Fellow Collectors

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It’s hard to understand why everyone doesn’t collect coins. It’s certainly the king of all collecting hobbies, but truth be told, we represent only a small fraction of the vast world of collecting interests. Here’s a more intriguing question: why do so many people collect, save, or hoard all sorts of things?

All Shapes & Sizes

Collections range from extravagant homes, yachts, and priceless jewels to “bits of string too short to be useful.” Statistics show that over 60 percent of people collect something they find satisfying or meaningful to own. The practice isn’t limited to individuals of any particular race, creed, color, religion, or gender. Whatever the reason, people like to collect things.

High on the list of prevalent interests are coins, stamps, toys, trading cards, and jewelry—probably in that order, though trends often raise or lessen their popularity. There’s no single reason for shifts in popularity, other than the availability of material to satisfy collector demand or changes in how each generation views what’s important and tied to their lifestyle.

Decorating a home with classic furniture, antiques, and pictures is still considered posh, but most houses today are smaller, costlier, and ill-suited to the oversized furniture of yesteryear. Consequently, demand for antiques has diminished due to lack of interest, limited space, or a preference for modern, more functional furnishings.

Beyond Coins

Stationed near my fireplace is an old-fashioned copper bedwarmer. To the uninformed, it looks like an oversized popcorn pan, and they wonder why anyone would use such a thing when you can just buy a bag of corn in any store or an electric blanket just as easily. Sure, it’s useless, but I love its handmade charm and the story it recalls—even if it would grade only Very Good at best and has nothing to do with numismatics.

When I think about collectibles, I often recall a young woman I once met. To make idle conversation, I asked if she had a special hobby or interest. To my surprise, she said, “Not at all. I have my guitar, and that is my only possession.” She was sincere, and as far as I know, she was a true hippie of the 1960s culture, without regard for personal possessions. By contrast, I’ve also met perfectly rational people with a burning desire to collect, catalog, and preserve just about everything they can. To them, guarding those things is a special mission to preserve the information they might hold for future generations.

Somewhere between those extremes are the majority of collectors, whose interests often are connected to their personal heritage, ethnic background, birthplace, or special events in their lives. Most common is an interest in things related to their country of origin or favorite historic hero.

Collecting Across History

I can’t fathom why many coin collectors focus their interest on numismatic items from very specific periods. Were such time slots part of some former life experience, related to their reading or studies, or simply coincidental? Unfortunately, there’s no overarching explanation, but the tendency is interesting to contemplate.

Whatever your interest or objective in collecting, enjoy it to the fullest and on your own terms. There are no rules about what—or why—anyone should collect as a hobby. If coins are your specialty, you have a 2,000-year span of history to choose from, with numismatic items from all over the world. Enjoy it to the fullest.