New on Numista, anyone got any tips and tricks to collecting and swapping?

I'm really excited to start collecting, never done it before but feeling good about it.

Patience... that will be my advice!!!

You might begin by collecting your own heroic coins



Here is now the epic of the "landvættir", mythical heralds, great defenders of Iceland, which we honor when feasting on the edge of the burning craters when the northern lights irides the icy sky of these distant lands.



Once upon a time there was a deceitful Danish king who was about to invade Iceland

In these dark times, he did with the technology of his time to prepare his invasion by dispatching the mind of a mage transformed into a whale .
This spy attempting to infiltrate northeast Iceland was repelled there by Dreki, exhaling poison, accompanied by numerous worms, insects and lizards.



Then, continuing his journey through the North to Eyjafjörður, he was assailed there by a gigantic bird, with such prodigious wings that they touched the mountains on each side of the fjord, assisted by a cloud of griffins and other zealous monsters. It was :

Gammur, the guardian of the northwest



Faced with this new impossibility to disembark, he then headed for Breiðafjörður, where a giant auroch, foaming with rage, and his hectic horde put him on the run. It was about:

Griðungur, the sentinel of the southwest



The magician, continuing towards Reykjanes, tried to land on the shore of Vikarskeiði where he found himself facing a giant made of rock, larger than the mountains, seconded by other giants.
The spy, who were never able to sneak in, turned away upset and frustrated after this final confrontation with:

Bergrisi , the Troll of volcanoes, protector of the southeast.

I hope to offer a few practical tips:
On collecting:

1. Discover what you like (do some research on which years/series, banknote denomination, tokens, or exonumia)
   
2. Decide if you want to do it strictly for fun (like picking a theme as "Frenchlover" described, a particular nation, world pennies, etc) or a bit of profit (a particular metal, odd denoms, rarity, etc) or a bit of both. If you want to do it strictly for fun you can zero in on fringe/niche items whereas if you want to see it as an investment try to keep in mind not only rarity but what is popular/in demand
   
3. SET some realistic goals for what you wish to add to your collection
   
4. Source (how/where are you going to acquire the specimens you wish to collect: banks, eBay, LCS, shows, online forum swaps, etc) Try to get a realistic appreciation for Fair Market Value (FMV vs BV (Book Value) of any particular item).
   
5. Store/preservation (keep everything dry/secure in a dry place) -some collectors strive to be exceptionally frugal and will ignore this important aspect
   

On Swapping:
I have not been a big "swapper," in the past so I'm sure some other members can chip in here. I do know you have to have something to offer in order to "get the ball rolling," as such. I would suggest (once you've fully explored Tips 1&2) to source the best examples you can afford. I feel many collectors overlook this & wish to swap only circulated examples (& if that's okay for you -than no problem). Some collectors will swear against collecting "doubles" or more (but I do) & that's key to swapping (in my mind: acquiring high grade doubles so one or more can be swapped/sold down the road).

When initiating a swap be sure to have clear well lit photos/scans of your items which truly represent your item & describe it to your best ability. You will have to set a price of what you think it is worth and negotiate a price. Either explore eBay, online sites or catalogues so you know what price to expect. So, its always a good idea to get in the habit of scanning/photographing your items after you get them (& compress images, etc) so you're ready to negotiate price, item for item to swap. Try to be generous in early swaps (to encourage positive feedback).

An experienced "Swapper" will likely expect you to send the item first to them (so you will have to trust that swapper) and then he/she will send his/her item to you.

Remember to always try to communicate clearly & effectively. Be sure to give positive feedback once the swap has been completed. Don't blame your swap partner for issues with the postal system (or things he/she has no control over).

There should be an actual swap tutorial on this site (which may be under the "SWAP" thread.

Tricks to collecting?
I believe I can never get enough info so I'm always exploring online sources for info. If I like what a collector posts on a forum, I typically check that poster's profile (see where they're from, if they have a website, etc). Keep seeking info & Good luck!

Quote: "Serial_Number_8"​I hope to offer a few practical tips:
​On collecting:
​

1. Discover what you like (do some research on which years/series, banknote denomination, tokens, or exonumia)
   ​
   
2. Decide if you want to do it strictly for fun (like picking a theme as "Frenchlover" described, a particular nation, world pennies, etc) or a bit of profit (a particular metal, odd denoms, rarity, etc) or a bit of both. If you want to do it strictly for fun you can zero in on fringe/niche items whereas if you want to see it as an investment try to keep in mind not only rarity but what is popular/in demand
   ​
   
3. SET some realistic goals for what you wish to add to your collection
   ​
   
4. Source (how/where are you going to acquire the specimens you wish to collect: banks, eBay, LCS, shows, online forum swaps, etc) Try to get a realistic appreciation for Fair Market Value (FMV vs BV (Book Value) of any particular item).
   ​
   
5. Store/preservation (keep everything dry/secure in a dry place) -some collectors strive to be exceptionally frugal and will ignore this important aspect
   ​
   

​
​On Swapping:
​I have not been a big "swapper," in the past so I'm sure some other members can chip in here. I do know you have to have something to offer in order to "get the ball rolling," as such. I would suggest (once you've fully explored Tips 1&2) to source the best examples you can afford. I feel many collectors overlook this & wish to swap only circulated examples (& if that's okay for you -than no problem). Some collectors will swear against collecting "doubles" or more (but I do) & that's key to swapping (in my mind: acquiring high grade doubles so one or more can be swapped/sold down the road).
​
​When initiating a swap be sure to have clear well lit photos/scans of your items which truly represent your item & describe it to your best ability. You will have to set a price of what you think it is worth and negotiate a price. Either explore eBay, online sites or catalogues so you know what price to expect. So, its always a good idea to get in the habit of scanning/photographing your items after you get them (& compress images, etc) so you're ready to negotiate price, item for item to swap. Try to be generous in early swaps (to encourage positive feedback).
​
​An experienced "Swapper" will likely expect you to send the item first to them (so you will have to trust that swapper) and then he/she will send his/her item to you.
​
​Remember to always try to communicate clearly & effectively. Be sure to give positive feedback once the swap has been completed. Don't blame your swap partner for issues with the postal system (or things he/she has no control over).
​
​There should be an actual swap tutorial on this site (which may be under the "SWAP" thread.
​
​Tricks to collecting?
​I believe I can never get enough info so I'm always exploring online sources for info. If I like what a collector posts on a forum, I typically check that poster's profile (see where they're from, if they have a website, etc). Keep seeking info & Good luck!

​Here is the swap guide: https://en.numista.com/numisdoc/swap-on-numista-a-complete-guide-147.html

It is a bit out of date, but the general principles still apply. The new format is very user-friendly, so there shouldn't be any problems there.