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 How do you define yourself in numismatics?
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Market Harmony
1000+ Penny Miser Member


USA
1274 Posts

Posted - 08/02/2010 :  09:33:47  Show Profile Send Market Harmony a Private Message
Poll Question:
So, how do you describe your involvement in numismatics? Do you specialize or generalize, old school or new school, invest, collect, or deal? Do you avoid anything in particular? Are you a teacher or student in the history, or do you just like having the coins? Have you been doing this for years, or did you just begin your involvement in collectible coins? What are your favorite or most prized pieces?

There are some limited choices below, so try to pick which one best fits you, but my guess is that there is considerable cross-over from one definition to another. The choices are limited, so I'm hoping for a good discussion, as well as seeing some results from the poll.

Choices:

newbie: less than 1 year, learning much and evaluating what you''ve got
beginner: some experience, refining your collection to weed out the bad stuff
collector(1): narrowed focus to a particular series, much knowledge gained, paying up for good coins
collector(2): specialist in particular series, the art of dealing in coins begins
investor: a much more refined collection, some prime specimens define your collection
professional: large knowledge base, others ask for advice, dealing is more prevalent
expert: top 1% of knowledgable numismatists, very narrow focus on particular series
professional expert: an encyclopedia of knowledge on many coins. Deals only in the best specimens

dexum
New Member



USA
16 Posts

Posted - 08/02/2010 :  11:03:44  Show Profile Send dexum a Private Message
I'm in the crossover category. "Some experience and refining my collection but not disposing of much"

CoinMedic
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dakota1955
1000+ Penny Miser Member



2212 Posts

Posted - 08/02/2010 :  11:56:53  Show Profile  Send dakota1955 a Yahoo! Message Send dakota1955 a Private Message
I also could be in a couple of groups.
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fb101
Administrator



USA
2856 Posts

Posted - 08/02/2010 :  12:09:30  Show Profile Send fb101 a Private Message
I put in collector(2) (30 years off and on) although I don't specialize in a series anymore (used to be morgans), but I fill in more; Bullion playing took over my collecting a couple of years ago. I don;t insist on primo coins, although Uncs are best. I'ts still a hobby and it's hard for a guy with a mortgage to cost justify spending a mortgage payment on a coin when it could go so much farther..... on the mortgage.

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aloneibreak
Penny Hoarding Member



USA
672 Posts

Posted - 08/02/2010 :  19:33:36  Show Profile Send aloneibreak a Private Message
im between collector(1) and (2).

been collecting for 15-20 years

within the last 5 ive been trying to finish sets and upgrade my completed ones to fine or better

i bought multiples of some semi-keys hoping to make a small profit - other than that my numismatic coins will be passed on someday.

ive sold quite a few coins off over the years - not enough to make me a "dealer" though

mostly just a fun hobby for me - dont have the cash to make it anything else








My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.
Thomas Jefferson
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beauanderos
1000+ Penny Miser Member



USA
2408 Posts

Posted - 08/03/2010 :  17:35:43  Show Profile Send beauanderos a Private Message
For the past seven years I've been buying as much bullion as I can afford, alot in the form of junk silver, but also alot of BU rolls, with the idea being that this will be inventory when I turn around and become an internet coin dealer in five or ten more years.

Hoard now and hold on!

http://coppermillions.blogspot.com/
http://wherewillyoubein2012.blogspot.com/
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rainsonme
Penny Pincher Member



USA
183 Posts

Posted - 08/03/2010 :  18:36:19  Show Profile Send rainsonme a Private Message
I also need a different category: undisciplined hack. I have been doing this on and off since the early 1960s, so it's hard to say I have a few years expereince. And weeding out poor quality coins ---- I never get rid of anything. I accumulate as much junk silver and older coins as I can, and I appreicate many different series: the V-nickle, Mercury dime, all barber coins, walking liberty halfs. Excluding error coins, I have complete sets of linclon pennies, washington qtr's, roosevelt dimes, Jefferson nickles, and I believe I am missing only 2 mercury dimes. (which now that I think of it, I guess I should get those 2)
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Cody8404
Penny Hoarding Member



USA
602 Posts

Posted - 08/05/2010 :  15:39:59  Show Profile Send Cody8404 a Private Message
I have been "collecting" for more than 25 years. I started in the 1980's and bought the coins I thought were "valuable."

I few years later I found all the coins I had were worth about half what I paid for them. Since then I have been a "collector" mostly for intrinsic value. Most of my collection is worth the copper or silver in it. I have a few U.S. commemeratives that I bought because they were interesting. I feel good if these keep a value at least what I paid for them.

Roll searching and spare change are where most of my collection come from.

The single coin I got because I wanted it, liked it and respected what it was, and paid more than twice its intrinsic vaule was a circulated "stone mountin half dollar."

Awake, O kings of the earth! Come ye, O, come ye, with your gold and your silver, to the help of my people, to the house of the daughters of Zion, to the help of the people of the God of this Land even Jesus Christ.
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bman
Penny Collector Member



USA
425 Posts

Posted - 08/06/2010 :  15:56:54  Show Profile Send bman a Private Message
I've been collecting for over 10 years and I still have a lot to learn.

My favorite coins that I own are my Fugio cent and my Oregon Trail half dollar. My favorite Dansco album is my Type set.

check out my coins for sale on ecrater : http://bmanscoinsforsale.ecrater.com/
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Kiwiman
Penny Pincher Member



225 Posts

Posted - 08/06/2010 :  20:59:42  Show Profile Send Kiwiman a Private Message
I don't buy coins but i collect hunt and learn about them all day
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Market Harmony
1000+ Penny Miser Member



USA
1274 Posts

Posted - 08/13/2010 :  01:51:06  Show Profile Send Market Harmony a Private Message
I am an investor. My progression to such has been very fast. I learned early on that junk is junk. There is some value to particular coins, but as far liquidity goes, the most easily sold coins are those that are rare or in high grade.

As part of my investment into the hobby, I now travel PA and set up at coin shows (mostly from central PA to Western PA) I am scheduled to set up at a show next week in Johnstown, PA. The fall schedule has me at a show just about every other weekend.

I was at one time a "keep it raw" kind of collector. This forced me to hone my skills in grading and I got really good at a few series. I would not hesitate to say that I am excellent when grading Morgan Dollars (my favorite), WL halfs, and FSB Mercury Dimes. But, when I would go to sell some of the coins, the buyer would typically try to downgrade me. So in order to realize full value, a third party grading service became important. I submitted a pile of coins to a TPG and now I have much better leverage when it comes to dealing with a potential buyer. My accuracy rate (my grade compared to TPG's grade) was 95%. I overgraded only one coin (felt it was 65, came back 64), but the other misgrades were all the other way (I undergraded it)

I consider myself an "investor" because I deal in a bunch of coins, but I also have a few prime specimens that are not going to be for sale anytime soon. I could also be considered a "professional" in some eyes, but I am typically quiet about my involvement in the hobby, so there are only a few people that actually come to me for a professional opinion.

goto the new and improved realcent: http://realcent.org
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rodebaugh
Penny Collector Member



USA
377 Posts

Posted - 08/14/2010 :  11:49:45  Show Profile Send rodebaugh a Private Message
Investor

Collect a few series seriously. Mess around with coins every day at least once a day. Have sold at a few shows.

Maybe a "horse trader/investor/collector" style

Good thing to think about.

http://rodebaugh.ecrater.com/
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Flbandit
Penny Hoarding Member



USA
851 Posts

Posted - 08/15/2010 :  13:25:27  Show Profile Send Flbandit a Private Message
I guess I'm a hoarder/collector. I work on a few series, and buy as much PM as I can. I mostly buy bullion right now. I had to sell alot of my stash after having surgery awhile back, so I feel kind of exposed without my PM to back me up.

Are you throwing that out?
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rickygee
New Member



USA
8 Posts

Posted - 09/04/2010 :  17:42:46  Show Profile Send rickygee a Private Message
Guess I'm a junkman! Not ashamed either. I luv getting odd coins in rolls of nicks or cents. Where I live getting a Canadian is neat. Found a pressed penny in a campground from the Memphis Zoo on a motorcycle trip on the Natchez Trace and I really luv it, even if is a zincer. Yeah, I've got some real honest to goodness numistuff, but I'm not an investor, a collector, or whatever. I just like coins/medals and medallions. Hey! Someone's gotta do it. But I'm no dummy about it either. I won't be buying chrome plated National Park Quarters from the late night coin shows. Now a bit more chrome for the bike...
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