Realcent.org

I started collecting Walking Liberty Halves ("Walkers") for their numismatic value. I liked the idea that they are old and no longer in circulation, that they're gorgeous, relatively inexpensive, and the US Silver Eagles feature a similar design of liberty walking on the obverse.

I'm struggling now to complete the short set. I don't think I'll move on to the long set or key dates.

Why do you collect a particular set?

I collect some coins for numismatic and others because I just like them weather they will be money makers or not really doesn't worry me to much. The way I see it if you make the collection a job then it is no more a hobby. I generally try and keep it simple. However when I started many of my collections were the simple straight forward collection of just the date, but through time mine have really started to get a little more elaborate like my IH penny collection, and my penny collection. The thing I just try and do is try and pace my self with my collecting, often passing on 30+ coins to find the one I want for my set, sometimes I make money sometimes I loose a little but I make sure its the one I want. I have started and completed almost all collections (excluding varieties and key dates) now I have began placing them in Dansco and other Library type collections and began the completion of varieties and keys and upgrading my coins. I collect for the fun, and I am never scared to start a new collection. I like doing it this way because I will never get in a bind and spend more money than what a coin is worth just to complete a collection, however I am never scared of a good deal either to complete one. My suggestion is start a new collection and have fun with it, complete it if you can but don't get bogged down in it, that's the best way to just get burned out.

I agree with george454 all the way. I collect for fun and when I have to pay an amount that makes me cringe it just takes some of the fun out of collecting. I really enjoy collecting laminated cents and most are reasonably priced and no 2 are ever alike. I just recieved a 37-S wheaties that fits perfect in my collection and has about 1/4 lamination in tack. I once had large amounts of silver dollars and halves, but they got boring so I sold them. I believe it was the size of the coins that tormented my innerds. I now know that I'm a small cent collector, but I do have collections of half-dime thru quarter, even though I'm not serious about them.

I collect everything so I don't have to choose a particular series.

I'm actually going to get a dansco book to see what I can pull out of circulation. Sometimes I get a shiny red old CU and it gets me thinking about doing it again!

I collect anything and everything.

"The hobby of kings" The Morgan Dollar

Life long quest to put together a pcgs set with a average MS60 plus designation w/ great eye appeal, and an average Circ set in a intercept shield album. (one can dream can't one?)

And as much silver face I can afford to throw back along the way.

Right now, I'm concentrating on the "Little Sisters", Half Cents. I had an old Library of Coins album I bought in the early '60s. This album had gathered dust for years which once held a number of goodies long since sold many years ago. I guess it enticed me to try get some holes filled. Well, I got a few half cents and found that some of the holes were improperly punched. So, a new Dansco album was the way to go.

I find these early coppers fascinating, sort of a link with our founding fathers. The oldest I've got so far is an 1803 Half Cent, which lets me touch the time of Thomas Jefferson as President. I went to a coin show last weekend and one dealer had a beautiful 1793 Half Cent, the first half cent minted for the new America for general circulation, for only $18500. However, he let me look at it and hold the coin which was in a slab and graded EF-40. Got me thinking how this coin made it through over two centuries in such a museum quality condition. This coin was put away when George Washington was still President, probably a new and shiny copper then; the light wear it has now most likely due to the handling of this heirloom by the families that owned it over the past two centuries. Anyway, there is something special about collecting coins minted in the early days of America.

Country wrote: there is something special about collecting coins minted in the early days of America

I agree, that is what got me started on Colonial coppers

I'm doing the Modern Kookaburra coins. And slowly collecting ms66RD wheats.

My main focus has been on Standing Liberty Quarters with a secondary focus on Mercury Dimes. I love the design of them, and they are relatively easy to find in AU or better condition, though the key dates are very tough.

I'm down to 5 needs in the SLQs, and of course 1916 is one of them, as is a 23S. I do have my 21, which I found in a junk lot that I paid less than $3 p/coin for - so that was a HUGE get.

I've often considered early American coppers, and should probaby start that as prices will never be lower.....and numbers available only decrease.

I started pulling wheats and merc dimes out of my paper route money from the late 50's to the early 60's. I guess the Winged Liberty Head dime's nickname Mercury caught my eye plus I just liked the way they looked. Same with wheat cents as far as eye appeal. Today I have a complete circulated merc dime collection, with the 16d, which would, as a whole, probably grade good or better, and I am building a second collection with slabbed coins. The cent collection is still short 3 dates, including the big one, the '09s VDB.

DF