| For many of us hobbies are an interesting and | | | | of these auctions giving sellers a very good return |
| pleasurable way to spend some of our spare | | | | for their coins. |
| time. And often what starts out as something | | | | A significant part of the popularity of coin |
| that we have a minor interest in, can quickly turn | | | | collecting is it's accessibility. Anyone can start a |
| into something that begins to take up a much | | | | collection. The change from the supermarket |
| larger part of our life both in terms of the time | | | | could be the first coins in your collection. In the |
| and money we spend on it. | | | | early stages most coin enthusiasts put any coins |
| One such hobby that can quickly take over a | | | | they come across in their collection. With |
| large proportion of the enthusiasts life is coin | | | | experience and time spent actually studying coins, |
| collecting. | | | | most collectors become a bit more discerning. |
| A major difference between many collecting | | | | Many collectors begin to specialise in coins made |
| hobbies and coin collecting is that with coin | | | | of a certain metal such as copper coins, bronze |
| collecting the collectables can be worth very large | | | | coins, silver coins etc. Some prefer coins of a |
| amounts of money. It is at this point that the | | | | particular age or time or location. |
| collector is no longer just a "hobbiest", but is as | | | | Usually by this point, the collector is becoming |
| much an investor, with decisions about what coins | | | | more serious and is considering the value of their |
| to buy and sell largely being made by how much | | | | coins much more, as well as being happy to spend |
| money can be made on a sale or saved on a | | | | more on a coin that they feel will enhance their |
| purchase. | | | | collection or simply make a good return on their |
| Coin collecting historically, was done as a way to | | | | purchase cost at some point in the future. |
| preserve and hopefully increase wealth. Coins | | | | If you are thinking of starting a coin collection it |
| where accumulated and saved in the hope that | | | | may be useful to determine what you are looking |
| their value would appreciate. In times past coins | | | | to get out of being a collector. If you are looking |
| were of such value that only royalty had | | | | for a pleasurable past time without much concern |
| sufficient wealth that would enable them to | | | | for what your collection is worth or may be |
| "collect" coins. | | | | worth some time in the future, coin collecting will |
| These day's anyone can collect coins. Many start | | | | give you a lot of pleasure with minimal expense. |
| as young children who are given a few coins by a | | | | If on the other hand you are looking at coin |
| relative, and from these humble beginnings an | | | | collecting as an investment and possible income |
| interest grows which may some day become a | | | | stream, start hitting the books and spending |
| very real money making proposition. | | | | some time investigating auctions and the |
| With the arrival of the internet, many collectors | | | | marketplace to see what is in demand. Start with |
| are now looking at their collections as having | | | | money you can afford to invest and buy in small |
| some significant monetary value. Online auctions | | | | quantity. As your experience and knowledge |
| such as Ebay have many auctions for coins from | | | | grows so should your bank balance. |
| all over the world running every day, with many | | | | |