Collecting Coins

Collecting coins is a great and fun experience for young and old. It is easy to do and can be inexpensive in the early stages. It can get very expensive in the later stages, depending on the passion of the collector.

If you want to start something with your children or grandchildren, you can start slowly to see what their interest level might be. You can purchase coin folders and just start with circulated bulk coins. You can get different folders for each coin denomination and it can become a lot of fun to find the missing coins to fill the folders. Another fun area is starting the state quarter collection. Again, there are specific folders for this and the cost is minimal.

For the more serious coin collector, you might want to invest in new un-circulated mint sets or proof sets. These are usually about $25 to $50 when they are in the current year and will increase in value when the sets get older. As your collection grows, you will want to safeguard it by keeping it in a safe place. It would be wise to keep your valuable coins in a safe deposit box and all others out of plain sight. Remember, it is legal tender and has a face value.

There are coin books that you can purchase to show the value of the coins in varying conditions. As your collection continues to grow, you might want to pick up some of these books.

Deciding where to spend your money should be done with caution. Some say to beware of TV advertising because these prices are generally five to ten times higher than you could purchase at a local coin dealer. It is a fun hobby, so enjoy!