NIEWMISMATICS NEWS:COLLECTING IS THE NAME OF THE GAME.
Collecting Is The Name Of The Game.
To be a coin collector means many things, and one thing . A collector of coins. The simple statement belies the complex, complicated, often confusing, and even frustrating goals of the collector.
Many of us started out with Malaysia commemorative coins. A few really "old" timers no doubt cut their collector teeth on Straits Settlements and Malaya Borneo coins, but the vast majority of coin collectors are, or were also a banknotes collectors.
Depending on the degree of interest, finances and inner makeup, the collector usually has gone on, either to higher denominations, or often into some allied field, tokens, medals, trade coins, primitive money or even phone cards.
All too often collectors go "by the book." They meekly collect what they listen to the "You should collect this" message of coin dealers as gospel, or they look in awe at the price charts in the catalogue and aim their collections toward the high value pieces.
Both are paths that lead into the desert of dry, dull apathy. Somewhere on the journey the joy of collecting has been discarded as excess baggage. While such a collection may survive on profile, the bottom line, it has ceased being a true collection and has become strictly an investment.
Collecting should be fun. Let me repeat that, "Collecting should be fun."
If it isn't fun, then maybe you aren't really a collector, think like a collector, act, convince everyone, even yourself that you are,but,
if it ain't fun, it ain't worth it.
To be a collector you're going to have to be able to sift through all this and find the pieces that apply to you and your interests, accepting it as advice and not as a "must do" directive.
While it may sound harsh, the answer to the perennial "What should I collect?" question lies in your own heart. If you need to ask the question, at a loss for direction, you may not really be a collector, or perhaps you need to do some serious looking around for something that does catch your eye.
The message here is to collect what you like,what you enjoy, yes, what turns you on. If it's fun, cool, bad, out of sight or like real joy, then you're onto something that will be your hobby of choice for the future. One final note, a bump of curiosity never hurt anyone.
A curious collector who asks, and asks, and asks, always seeking more knowledge, more information, is going to have more fun than anyone else.
Numismatics is always a "King of Hobbies and Hobby of Kings"!
Many of us started out with Malaysia commemorative coins. A few really "old" timers no doubt cut their collector teeth on Straits Settlements and Malaya Borneo coins, but the vast majority of coin collectors are, or were also a banknotes collectors.
Depending on the degree of interest, finances and inner makeup, the collector usually has gone on, either to higher denominations, or often into some allied field, tokens, medals, trade coins, primitive money or even phone cards. There is one underlying reason for collecting, and one unspoken reason.
Collectors of anything, not least coins, do so for the enjoyment of collecting. Attaining a goal is the object, whether it be by finding a coin in circulation, or after spending weeks looking at dealer stock for the right coin in the right grade at the right price.
Yes, and the unspoken aim is to - sooner or later - profit from the collection. The purist collector may loudly deny a profit motive, and may in the most be speaking the truth. But, somewhere deep in the soul, the desire to profit from the labor expended on the collection, whether represented by actual time, or by money earned in other labor is a factor.
Both are paths that lead into the desert of dry, dull apathy. Somewhere on the journey the joy of collecting has been discarded as excess baggage. While such a collection may survive on profile, the bottom line, it has ceased being a true collection and has become strictly an investment.
If it isn't fun, then maybe you aren't really a collector, think like a collector, act, convince everyone, even yourself that you are,but,
if it ain't fun, it ain't worth it.
To be a collector you're going to have to be able to sift through all this and find the pieces that apply to you and your interests, accepting it as advice and not as a "must do" directive.
The message here is to collect what you like,what you enjoy, yes, what turns you on. If it's fun, cool, bad, out of sight or like real joy, then you're onto something that will be your hobby of choice for the future. One final note, a bump of curiosity never hurt anyone.
A curious collector who asks, and asks, and asks, always seeking more knowledge, more information, is going to have more fun than anyone else. Keep asking, keep looking and keep enjoying.
Numismatics is always a "King of Hobbies and Hobby of Kings"!
Hi Mr Dickson,
ReplyDeleteA very great article by yours! I am very agree that collecting should, and must, be fun! The collectors itself should enjoy the hobby. Plus, learning is a continuous process, and thus I believe a person should learn and continuously learn from its hobby, not just a mere collecting. And hobby as an investment should be considered too, but still it comes second after your satisfaction.
For example, many collectors nowadays pursue after those extra dots coin of 50 sen and milled edge of 50 sen. I think those type of collectibles were being overvalued.
Keep producing wise and thought-provoking articles like this. We, newbies really need it. :D
Hi Dickson,
ReplyDeleteNice article.
We agree with you that our collections, at somewhere sometime somehow, have to generate at least some returns to us for all the energy and financial resources expanded throughout the numerous years.
Much interest will be generated when we see the value of our collectibles grow, which we believe is normal for most collectors.
And you are right too, for collectors who continue on the hobby right up to adulthood without stopping, there must be something in the hobby which keep us going apart the the motivation of profits, which we have to admit is equally important too.
And that is what turns us on!
The elated feel of finding yet another specimen and another, another, etc, haha.
Thanks a lot for sharing your wonderful thoughts, Dickson :)
Dear mnfaj,
ReplyDeleteThank you and welcome.
Whether is being over value or not,I believed market forces will always strike a equilibrium at some point.In marketing,market is always not perfect,when we said the price is too high,they are people still believed that they are still room to move upwards,so they pay!
Emotion always set a new price!
When you don't feel tiredness,exhausted and worn out to screen through your hundreds of five cents coins,you are very sure you are on a right hobby!Haha!
ReplyDelete