How do you know when it's time to stop. Here is an example of just to many coins. At a coin show a few weeks ago a dealer I know gave me a Whitman Classic Album for Mercury Dimes free. Naturally I took it. Now at home I have many Whitman Albums so here is just one more. I started each denomination with Whitman Albums and as an example Mercury Dimes started many years ago. As it filled and I acquired more Mercury Dimes the better ones went into set #1 and the ones from #1 went into a new #2. Then eventually there became a #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8 and with each better coin going into #1 and from there into #2, etc. I started to take the #8 run offs and put them into 2x2's or plastic roles.
Now with this new Album #9 I took out all the excess duplicates in 2x2's and rolls and searched for coins to fill this new #9. It filled completely with just duplicates and many, many left over. Now all 9 are complete. Got to admit #6 to #9 are missing 41D/42 though.
So I said to myself, SELF, just how many of these stupid things do you have. Fast count of the 9 Albums is about 700, rolls about 1,000, 2x2's about 500 or so.
Now with 10 sets of Lincolns, 3 sets of Indian Cents, 2 Liberty Head Nickels, 5 Buffalo Nickels, etc., etc., etc. in albums and many, many boxes of 2x2's.
So when is just to many coins to many????????

When you get a duplicate.

I guess it depends on what you collect. If you don't collect a wide variety, then you amass a collection like yours. For, me, I'm happy with one of each, but I collect world coins by type, and hardly have any silver (yet), so it's easy to part with the extras in exchange for coins I don't have. Eventually, though, I will hit that wall, but I don't see it happening anytime soon.

now if u ever want to give out any free coins sign me up!!!!!! im almost the same im only 17 and i have buckets after buckets of wheaties but ill never sell em!!

dustin

Sorry to bust in on this topic but what are wheaties?

Let me re-phrase my post.

If hoarding coins by the *insert unit of measurement here* is your thing, go for it!
If it isn't, I could use a album or two ( )
Just do what you enjoy, and enjoy it! (Did that make any sense? )

Old(ish...circulated from 1909-1958) American one cent. Looks exactly like the current one cents, but with two things of wheat on the reverse instead of the Memorial.
Pic-http://www.coinpeople.com/Bunch-of-Wheaties-t14199.html

When I run out of room to store all of them!

Duplicates are something I don't like but there are a few exceptions to the rule. Like 1909 Lincolns

Gee whiz, Carl! Now I know where all the coins I've been hunting for have gone!

So how many 1916-D mercs do you have????? I'll store some for you if you have too many!

I think once you have a nice set completed, unless you get a few great examples afterwards, there isn't much of a purpose for buying more other than investment or hoarding. Personally, I don't have a set of mercs, still need about 15 of them, and once that sets completed I most likely won't buy anymore other than ms-65 + FSB. I do have literally thousands of foriegn coins sitting around, but only about 500 of which are duplicates. And when it comes to type coins, well, I go by just that, type. I upgrade when I can, but rarely own more than one example. It helps me control my budget, which is tiny, and lets me sell off coins I no longer have room for without feeling bad about it. So basically, one set, one type coin, and I'm done. Now when you're talking cheap, and old, like colonials in low grade, and anything from the 1700's and before under $15, go wild! Lol.

I have approximately 6.000 British predecimals that need a new home, as well as 6000 wheat cents, 400 indians etc. I have several thousand Canadian cents, and about 20000 pre-1982 Lincoln memorials that are probably going to get dumped into the coinstar.

Now I know why I can't fill my Merc set.
Keep the best and sell the rest so we can all have a chance at a set.
Use the money to buy rare coins or maybe start a set of the new President dollar coins. (Just kidding).

When you're selling some, gimme a yell.

Thanks ...I looked through my US coins and I own 6 Wheaties

Cool!
What years/mintmarks, if you have the time?

1944 no mark ( that i can see) i can't find my magnifying glass
1952 D
1952 D
1955 no mark
1956 D
1956 D


lol hope i did this right sorry don't know much about US coins

PM your wantlist, I sell at melt.

As I mentioned I have now 9 COMPLETE sets of Mercury Dimes. Sets 6 to 9 only missingthat stupid 42D/41. I call that a stupid one because you need an electron microscope to detect it in some grades. Exagerating of course.
I too once had thousands and thousands of Lincoln Wheat Cents but in two bulk splashes gave them all away to a YN. Good thing the Post Office has those Flat Rate Boxes. Each weighed enough to where they said it would have been over $30 normally.
I forgot about foreign coins. Way, way back as I told people I collect coins and I met many people from other countries they would give me coins from their homelands. Also, my son spent time in Poland at the University of Krakow where he sent me many, many coins. I do not save foreign coins but just didn't want to tell people since they kept giving me so many. I always accepted them, put them in 2x2's, put those in boxes and now have many, many boxes of those things. About half I don't know what country, what date, what denomination they are since they make them in foreign languages. Sure don't know why they don't put English on all coins.

So, what are you planning to do with your NINE (!) sets?
And whats a YN?

I am old and never think about what to do with a coin collection. That, soon enough will be a problem for others that either inherit the mess or find it first. AS to a YN. Young Numismatist. In other words a youthfull individual that saves or collects coins.

Ah, so I finally know my chat speak title
Thanks!

I think I probably fall into this catagory as well. I turn 24 on Wednesday! Does it count that I've been collecting for 15 years?

Well, aside from the fact you have been collecting longer then I was living, sure!

You could allways donate some of your forign & less valuble stuff to schools or coin clubs that have YN's even to the scouting movement Just a thought.

I do donate coins to whoever has an interest, and I belong to the art society here in town, that might be a good idea for a project for the YN's that come for classes.

When your insurance agent informs you that your coin insurance is going to cost more than your homeowners insurance.

In some areas, such as where I live, it is not real smart to insure to many items that may require a detailed description of what you own. Such information is put into a computer and heaven only knows who has access to such information. In this area, nothing is to safe. Mail that may show coins, guns, knives in a mail box is advertising that you want to be robbed. The best insurance is none except a great dog, a .357 Magnum, watchfull neighbors.

I always thought of Yn's as being under the age of 18 but I suppose it would depend on your age as to what you consider young. I don't know how old Carl is but he might consider anyone under the age of 40 as a YN.

I like that definition. It barely fits me.

When you have one set of each denomination you are collecting. I would be happy to have just one completed album/folder. And if I chose to start on an additional set of the same it would be a better set then the previous one.

ODD that you should say that. Although 40 is rather on the young side to me, I still think of a YN as someone less than 30 or thereabouts. From 30 to 50ish is getting to be a rather adult, except with my son. Now if your in the 60 and up relm, and I remember those days, then it becomes difficult to remember just how young YOUNG is. Not that I'm old but my first coins were the 1943 Lincoln Cents my Dad gave me when they first came out and I was in shool then.