Coin Collecting

While doing some organizing of shelves (don't tell me my life isn't exciting!), I came upon some of my old coin collection, in the classic blue Whitman holders. Pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, all neatly arranged in their respective places. I collected coins from about the age of 9 or 10, to about 12 or 13, if my memory serves me right, and then, while I still had the books, the active collection faded. But still, I would look through my change for any older coins, the random silver dime or quarter, old Wheatie pennies (cents from 1909 to 1958, for those of you not in the know), and the like. Once that collection bug bites, I don't know if it ever really goes away. Looking at these older holders, I decided, why not start this up again? Collecting is fun, I can get some new folders, and now that I'm not a kid and have a real income, I might be able to really accumulate a collection, through buying of some older coins. But, there is that part of me that goes, does it really matter to simply accumulate "stuff," that'll sit on a shelf or in a folder, what does it really matter in the long run? The pleasure is in the finding, the chase, the enjoyment of the process! If a collection simply becomes the covetous, "I've got something on my shelf, and that's where it will stay," then the collections owns you, not you owning the collection. So, I think I am going to start up this collection again, and see where it leads. If it becomes too obsessive, if I can't bear the thought of giving it away, or losing it at some point, then I learn how to give something up that was important to me. That's something that perhaps we continually have to learn over again in life. If I find anything "cool," I'll keep you posted!