What would be a good way to start a coin collection?

Question

i'm interested in starting a coin collection but i don't really know how to start? any tips would be nice. thanks

plus i don't really know what category this would go on in yahoo answers? so sorry for the weird question

Answer 1

try your local bank to see if they have the coin collecting books-I had one when I was younger-it had individual spots for each coin-pretty cool :) if bank doesn't have them might try walmart or a hobby shop-hope this helps-good luck :)

Answer 2

There are so many options in coin collecting.  Many collectors pick a niche and stick with it.  This can be inspired by many things - some collect Kennedy half dollars because of their love for the man, some enjoy the state quarters.  I personally love the Silver Eagle's among others.  Morgan silver dollars are also very popular.  If you have more money to spend there are several gold coins that quite hot right now.

If you really have no idea what you might like to focus on, I would suggest an "on approval" program.  They are offered by companies like iccoin.com and LittletonCoin.com.  They will send you a selection of coins once a month.  You can look over them, pay for the ones you want to keep, and return anything you are not interested in.  Over time, they will start to tailor what they send to what you've kept.  Once you have a better idea of what you like, ebay is a great resource.

Hope this helps.  Coin collecting can be a lot of fun.

Answer 3

A coin shop is a good place to begin, but before you go first buy a book on how to grade coins. "ANA Grading Standards for United States Coins" is a good guide, and then buy a subscription to "Numismatic News".  

Most coin dealers tend to overgrade and overprice their coins because buying coins is very much like buying a used car.  Negotiating is very important.  

There are a lot of coins offered on ebay, but you have to be very careful bidding and buying there.

Answer 4

Go to a local coin shop and ask those very questions. They usually want to help out people like yourself.

It's a great way to find direction and they have everything that you need to get started.

Answer 5

Excellent question (definitely not "weird").

One way you could get started would be to ask older family members if they ever saved any coins from their younger days... or ask if they were ever given any coins from family even older than they. Coins are often saved and passed down from one generation to another. It's a great way to start because you have a connection to the coins through personal family history!

Another thing to consider is the connection of your country or region to certain coins. Remember, not every old coin is expensive. Many are surprisingly inexpensive even those that are from a famous date in history.

Consider visiting a coin show when one is in your area. It may seem overwhelming at first, but because of your interest you will have a lot of fun sampling the wide variety of coinage (and paper money) you will see there.

And finally, don't get hung up on "value"... at least not at the beginning. See what coins you like that you can afford, learn their history, learn a bit about grading, and above all... enjoy!

I have a coin collector web site you may enjoy at this point:

http://www.valuable-coin-stories.com

This page on "value" may be especially helpful:

http://www.valuable-coin-stories.com/val...