But time changes everything, and now coin collecting is something anyone can do. Everyone from all economic levels can afford to collect some type of coin. Coins pass through our hands every day.

What could be easier to collect than something you come into contact with so often?

Old wheat pennies are still in circulation. Buffalo nickels and silver dimes still get used as change every day. Foreign coins seem to make their way into everyone’s pocket at one time or another. Coins with mint dates that span the century are as common as rain.

Even non-monetary tokens are considered acceptable subjects for coin collections. Instead of wondering what to do with that leftover bus token or amusement park token, start collecting them.

Casino chips make colorful collectible items. Start taking those wooden nickels. Add them to your collection of coins with no monetary value.
If you’re looking for a collecting hobby to start but don’t have a lot of cash to put into it, coin collecting can be a perfect choice. A few dollars worth of change can get you a nice start on a great coin collection.

And the best part is, you may not even have to go any further than into your pocket to start it.

Maybe a friend or relative has a hodgepodge collection of old coins. Nothing special, just something they’d been holding onto for years. This collection gets passed on, and that sparks an interest. Maybe an interest in the coins themselves and their history, or maybe the potential earnings is what catches the new owner’s interest. Some people realize the profit potential of coin collecting. And that potential is all they need to get started on their collection. Other people just start finding coins that interest them and start their collection that way. There are even some that decide they want to start a collection and then decide on coins.

Coin collecting has a lot going for it. You can start with little or no investment. Pretty much just the currency value of the coin is all the initial investment you have to make.

You come across a wheat penny, buffalo head nickel, or an old dime and decide to put it aside, and your collection has started. Or you could start with the state quarters that are being issued or the newer presidential $1 coins. Whichever you choose, these coins are easily obtainable. You can make the effort to find them, or you can just make it a daily habit to look through your pocket change.

Among the many reasons are:

• A good hobby

• Future investment

• Value of artistry

• Tangible history right at the palm of your hands

• Heirloom treasures

• Uniqueness

• Monetary value (some rare coins are made of very

precious metal)

• Sentimental value

Every coin has a story to tell. Every intricate design means something. The historical value of a coin makes it more precious to a coin collector. Collecting coins can either be the cheapest hobby or the most expensive one (next to collecting cars and yachts). Coins represent something, especially when it came from other countries.

According to preference, every gender or age can choose the kinds of coins to collect. But as a kid, it will take a lot of convincing from adults to let them grow some interest in collecting. Even if the child wanted to get into the hobby, they just don’t possess the means, money, and right attention span to pursue it. A teenager can have some interest in the idea but what stops them is the budget and the equipment needed to start the hobby. Adults may have the means but may not want to go through the hobby as professionals would do. Whatever the problem may be, here are some suggestions to wake up some sense in you to consider the different accounts of pursuing the hobby.

Child – Low budget or nothing at all

Pay attention, little one. You don’t need a hundred bucks to start your coin collection. All you need is a keen eye, a little box where you can put your collected coins, and a lot of interest. You could start by searching for change either inside your pocket or your parents’ (with permission, of course), in penny dishes, flea markets, or coin shops. You don’t have to worry if you have nothing to spend for old coins seen in cheap bins for as long as you have something. By the time you get older and your parents

are already giving you a small amount of lunch money, you can just save that and by the time that a particular coin interests you, it’ll be your very first bought the coin.

Teen – With a middling budget

You can already afford something but not that much. And by this time, you already have a proper place like an album to protect your coins with. Some albums are custom-made for collection but if this is too much for you, an ordinary album can be good. By this time, you would want something more than coins. You want rarer ones, coins that only a couple of people have. If the budget agrees, you can buy a book that can identify or price the coins that you have. You can also search through the Internet for coins being auctioned.

Adult – Budget varies

It varies according to the kind of coin that is preferred. Coin collections for adults can be for interest and investment. This is the point where the interest gradually decreases or normally increases, and upgrades can be probable. You could search through other places to find the most unique coin.

Best advice: start with what interests you. Then collect it by the following:

Date or Period

Coin collectors who see their collection as an investment would probably prefer coins that are older than their grandfathers. The more ancient the coin, the better. Aside from being centuries old, there are also revolutionary coins and those that came from another time in history. Some people would start by building up decades of coin that embraces mint condition.

Country

If you have decided to collect any kind of coin for as long as it came from different countries worldwide, that would be tiring but exciting. And it can cost you a lot. So things wouldn’t be exhausting, you could start by collecting coins from your own country. After that, if you already have enough funds, you could drop by a coin shop and ask if there are any coins from outside the country, then go to the next or just gather it in one blow.

Metal

If you’re a beginner, you wouldn’t want to start collecting silver or gold coins for these are the kinds of coins that can bore a hole inside your pocket. Better settle with the lower metal levels first. Not unless money is not a problem. Usually, the concern on what kind of metal to choose belongs to the more professional collector. Aside from being a challenging collection, it puts you at a lot of risks.

By this time, you may already have an idea of where to start. As the hourglass makes its due, you will become more interested and selective of the types of coins that fit your album. You will develop areas that you may not find in other collectors. You still need to know some specifications about the kinds of coins that you will collect.

Details

You have seen an ordinary coin, its features wouldn’t be different from the old one because typically, new coins are just patterned from old coins. You have to inspect if the writing on the coin is still clear. A coin wherein the smallest details, like feathers or robe folds, are completely worn away is of little value.

Toning

Means discoloration or tarnishing, toning can increase the coin’s value. Believe it or not, if a blue tone is present on a silver coin, it can be very desirable. Toning affects a coin’s details, for it can accent its faded features. For as long as the tone of the coin wouldn’t turn out uneven, there’s no reason to reject it.

Wear n’ Tear

If you have been in coin shops that are offering bargain coins, it might be because it has been into a lot of circulations, and the market has already rejected it. You will notice certain kinds of scratches and even scarring that are caused by chemicals. Scratches can be acceptable, but scarring is a no-no. Chemical scarring can be related to corrosion, pits, etc. As much as possible, make your coin collections spotless.

People have different ways to acquire their collections. Some will just collect any coin they stumble upon, while some buy in bulk and eagerly anticipate a limited mint edition of coins. Whatever your methods are, there may be some questions that you may want to ask about this particular hobby.

The first would be about handling the coin collection. As a beginner, you must understand that you should handle the coins as little as possible. Fact that fingerprints on an uncirculated coin can dramatically cut the coin value, you must never handle it at all. However, if you need to handle the coin, do so from the edge and never on the face of the coin.

If you need to lay the coin down, it is important to use a velvet pad if it is available. But, if none is available, a soft and clean cloth will do. If you will handle coins that are extremely high in value, you must do so with surgical gloves and a protective face mask. Most people will also ask how to keep their coin collections clean.

You don’t need to clean your coin collection. You shouldn’t even think about cleaning them at all. Most collectors look for the authenticity of the coin rather than its shiny newness. Even if you wipe the coin clean with a clean, soft, and lint-free rag, it will leave hairline scratches on the coin which will greatly reduce its value. So, cleaning a coin collection is never really an option.

Storage is also another question that you may have about coin collecting. The goal in storing your coin collection is to protect it from temperature extremes and humidity. Also, you may want to protect your coin collection from dust, dirt, chemicals, and even fingerprints. So, dehumidifying equipment will be needed and locking the storage as airtight as possible.

In most cases, low-value coins are kept in almost any container and can be handled any way you like. However, when dealing with high-value coins, you will need to give them extra attention. The goal here is to provide a container that will preserve the coin’s condition. Make the container as airtight as possible, and the container should also be able to display the coin for you to never need to take out the coin from the container. Uncirculated coins are very much valued by collectors. However, if you want a valuable coin collection, go for rare ones if you can afford to have them. Learning about grading coins can also help you determine the true value of a particular coin.

So, if you want to start your very own coin collections, you may want to keep these things in mind. With these tips, you can be sure that you will know how to handle your collection and also help in appraising its value. Remember that this hobby is not just fun, but is also a good investment.