I recently decided to reconsider how I have been collecting coins. I collect both U.S. and world coins. And in the past, I have spent a lot money and time adding countries to my collection in pursuit of the 300 country club (countries as recognized by Numista, that is). I got caught up in just trying to add countries to my collection regardless of whether I even liked the coin or not. I just added it to my collection just because it was another country. I wound up adding a number of coins that were not even of good quality just to add them to my country list.
So recently I have trimmed down my collection and, from now on, I am going to clear out any coins I don't care for regardless of country. I have been getting back into collecting U.S. coins and world coins with designs I actually like. I am not going to collect a coin just because it is from Biafra or from whatever country. I have a limited amount of money to spend on coins so I want to make sure I get a nice quality coin that I like instead of several mediocre ones. I think this is a better approach to coin collecting for me. Trying to collect from many different countries sort turned into a rat race, and I was becoming disenchanted with collecting. One thing from doing that type of collecting I picked up, though, was a real interest in geography and world coins, which I plan on continuing to study.
Good for you. I collect the same way, concentrating on a few areas and specialising in them gives me more pleasure than trying to collect anything and everything.
Although it can be a bit frustrating when you get to a point where you have all the common coins and move on the the more expensive coins. Not having the constant flow of coins coming in can lead to a bit of apathy towards collecting. That's where I'm at at the moment. I'm down to getting only about 3 or 4 coins a fortnight on the current collection I'm working on and it's a bit of a downer not having a constant stream of incoming coins.
I believe you're note the only one, mate! The 300 countries club may have been a spur for members to collect world coins, but it has also "made" member so hysterically buy lots and lots of world coins, and expensive ones too, just to get into the 300 countries club. Now, when things has been rearranged, some members have lost all hopes of, not just the site, but of collecting at all. Some might even look at their "life" and collection and see it as pointless.
To me the 300 countries club has always been a mirage, something obscure in the distance I one day would like to reach too, but I haven't really killed myself over it and hysterically, without thought, bought a lot of coins. My main focus had always been to collect coins from current countries, so the 300 countries club has been my secondary goal all along.
When I read your post I got a happy feeling. Not that your goal has been crushed, but that you took it as "oh well, then I just change my focus back to my former main goal". I wish you luck with "cleaning out" your collection and to make it yours again! I really hope your positivity will be spread to other members who are totally devastated by the fact that the 300 countries club is no more.
Recent reorganization of Numista has shown that the number of countries was somewhat arbitrary (e.g. why did some people bother about having a coin from Faroe Islands?). Nevertheless, unlike frankb, I still haven't changed my goals. Up to a certain limit, adding more countries (or sections, or issuers) increases diversity, and I like it.
I agree to some point of what you're saying. But to me it was never really about the 300 countries club, but to collect coins from all over the world. To take the example you made, I got coins from the Faroe Islands simply because it's an area/country that I was missing in my collection. Secondary because I love the Faroe Islands and couldn't wait to have a coin (or two) to represent this amazing place in my collection.
We all collect for different reasons and one shouldn't question that, but when you collect just to get in to the 300 countries club, I reckon your reasons are all wrong.
I would never want to be in the 300 country club because I can't stand the made-for-collectors commemorative coins, an many of the countries on the list don't even have heir own coins, they just pump out the maningless commemoratives. I would never bring down the tone of my collection by buying a mickey mouse or a pokemon coin just so I could say that I have a coin from Nauru, or Niue, or Palau, or American Samoa, etc
Quote: "neilithic"I would never want to be in the 300 country club because I can't stand the made-for-collectors commemorative coins, an many of the countries on the list don't even have heir own coins, they just pump out the meaningless commemoratives. I would never bring down the tone of my collection by buying a mickey mouse or a pokemon coin just so I could say that I have a coin from Nauru, or Niue, or Palau, or American Samoa, etc
Exactly!
I also agree that everyone is free to collect what they like, but it is here, on Numista, that I discovered that many collectors are trying to obtain coins from as many countries as possible. I had always assumed that the basic guideline is to limit yourself and become a specialist of sort in your chosen country or period or type.
As for the division between "countries" and "sections", I'm sorry to say that it is quite meaningless. Instead of "sections" the term "polities" or "political entities" would be much more meaningful, or perhaps "issuing authorities". What matters is that some political entity has taken the right to strike its own coins.
Don't let anyone tell what to collect. Collect what you want, country , token, commemoratives or sections.
Iwas thinking about a run for the 300 club a few times. But got in the way of getting one of every penny (cent )made.
But I will get in the club someday. But if you only want to collect non-round coins do it.
If you're buying expensive modern toy coins just to enter a "club" on an internet forum you probably have too much money
I'm trying to get (at least) a coin from each country, but I don't count micro-nations, token-churning entities, and in the case of real countries that turned to the dark side *cough*Liberia*cough* I count only older coins. This goal is interesting to me because I love history and geography and I learned a lot pursuing it, but it's not my main collecting focus right now.
Like others have said, collect for yourself and choose what you collect. Focusing your collection is much more fulfilling, plus that leaves you more money to spend on what you actually like
"I'm trying to get (at least) a coin from each country, but I don't count micro-nations, token-churning entities, and in the case of real countries that turned to the dark side *cough*Liberia*cough* I count only older coins."
Yeah, Bryan I did the same thing. But some countries, old or not, have just boring designs or are too hard to get. I am not going to collect a coin just because it is from a country I don't have, and/or worse, if its in bad condition. That's why I changed my focus, not because I have too much money.
My primary goals (Canada Cents VF or better and Canadian Colonial Tokens) are most probably impossible to complete via exchange on Numista. Even Ebay is not going to get me to the end. Private auctions will be my last option.
So, I have changed this goal from 300 to 250 Country Club (pre-1962 were applicable). My new goal keeps me involved with the community and will no doubt cost less money should I reach the end.
It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure, that just ain't so. Mark Twain
Good luck collecting each issuer. German states is well over 100 and they are not through the Hs yet. And I am terrified to see what happens when the Indian States and Kingdoms is distributed.
BryanJ
"and in the case of real countries that turned to the dark side *cough*Liberia*cough* I count only older coins."
I'm brand new to coin-collecting and still working on my 50-country club but now my curiosity is killing me: what happened with Liberian coins?
Quote: "Platypus"BryanJ
"and in the case of real countries that turned to the dark side *cough*Liberia*cough* I count only older coins."
I'm brand new to coin-collecting and still working on my 50-country club but now my curiosity is killing me: what happened with Liberian coins?
They started out with genuine circulation coins but now just pump out tons of meaningless commemorative coins.
Quote: "frankb"I got caught up in just trying to add countries to my collection regardless of whether I even liked the coin or not. I just added it to my collection just because it was another country. I wound up adding a number of coins that were not even of good quality just to add them to my country list.
And that is what's wrong with our hobby at the moment . If you don't know what you are collecting, then that is simply hoarding and you are taking resources away from someone who really wants to collect those types of coins. I expect that type of collecting from beginners and not from seasoned collectors. Thank God you got out of that feverish mess before it was too late. Try to focus on quality as opposed to quantity and appreciate those little gems that provide countless hours of intellectual richness and aesthetics...
Yes I think you are very right, Quant. Geek. If all it is a mad dash for the brass ring at any cost. You miss the fun it collecting. But I am a very bad hoarder. But I find it very relaxing to look for differences in the same year in the same coin. There are a lot of very small differences just from die wear. But is there really any reason to have over 200 1 franc coins from France? But I just have a problem of letting go. There is hope for me, knowing the problem is the first step.
Quote: "ALLRED1950" Yes I think you are very right, Quant. Geek. If all it is a mad dash for the brass ring at any cost. You miss the fun it collecting. But I am a very bad hoarder. But I find it very relaxing to look for differences in the same year in the same coin. There are a lot of very small differences just from die wear. But is there really any reason to have over 200 1 franc coins from France? But I just have a problem of letting go. There is hope for me, knowing the problem is the first step.
That my friend is a sign of an experienced and well focused collector. I know several collectors who drool over a single coin type looking for nothing more than die variations. They collect as many of the different die variations as possible. If that is what fancies them, then by all means collect away. For instance, I have a book that goes through all the different variations that are present in the Lithuanian Groschens of Sigismund II. Imagine that! Collecting all those coins and cataloging the minute differences, dates, etc of a single class of coins. Experience at its best...
Actually, I have reconsidered. I am still going to collect countries I don't have. I am just not going to set a goal, like 300 countries. It is a good way to learn about history and geography.
Before a website update put me at 301 coins, I kind of started to slow down a bit on new countries. I do plan to get them, but I also enjoy finding coins from South Africa.
Quote: "ngdawa"I believe you're note the only one, mate! The 300 countries club may have been a spur for members to collect world coins, but it has also "made" member so hysterically buy lots and lots of world coins, and expensive ones too, just to get into the 300 countries club. Now, when things has been rearranged, some members have lost all hopes of, not just the site, but of collecting at all. Some might even look at their "life" and collection and see it as pointless.
To me the 300 countries club has always been a mirage, something obscure in the distance I one day would like to reach too, but I haven't really killed myself over it and hysterically, without thought, bought a lot of coins. My main focus had always been to collect coins from current countries, so the 300 countries club has been my secondary goal all along.
When I read your post I got a happy feeling. Not that your goal has been crushed, but that you took it as "oh well, then I just change my focus back to my former main goal". I wish you luck with "cleaning out" your collection and to make it yours again! I really hope your positivity will be spread to other members who are totally devastated by the fact that the 300 countries club is no more.
300 countries club has been a secondary goal for me as I have collected modern world coins by type but I have similar thoughts. I have collected coins over 20 years but now I see collecting as a meaningless.
Here are some things which are annoying me at the moment:
-acquiring coins takes a lot of time: internet surfing, bidding, sending e-mails, sending money, sending e-mails after lost envelopes etc...
-collection needs space but I think selling the whole lot would be wasting of time as most of my coins are pulled from a bulk lots. Maybe I just spend all the current money:)
-why am I collecting? I don't know; I can learn about history without owning any coins, I don't have to be a museum as there are many open coin museums there, I don't enjoy the hunting anymore as I don't want to own coins anymore. Sometimes the collecting has been a bit OCD and just coins in the mind.
I haven't decided yet what to do with the collection, maybe selling parts of it (and spending some) or just keep them all and see what future will be.
I got to 300 without the use of the BS coin countries that Neil was complaining about - so it was possible but alas the moderaters in there wisdom have shifted the goals and re -arranged the ballpark
olde saying "if it is not broken , do not try to fix it"
but now my curiosity is killing me: what happened with Liberian coins? 
. If you don't know what you are collecting, then that is simply hoarding and you are taking resources away from someone who really wants to collect those types of coins. I expect that type of collecting from beginners and not from seasoned collectors. Thank God you got out of that feverish mess before it was too late. Try to focus on quality as opposed to quantity and appreciate those little gems that provide countless hours of intellectual richness and aesthetics... 
