Yvette asked:


People engage in hobbies at all ages and some of those hobbies include collecting interesting and sometimes valuable objects such as rare or foreign coins or rocks or unusual looking junk that poses as interesting conversation

pieces and works of art. Some people are so passionate about their hobbies that they become experts and use their knowledge or talent to earn a living or simply share with others.

Coin collecting is a common hobby, especially among children, with some of them growing into coin dealers that cater to those who share their interest. Coin dealers spend a lot of time

searching and researching and attending coin

shows to find the collectable money with the most value and they use a method called coin grading to determine a coin’s value. The value of a state quarter can vary depending on it’s age, type and wear and tear such as nicks or grooves or if it is worn down around the edges.

Many coin dealers also buy coins, but you should be careful about who you sell them to. A local pawn shop is probably not a good idea, but attending a coin show is a great idea.

Coin grading is available and you can mingle and network with other dealers and collectors.

If you are interested in coin collecting, but not sure where to go or what to collect, quarters are a good start as well as foreign coins and reading publications such as CoinWorld.com will give you information and ideas. I collect mainly state

quarters, but I also hang on to anything I find that is really old, rare, foreign or all three combined.

You should note, if you do not already know, that any collectable money, coin or currency, is not worth more than it’s face value if it is not uncirculated with the exception that an uncirculated coin ends up in circulation and it does happen and a person with a good eye will catch it. I have received a few rare, collectable coins during money transactions while shopping. It’s rare that it happens, but it is very exciting when it does.

Coin collecting can be a lot of fun and lucrative.



JEFFERY

lee williams asked:


As is the case with most hobbies, coin collecting has its own specialized terms or “lingo”. The following, while not an exhaustive list of all the coin collecting terms that you may encounter, provides definitions for the most commonly used terms. Alloy - a combination of two or more metals in a coin such as cupro-nickel or cupro-zinc. Ancient - refers to any coin minted before 500 A.D. Bag marks - nicks, marks and scratches resulting from coins in a mint bag being in contact with each other. Bi-metallic coin - a coin with the center made from one metal with its outerportion being comprised of a different metal.

Blank - a round piece of metal made for subsequent minting into coinage. Bullion - a coin made of gold or other precious metal with little numismatic value apart from the current value of the metal from which the coin is made. Cameo - a coin with a frosted appearance. Circulated coin - a coin which has actually been used as money and shows some degree of wear. Commemorative coin - A coin with a design struck in honor of some historical or current event, famous person or special anniversary. Error coin - a coin minted by mistake or with a design different than intended. Grade - the condition of a coin determined by a set methodology. High points - the highest part of a coin’s design where the first signs of wear and tear generally appear. Legend - the words that are inscribed around the outer edge of a coin, for U.S. coins, the legend inscription is E Pluribus Unum. Mintage - the total number of coins of a particular denomination, date and/or type produced by a mint Mint mark - a symbol identifying the particular mint which produced the coin. Mint state - an un-circulated coin in the same condition as when it was originally minted showing no signs of wear Numismatics - the study of coins, paper currency, tokens, medals, and other similar items.

Obverse - the “heads” side of the coin where a portrait of a president, king, queen or other national leader appears. Proof coins - coins that are struck with greater pressure than normal using specially polished dies to make the design more highly polished or mirror-like. Reverse - the back or “tails” side of a coin, the opposite side to the obverse side of a coin. Rim - the outer edge of a coin. Un-circulated coin - a coin that has never actually been used as money and has no visible signs of wear. Variety - any change in the design of a coin results in a new coin variety

There are many, many more terms which we will try to define as they come up in this book, but this is a good start for the beginning collector. So, you may be wondering. where do I start? The choices are varied.



CLARK

troy asked:


i need sites that can give me information for begginers on collecting coins and bbaseball cards, basketball cards, football cards, ect.

BROOKS

Abhishek Agarwal asked:


Coin collecting is something that is enjoyed by people of all ages. Even if you are a newbie to the whole coin collecting thingy, fret not… there are many people who have started coin collection late in life, but have seen profits that they never even imagined. If you are not the kind that looks to make profit from the habit, and you are looking to pass the coins on to the next generation, then, you are a different kind of collector altogether. There are many kinds of values that one person must focus on, so that the collection is influenced. It’s the values that matter.

Even though it is good to hear that it is very important to hold values while collecting coins, most of the new collectors are still bewildered as to why they should be so. The collection of coins for a collector is invaluable till he sells it out to someone else. Not all the coins that a famous collector has get sold out. A whole a lot of statehood quarters get sold for way much lesser than what a bunch of old coins get sold for. It is important for a collector to actually research a coin till they find the origin of the coin, and also check the values of the coins.

It is important for the collectors to start off from scratch when he is trying to research the values of various coins. The basics of coin collecting need to be mastered to be a successful coin collector. One needs to know how much he must pay for the coin, however rare it is. Never pay the full value, in case the coin is distorted or damaged. These are the basics, and following these will do a sea of good for the collectors.

The next step of research is to check the correct value of a coin, and make sure that the coin is in good shape. This is the step prior to buying a coin from any professional dealer. The dealers who are in the coin collecting field will be able to provide you with the exact details, and will make sure that you don’t get cheated, and you will also get the correct Sheldon Scale value.

Use the internet effectively to make sure that you get the best deals on the coins, and the Sheldon System. You will be able to find the best bets for the coins on the internet, and all the researches can also be done. It is always better to get all the coins by dealing personally, but then, if you can be careful, and if the fidelity of the website is good, then, you can go ahead and buy it online.

The printed resources are also important, and you must make sure that you research the coin values. The printed materials are available online, and can also be found in the community libraries. The date is to be considered when a coin is being examined. It is always better to find resources that are updated, as they will give you much better information.

It is important that the coin collectors who are collecting with profit motives take a look at all the resources online, and make sure that you get what you need. Always keep a track of all the values of the coins, and keep the profits in mind while working.



GERARD

Erika L asked:


I recently came upon a handful of old coins. The oldest I’ve flipped through is from 1921, a dollar piece. I also have several valuable Kennedy half dollar pieces from between 1965 to 1969. I also have some gold. I am truly wondering if anyone can tell me the value of some of these, or better yet connect me with a legitimate source that can. Just think, 10 points! Thank you so much in advance. If there’s any questions or requests for pictures, just let me know.

MATTHEW

Christian Okoye asked:


Are you interested in coin collecting? Have you ever tried collecting rare coins?.I am of the opinion that Coin collecting is something that takes time to learn. The most important thing to remember is that you are doing it for the right reason - if it is a passion, then it is something worth pursuing.

Collecting just for profit may work but it usually is not enough in the long run. A person really has to think about this since many people who have tried it for that reason have lost focus and failed.

Successful coin collectors take a lot of time to learn everything there is to know about numismatics(Knowledge is power). Good sources of information are magazines, newsletters and brokers who can pass on information and news, when it happens. By using the resources a person can act fast before other collectors who want the same thing get the information first.

If a person tries to collect without knowing the basics, he will never succeed in this hobby.

Knowing how to grade coins can also help the collector know the true value of the collection. This knowledge will be valuable if the owner decides to trade for something of greater value or it can prevent scamming and wasting money for something of little value. Be vigilant!

One of the virtues that coin collecting can teach a person is patience since the collection may take years to complete. Some of the well-renowned collectors in the world have spent many years before reaping the benefits.

Coin collecting can be difficult especially if the person is just starting. A person, more than likely, can’t afford to buy items worth more than $10,000, so it is best to start small and study the market for three to six months so that he can be comfortable before going after bigger prizes.

Coin collecting is similar to sports - it takes time to excel at it and goals, both short and long term, have to be established. By following the rules and using common sense, the person can become one of many other successful coin collectors.

Finally,Learning to think like a collector is very important. Being too eager is not good because the collector could be tempted to purchase or trade the wrong coin which could prove to be costly. Think twice about using the information given even if that came from a reliable source.



MORRIS

Abhishek Agarwal asked:


There are various reasons why people start collecting coins. And there are people who collect them now based on the possible future value of the coins, there are others who concentrate on one particular period of time in the country’s history and there are still others who concentrate on a particular material of coins.

There are also people who collect every day coins, or coins that are still in circulation. Because they love to checkout the mint condition of some of these coins. Yet others planned to get a variety into their collection by you’re getting coins from various countries. And some people prefer to collect coins that are rare and they do spend houses of dollars to get their hands on these coins, which include cons from the early eighteen hundreds.

This can be a fascinating hobby to people of all ages and from all walks of life. Many professional collectors started of their collection as young children, when they began by collecting nickels and dimes. Imagine the vast collection such people would have at the end of their lives.

Coin collecting can be as cheap as you want it to be our as expensive as you want it to be. Sometimes it does involve a considerable amount of money so it is a great idea to get involved with clubs so you could discuss buying and selling coins with other club members and collectors. After all you do need to find the right person to buy your coins from. If you have just gotten into the hobby it is not very easy to find the right person to buy from. Getting in touch with a club member with good experience will get you at least the right advice if not the right contact. Club members would be eager to get you in touch with a good seller.

You will need a good magnifying glass to closely examine your coins. Make sure you always do this under good lighting conditions so that you can check out and spot damage marks n the surfaces. The first thing you will look for is the dates on the coins and also other details such as emperor names etc. After you have decided on the seas that you wish to collect, dedicate at least one folder on your shelf to this cause. When you keep your collection of organized it encourages you to take things further and complete the series. Once you have completed one sees you will have a sense of accomplishment and this will no doubt encourage you to begin on the second series and so on. Professional collectors purposely select difficult to series of coins that are hard to find. This keeps them occupied for years at times at the end of which they have a very valuable set of coin series.



VERNON

Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


For the coin collector there is nothing more exciting than finding an exceptionally valuable coin. To help with finding the many different values that can be found with coins there are guidelines that have been set up. These guidelines will help you in finding the coin collecting value of your coins.

Since each type of coin is different you should expect to see that these coins have a different value. The best way that you can get an opinion on your coin collection is to see a coin dealer. These people will have the knowledge and the experience to help you with your coin collecting value findings. These findings should be based on the price that you can expect to pay when you decide to sell your collection.

Before you go to see a coin expert – who is also called a numismatist – you may want to find out more information about the different types of coins that can be added to a collection. For this information you can read what various coin collection books have to say in this regard. You can find these books that you are looking for in the reference section of various libraries. The other place where you can get valuable information about coin collecting value levels will be the internet.

From this source you will find many articles and in some cases ebooks that you can read to gain more accurate information about coin collecting value and grading issues. You will need to study this information thoroughly so that you can understand the different technical information that is given by some coin experts. Sometimes you will find coin experts who are willing to further your education about various coin collecting value grades and prices.

As these people are willing to share their information you will need to listen and ask questions for items that you are unclear about. There is one thing that you must understand and remember with coin collecting, and that is the values are always changing. So the next time that you come across some books or articles that will help you with coin appraisals you should buy these and learn more.

When all is said and done the learning coin collecting value of various coins will help you know and understand what are considered as being valuable coins, and what are considered as not so valuable. You can find places that will sell you items to improve your coin collecting and grading eye. Visit the coin shops and learn all about coin collecting. You will learn to enjoy your new hobby even more.



FRED

ridr90 asked:


Its not as easy as i thought it would be. specifically im looking for fold and staple coin flips for pennies and 3 ring binder pages with 2×2 pockets

NATHANIEL

Lola asked:


I’ve recently started buying and collecting coins for my future grandchildren (have no grandchildren yet). But would it also be a good idea to buy coins as a not-so-long-term investment? I mean, buying and selling a year later or so for a profit and reinvesting (for my retirement)?
I’m interested in American coins, mint state. Gold and silver mostly, but also Legacy and anniversary coins (less than 250,000 production).

ASHLEY