Hello everybody,
Over the past couple of months I have started collection coins and have found it to be kinda addictive, interesting and rewarding
I am very interested to learn more about the wold of coin collecting and wondering if anyone had any helpful information like, do's and don'ts, thing to look out for, good places to buy and just general information for a newbie collector
Currently I've been collecting year proof sets and some RAM coins I like, as well as receiving some coins that my grandmother collected in her time, I'm also trying to get every coin put into circulation by the RAM which I am about 80% completed
Thank you for your time and have a nice day :)
Hi JRNASH,
Welcome to the ACF.
Enjoy the addiction, plenty of stuff to enjoy here.!!
Welcome JRNASH to the Australian Coin Forum.
You will certainly learn a lot from many members here.
Welcome to the forum JRNASH. May I suggest you just browse threads here, you can learn a lot from them. Ask any questions you like, even if they seem silly -the only silly question is the one not asked.
:welcome: Jrnash!
Quote from: 'JRNASH' pid='39852' dateline='1389963723'Hello everybody,
Over the past couple of months I have started collection coins and have found it to be kinda addictive, interesting and rewarding
I am very interested to learn more about the wold of coin collecting and wondering if anyone had any helpful information like, do's and don'ts, thing to look out for, good places to buy and just general information for a newbie collector
Currently I've been collecting year proof sets and some RAM coins I like, as well as receiving some coins that my grandmother collected in her time, I'm also trying to get every coin put into circulation by the RAM which I am about 80% completed
Thank you for your time and have a nice day :)
When you start collecting I think it is important to purchase coins which are cheap and purchase different series to try and figure out where your interest lies.
Hi JRNASH, welcome. Buy some of the books out there. I recommend a book called "Guide to Coin Grading and Counterfeit Detection" by Scott A. Travers. I also recommend you read through the past entries of the Australian Coin Blog.
Eric
Welcome JRNASH.
Quote from: 'JRNASH' pid='39852' dateline='1389963723'any helpful information like, do's and don'ts, thing to look out for, good places to buy and just general information for a newbie collector
If you want to fill gaps in your circulation set, going to the bank and getting bags to look through can speed up the process.
Also, don't clean a coin before reading about cleaning coins first.
Buying books before buying coins is also a good idea.
Quote from: 'Mister T' pid='39880' dateline='1390010384'...going to the bank and getting bags to look through...
:agreed: This has to be the absolute easiest, cheapest and most productive way to get started. Don't even think about buying anything, be it granny-bait from the
mints souvenir factories or dodgy rarities on ebay, until you've learned the ropes and decided on what's right for you.
Oh, and get a good magnifier you're comfortable with. Perhaps a 10x loupe like photographers use.
Quote from: 'Mister T' pid='39880' dateline='1390010384'If you want to fill gaps in your circulation set, going to the bank and getting bags to look through can speed up the process.
Iv some pretty good luck with some help from family, but I'm finding my biggest gap and the hardest to fine are the 2001 federation commemorative 20 and 50 cent coins.
Quote from: 'JRNASH' pid='39885' dateline='1390014088'Iv some pretty good luck with some help from family, but I'm finding my biggest gap and the hardest to fine are the 2001 federation commemorative 20 and 50 cent coins.
Yeah those seem to be drying up a bit but you're unlucky to get $100 of 20c or 50c pieces from your bank and not find a single Centenary of Federation.
Welcome JRNASH,
There are many helpful people here who will answer any questions you have.
Your post asking for advice is a little too broad to know what would be useful for you.
As already suggested to fill gaps in your collection of circulating coins, go to the bank and ask for some coins. A fair number of the members here (including me) do this.
5c come in $100 bags
10c come $100 bags
20c come in $100 bags
50c - $200
$1 - $500
Not sure about $2 coins as I have not searched many of them yet.
Do some reading up on varieties that you can find in change (eg $1/10c mule, 1966 wavy 20c, 2001 rotated $1) and you may well be 'hooked'
Welcome to the forum young fellow and ask all the questions you like. No question is silly. If you find you can't find a particular coin, after posting a certain number of "posts" one can advertise here on the forum.
I started getting coins from the banks with only $50.00 AT A TIME. gET YOUR $50.00, GO TO THE A BANK AND BUY THE COINS. gO THROUGH THEM, TAKE OUT WHAT YOU WANT, REPLACE THEM WITH ANY SPARES LYING AROUND AND SWAP FOR ANOTHER $50.00 WORTH OF COINS. aS YOU BUILD UP, ONE CAN BUY MORE COINS AND RECYCLE THEM WHEN NOODLED. (Darn the caps lock).
You are on track with family members looking for coins for you.
Keep an eye out for error coins as they do exist. You will not find one in every batch of coins one noodles but you will find some if you go through a lot of coins.
Another important point is how are you storing your coins. There is quite a bit of discussion here somewhere about storing coins and what not to do. Make sure you store your coins properly.
Have fun and once again, welcome.
For OzCoins: $2.00 bag of coins = $2,000.00
Quote from: 'Goldseeker' pid='39892' dateline='1390015624'Another important point is how are you storing your coins. There is quite a bit of discussion here somewhere about storing coins
I visited the RAM on my honeymoon last year and the tour guide said to get PVC free sheet to store them in.
Good info their. Guide must have been a brother of "Fulvio" who is always going on about correct storage etc. (No offence meant Fulvio).
Quote from: 'Goldseeker' pid='39907' dateline='1390020356'Good info their. Guide must have been a brother of "Fulvio" who is always going on about correct storage etc. (No offence meant Fulvio).
ROFL! None taken, mate.
Yeah, PVC is the big enemy. The plasticisers that make it soft (PVC is a hard plastic used to make pipes and such) leach out over time, and literally eat your coins, banknotes, stamps, photos, etc. Avoid it at all costs.
Oddly enough, the standard issue LDPE ziplock bags you get for free from the bank
(ask nicely for a pack of new ones.. I've even been given an entire unopened box of a thousand of them) are really good for storage. The only problem is the little airholes punched in them. But you can either heat-seal the bag, or roll it tightly to stop air getting in. I tend to leave UNC coins in the original bags, just move them around inside to form them into a roll
(thus excluding more air, and stopping more bagmarks from happening).
Oh, and goldy is wrong about one thing... I guarantee any quantity of coins from the bank will contain some errors... maybe not super significant ones, but errors nonetheless.
QuoteOh, and goldy is wrong about one thing... I guarantee any quantity of coins from the bank will contain some errors... maybe not super significant ones, but errors nonetheless.
If I may add:- Only if on e has a x10 magnifier in hand. Hahaha
Some advice for a beginner.
Collect what you like, not what other people tell you you should be collecting. This is really important; coin collecting is supposed to be a hobby, and therefore enjoyable. If you're doing something because you've been told you have to do it, not because you'd like to and want to, there's another word for it: "work". Nothing kills interest and enthusiasm in a hobby like turning that hobby into something resembling work. And if other people ask you, "those things are useless junk, why are you collecting those", your answer is simple: "I like them and I enjoy collecting them". There are no rules about what you can and can't do.
Stay connected with other collectors. Joining this Internet forum is a good start. You might want to consider joining a local coin club. Make friends with your local coin dealers. It has been scientifically proven that coin collecting is not a hereditary disease; this means it can be a lonely pursuit at times, with perhaps nobody else in your family or circle of friends understanding your passion. It helps if you have reminders now and then that you're not the only crazy coin collector on the planet.
Learn whatever you can about the coins that interest you. Again, Internet forums like this one are a great place to learn. Other websites are good, too (let Google be your friend). Buy or borrow coin books, and actually read them; the old guys at the coin club always say "first the book, then the coin" - meaning, spend money on books before spending money on coins, otherwise you're more than likely going to be wasting your money. Take every opportunity to examine and study coins, even coins that don't belong to you (here's where "making friends" and "joining a coin club" mentioned above can assist you).
Beware of eBay; there are plenty of sharks in that ocean. In particular, beware of things that sound "too good to be true", because they probably are. Beware of clueless sellers selling valuable "mint errors" that are really just worthless damaged coins. Beware of coin sellers from China; that's where most of the modern fakes are coming form these days. If there's something on eBay you might be interested in buying but you have worries or concerns, post a link to it here on the forum and ask questions.
Quote from: 'Sapyx' pid='40024' dateline='1390142039'Some advice for a beginner.
Great advice. Warrants a Wiki page, IMO.
Quote from: 'Fulvio' pid='40033' dateline='1390167663'Quote from: 'Sapyx' pid='40024' dateline='1390142039'Some advice for a beginner.
Great advice. Warrants a Wiki page, IMO.
Wiki it is...
Tips for the New Coin Collector (http://wiki.australian-coins.net/wiki/tips-new-coin-collector/)
(Sap are you happy with what I copy and pasted?)
No worries, chief. :good:
Welcome JRNASH