Coin Collector's Personality...

I've had people consider me odd ever since I took my collection to my fifth grade class and showed it off on 'Hobby Day.' Hey, it's hard to compete for the girls when your best friends dad hauled his horse and saddle to the school (rural small Texas town) and all you've got is couple of a metal lunch boxes with blue Whitman folders and some old silver coins loose in 2x2 flips, No competition, LOL...

Seriously, in my college days people have called me wacky for spending money on such a trivial pursuit when the legal drinking age was still 18 years. Nut, Nerd, Poindexter, Idiot Savant, and others not printable have been hurled at me in veiled jest. Then a big portion of my collection got stolen by the one close friend who I opened up to and explained the who, what, where, how, and why of the hobby, Alas...

Recently my wife's friend and her husband found out I collect coins and just can't seem to fathom the fact. Yes even "Solid Gold Ones" as Ron blurted out after I showed him a double eagle. They just don't understand especially when they have to work so hard to make three car payments and a new house mortgage. He even told his (ex-con) buddies all about my collection at the Waste-Water Treatment Plant where he works, "Oh Goodie..."

Has anyone (maybe several have) ever considered you "just different" because of your love of the hobby numismatics? Has it ever overflowed into more than joke?

I've found collecting coins takes a certain type of individual. One who's self sufficient and independent is perfect to embart on the coin collecting oddsey.

Take Care
Ben

 

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I'm sure if I started telling everyone I met that I collected, I'd get some weird responces. But as far as my close friends and family go, I'm never met with anything negative.

My grandfather collects, and got me into it. My girlfriend searches for coins for me at work, and gets excited when she thinks she finds something for me. Like when she found "a silver penny from 1943!" My friends actually think it its interesting to browse my coins when they come into town (most are away at college). I have one friend who always says he wants to start collecting some coins when he sees mine.

People can be ignorant at times, but we can't really let them effect us. There are better people out there.

 

non-coin-collectors just dont get it. They view a wheat penny as just a wheat penny. An indian head penny as just a penny. Where we see the true value of the coin, its history and its beauty a non-collector simply sees the face value. Many of my gold coins each have a story I attribute to them like how I came to own the coin, the price, what its actually worth... When we search through rolls looking for silver half dollars others think we are wasting our time..

Consider this: Most hobbies cost money. Ours has the potential to realize real profits or paper profits..

I love coins and love this forum...

JEA!!!

Anthony

 

"Just different", huh ? I thought that was good ?

Tell 'em to "celebrate diversity" ! Maybe they need some "sensitivity training" !

But seriously folks... I have found most people, family especially, to be interested. The historical aspect is intriguing. There's all sorts of trivia about early American commerce, etc.

 

As a younger collector, I have found that some individuals give you odd looks when you tell them you collect coins. It probably does take a certain kind of person with a level of independence to be an active collector. My roomates will laugh, as there are individuals (college age) coming over to party a little, and I am sitting there reading Coin World, the Numismatist, or these boards. I have always been up front with any female I date about my collecting interests, because I'm comfortable with it. If they are not going to be, then I figure I should know right away.

 

Well bone, you brought yours toyour 5th grade class? I brought some of mine into my COLLEGE class it was a speech class, and i didnt do any research into a speech i was to do the next day - so i figured what the heck, what more do i know alot about that i can give the next day? So i brought some in and did a 10 minute speech on Coins and Currency. I didnt get any negative comments, and most of the people showed genuine interest to look at what i had.

I do get alot of silly faces and comments at work. I tell them i collect coins and currency, and they tell me"yeah i collect money too, its called a bank".. i try to tell them that the dollar i have is worth $100 or somthign close, and they tell me its 'hogwash' and its only a dollar....

they know people like me collect odd things, and they dont have a problem selling items to me but they still think im weird...

Im ok with that

 

well, wy wife thinks I'm nuts. She is slightly interested in the paper side of things, but just doesn't completely understand the coin thing. She does keep an eye out for silver though.
Coin colleting reminds me of the Jeep stickers that say " It's a Jeep thing, you wouldn't understand".
There isn't a whole lot of people that know I collect. some think it is interesting and some just don't get it, but no real negative comments.

 

and when you die, your wife will take all of those coins to the bank just to get rid of them.. Needless to say, I will walk in 5 minutes later and do some searching and get your collection...wooo hooo

lol

 

If I could only be lucky enough to have a fellow collector find them.

 

My wife and kids know I collect and help me out at times. I really haven't ever discussed it with anyone else.

 

My brother thinks I'm nuts, and occasionally I get a strange look when people learn I collect coins, but I'm ok with that. Coins are my life.

 

my only friends left are my coins

 

My friends and family don't see me as strange for collecting coins. They see me as strange for collecting musical instruments. Someone once asked my why I bought an ophicleide and a helicon, so I told them, because I can. If only they took up less space, like coins.

 

I got quite a laugh from that.

My wife thinks I'm nuts, but she collects shoes, so she understands there's no accounting for people's interests. It helps that her father is really into coin collecting, so that gives us something pleasant to talk about instead of politics on which we are polar opposites.

One of my kids is very interested in it. My other kid has no interest at all.

I have found that a lot of my friends collect coins (or at least keep a collection they inherited from a parent) but rarely talk about it. I've never had anyone ridicule me about it, though.

 

Great topic!

I love my collection and never tire looking it over and over. I try to educate myself almost daily on the coins I collect with grading and history surrounding their entrance into the world. In short I am an addict, and I find I can not afford most of the coins I wish I could acquire and may never will. I feel blessed to have what I have, which is relatively "a lot".

I was at the coin shop the other day and we got on the subject of the cost of being a "collector". Thats when it hit me, my collect serves no real purpose but to feed my own ego in some way. They don't do anything but drain my spare cash to make me feel good just to have them to look at. My only rationalization is that one day I can get a return, not necessarily a profit, that is if i don't give them away to a promising new collector.

My family and friends are fascinated with my obsession. Yet I can not get them on the same page that says I would prefer gift certificates to buy coins or the coins themselves as gifts. They just don't understand my level of addiction.

 

People have always considered me off. Then when they find I collect coins, I get that sideways stare, the one that says wacko. Now as far as taking coins to class, the worst I've ever done was in my speech class in college where we had to give an informative speech on any topic 15 to 20 minutes. Well my speech was on the 1913 lib nickel and lasted 19 minutes. From their suspect creation, the design and what it gave way to, their whereabout (at the time the walton specimen was still "missing") and etc. I did get an A on the speech though.
My wife doesn't understand or help with my collection, but she knows what they're worth and how much I treasure them, so they would be well taken care of if I go on. My friends don't even pretend to understand, they think I should be spending all that extra cash on booze. My daughter shows some interest, but who knows shes only 10 and there are other things that take up a bunch of her time.

 

I have never had any problems...most people I might talk to about it seem to understand why, its just not something they are into but understand why coins are valuable or why one might want to collect them. Most are pretty smart people and have their own hobbies and obsessions so they can relate. I just dont talk about it much to people as I dont think most people care but they know I collect and any time anything coin related comes up I am the first person they look to

But no...I have to say that everyone I know understands why coins are collectable and why a person might like them...I guess I was lucky that way...my wife didnt get what the attraction was but now she likes to see them when I get them and understands....I dont know ANY other collectors...just know a lot of very smart people who understand the finer points

 

For starters I AM odd so take me as I am.

My family has always thought I was a bit off because of my love for coins. Then I started to sell occasionally and show a profit. My next oldest brother (who REALLY loves money) wanted to get into it.
I told him to collect for 30 years or so and learn what I have learned and go for it. That was the end of that.

I look at it this way WE have taken the time to learn, WE have taken the time to research and therefore WE know the hobby better than any "sheer investor".

WE also appreciate the beauty, art and history behind a coin and I'm good with that.

My wife of 18 years has always been supporitive. She does not collect but after all of these years she sure knows the terms. Even in tight times she has never had any qualms about me plunking down money for a coin. She realizes that I want that coin and it will go toward our retirement.
We have no children and eventually my coins will be sold to people like myself that appreciate them for what they are. I expect to profit but it's not why I do this.
What other hobby can you enjoy all of your life, sell as you age to someone like a younger you AND make a few bucks

At one point my wife and I both worked in different truck stops. She as a bookeeper and myself as a manager. We saw a LOT of currency in those days.
She would keep an eye out for "odd" notes and consult me. I taught her about 295 errors and web notes. As it turns out I have one of the most complete 295 collections known and my wife found many of them including some rare combinations. I'm talking less than 20 examples known here.
How could you NOT love a woman like that?!

There are those that make money in stocks. Now THAT'S weird. Think about it - "oooh I have this piece of paper and sometimes I look at it and if it goes up I'll sell it!". Wow, what a rush that would be!

Actually, when you get down to it WE are the normal ones. Everyone else is messed up and I'm good with that.

In closing I ask how many times a "non collector" has run to you with a coin that is old (and probably really rare). These are often "old silver dollars" in RGS (Really Good Shape). That translates to an XF 1921 Morgan.

We have the best hobby in the world folks. Let people say what they will say. They don't know what they're missing.

 

I do not discuss it with just anybody - my family knows and a few people at work know. Not worried about people thinking I am weird otherwise I would never be able to mention I volunteer to help run a cemetery. If you can do that, then talking about coins is easy. The problem is that the ones I do know who collect, usually are not interested in what I like. With others it just never really comes up. My Aunt wanted to get her grandson into coin collecting, me and my father both offered to help. We outlined some books to look through first, some cheap coins to collect, etc. The last I heard is weenie of a father said "no" to the idea because he did not stick with his baseball collection or pokemon collection(Both are in binders and maintained). Maybe coins with history would have been a better selection for the kid. I think my local coin shop guy summed it up best on why I collect - "It is really amazing how this hobby reduces stress for those involved.". It is fun and it gives me something to look forward 2 with my free time. And heck I can now always come here if I want to "chat on coins".

 

It is a rush - cause then I can buy more coins that I enjoy even more. Sorry I couldn't resist.