Along with collecting coins, if you’re really serious and interested in coin collecting, then one of the first things you’ll want to do even before going on a buying spree is to buy yourself reference aids on coin collecting.

I know, I know. You want to collect coins, not spend your time reading reference aids on coin collecting. But it really can help you in the long run and besides knowledge is never wasted, is it?

What you read today about a coin might come in good stead and help you out somewhere down the line a few months or even years from now.

If you’re not the reading type you don’t need to go out and get half a dozen heavy reference aids on coin collecting just to round-out your non-existent library. Chances are high that you’ll just leave them to gather dust on the floor – or like I once did for a particularly useless book, use it as a coaster on my overly cluttered table!

In general I like reference aids on coin collecting and will read as much as I can to get the knowledge that’s contained within their pages, but I have to say that it really was a useless reference aids on coin collecting and weighed a ton to boot, so I made the best of a bad situation.

Now, I won’t give you the name of that “bad” reference aids on coin collecting, simply for the fact that what I consider bad and good might not be the same for you as it is for me. And that’s why I haven’t given you any names or titles for any good reference aids on coin collecting either.

There are enough people in the world who will love to give you a long list of what they consider are the best reference aids on coin collecting to read so I won’t join that queue.

You might feel that’s unfair of me, but the best thing for you to do is to get down to the bookshop and check out for yourself what reference aids on coin collecting there are.

You’ll never know unless you get out there and look, and taking someone else’s word that a reference aid on coin collecting is good might not work. Unless of course you’re reading these reference aids on coin collecting because someone recommended it to you, in which case, I’m all for recommendations!

You can use what they recommend as a reference aids on coin collecting or a starting point if you really feel lost, but generally you’ll find that once you’re in the store, standing in front of reference aids on coin collecting, you’ll be able to make the decision for yourself.

The reason to get yourself a good reference aids on coin collecting still stands though. If you want to get anywhere at all in your coin collecting pursuits then you’ll need to know what sort of coins are out there, which ones are collectible, which ones are considered rare, and what type of errors you can find.

And if you can take your reference aids on coin collecting along with you when you’re going coin hunting then it’s all the more better. You won’t have to remember every single variation on a theme, or every single coin that’s collectible.

You also won’t have to rely solely on the say-so of the dealer or collector that the coin is what they say it is. This will help you out tremendously in the beginning. Don’t be afraid to whip out your reference aids on coin collecting whenever you need to.

It might earmark you as a complete novice but that won’t be the sole reason, as you will also see several experienced coin collectors whipping out their own reference aids on coin collecting. I still have my first reference aids on coin collecting, bought soon after my dad gave me my first coin collecting book, and I still use it on occasion.

Mostly though I stick with a well thumbed copy of a reference aid on coin collecting I chanced upon when I was in my Investor mode. And I still take it out when the occasion calls for it.

So don’t be hesitant to use it for what it was meant for in the first place, as a reference to aid you. Dealers and other collectors won’t mind when you do this. In fact they will understand completely what you’re doing.

The thing that will single you out as a novice isn’t the reference aids on coin collecting, but your experience or lack of it, which will shine through very clearly in the beginning as you fumble through some of the more simple aspects of coin collecting.

That’s the beauty of experience though, you learn as you go along and start to make the right choices based upon your own experience. And this is the point at which you’ll start to look a lot less like an amateur and more like a serious coin collector.

But, that all takes time however, so don’t expect miracles. For now just content yourself with finding yourself a good reference aids on coin collecting, and a few readable coin collecting books and add to your knowledge. You can add to your experience as time goes by.

The internet has spawned many things but probably the greatest of all is that now you can be defrauded not only by your own countrymen but by any and everybody around the world who has an internet connection!

It’s not that I’m against the internet, only that, as a coin collector I’ve learnt the hard way that there are more opportunities for me to be parted unfairly with my money than otherwise.

There are also online coin dealers and other collectors on the web with whom you can have perfectly normal dealings. It’s just that nowadays I’m a bit cautious of what I buy on the internet.

That said, if you’re going to add to, or start your collection through the many online coin dealers or auctioning coins you’ll want to be your normal cautious, and highly inquisitive self.

When you find what you want from online coin dealers, do your research as always, but be aware that it might be difficult to get any proper information if you’re dealing with individual online coin dealers and not a reputed dealer.

Since you are the one buying the coin, feel free to ask all the questions you want to get to the heart of the matter and satisfy yourself that you’re getting the genuine deal. Since you’re getting your coins sight unseen, it’s best if you go in for coins with the proper certificates and gradings.

This will considerably lower your risk of getting scammed by online coin dealers. It won’t wipe out the chance entirely, but then again, when were you ever given a hundred percent guarantee on anything in life that came risk free?

For those of you who think that auctions are only for collecting antiques¸ I can assure you you’d be much mistaken. An auction is a great place for the coin collector to get some good coins, and coin collections.

There are also a number of rare coins which you can get your hands on if you’re so inclined, have the money, and most of all aren’t out-bidded by another rare coin collector. Rare coins though aren’t the only type of coins you’ll find at coin auctions.

You can also get your hands on coin sets as well as other type of world coins, and you’ll find that you’re privy to larger selection of coins than normal. Besides which, you also get the chance to examine them first.

Although coin auctions are a great place to find all the rare coins you need, if you are a first time buyer or this is your first time going coin auctions, then you might find yourself intimidated by the whole process.

When you’re just starting off though it might be a good thing for you to just go and scout out one or two coin auctions first before you do any serious bidding. This holds especially true if you’re as yet unable to establish for yourself whether the coin you’re bidding for is genuine.

Of course it might be certified and graded so that you feel comfortable enough to bid for it, in which case go ahead and get your feet wet. You’re still new enough to the game that you don’t need to sweat the small initial stuff.

On the other hand, if you want to get right into it from the word “Go!” you might want to look at getting an agent to handle your bids for you. You will of course need to pay them a fee, but it might be well worth it in the end.

Make sure that you look around first and get an agent whom you’re comfortable with. It’s no use going into it if you don’t trust your agent to look after your best interests.

If on the other hand, you do want to start right from the get-go, but you don’t want to go to an agent because you want to experience the pleasure and thrill of it for yourself, don’t worry. Start methodically and work your way up.

So first things first, you need to do some research first before you do anything else. Find out where the auctions are being held, find out what’s up for grabs, then do your research to find out if it’s anything you need or want, and whether you can conceivably afford it.

Since coin auctions aren’t necessarily held in one place, and since the world is a large place, you might have to do a bit of travel to get to these coin auctions. The really large ones can come later though. In the beginning I’d suggest just sticking to one or two that are close to home and which you can get to with a minimum of hassle.

If the coin auctions bug strikes you though I have to say that it’s very hard to resist the lure of the auctioneer’s gavel, and the quick breathless beating of your heart as you raise your hand or your card, and bid on a coin.

Watch out though, a combination of coin auctions and the coin bug can leave you broke and counting your pennies, and not in a coin collecting, hobby kind of way either but in all aspects of life.

There are a great many things you can do wrong in the caring for coins, and I have to say that at the tender age of eight I did just about everything wrong that you can imagine. Luckily for me I didn’t have any old or rare coins in my possession otherwise for certain they would have been ruined beyond all hope!

However, I did learn a lot of what-not-to-do’s from my early forays, as well as a few good tips on caring for coins to conserve my coin collection. All of these experiences, came through my own, or my fellow coin collectors’ efforts and have all proven to be equally disastrous and equally worthy.

If you’re only into coin collecting for the fun of it and don’t have any particularly rare coins, then go ahead and break all the rules about caring for coins.

Rules were meant to be broken and if you’re an avid coin collector it can be a breath of fresh air in your life. I know from firsthand experience how frustrating it can get if you have to always be handling your coins with kid gloves, so to speak.

For me at least part of the pleasure of coin collecting is getting my hands on the coins and running it through my hands. Which you’ll find when caring for coins, is a no-no to most coin collectors.

However, I’m only alive once and if I can’t enjoy the fruits of my efforts in a manner that I like then what’s the use? So know when to break the rules and when you should really stick to them in caring for coins.

If you’re new at coin collecting, you might find yourself overly excited at the prospect of finding or holding a coin that’s priceless. Some coins are worth more than others, while other coins are not worth anything at all. To help you figure out if what you have is treasure or trash, you should seek a reliable coin price guide. These days, you can find several coin price guides in the Internet. Like coins, some of these coin price guides are genuine and reliable, while others are inaccurate and misleading. It’s best if you ask the help of a coin expert in determining the value of the coin or coins in your possession.

In the meantime, you’ll do well with settling on a credible source that provides an accurate chart of coin prices of values. You can find several websites that contain coin price guides. The value of a coin depends upon several factors, including the demand for it, its scarcity or rarity, its quality, and its bullion value. One other important coin characteristic or trait that can help influence or determine its value is its grade, which is basically where coin price guides base their prices.

First of all, you should learn the common coins that coin collectors seek for. These coins are the Mercury dimes, Buffalo nickels, Liberty Head v-nickels, Indian Head pennies, Draped Bust dollar, Flowing Hair dollar, Peace dollar, Ike dollar, Barber dime, and Wheat pennies, among many others. A coin price guide will no doubt include the prices for these coins. What is great about certified coin price guides is that they tell you how much your coins are really worth or at least average dealer asking prices, as opposed to the lower retail prices that most coin dealers are willing to give you for them.

The coin market, unlike other commercial markets out there, is comparatively volatile and not heavily capitalized. Moreover, important short-term price swings are always just around the corner waiting to pounce at the most opportune moment. This is why most online businesses in the coin pricing industry do not guarantee profit and security against loss for any coin that you buy or sell (or buy and sell) according to the information you gather from such sites. Moreover, you can find several additional output or information regarding coin prices from time to time which should help you arrive at a wise decision.

The prices in some coin price guides are compiled from a variety of sources, such as dealer advertisements found in trade papers, dealer fixed price lists, vital auctions, and trading activity and coin impression that takes place in major coin shows. Based on all these things, prices for coins are updated on a regular basis, especially those of the most actively traded coins.

In general, a coin price guide should serve as a guide and assist the buying public in identifying the values of coins. It is most useful to coin collectors of all ages from all places.

Coin collecting is the collecting of coins and/or some other form of legally minted currency whether still in circulation or has been in circulation for some time.

Something that you’ll want to look into, is whether the community of coin collectors respects your coin dealer and respects his establishment. If the coin dealer isn’t well received by his peers and if he’s got a bad reputation then you might want to stay away from them. Popular opinion shouldn’t normally be your judge of character but here you’re not judging character, you’re judging whether the coin dealer is an individual with whom you’d be able to do business with.

There’s nothing wrong with that, so don’t feel you have to go about the whole business furtively. Be up front about your concerns and if the findings aren’t to your liking then go elsewhere to find a coin dealer you like.

If the coin dealer isn’t the owner of the establishment, and this will very likely be the case for many of the bigger coin dealing establishments, then you’ll want to find out whether the particular coin dealer you’re going to be working with is a job hopper.

If the coin dealer has gone from job to job very recently then there’s a good chance that they haven’t been going from strength to strength.

There could of course be a number of perfectly logical and reasonable explanations for this, but you might just want to keep this simmering in the back of your mind.

With a cursor winking at me from my computer screen, and a pile of coins in front of me, to the left and also to the right of me. Contrary to how it might appear I’m no modern day Scrooge obsessively lingering over my money.

I am instead what is known as a coin collector and have been for quite some time now. In fact ever since I was three years old and could get my hands on whatever loose change had dared to fall out of anyone’s pockets.

The whole point of this article though is not to introduce you to my own personal coin collecting history – although that’s just a fun side note – but to get you interested in coin collecting and to help you swim the decidedly murky waters of beginning coin collecting.

As with any new hobby the waters will start to clear up as you go along and as you gain more experience. But I thought I’d just lend a helping hand for you to start with!

That’s not to say that anything and everything you’ll want to know as a beginning coin collector can be found within this article. There’s simply no way that I could have anticipated each and every question you might think of!

What I have done though, is to collect bits and pieces of information which I hope will be of interest and as helpful to you as they have been to me through the years. I’m not exaggerating, when I say I’ve run the gamut of everything to do with coin collecting.

Through the years I’ve managed to touch upon just about every aspect of coin collecting no matter how briefly. Naturally enough this doesn’t make me a master of any of them, although I do know my way around most of them.

However, it is indisputable that I’ve come full circle in my coin collecting ways and have now gone back to pawing – or rather sorting – through my day’s cache of coins. Which, is why, I’ve got three stacks of coins piled around me even though I’m currently being attacked by dust motes.

Collecting coins isn’t for everyone though. Especially in the beginning when there’s still a lot for you to learn, and you need to do the mundane instead of going for the spectacular starburst of finding a particularly rare coin.

You might have something better you can do with your life, but that doesn’t mean that coin collecting is a worthless hobby. Coin collecting spans the generational gap and spans the millennia as well.

It doesn’t only to need to be for monetary value, coin collecting can be something infinitely more rewarding than that for the person who perseveres

The collection of coins as an art form and as a hobby is a well established one. It is the Hobby of Kings as many a coin collector will tell you, and is pursued by many people all over the world.