Coin And Stamp Collecting-A Life Long Hobby That Brings Endless Rewards

When the majority of us were kids we probably did not have an appreciation for the almighty dollar, or a shiny new coin for that matter. Sometimes that comes from either having been born with a silver spoon in our mouths, or never really appreciating the overall value of what something is really worth; like the value that a rare stamp or coin set can bring.

Values and appreciation for monetary things like coins and stamps, were instilled in the old timers like our great grandparents or their parents. However if you did not ever have an interest in collecting coins or even stamps, than it is never too late to start a collection of your own now. It can not only be a lot of fun collecting a wide variety of silver plus coins and additionally a few gold embossed stamps, but it is also a rewarding and life long hobby, that you can start your children off doing as well. And for some it may be just what the doctor ordered a new and stimulating hobby that will keep your mind off of less menial pursuits, or off of yourself.

Maybe your kids never enjoyed collecting baseball cards or weren't interested in starting that butterfly collection either. So collecting coins may be something that a youngster may be interested in, with of course the help from one or both parents to help develop that life long collection. There is nothing more beautiful and equally enticing as a display of shiny new coins, that have been untouched by human hands, often called coin proof sets. So where do you begin when you take on the life long pursuit of collecting coins and stamps for what you will eventually store up into that little treasure trove of yours?

That's a good question and a good deal of the time, it depends on the individual, or in a youngsters case the decisions that his or her parents may help them make. Regardless of your age and other interests, it may be worthwhile collecting a variety of different coins, possibly starting off with ones that replicate the different states. You may want to also add to that; a few 22 karat gold plated stamps and coin proof sets. These can be purchased on Ebay or Amazon for about $6.00 to $22.00 and make a fine starting collection for any beginner-young or old.

I really recommend a coin mint shop, that buys or sells coins. They in my opinion are usually a bit more upfront and honest with you when you want to buy coins from them. And as the years progress and you want to sell some of your stored up treasures, possibly in exchange for another shiny coin or two that has caught your fancy. Usually there are local coin mint shops; or dealers in your individual state or city that can be located via an online search engine. And if you're fortunate enough right now to have a gold piece in your collection. Well that little piece of treasure will net you around $1830.00 That is approximately the current price for an ounce of gold on the market right now. Thank god that Pirates like Blackbeard and Captain Kidd are not around during this present day. Because if they were and knew what an ounce of gold went for currently-there would certainly be a lot of cut-throating and walking the plank type scenarios going on in front of us.

The thought of modern day piracy came to mind one day last week. As I drove home from work one day last week along the back-roads that I sometimes frequent, what caught my eye as I eased my foot off the accelerator to take a closer loo;, was a fairly tall and dark skinned man bearing a mohawk. He waved a sign high over his head, waving it back and forth in a slow but steady motion at the edge of the roadside. It appeared that his goal was to gain attention and there was no doubt in my mind, that he had accomplished his goal in getting mine. Getting a better look at the sign as I slowed to nearly a crawl now, I now could read the sign. It read-"WE BUY GOLD AND COINS OF ALL SORTS AND SHAPES." I'm not sure if it was the We buy coins for all sorts that grabbed my attention, but I knew that coins of all shapes did definitely throw up a red flag. Where I grew up I at least thought that most coins were round and not of a different shape-size yes, but shape? Possibly I was wrong in my reasoning, some countries may in fact have different shaped coins that I am unaware of. The 22 Karat gold plated stamps that I mentioned are rectangular in shape. So see that goes to show you!

As the man continued to stand at the edge of the side walk and drew attention to himself-gesturing me to come a bit closer, I could immediately make out the man who was definitely of American-Indian descent. And being the careful observer that I am, I decided to drive on minding my own business in fear that I might get a Tom-A-Hawk thrown at me! This would most likely be the case if the man in front of this particular coin shop knew I was carrying a coin collection which was recently given to me by my father. This is also an illustration that I want to give to those of you reading this coin article. By no means do not deal with coins shoppes and/or dealers of this sort.

Because this is an illustration of the type of folk who will definitely scalp you. And that's literally speaking. To add this type of coin dealer or proprietor, will also be crafty in their dealings with you and at all costs try to take advantage of the fact that you do not know your coins from your stamps. So when you first go into a shop that your unfamiliar with and are new to coin or stamp collecting-try to act like you know what your talking about, or appear to know what you're talking about when it comes to coins.

Always try to apply this principle, if your not sure what the difference between a penny and nickle is. Do your research first and find a more reputable coin mint dealer before selling or buying anything of value, whether it be stamps or coins. And it doesn't make any difference if the owner of the coin shop is Indian, Mexican or Caucasion as long as they are up front and honest in assisting you with your coin and stamp related questions. In this day and age it may be a rarity to find this quality in people, but there are still a few honest Johns and Jills out there, believe it or not.

In the neigborhood where I reside, I find that millers mint is not only a reputalbe coin dealer, but also very knowlegdeable to add. Millers mint has been in business for over thirty years and this is an example of the kind of people who you want to help you out. To assist in either starting that first collection, or to sell a few of those proof sets that belong to a collection that you had established over twenty years ago.

Millers mint has without a doubt established its reputation in my community-being up front and honest to the local coin collectors for thirty plus years. They have recently just opened a store in Maryville, Tennessee. That store has been going strong for just a little over two years now. Millers mint also has a great website that I recommend you pay a visit to. That site is www.millersmint.com Here you will find just about everything you want and need to know about all the different coins out there.

From Indian heads to the old Buffalo Nickels-down to the Susan B. Anthony's and other fine coins, including those that bare a brilliant lustre of silver and gold. It is an online educational resource in itself. So what are you waiting for-since you now have that bit of knowlege to get you off on the right foot. Apply the knowledge, do your homework and take that little bit of what I call-(at the end of the day change), out of your pocket and spread it out on the table before your eyes. Don't leave any coin unturned, because you'll never know if that penny staring you straight in the eye, is worth more than just a mere cent today.