How long have you been a collector?

[JRNASH]

So just wondering how long some of you have been collecting coins and what got you interested?

I'll start
Iv been collecting for 4 months :yahoo::wavemulticolor::yahoo:
And what got me interested what when I found the 2013 purple commemorative 2 dollar In my change I never knew they made colour coins, ever sine then iv been getting more and more interested.

[Fulvio]

So just wondering how long some of you have been collecting coins and what got you interested?

Good question for a thread.

Umm... Not counting silver 50¢ and the odd banknote, I guess 1984-ish, starting with the carded $1, but not really seriously until maybe the late 90's. I was a bit busy in between.

[interest]

I started collecting in 1960 when I was given a set of 1948 coins for my birthday, that's my birth year, they weren't proofs, just circ coins.
I was a paper boy so I always checked the coins, then worked part time at Woolworths packing grocery bags & carrying them out to the car for people.
Had the girls on the registers saving shiny coins for me, & I was able to go through the money that came from the Rural Bank.
Never wanted anything other than shiney no errors or varieties.
"A bad penny always turns up" get rid of that quick.
Times were different then.
But in 1982 our house was robbed & all my coins, notes & guitars were stolen. (no insurance of course) Devastated to say the least.
Lost complete interest until one day at Woolies I was behind a lady who gave the checkout chick a 2002 WA twenty cent piece, girl thought it was a foreign coin & wouldn't except it. I asked if I could have it they both agreed so that started me collecting again.
But it's not the same I'm losing interest again.
2002 for me.

[Sapyx]

I started collecting coins when I was about eight years old, sometime around 1980. Originally I was one of those "stamp collectors", but since my brother was a stamp collector I was really just copying what big brother was doing. My parents took us both to a coin and stamp show, and I found myself more interested in the coins, particularly the weird foreign coins in the dealer's scratchtrays. With parental encouragement, that's really where it started for me. A couple of years later the family went travelling overseas; we lived in Canada for six months. Those experiences sort of locked me into being a "world coin collector" rather than Australian-only.

[Triggersmob]

It was 1969, I had just turned 11 and our family had just migrated to Australia.
We were staying at the Point Walter migrant hostel in Perth. One day I was running through the bush, just inside the boundaries of the hostel, when I stumbled on a rock. I turned to look back to see what I had stumbled on and noticed a coin sitting next to the rock. I went back to pick it up and found a heap more coins as well. All the coins were Aussie Half Pennies and Pennies. This was the start of my collecting coins. Over the next few years I collected any coins that came my way, but still wasn't into it in a big way. Forward to about 2007 and I found Coin Community Forum and joined. I made some great friends and made many trades. My collection grew in leaps and bounds. I am a world coin collector and my ambition is to have as many different world coins as I can. This includes different years and different mints of the same coin type.

[triplewitch]

I could only afford to begin collecting in 1982 when I hesitatingly bought the silver George Washington commemorative quarter.  I started in earnest in 1983 when the Royal Mint offered their new silver pound.  I went full in with the coming of the euro.  I have never had an interest in other than modern coins.  Now I'm mostly back to base metal sets due to age (retirement) and circumstances ($$$).

[humpybong]

Well I have been collecting for many years...on and off.

Started as a young 10 year old but did not have much money in those days.

Got serious about 7-8 years ago when I started collecting German Nazi coins.

Now collect anything that takes my fantasy but mainly coin club medals and transport tokens.   Have Australian coins and banknotes as well as a collection of bi-metallic coins from around the world.   Always finding something new to add to my collection.  Do not have any valuable items (like 1930 penny) just common varieties.

Also have some early cigarette cards from WD & HO Wills and Players.

Just can't stop!   Does anyone know of a cure!

[trout]

I have collected coins since I was just a kid, I remember gathering farthings from the local shops when my  Dad was based at Malta with the R.A.F I was only 4 then.

I have stopped and started many times over the past 5 decades and have lost or given away many a collection due to various lifestyle reasons.

I started collecting again about 10 years ago and this time I have managed to stay focused.
 This is the beauty about coins  only collect when you are enjoying it and have a rest when the urge isn't there anymore, NO big deal the coins will STILL love you :angel:

[Basil]

I started collecting in 1960
I was a paper boy so I always checked the coins,
But it's not the same I'm losing interest again.
2002 for me.

Exactly the same for me,started in 1960 as a paper boy at the age of 10,still have the same coins that started my half & penny collection.
I lose interest for a few years then get motivated again when i see an article or asked for Info. from friends & Family.
I've been keen again since i connected to the Internet in the late 1990's,used to spend half the day on Ebay in the earlier 2000's,some great bargains but very competitive these days.

Word of warning to the OP,it can be an expensive & addictive hobby.:yahoo:

[JRNASH]

But in 1982 our house was robbed & all my coins, notes & guitars were stolen. (no insurance of course) Devastated to say the least.

Ouch that will kill me. Im hoping that my safe that I own is good enough to deter a burglar

[stevo1962]

[/quote]

Ouch that will kill me. Im hoping that my safe that I own is good enough to deter a burglar
[/quote]

Probably better not to keep your best stuff at home

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[Nevol]

I started collecting in the early 60's.

[Unicorn]

Started around 1970.
Had a great collection of aussie notes and coins but had to sell all my notes, high value coins and stamps in 1993 after getting the living cr@p beaten out of me in 1992 and losing everything due to the injuries, house, business etc etc. Not a great deal left, but I enjoy what I'm doing.

[Basil]

Ouch that will kill me. Im hoping that my safe that I own is good enough to deter a burglar
[/quote]

Probably better not to keep your best stuff at home

   
[/quote]

Yeah,good advice,Police that i've played Golf with said Home Safes are only good to keep kids & druggies out,serious Crims. & Pros. can open them in minutes(i don't know how).
As regards the guy on the Gold Coast a few years ago that had his coins inside a printer,apparently the thieves carry a metal detector the size of your hand and can find a safe or gold/silver/coins in seconds.

[trout]

Maybe I am just nit picking but can the OP edit the title of the thread to read How instead of Who please