| Buy the book before you buy the coin is | | | | have decided what type of coin or coins they |
| frequently offered and sage advice. | | | | want to collect. Of course, you may be able to |
| If you make the effort to study the hobby and | | | | get some of your coins simply by checking your |
| the market you will be rewarded. Someone who | | | | spare change. If you are going to build your |
| does not make that effort is more likely to | | | | collection, however, you will need to expand your |
| waste money on overgraded, problem or | | | | search. There are online auction sites that give |
| counterfeit coins. Before spending a lot of money | | | | collectors just like you an opportunity to buy and |
| on coins, you should invest in your knowledge of | | | | sell. Most neophyte coin collectors begin collecting |
| the hobby. For your own protection you should | | | | coins that are already in circulation, and usually |
| have at least one reference book covering your | | | | these coins that are in circulation are more likely |
| area(s) of interest. Reading a few issues of | | | | to get damaged, and only would be worth |
| periodicals is another good idea. | | | | whenever you hold onto them for a long period |
| A great place to start collecting coins is from | | | | of time. Once you go up the coin-collecting ladder, |
| circulation. The risk is negligible (you can always | | | | you move on by collecting coins from other |
| spend the coins), examining your coins carefully | | | | sources, such as antique coin shops, coin shows, |
| and see what your reference book says about | | | | internet auctions, flea markets, and from other |
| them, will teach you a lot. | | | | collectors as well. The art of coin collecting can |
| Join a club! | | | | also be seen as an investment, as the prices of |
| Local coin clubs are usually great for learning more | | | | the coins you store and preserve may rise should |
| about the hobby, getting material for your | | | | they become rare, or drop when these coins are |
| collection, and you just might make some good | | | | in surplus supply. |
| friends, too. | | | | You will need to consult your coin collecting book |
| Often new collectors aren't sure where to begin, | | | | to understand the different values and grades of |
| and they may have many questions. Do I start | | | | coins. Once you have become more familiar with |
| with one type of coin, or should I collect a | | | | the specific terms, you will probably want to start |
| variety? Should I stick to easy-to-find coins, or | | | | off buying inexpensive coins. As you become |
| should I try to collect rarer ones? How much | | | | more experienced in judging the value of coins |
| money do I want to spend? Coin collecting doesn't | | | | yourself, you can start to purchase more |
| have to be an expensive hobby. In fact, it is | | | | expensive coins. |
| probably one of the easiest objects to collect. | | | | Save money, buy sets! |
| You also don't have to be very knowledgeable to | | | | As you continue to buy coins, you may find that |
| start a coin collection. | | | | you get more for your money if you buy sets of |
| If you are considering beginning a coin collection, | | | | coins. This doesn't mean the sets will be complete. |
| you have probably asked yourself one or more | | | | You would likely spend an exorbitant amount of |
| of these questions. The answers really depend on | | | | money for a complete set. Instead, the sets you |
| your own personal preferences, and you may not | | | | buy will probably be close to complete, but they |
| discover what those preferences are until you | | | | won't have the most expensive and rarer coins. |
| begin. The most important step you can take | | | | As you buy sets, you can keep the coins you |
| when beginning, however, is to invest in a good | | | | need, and then you can put duplicates back up for |
| coin collecting book. Once you've bought the book, | | | | auction. This is an excellent way to build your |
| take some time to read at least excerpts from it | | | | collections. |
| concerning different coins. You may discover that | | | | Coin collectors have different themes and goals in |
| certain coins interest you more than others. | | | | mind, with some trying to obtain generally rare |
| Sort your coin collection! | | | | coins, whilst others seek samples of coins that |
| The next step you might take is to buy a few | | | | were issued from every country or 'world coins.' |
| coin folders. You can buy coin folders that have | | | | Some collectors also opt to collect coins that |
| dates under each slot, or you can buy folders | | | | were only issued from one country, most likely |
| that are blank. The coin folders that have dates | | | | their own. There are other coin collectors who |
| will help you determine what coins you need to | | | | also store coins that were issued during |
| complete your collection. Often these folders will | | | | historically-important periods, such as the Roman, |
| cover a specific number of years and will be | | | | Greek, and Byzantine or the Middle Ages as well |
| designed for specific coins. | | | | as of the Indian, Celtic and Persian empires, and |
| Keep in mind, however, it is not easy to | | | | the 18th or 19th centuries. The purpose of |
| completely fill up a folder. If the folder covers | | | | collecting coins from different periods may vary, |
| older coins, many of those coins are considered | | | | depending on whether the collector wants these |
| quite valuable. You will have to be willing to invest | | | | coins to serve as a mirror or reflection of the |
| a significant amount of money to complete a | | | | events that happened during the era in which |
| folder for older coins. If you are not trying to | | | | they were produced, or for some other purpose |
| complete a set, but you do want to keep up with | | | | as well. |
| the dates that you find, you might enjoy using a | | | | How much you money and time you spend on |
| blank coin folder. This way you don't have to | | | | your coin collections is completely up to you. The |
| leave any of the slots empty. | | | | beauty of collecting coins, however, is that you |
| Internet provides many opportunities! | | | | are also investing your money. Coin collecting is a |
| The Internet provides many opportunities for coin | | | | great hobby for any age, and the art of coin |
| collectors to enlarge their collections, once they | | | | collecting will never die. |