People collect things for many different reasons, in fact, there’s evidence to prove that psychology plays a huge factor in why people start collecting.
Some enjoy gathering up things such as bottle caps, postage stamps, action figures, video game consoles, and many more. However, possibly the most common one is coin collecting.
To start a collection is to start rounding up pieces of history. Each coin shares its own story and has been through many people before reaching your hands. How beautiful is that?
If you’re a beginner, here’s how to start coin collecting and get a respectable amount in no time.
Table of Contents
1. Invest in Proper Equipment
You might not think it, but when coin collecting is done right, it has certain pieces of equipment to keep the coins in tip-top shape.
After all, a professional coin collector is only as good as the cleaners that they use to refresh their items.
One of the best ones to choose would be the ultrasonic cleaner which uses modern technology to clean and allows you to watch the coins being revived.
It also comes with 5 different timed cycles that are used based on the level of cleaning you feel the coins need to be refreshed. If you want to make sure all your coins will be cleaned as efficiently each time, invest in a high-quality cleaner.
2. Discover Your Niche
Yet another factoid about coin collecting that most people don’t realize before they start collecting: there are several niches within it.
For example, some people fixate on gathering coins from different countries as a way of looking back on where they’ve traveled. Others focus on collecting coins within a certain century exclusively.
Whatever your passion might be, you can find it as you start to gather an assortment of different coins and find the niche that suits you best.
Are you a history fanatic? Maybe you’d enjoy finding coins from previous eras. If you’re intrigued by different currencies, then collecting from around the world will lead to an impressive collection soon enough.
Regardless of what interests you most about coins, there’s a niche market that you can excel at!
The biggest thing is to collect what you want to collect, not what you feel is going to make you the most money. Find your passion so that you’ll maintain an interest in growing your collection.
3. Do Your Research
Not many coin collectors start out with a wealth of knowledge on the history and differentiation between coins. That comes with time; they learn as they go, and so will you.
Lucky for you, you have the great wide world of the internet. Start off by researching techniques of understanding terms like “mintage”, “rarity”, and “grades” and how they apply to coin collecting.
From there you can start to research things such as coins that fall under the Lincoln, Jefferson, or Morgan umbrella.
It’s important to understand what those are and why collectors long for them. You can make a great profit (if that’s what you’re looking to do) by educating yourself on their history and their worth.
4. The Bank is Your Friend
There are several tricks that coin collectors use in order to add to a current collection. Contrary to what people may think, there are better ways to gather coins that just the change you get after a cash purchase.
One of the best ways to get your collection going will be to use your local bank as an asset.
You can go to them and purchase a few rolls of coins, such as pennies, nickels, dimes, or quarters, to add to your collection.
Better yet, after you find the ones that you can add to your collection from the rolls you bought, you can take the ones you didn’t need back and purchase another roll.
Unlike other people that collect other things, the items you collect can literally pay for themselves. What a clever luxury to have!
5. Start with State Quarters
Who said starting your collection had to be bu collecting Morgan dollars? As previously mentioned, you’ll learn more as you go along.
Because of that, it might be beneficial to start your collection with state quarters.
By doing this, you’ll learn a few lessons about the best practices for collecting and start creating some momentum on your journey to collect. Consider it a stepping stone, once you get a taste for collecting, you’ll want to move on to the next task!
After you gather all of the state quarters, you’ll be able to try something more challenging.
One of the coolest things about collecting state quarters is the history they have behind them. For example, did you know George Washington, who’s on the quarter, initially rejected the idea of them because they were too much like monarchy?
6. Buy by Mail
Granted, you don’t have to solely purchase your coins by mail, but it’s a great way to hunt down the specific coins you’re looking to collect.
Most sites offer full guarantees on their shipments and the condition you’ll receive the coins in.
You can shop by online catalogs, research trusted sites, and even use social media as a way to keep up with new releases or pieces of history you’re looking for.
How to Start Coin Collecting: Get Going Today!
Now that you’ve seen a few helpful tips on how to start coin collecting, there’s only one thing left to do: get started!
Make sure you’re enjoying the thrill of adding new pieces to your collecting and find pleasure in the hunt that comes along with it.
Be sure to read our other articles that pertain to both this topic and other topics that are just like it!
