Collecting & Hobbies
120 articles · page 2 of 3
Coin Collecting: Why They Call It the King of Hobbies
Coin collecting is cheap to start, endlessly deep, and quietly addictive. Here's what makes it the hobby for almost anyone.
Coin Folders: The Cheap Workhorse of Coin Storage
Folders are the affordable, portable way to store and show a growing collection. Here's how to use them right, plus a cleaning warning.
The Coin Grading Scale in Plain English (0 to 70)
What Mint State, About Uncirculated, and the rest of the 70-point scale actually mean when you're holding a coin.
Coin Grading: The Five Things That Actually Matter
Grade is the shorthand the whole coin market runs on. Here are the five factors graders weigh — strike, surface, luster, color, and eye…
Coin Handling Supplies That Actually Protect a Coin's Value
Gloves, tweezers, mats, and the cheap supplies that stand between your coins and a value-killing scratch.
Coin Price Guides: Which Ones to Trust and How to Read Them
The Red Book, the Blue Book, and online listings, plus what common coins like wheat cents and Ike dollars actually fetch.
Collecting Coins by Design Type: A Smarter Way to Start
Why building a U.S. type set beats chasing one coin at a time, plus the classic American designs worth knowing first.
Collecting State Quarters: The Easiest Way Into the Hobby
Why quarters hooked millions of new collectors, how to source them cheaply, and how to keep the hunt fun.
The Do's and Don'ts of Coin Collecting I Wish I'd Known
Hard-won rules for starting a coin collection right, on motivation, knowledge, patience, and not blowing your budget early.
Earning the Coin Collecting Merit Badge: A Real Checklist
What a Scout actually needs to know and demonstrate to earn the coin collecting merit badge, broken down step by step.
Free Coin Collecting Software: What's Worth Downloading
A practical look at free tools for cataloging a collection, what the free tier actually gives you, and the safety steps that matter.
Getting Into Canadian Coin Collecting: Silver and History
Canadian coins are an underrated, affordable way into the hobby. Here's how I'd start, from pocket change to silver dollars.
Getting Into US Coin Collecting: History and First Steps
How American coinage began, why the US series are so collectible, and a practical way to start your first collection.
Gold Coin Collecting: The Hobby of Kings, Explained
How gold coin collecting actually works for normal budgets, from classic U.S. gold to modern bullion like the Krugerrand and Maple Leaf.
How to Detect Counterfeit Coins Before You Buy
Counterfeiters target the coins worth faking. Here's how to check edges, weight, and details — and what to do if you get handed a fake.
How to Start Collecting Ancient Coins Without Overspending
A practical six-step plan for buying ancient coins on a budget, choosing a focus, avoiding fraud and caring for fragile pieces.
Is It Safe to Sell Your Coins to a Dealer? Yes, If You Do This
Selling to a coin dealer feels risky, but it doesn't have to be. Here's how to get a fair price and avoid getting lowballed.
Joining a Coin Club and Why It Pays Off Faster Than You Think
A coin club gives you better prices, real trades, and people who actually know more than the internet. Here's how to find one.
Knowing the Right Time to Sell Your Coins
Why collectors sell, how to tell if the timing is right, and the venues and mistakes that decide what you actually walk away with.
Mail, Phone and Online Coin Auctions: How Each One Works
Coin auctions come in three flavors, each with its own quirks and risks. Here's how to bid in all of them without overpaying.
Rare Coin Collecting: Is It Really a Good Investment?
The honest case for and against rare coins as an investment, why they hold value, and what to know before you treat coins like a portfolio.
Rare US Coins Worth Hunting For (and Why)
A guided list of genuinely scarce US coins — from the 20-cent piece to the $20 Saint-Gaudens — and the realistic challenges of chasing each.
Reading Mint Marks and How Coins Are Actually Made
What those tiny letters mean, why they move a coin's value, and a walk through the striking process from metal strip to finished coin.
Should You Pay for Coin Grading? An Honest Breakdown
When third-party coin grading is worth the fee, when it isn't, and how the major services actually protect you as a buyer and seller.
Stamps and Coins: Why Collectors Often Do Both
Why stamp and coin collecting pair so naturally, what the hobbies share, and the buying and grading basics for both.
Starting a Coin Collection the Right Way
A practical first-year roadmap for new coin collectors: what to buy, how to store, which references matter, and the mistakes to skip.
Starting a Coin Collection With a Plan, Not Just a Jar
Anyone can start a coin collection, but a focused plan turns a random pile into something valuable. Here's how to begin right.
Starting a Coin Collection With Your Kid (Without Killing the Fun)
How I got my kid into coins using the piggy bank we already had, and the few cheap supplies that actually mattered.
The Basics of Coin Collecting: From Casual to Serious
Why coins were the hobby of kings, the three stages every collector passes through, and the themes you can chase.
The Four Factors Behind Every Coin's Price
Grade, rarity, metal content and demand decide what a coin is worth. Here is how each one actually moves the price.
The Truth About Collecting Commemorative Coins
Commemoratives are marketed hard and rarely appreciate. Here's how to collect them for love, not money, and avoid the markup traps.
The Types of Coins Collectors Chase, and Why
A tour of the main coin specialties, national, error, world, and historical, to help you find the focus that fits you.
What Actually Goes in a Coin Collecting Kit (And What Doesn't)
The handful of tools that earn their place in a starter kit, and the gear marketers want you to buy that you can skip.
What Numismatics Really Means (and How Grading Works)
Numismatics is the study of money, not just hoarding it. Here's the difference from collecting, plus how third-party grading actually works.
What Kind of Coin Collector Are You? The Three Levels
From casual jar-filler to advanced completist, the three stages of coin collecting and how to tell which one you're in.
Where to Buy Coins: Shops, Auctions, and Mail Compared
The three main ways to buy collectible coins, what each one is good and bad at, and how not to overpay.
Where to Find Collectible Coins: Six Sources Ranked
Coin shops, shows, online dealers, flea markets, auctions and fellow collectors, with the real tradeoffs of buying from each.
Why I Store My Best Coins in Albums, Not Folders
Coin albums cost more than folders, but for display and protection they win. Here's the honest case for paying up.
Why Some Coins Are Worth Far More Than Face Value
Rarity, condition, and demand all pull on a coin's price, and they don't always pull the same direction.
Coin Collecting Accessories: What You Actually Need
The right accessories protect your coins and your money. Here's the short list of what every collector actually needs — boxes, albums,…
How to Avoid Coin-Buying Scams (Online and Off)
Where there's value, there's fraud — and coins attract plenty. Here's how to buy safely online and in person, spot the red flags, and never…
What Actually Determines a Coin's Value (The 4 Real Factors)
A coin's value isn't about age — it's about four specific things. Understand them and you'll know whether that old coin is worth a fortune…
How to Store and Protect Your Coins (Without Ruining Them)
The fastest way to destroy a coin's value is to 'clean' it. Here's how collectors actually protect their coins — handling, holders, and…
What Are Commemorative Coins? (And Are They Worth Collecting?)
Commemorative coins are beautiful, meaningful, and often terrible investments. Here's what they actually are, which ones hold value, and…
Numismatics for Beginners: How Coins Are Graded and Valued
A coin's value lives or dies on its grade. Here's what numismatics actually is, how the grading scale works, and the few things that move a…
How to Spot a Counterfeit Coin (What to Actually Look For)
Fakes get better every year, and the valuable coins are the ones most worth faking. Here are the practical checks a collector can do at the…
How to Start a Coin Collection (A Beginner's Real Guide)
Coin collecting is one of the cheapest hobbies to start and one of the deepest to master.