"A collection must have direction"

[Robert]

Col. Bill Murray "coined" that aphorism according to his latest Coin World article, Aug 18th.

I think there's truth to that. That was/is one of my weaknesses. I used to want "everything" but my budget wouldn't allow it. I filled up my Whitman albums except for the really expensive keys. (In fact I have never bought an S-VDB or a 22 plain. I just got fed up working and saving up my lawn mowing money for a 14D which was probably a VG at best. It wasn't worth the effort.) I did the same thing for nickels, dimes, etc.

That was when I started getting serious about foreign coins. Foreign coins have been a great experience for me, but sadly my collection doesn't have much of a direction.

Rhetorical question: Does your collection have a direction?

[coppercoins]

heh... Need I answer that? LOL!

My collection is so narrow in scope it baffles the mind of most collectors. I will NOT buy coins that don't fit. I don't own a nickel, piece of silver, or gold. I don't have a statehood quarter book - in fact, I don't collect in pre-fab books at all. I collect in pocket pages using flips, because that's the only way I can see a "set" of Lincolns. Date and mintmark alone left me years ago.

Now...for the flip-side, my collection has no known end. It has no known budget, nor a known completion time. The "set" grows constantly, and I have no idea how many 3" binder volumes it will eventually contain. I figure between 12 and 15 - it's currently in its sixth.

[Bob P]

My collection indeed has direction...but whether or not I keep it going in that direction is another story. I have many complete/nearly complete collections, but, like Chuck, I am now in an endeavor that may prove to be never ending. Collect what you like. Maintain some sort of discipline by not buying stuff that hurts something else (like buying a few coins at the expense of the mortgage payment). Collecting is fun, having a direction is somewhat necessary, but not a requirement to enjoy the hobby.

Bob P

[Art]

I have a direction for my collection. Collect whatever strikes my fancy at the moment. My focus area is Flying Eagle and Indian Head Cents in VF/XF condition. I won't particularly mind if I pass to the big coin meeting in the sky without ever completing it.

I love commemoratives, modern & classic. I sort of collect them. I recently picked up an 1893 Columbian that's Fine. It has a neat cud on the front.

I don't think that I have the kind of direction that the Col. was talking about, but then I like it the way it is.

[Stujoe]

Some of my collection has a 'direction'. With other parts, the only 'direction' is that I like what I decided to buy. I don't really care for 'must' rules in a hobby unless they are self-imposed 'musts' such as Chuck's.

[Gabe]

My direction... is to complete my 1961-D RPM collection (in which Im 1/3 of the way there) and eventually to move on to other dates in the 1960's (except 1960-d) and try to complete a collection of that date until I have a complete collection of 1960's RPMs. I figured if I ignore the 1960-D RPMs for some time, and focus on other dates, I still will be receiving coins from 1960-D while trying to complete other dates, and when I do finally focus in 1960-D RPMs I will be very much almost complete.

I buy about anything and everything at a good price. I started collection variety coins only 5 years after collection "normal" coins, meaning that my collection of normal coins is not that vast, and wished that it would.

[SteveAZ]

This may not seem like a direction to some but I am going for a collection of 20th century U.S. coins. 1 of each date and mint mark in each denomination. no gold or commems(yet). I am getting close on 1 cents and I am scattered on everything else but once I get those then I can go for 19th century and then 18th(maybe). but for right now I will go one type at a time.

Steve

[Stujoe]

That sounds very similar to my main collection. I do 1900 to present, business strikes by date, mint mark and denomination without regard to type and no varieties, proofs, commemoratives, or gold.

I am over 80% complete (still need over 250, though). Closest on cents and nickels where I still need two of each to complete. Farthest away on halves where I still need over 100 to complete.

[Art]

These sound like interesting and fun collections. I would certainly say that the collections discussed here have direction. Some people believe that without some focus a collector will soon stray to other things and give up on coins. Perhaps they are right. A lot of people do seem to start collecting, then go after everything, and then loose interest.

[Gabe]

Art, that is very true. New collectors buy all the albums and try to fill them all up at the same time. After a while they realize that it is harder than they thought, and move to another hobby.

[SteveAZ]

[Gabe]

Your here because you have a direction in collecting.

[SteveAZ]

as long as i am going in a direction im happy.

Steve