Did The State Quarter Program Bring You Into The Hobby?

Good topic!

I would say the State Quarter program re-ignited my interest in coins. I collected Lincoln Cents and some type coins when I was a kid but stopped at some point. Not sure why.

I started buying proof and uncirculated mint sets starting in 1999 because of the State Quarters. Starting around 2005, I had recently completed my Topps 1973 Baseball card set - 660 cards - a dream of mine from childhood - and this kind of got the collector bug going again.

So, I started buying type coins again and soon discovered the Dansco 7070 and was hooked BIG TIME. Then, when the new Lincoln designs came out, I got the bug to organize my Lincoln collection, bought a Dansco 7100 and am also working backwards to fill that with BU coins. I am back into the 30's for the Lincolns and it's getting $$$ which slows me down, but that's ok. The 7070 is also almost complete - at least round 1! Then, upgrades perhaps.

Ken

I wouldnt say it got me into it, but a friend of mine was showing me his coins one day and my collector state of mind started up again. I used to collect sports cards...still have them too. So when I was young and collected and organized my cards, I really enjoyed that. Coins kind of took the place of that, but not til recently. I've always had the collector in me, just needed to find something for my age I guess. My passion is for lincoln cents, but I do own a full set of statehoods, including both sets of proofs. I like them just because they are cheap and a full set is really attractive to be honest.

I can't say it was the quarters themselves that got me into collecting 5 years ago. I wanted to collect something that had value in the long run. It certainly helped that I could get BU rolls of Quarters from my bank for face value. I got excited about the history of coins and questioned how much longer would the penny or dollar be in circulation. Then everything I learned along the way just got me deeper and deeper into collecting as many coins I could for face value. Pre 1982 pennies for their copper content, Bu rolls of quarters and Dollars because they were face value, and searching halves to find silver.

Now I look back at just five years ago and see that the AU quarters I was tossing back into circulation are coming up in value! I've become even more determined to sort every coin I find from circulation, roll hunting, and auctions to maximise my chances of maintaining modern AU Roll sets, BU roll sets, and anything of interest from the US Mint Subscriptions. AU sets for my kids to search through in the future, BU sets for me to search through in retirement, and everything else for investment/hobby fulfilment.

I'm very happy with the hobby. There is sooo much out there to collect and it's easy to find! One of the few hobby's that knowledge is truly power.

I actually started collecting up the quarters, even got one of the books to put them in. however, as I was just pulling them out of my change, they are not that great. I also basically stopped looking about 3 years ago and do not have near a complete collection.

In a word, yes.

When I first heard about the State Quarters I thought I should save them as they were released. Bought a couple of Littleton coin folders to keep them in, but wasn't concerned about the D & P mints because they were all D mints at the local bank. The State Quarters were the only coin I bothered collecting.

The Presidential dollars rolled around and thought I'd just save one each of those also, so I did. However when I heard about the approaching 2009 Lincoln Cent series it really interested me so I thought I should pick those up. I asked at the banks about them whenever I stopped at one, then on a trip to Minneapolis a little bank sold me several rolls of the LP1's. I was hooked.

The straw that broke the camel's back was joining this forum. A couple of incredibly nice members welcomed me right away and offered coins right from the start. Since then I've met many wonderful collectors in the forum and I've offered to share whatever my luck brought me in finding the new coin releases.

Altho since childhood I've saved the odd and interesting coin, 2009 was the first year I bought folders, 2x2's, coin supplies and actually went to coin shops and purchased older coins. When I first started a year ago it was the "go slow" approach: only collecting circulated coins, post 1965 dimes and quarters, forgetting the Kennedy halves (even tho I had a few) and just be concerned about filling my Littleton folders. It's not go-slow anymore.

Now I have all the 1938-2009 nickels, 1965-2009 dimes 1965-2009 quarters so now I'll have to work my way back. I have most of the Kennedy halves, only missing 16 of all the Lincoln cents and now I'm starting to get the Lincoln proofs. And then there's the Canadian coins I'm saving also.....

The prime instigators were the State Quarters, 2009 Lincoln cents and this forum.

The State Quarter program has done the opposite for me, instead of making me interested in collecting quarters it decreased my interest in collecting them.
-XoG

It wasn't the State Quarters that got me started, it was the reissue of Susan B Anthony dollars in 1999 that did it. I never collected the State Quarters, but I think they've been great for the hobby. However, enough's enough regarding the State park quarters. Another 10 year series is just overkill in my opinion. They should choose a new design for the quarter and leave it at that.