| A while ago, coin collectors and coin investors | | | | available or even easily located. So they just |
| were usually considered to be two different | | | | learned to become patient and kept up the vigil in |
| categories. A coin collector was just considered to | | | | order to locate that elusive and oftentimes |
| be a hobbyist and collected his coins for their | | | | valuable coin. |
| beauty and educational and historical backgrounds. | | | | This patience does definitely pay off, since some |
| A coin investor however collected his coins for | | | | of the finest collections in the world were |
| profit and nothing else. Today, these two groups | | | | collected and assembled over decades. An |
| are a thing of the past. Now the group's | | | | interesting example is the Harold Bareford Gold |
| boundaries have become blurred. What happened | | | | Collection. This set was assembled in the early |
| to the two distinctive groups? | | | | fifties for $13,800.00. Today, this amount doesn't |
| Investors were suddenly noticing a popular trend. | | | | seem to be a whole lot, but if you can imagine |
| And all of a sudden hobby collectors were starting | | | | back then, that it was the price of a modest |
| to sweep up the profits. Why? What happened? | | | | home, so you can appreciate the value of the |
| Maybe the hobbyists knew something that the | | | | collection at the time. Several years were required |
| investors didn't and maybe the hobbyists had a | | | | to complete the collection and in 1978 it sold for |
| different approach to buying coins that was | | | | 1.2 million! It might not be typical, but it is a good |
| different. Investors started to study the "lowly" | | | | example to coin collectors that well though-out |
| hobbyists and their buying habits. They started to | | | | and designed collections can result in extraordinary |
| learn more about the collector's "fundamentals". | | | | returns. |
| The investors were intrigued to find out that the | | | | Collectors of sets do not always bring a profit of |
| hobbyists were building meaningful sets of coins. | | | | course, but carefully planned collectors can often |
| And many of these sets were selling for much | | | | realize more money. And since a set draws more |
| more money than the individual coins might. The | | | | attention, its liquidation can be increased. Of |
| concept of collecting "coin sets" was new to the | | | | course, the process of locating, acquiring and |
| investors. But they paid heed. | | | | building a set is more fun that just collecting |
| Then the investors noticed another thing the | | | | individual coins. Even the investors have figured |
| hobbyists were doing. They focused their | | | | that out since they learned that the historical |
| attention on the nature of the coins and the | | | | relationship of the coin becomes more important |
| stories and history behind them. When the | | | | and more valuable within a set. |
| hobbyist assembled a collection of coins with | | | | So when you start your coin collection, keep in |
| similar backgrounds he collected a theme set, not | | | | mind the value of coin sets. It could be a collection |
| just a group of unrelated coins. Another thing | | | | of the entire mint of the coin, or just a collection |
| collectors did was to be able and willing to add | | | | of one of each year. It could also be the theme |
| time to their investment plans. This is a very | | | | of the coins. When you start collecting your coins, |
| valuable aspect of building wealth through collecting | | | | think sets and you'll be on your way to a great |
| coins for sets. The hobbyists understood that the | | | | coin collection! |
| best sets might contain coins that were not easily | | | | |