Why I'm quitting coin collecting

It's bad enough that you have to worry about random bs irl.

but when you magically lose a $200 coin (Guerrero 2 pesos), you have to wonder whether there isn't a demon that specifically goes and steals innocent people's coins just to start wars. it literally cannot be anywhere except in my room. I turned it upside down. I bent in ways that most professional dancers haven't thought of to look in places like behind my desk where it looked like an aerial view of post WW2 germany. Only one person who I know would not have stolen it was ever in here, and even if he did, just proves the point(lessness) more

WHAT IS THe MOTHERf*cking point when it not only wastes your time but also your money so then it can give flip you the bird and take a dump somewhere and disappear????? I got over my 1/8 1822 dollar, it was kinda my fault probably slipped out my pocket. whatever. but if it's gonna keep happening, why don't I just buy a big silver -rhymes with bilbo- and use that than what this does to me....it'll be a lot cheaper and the pain will be over quicker

if i didn't have some more expensive coins, I'd literally dump my whole collection into the effing river just to spite the hobby

I have other ways I can get depressed like the look of sorrow mixed with internal panic in a girl's face when I ask for her phone number

EDIT: will post an update if I find this crap to let you know that this isn't an anger post and I've quit this for good; also plz nobody tell me about organization, idgaf it's organized well enough, it's a small room, the thing can't sink through the ground

Maybe you need glasses... or a metal-detector...

Sorry to hear this and I hope you find it. I have done the same only to find the coin some time later and wondered why I put it where I ended up finding it.

If it was in a round capsule or without storage it could roll forever. I once found a coin I dropped two rooms from my desk .

Man that really sucks but if it’s any consolation I do have to say you have a amazing Notgeld collection just on your swaplist so I could only imagine what is in your collection. I hope your able to find the coin and pick the hobby right back up but if you decide not to please send me some of it before it ends up in the river 😂 On a serious note though I’m sure many of us can agree we have misplaced coins before and while it may suck for a while when you come across it when you least expect it it will be like Christmas all over again and personally I was only upset over how long I was upset for something I could not change .

Best of luck
Matt

I sympathize with your loss. The demon in my case has something against the letter First it was my small collection of coins from Bhutan (8). They were in a small plastic bag in a shoebox with other countries early in the alphabet. They never left my room. The other countries in the box were undisturbed but when I wanted to shift storage, I noticed there was no more Bhutan. Haven't found them in 4 years.

Then I started a banknote collection and when I started rearranging my collection I noticed the early Belarus animal notes were gone and again nowhere to be found. It's been at least 2 years since they disappeared.

But I never thought of quitting, maybe because my losses were not that valuable. I still cannot imagine what happened to the coins or banknotes, as I never separated them from the rest of my collection and the rest of the collection is intact.

Will

"but when you magically lose a $200 coin (Guerrero 2 pesos), you have to wonder whether there isn't a demon that specifically goes and steals innocent people's coins just to start wars. "

- sorry to hear about your loss (& like others here) hope you just hid it too well & that you will recover it soon. I've misplaced some of my coins several times b/c I really don't collect them/little interest (& have saved a few left over from my early collecting days). I also had them saved/hidden in different spots of my room/house (not good). Finally, I bought a small safe and everything valuable is in there. I really hope it is just a case of misplacement & someone hasn't stolen it.

I had a fairly rare CDN $50 banknote which I had left somewhere on my desk disappear after I had an interior paint job done in my place. I blame nobody but myself for leaving it (albeit hidden) unsecured in that room. I could not blame the painter b/c I discovered it missing after the job was done (plus could not prove he took it). My point is- (& I share this because) we all have to be careful when collecting paper or coins. Its money & it "will grow legs" if we're not careful. It's just too tempting for some.

My advice to any collector is:
a) don't announce to the world you collect (also be careful who you show your rarer items to!)
b) buy a safe or put the rarer items in a SDB if you feel that the bank can be a safer place
c) keep an inventory of all your items

I realize that point a) is quite difficult (& possibly impossible) for younger collectors just starting out & needing help from the relatives, but eventually (if you keep at it) it's probably your best protection against future loss/problems with your collection. If you do reveal that you collect, only show some of what you got with other collectors you trust.
Point c) is really important b/c after a while you may wish to sell or swap items so an updated inventory is essential

I hope you find that coin!

Quote: "Alyattes"​It's bad enough that you have to worry about random bs irl.
​
​but when you magically lose a $200 coin (Guerrero 2 pesos), you have to wonder whether there isn't a demon that specifically goes and steals innocent people's coins just to start wars. it literally cannot be anywhere except in my room. I turned it upside down. I bent in ways that most professional dancers haven't thought of to look in places like behind my desk where it looked like an aerial view of post WW2 germany. Only one person who I know would not have stolen it was ever in here, and even if he did, just proves the point(lessness) more
​
​WHAT IS THe MOTHERf*cking point when it not only wastes your time but also your money so then it can give flip you the bird and take a dump somewhere and disappear????? I got over my 1/8 1822 dollar, it was kinda my fault probably slipped out my pocket. whatever. but if it's gonna keep happening, why don't I just buy a big silver -rhymes with bilbo- and use that than what this does to me....it'll be a lot cheaper and the pain will be over quicker
​
​if i didn't have some more expensive coins, I'd literally dump my whole collection into the effing river just to spite the hobby
​
​I have other ways I can get depressed like the look of sorrow mixed with internal panic in a girl's face when I ask for her phone number
​
​EDIT: will post an update if I find this crap to let you know that this isn't an anger post and I've quit this for good; also plz nobody tell me about organization, idgaf it's organized well enough, it's a small room, the thing can't sink through the ground

Very annoying when this happens. Can only hope that you find it safely tucked away somewhere​. When you find it.....your first thought will be .....why didn't I look here at the start.
edit: Don't quit.

Thank you for your support guys. i honestly didnt think my childish crying would get such positivity lol

still havent found the lil guy. its possible he’s there, but i mean what can i do. im not a quitter but lately i bought way too much (conders mainly). i was mostly annoyed because i know i couldnt have put such a cool coin somewhere random, but apparently yes a safe place is vital lol

it wasnt like the 1/8 dollar where i was outside (i had picked it up with my mail and was out with a friend)

i probably wasnt gonna quit cuz im also saving these for retirement. but geez lol :/

hope you guys find at least one missing thing coin or otherwise that u really want! and i know all of you here will have coins 10x cooler than mine (that u wont lose or ill be here for u to support u back on ur tear thread! ) 😁

I can really empathise with your frustration. You feel like a useless forgetful idiot. Done it more than once. It's really stressful and I end up wrecking things looking for it.

At least some of us have been there.
had two really stupid mishaps one a coin (Small Ethiopian silver coin in UNC condition) droped at my old home which landed on a furniture which must have weighed a ton at least so never got to get it out.

other time while still living in Japan I went by bicycle to see a friend who wanted to see my new 1/4 Taler coin from Basel in really good condition (paid around 250€ for it) on the way back must have dropped it from my pocket. looked for it long but never found it.
have been angry for my own stupidity for a long tome after that

This is so logical.

The same crap happened to me back in 2001 when my entire collection of coins with many silver ones and many historic coins going back to the 1500s was stolen out of my car in an act of carelessness (Naievity caused by wanting to go for a walk).

It made me so angry, I never got serious about coin collecting again for 18 years. In the interim I got heavily back into stamps and only picked coins last (2019) year seriously.

However on the other side of the coin, I made several stupid mistakes.

1. I was collecting expensive items at a time when I did not have much stability in my life, during university and my precariat level existence afterwards, home was a series of "crash pads" lasting a few months at most. Now I own my own home and have a permanent safe spot for my coins.
Solution - If you are still in that 15 -35 stage of life and are renting or crashing, stick to cheap items or at least have a rental locker (Not recommended) or safe for your $100 plus items.

2. Insurance - I had no insurance for these coins, andwas lucky my mother's policy gave me a part payout of about $2k (The coins were worth at least $5k). Now all my collectibles are under $50k of contents insurance.
I also had no photos of better items (If it helps it was the 1990s and digital cameras were still expensive boffin things and internet had not filtrated down to the working classes until about 1998/99.
I did have a hand written list and this was enough to please the insurance company.
Solution - Get insurance, and take photos and keep a ledger of all your better items. If on the computer, do at least 2 backups - no cellphone only computing.

3. Coins - Unless you have a house of your own (Not with wheels or a trailer, mortgage - not rented) don't buy gold coins or large silver bullion as that presents storage costs and brings up a red flag to thieves.
Solution - If you are young stick to getting a career and building up assets like car, home, family etc - you have years and years to start accumulating gold coins.

4. Organising - Coins slipping down walls, gaps, moving boxes around - bro I am willing to bet cash your house is not a Marie Kondo style arrangement. My guess is there is so much clutter that you can not be bothered going through it. Coins and other collectibles should be neat and organised, unless its real kiddy accumulation type stuff. Every coin in an album, slab or bg and stored in a cool dry place (Cupboards, wardrobes and cabinets are best) away from sunlight and not visible through windows, especially if that window faces the street.
If you live in a British or European "row" house that opens on the footpath - even more so and in the US/Canada where its more spacious, people can still see from the street.
Solution - If you spend hundreds of $$$ on coins - you can spend time and at least $ on storage and concealment.

5. Maturity and responsibility - Coins need care and thought, preserving them for the future - are your coins protected in good albums or flips? I can already tell by the OP's original writing style (No caps, use of text language - U and ur etc suggests to me he is probably immature and/ or not well educated, but I could be wrong, its standard cellphone lingo and my Grammar and spelling is hardly great either - but I do try).
Are you collecting coins for fun and edification or merely for bling bling and display purposes as a status symbol?
If its the latter - collect gold chains, shiny suits or bouncing cars, the coin world does not need you.

These hints will ensure you coin collection will be safe and not liable to these issues.

Quote: "Moneytane"1. I was collecting expensive items at a time when I did not have much stability in my life, during university and my precariat level existence afterwards, home was a series of "crash pads" lasting a few months at most. Now I own my own home and have a permanent safe spot for my coins.
Solution - If you are still in that 15 -35 stage of life and are renting or crashing, stick to cheap items or at least have a rental locker (Not recommended) or safe for your $100 plus items.

I agree. As somebody in the 15-35 age bracket and renting. When I started renting I bought a safe. I didn't realise it at the time, but the safe would prove to be a great investment.

Quote: "Moneytane"​This is so logical.
​
​The same crap happened to me back in 2001 when my entire collection of coins with many silver ones and many historic coins going back to the 1500s was stolen out of my car in an act of carelessness (Naievity caused by wanting to go for a walk).
​
​It made me so angry, I never got serious about coin collecting again for 18 years. In the interim I got heavily back into stamps and only picked coins last (2019) year seriously.
​
​However on the other side of the coin, I made several stupid mistakes.
​
​1. I was collecting expensive items at a time when I did not have much stability in my life, during university and my precariat level existence afterwards, home was a series of "crash pads" lasting a few months at most. Now I own my own home and have a permanent safe spot for my coins.
​Solution - If you are still in that 15 -35 stage of life and are renting or crashing, stick to cheap items or at least have a rental locker (Not recommended) or safe for your $100 plus items.
​
​2. Insurance - I had no insurance for these coins, andwas lucky my mother's policy gave me a part payout of about $2k (The coins were worth at least $5k). Now all my collectibles are under $50k of contents insurance.
​I also had no photos of better items (If it helps it was the 1990s and digital cameras were still expensive boffin things and internet had not filtrated down to the working classes until about 1998/99.
​I did have a hand written list and this was enough to please the insurance company.
​Solution - Get insurance, and take photos and keep a ledger of all your better items. If on the computer, do at least 2 backups - no cellphone only computing.
​
​3. Coins - Unless you have a house of your own (Not with wheels or a trailer, mortgage - not rented) don't buy gold coins or large silver bullion as that presents storage costs and brings up a red flag to thieves.
​Solution - If you are young stick to getting a career and building up assets like car, home, family etc - you have years and years to start accumulating gold coins.
​
​4. Organising - Coins slipping down walls, gaps, moving boxes around - bro I am willing to bet cash your house is not a Marie Kondo style arrangement. My guess is there is so much clutter that you can not be bothered going through it. Coins and other collectibles should be neat and organised, unless its real kiddy accumulation type stuff. Every coin in an album, slab or bg and stored in a cool dry place (Cupboards, wardrobes and cabinets are best) away from sunlight and not visible through windows, especially if that window faces the street.
​If you live in a British or European "row" house that opens on the footpath - even more so and in the US/Canada where its more spacious, people can still see from the street.
​Solution - If you spend hundreds of $$$ on coins - you can spend time and at least $ on storage and concealment.
​
​5. Maturity and responsibility - Coins need care and thought, preserving them for the future - are your coins protected in good albums or flips? I can already tell by the OP's original writing style (No caps, use of text language - U and ur etc suggests to me he is probably immature and/ or not well educated, but I could be wrong, its standard cellphone lingo and my Grammar and spelling is hardly great either - but I do try).
​Are you collecting coins for fun and edification or merely for bling bling and display purposes as a status symbol?
​If its the latter - collect gold chains, shiny suits or bouncing cars, the coin world does not need you.
​
​These hints will ensure you coin collection will be safe and not liable to these issues.
​
​

Moneytane your 1st 4 points are very well made - informative & succint​.
Point number 5 was absolutely unnecessary. It would be so nice if all we did was gave good advice and refrained from ridiculing anyone.
Questioning someone's education and saying that the coin world does not need you is very rude.... to say the least.
Would you say that to Bill Gates - he was a high school dropout!!
You are a senior member on this forum, please refrain from hurting someone's sentiments.
Stay safe & take care
regards

You missed the "I could be wrong part"

Hurting people's feelings - I think any serious collector would be hurt by people who collect rare coins because they are gold and they are "Valuable" and see coin collecting solely as an investment.

Like I said I could be wrong, but I guess there are a lot of snowflakes.

Believe me being gay, autism positive, non white and fat - I know all about having my feelings hurt - but you know what, MAN UP and move on!

This touchy feely stuff needs to stop - life is reality and a rap magnetism, the streets and life are hard and with the China virus raging through the world (Xi said he wanted to world to become China communists and suffer), we should be glad we are alive and can collect coins.

Also where is the OP anyway?

Alyattes: What a pity!

Interesting thread.

This might be an opportunity to think whether it is possible to collect coins so as not to regret even in the case of disaster.

In March/April I was going through my documents of my banknotes. When I came to Brazil I noticed I had added a newly purchased note, and I just wanted to double check the date and signatures. Yet til this day I haven't been able to find it. I do have written down the series and serial number, so I must've recieved it. It still bugs me that I can't find it. I have my Collection in the living room, and I have gone through my all 8 binders several time just in case I have put it in the wrong place, or accidentally put two notes in the same pocket. I seems like it has vanished into thin air.

Finally after being the wicked witch of the west.

I implore the OP - Please don't stop collecting, we need you - if I can pick it up after 17 years - anyone can.

Coins love you, coins need you and you need them in your life.


They love you!

I understand the frustration and I hope for the best in your endeavors! Was quite stupid enough to hold on to a coin while on the bus (it wasn't expensive) and I dropped it while I was dozing off. Never saw it again, unfortunately. I've also misplaced some coins here at home but there's this (quite humorous) saying in my country that it will appear to you in the most unexpected of places when you're not looking for it.

I don't want to invalidate your feelings and if you really choose to quit coin collecting for good, I do hope you find another hobby or something else that will bring a smile to your face. Coin and banknote collecting can be such a hassle sometimes, no?

Lots of great replies. My only contribution is that often times when we can't find something it is right in front of our face but we just don't see it for some reason. We may be thinking it was in a different kind of case/holder or it slipped next to something else that is shielding it, etc. You probably already did this but just in case try carefully going through everything in the area even stuff it should not be in, like your box of CD's, etc. Sometimes getting another set of eyes can help. I remember once when I was a kid my mother was needed to go somewhere and was frantically searching around the house for something. I asked her what she was looking for and she told me she couldn't find her glasses. I could see that she had her glasses slipped up on her head and told her so, to her great relief.
Also try to reconstruct everything that you were doing before you lost the coin. For example if you were cutting out labels for your coins at the time you might check where you keep your scissors. Retrace all of your steps both in your head and in your house.
As my father used to tell me, the house doesn't loss anything.

My symphaties, must feel irritating. What useally helps is to take a short time-out, if the coin does not turn out, the feeling gets calmed down and rational thinking is more possible. Useally bad things turn better during some time.

And if the coin is lost forever, you could consider numismatics a hobby and compare this to double bogey in golf or similar expensive hobby😊 I have bought few counterfeits and made some ill balanced swaps with that 200$, but that has been long forgotten.

Good luck anyhow, if you decide to quit, well, this is fairly rare hobby anyway😊

I've had two complete sets at different times stolen. It takes time to get over it but in due time you will see a coin in change and want to keep it, then another and another and slowly get back into collecting again. At least I have. Again I have a pretty good collection including some gold and silver. Now I keep thinking what if....guess it's time to take some pictures in case something does happen again. Already talked to our insurance people.