Coin Collecting Mistakes
Here are some costly coin collection mistakes that every collector must avoid:
Haste makes waste.
In any endeavor, good planning is of the essence. The joys of coin collecting can get you carried away and your budget drained away if you are not careful. Without a plan, you will end up buying just about anything and wasting your money on worthless pieces. You can also get scammed and buy a counterfeit or repaired coin at the price of a genuine mint coin if you don’t take your time. Great collections start from small beginnings and do not happen overnight. So do not be frustrated if you don’t complete a certain set you want in the course of a few months. Taking your time in making purchase decisions will certainly help you avoid costly mistakes worth a fortune. Good planning can also help you set your goals for the collection. It will help you determine realistic and achievable goals. Like, knowing where you want your collection to head so you would be able to monitor your progress and limit yourself to what you really need. Not only will this save you money, but this will also save you time and effort that might be wasted on pointless purchases.
No man is an island.
We hear this adage over and over and over again. This still rings true even in coin collecting. Not one man knows everything about everything. Even the most expert on coin collection can still learn a thing or two from another coin collector. Most especially for beginners, it is very useful to develop a good working relationship with someone more experienced in the hobby than him. Knowing the right people will help you find trusty dealers and avoid scammers.
When a bargain is not a bargain.
Valuable rare coins are not found in Wal-mart. So do not jump on coins that are said to be sold at a crazy lower price than its usual market price.
Two things: either it is counterfeit or heavily repaired.
When enough is enough.
Coin collecting is a hobby that must be enjoyed and not an addiction or a bad investment that drains your bank account. So do not put too much investment in your coin collection even if you are selling it for profit. Do not buy everything you see that is sparkly beautiful and seemingly valuable. Investment in coin collecting is a tricky business, you can lose 20-30% of your investment in as fast as the flick of a finger. So, try to just enjoy your collection and not be pressured with investment returns.
Buy in bulk and then sulk.
Nothing excites us more than buying many things with just a small amount. We think we are getting more for less. Sadly though, this is not always the case. We waste more money buying cheap coins in bulk because, in the long run, we just end up with worthless coins we can’t sell. They just sit there, occupying space in our collection. It is wiser to wait and save your hobby budget for more valuable coins than spend them on a bulk of low-grade coins.
