Why I think "collect what you love" is bad advice for coin collecting

I've been into coin collecting as a hobby for about 4 years now. Everyone always says "just collect what you love" and that sounds nice but I found something recently that changed my mind. I was looking through old price guides at a flea market in Austin last month and found a stat that shocked me: 80% of modern commemorative coins lose 40% of their value within the first 5 years. That includes the ones people "loved" buying at the mint. I've got a box of those myself that are now worth maybe $200 total out of the $600 I paid. So while I agree you shouldn't hate your collection, ignoring resale completely is how you end up with a pile of stuff nobody wants. Does anyone else look at potential value when picking coins or am I just being too practical?

3 comments

3 Comments

mason_murray812d ago

Same pattern as people overpaying for Beanie Babies back in the 90s.

zaranelson11d ago

Oh come on, that's way too easy of a comparison @mason_murray8. Beanie Babies were cheap stuffed toys that people hoarded in their basements, not a whole digital network with actual uses behind it. Do you really think blockchain tech is as worthless as a bunny with a tush tag?

margaret55112d ago

Were you around for that beanie baby craze @mason_murray8, or are you just looking at it from the outside?