35 Years of Coin Collecting: The Brutal Truths and Unexpected Wins I Wish I’d Known Sooner

I’ve Been Collecting Coins for 35 Years. Here’s My Honest Experience

Back in 1989, I found my first Buffalo nickel in change from the corner store. That little coin started a passion that’s lasted decades. It’s been a wild ride—full of amazing finds, costly errors, and lessons I wish I’d learned sooner. If you’re new to coin collecting, let me share what I’ve gathered since I was 12.

The Early Years: Falling in Love With the Hunt

My Humble Beginnings

I began like most: with Whitman folders and spare change. That Buffalo nickel had me checking every coin I touched. In just a few months, I:

• Discovered a 1916-S Walking Liberty half dollar in my paper route money—worth around $30 back then
• Wasted $45 of birthday cash on a “rare” 1955 doubled die cent that was just machine doubling
• Found out the hard way that flea market “silver” isn’t always real

The Power of Mentors

The grumpy owner of the local coin shop became my guide. She told me:

“Dates are just the start. Check the mint mark, study the wear, and never skip the edges.”

The Dark Years: When Collecting Got Complicated

The eBay Boom (and Bust)

When online auctions took off in the 2000s, I learned through errors:

• Spent $800 on a “MS-65” Morgan dollar that had been cleaned—now I always use third-party grading
• Got into bidding wars over common coins I could’ve bought cheaper at shows
• Realized “toning” can be natural beauty or a chemical trick

The Storage Disaster of 2007

I stored coins in cardboard flips for years. When I checked them, I found:

• 18 key-date Mercury dimes with green corrosion from bad storage
• A 1909-S VDB cent damaged by cheap plastic

That mistake cost me nearly $5,000 in value. Now I invest in proper storage from day one.

The Renaissance: Becoming a Smart Collector

My 3 Golden Rules

1. Specialize early: Focusing on Barber coinage in 2010 doubled my collection’s worth in five years
2. Buy the book before the coin: The $35 I spent on the “Cherrypickers’ Guide” saved me over $2,000 on bad buys
3. Join the community: Local coin clubs offered deals and advice no book could match

The COVID Silver Lining

When shows vanished in 2020, I found new opportunities:

• Online auctions with better prices than in-person events
• Instagram’s power for connecting with niche collectors
• How to photograph coins right (use: <img src="coin.jpg" alt="1921 Morgan Dollar" class="coin-photo">)

What My 35,000+ Coin Collection Taught Me

After decades of buying, selling, and trading, here’s my core wisdom:

• Age ≠ Value: My most valuable coin is a 2019-W quarter worth $3,500
• Condition is everything: That VF-20 Seated Liberty dollar from 1995? Worth ten times more now in the same grade
• Passion pays: My initial $200 grew into a collection appraised at $187,000 in 2023

The Hardest Lesson of All

I sold a 1913 Type 2 Buffalo nickel for $75 to “upgrade.” Today, it’s worth over $2,500. The collector who bought it still has it. Some coins are keepers for life.

Final Thoughts

Coin collecting is more than metal—it’s stories, history, and the thrill of the hunt. Whether you’re holding your first wheat penny or bidding on gold, remember: every expert started as a beginner. Go slow, keep learning, and savor the journey.

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