justify spending on commons. I can always pick one up later. they dont excite me much.
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
Always OK to have holes, even if set collecting.
Some counter intuitive thinking:
Many decades ago, a professional coin dealer who ended up being a good friend as well, said something that has always stuck with me:-
"The rare coins get rarer, the common coins stay common"
Bearing this in mind, I decided to build a pre decimal type set of Australian coins in bronze and silver, made up only of key dates, except the 1930 Penny, for which I substituted a 1925.
I was in my late 'teens when I started this set, and it took me about 2 years to complete. I sold the set at age 30, which was part of a much larger collection that included about 80 ancients as well.
I made a reasonable profit, even after inflation and fees were taken into account.
I had proven my coin dealer friend to be right.
I now have a much larger collection, haven't sold a coin in nearly 40 years, but I have always avoided common coins in any condition.
As for the rarer coins in top condition, I have never been able to afford them.
That is why I have always tended to be a type collector, and not a set collector.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1648 Posts |
Doubled dies have doubling on the die itself that will strike the coin image, that is why its called a "doubled die". In the years 1953-1957, the mint had a habit of keeping the Lincoln Cent dies in use too long trying to increase the life of the Lincoln Cent dies and when the dies wore, it can create what is called " Die Deterioration Doubling" like what you see on the 1955 poor man's doubled die and those other dates. This is why certain dates of errors like the 1955 poor mans doubled die have also become popular even when it shouldnt be, possibly due to only having something like 15,000 of the true popular 1955 doubled die and its very high cost to obtain, helping to fill albums that have a slot for the 1955 doubled die instead of the dreaded hole. PROTIP: (Thx Gamepro) I will mention that if you actually get anxiety from holes, you might just want to use 2x2s and a 3 ring binder. it seems that a high percentage of 20th century US coin collectors are less likely to buy a hole filler, which seems to correlate with the relative ease that many coins can be easily found via the internet and just having enough money However, those who collect pre 20th century US, world, tokens, and medals seem to be more willing to use a hole filler due to lack of availability and cost constraints; so it does seem that what a collector choses to collect may influence the decision to some degree about using hole fillers. Edited by datadragon
12/26/2022 9:23 pm
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
I have always followed the PROTIP !  Formal set albums would give me anxiety; the PROTIP leads to avoiding dreaming about that missing gem, and allowing yourself to be pragmatic about your numismatics. |
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Moderator
United States
187702 Posts |
I am down to the last four holes in my original Dansco albums (what I call the core of my collection). Not bad for a 38 year journey I suppose (44 years if you count the Whitman folders which preceded them). Indeed, the thrill of the hunt helped me accept those holes being empty for so long.  |
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Replies: 13 / Views: 1,379 |
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Posted 12/26/2022 11:30 am
,I too have some holes in a few of my coin sets . I have accepted that fact long ago . I am certainly not ashamed that I can't afford or even can't see paying $ 500-$1000 just to fill a hole . Unless I come across a bunch of money , holes will always be there .
