tell me about your collection

[Guest]

just talk about it:
what do you collect specifically?
do you buy often or mostly search?
how do you organize your collection?
what are your goals?

that's just for starters; jut tell me about your collection

[simonm]

I started out in 2010 when I inherited a bunch of wheat cents from my grandfather. I looked at them with a loupe and found a few what I thought were "errors", and through the usefulness of the internet, found this wonderful forum where I quickly learned the ropes on Lincoln Cent die varieties and errors.

Since I've only been collecting for 3 years I am currently trying a little bit of everything in my collecting tastes. I started out 2010-2011 doing a lot of roll searching. 2011-2012 I branched out into early 1800s coins (Capped Bust Half Dollars, Large Cents, Colonials). Late 2012 I started my Wheat set which is still a work in progress. I've dabbled in ancients a little bit, but I cannot ever get rid of my love for Lincoln Cents. Since life is really busy at the moment (applying to colleges, etc) I have not been doing much roll searching and have eased up on collecting a bit, but I still love logging in every day and seeing the amazing finds our members come across in circulation.

Goals? Well, first would be complete my wheat set. That'll probably happen in 1-5 years. Then get a complete set of Memorials, which should be easier. My lifetime goal is a set of all US 1C coins from 1793-present.

[AstroRaider]

I collect two things...

Ancient coins with astronomical iconology (my passion). These I keep in storage-safe trays.

Pennies (Canada and USA).

My Canadian collection is complete (dates @ EF+). These I keep in storage-safe flips (binder). I don't really do much with varieties or errors with Canadian cents since I live in California now.

I have a complete set of US (Indian Head and Lincoln) @ EF+ and I have started a second set (solely because of searching). These are in Dansco books, but I may switch them to flips and binders. I started with large cents a few years ago after I found a fairly decent 1851 with my metal detector. Those are also in a Dansco book.

I collect varieties and errors only if I find them. For me, the collecting bug is finding them, not collecting them (for collecting's sake).

The only coins I have bought (other than ancients) are...

Bulk pennies (I prefer to get them from estate sales or yard sales),
Large Cents,
1909S VDB, 1909S (IH), 1969 9/9 (IH), 1877 IH,
Canadian 1858.

I have traded many times for others. Over the years, for example, I have found four 1914D Lincoln cents. I still have two (I traded the others for good stuff).

[hasfam]

I started collecting Lincoln cents in 1969. Discovered die varieties around 1997. I have built and sold many collections over the years including complete sets of OBW rolls of memorial Lincolns and some sets going back to the 40's. I haven't collected anything for a couple of years but sell everything we find instead.

[Roller]

I like to think I "collect" but for the most part I just search and set aside all interesting finds. One of these days I may start a collection of something. Don't presently know what. I'm like a spaceship aimlessly hurtling through space or a sperm whale taking in immense quantities of stuff sifting out the good and spewing back the rest. Shall I go on?

[coppercoins]

I haven't been a collector since the mid-90s. Since then I have saved 'specimens' sort of like a library or a science lab. I don't consider myself a collector as much as I'm a researcher, educator, "purveyor of information," and part-time dealer. I don't buy anything for myself, and I don't keep a 'personal' collection. The 'collection' I do have is the coppercoins master library where I keep all the different die states of all the different die varieties.

[jallengomez]

The bulk of my "collection" is something more akin to what Chuck describes. It's just my master "specimens" of the varieties that I have catalogued in my own system. I enjoy the hunt and it gives me something to do. I guess my real collection is just an MS red specimen of all the Lincoln cents. That's one that is in the works.

[admrose]

I'm moving into the realm of world coin's, as valuable ones are remarkably easy to cherrypick to the general lack of knowledge about them. Unfortunately the market for world coins is far more of a niche than American coins.

[Maineman750]

I have albums for a bunch of US coins and a complete Lincoln Cent collection up until 2011...but since I started on varieties,they are scattered through out the house....flips,2x2s,pages in ring binders,tubes,rolls, shoe boxes,tubs,baggies...you name it...organized chaos !

[Joe2758]

maineman, it looks like i seem to be headed in your direction in terms of organization

[onecent1909]

I started collecting in 1982 at age 13.I put together sets of IH and Lincoln cents;liberty,buffalo, and Jefferson nickels; merk and Roosevelt dimes;Washington quarters; walkers,Franklin,and Kennedy halves; Peace,Ike SBA, and sac dollars....

I have sold them off (except for IH, Lincoln, and Jeffersons) and have started into varieties of all denominations....
my intro into varieties was when I bought my 1909 S VDB... the dealer had an AU 1909 VDB DDO 1...I did not know what it was so he showed me a Cherrypickers Guide...I bought the S VDB... and the VDB DDO 1...

[Magers]

I started collecting in 2011after I read about the sale of the 69-S DDO. Unlike most of the collectors here, I was introduced to die varieties first and then started collecting regular issues. I collect everything, but recently have been focusing mainly on Lincolns. I get my coins from all over the place roll hunting, ebay, and of course the great members here. I too have coins everywhere, but the majority of my actual collection is pretty well organized in 2x2's, in three ring binders. I hope to eventually complete a lincoln cent collection in MS with all major varieties in AU or better, wish me luck.

[WaterSport]

Started collecting Lincoln's in 1964. Blue folders at first. Never could afford the "biggies". A friend sold a large coin collection with my help in 1975. As a thank you he gave me his left over supplies of many Capitol Plastic Boards. Wow did my circulated Lincoln's look good in a Capitol board. So I kept roll searching for upgrades and even put a few cents like an 09-s on layaway. With working, getting married and kids, the coins sat only to be looked at every year or so.

Then along came the internet and with it, ebay. Holly Molly I saw coins I never saw in shops and bought a 1938 proof and unc 1922 D as my first upgrades. Then I thought how cool it would be to get my Capitol board all unc with proofs for the p mints. So off I went and found out the hard and expensive way that pre 1934 cents unc cents are not always unc. So with the start of grading companies I bought cents graded and cracked them out. and with some extra cash, finally completed the boards with the biggies.

Then I went for a slab set and the PCGS registerys with a basic wheat set, then memorials, all the proofs and then the varieties . But I prefer for looks and pride the raw board set. Eventually my son started collecting Indians and large cents. So I got all his coins slabbed so we could have a combined cent collection from 1793 to date. Just missing the last 2 biggies - 1799 and 1804.

I guess the goals are to try to find a away to get those 2 large cents and the last few impossible ? Varieties .

WS

[ERRORCENTS]

I started collecting 9 years ago, i was going through my uncle's pennies and my ex father in laws pennies…that really got me started…and now i only serch for what i find…i collect all aspects of the lincoln cents error's and varieties….this is a great hobby also i love to read what other people had found while they are doing it also. You just never know what will fall in your hands when you look in a bag or open a roll…

i put all my coins is 2x2 flips and catalog them and keep my collection neat….that way i know where to go to look for a coin that if someone is looking for a die, then i could go and find it quickly. I really think having a neat and organized collection is the way to go…..

I also look at peoples coins for them…and i let them know what they have, i have done that time to time also. People are so amazed what you could sell a cent for!!!…they have that one of a kind face…..but this is a great hobby and i will do it it until i cannot do it no more……

patrick

[Arjohn]

My Uncle and Godfather started me in coin collecting when I was 5-6 years old. I remember visiting my Aunt & Uncles house and he'd pull out his collections for me to look at. He must have known I liked them as I was always fascinated by looking at them, and hearing his explanations. By the time I was 8 or so I had my first folder of Lincoln Cents. I remember Uncle Laurence showing me one of his prized possessions - a 1955 DDO.
I fell out of collecting in my mid teens, although I'd sit 2-3 times a year and fish out cents from everyone stashes and try to "fill the holes". Again -- I tried a few more times through my married life and never took it beyond the folder filling stage.
Now after retirement - I decided to fulfill my goal of filling the entire collection, then spend time trying to improve (trading/buying up) each coin. Then I stumbled upon LCR.. Finally a place that talked about some of the oddities I would occasionally find and many more I had never seen or even heard about. Now the world opened up to me.
Now my quest is to find some of the errors and varieties and build a separate collection of some of them. I expressed an interest in clashes and the real family feel of this place was felt as Mustbebob offered and sent some of his collection of clashes (I found them breathtaking) just to help educate me... What a great place! So many have offered items, information even coop's DVD (Stunning BTW and educational).... So now you have awakened the sleeping detective in me....! So now I concentrate on errors/varoeties, particularly laminations, die cracks and clashes.... I need more powerful magnification, I want a better scope -- but these will come with time. I also save all copper and am haning onto AU BU Cents for the future as well as re-inspection as my technology gets better.