Losing Interest

I started working in an auction house that specialises in Numismatics a few months back. I see collectible coins and banknotes on a daily basis because of that and it is definitely an ideal “first job”. However, as of late, I started to lose interest in collecting, which is something I used to enjoy. What can I do to regain some interest in collecting?

Collecting as a hobby is really all about the thrill of the hunt and finding something in unexpected places to add to your collection. Slabbed notes and coins and eBay dealers are trying to force hobbyists into being pseudo-investors who will almost certainly never see much return on their investment. I can see being mesmerized by a mountain of uncommon notes and coins going for unrealistic prices and feeling like you will never get to own any of those notes and coins. Take a step back to the time when you got interested in collecting and reconnect with what you want from the hobby. 

When I was more into stamps, I was given some very good advice. If you want to be a collector, don’t be a dealer. If you want to be a dealer, don’t be a collector. 

Very difficult situation to find yourself facing yourself on each side of the bar
It's up to you to break the mirror

blue-m

 

When I was more into stamps, I was given some very good advice. If you want to be a collector, don’t be a dealer. If you want to be a dealer, don’t be a collector. 

This statement is very true.

Good advice blue-m.

Tough call qwerty844448……went through something similar in a totally different circumstance - my wife was not well. Lost interest and didn't sort my coins/notes. No interest in the forum either. Things are better and in love with this hobby again.

qwerty844448

However, as of late, I started to lose interest in collecting, which is something I used to enjoy. What can I do to regain some interest in collecting?

Ahoj.

I am dealing with the same problem after 40 years of collecting.

I've been losing interest for a long time, it's not just a past illness but a new phenomenon here. I can't get used to the recent large increase in coin prices.

I have enough money - I don't suffer from need. It's just that the market caught me by surprise and I'm not ready to accept it and adapt.

I was used to buying coins at auctions once a month and somehow the market was relatively stable-yes, the changes were gradual and slow and I simply adapted slowly.

However, after the "covid pandemic", the market broke off the chain and I am not willing to accept higher prices than I have fixed in my brain.

Yes, you can argue that it's a good price and that it's lower than the market price - but I have my price list in my brain that I've used to buy for years and now I just don't accept it. That's why I'm disgusted and I distance myself and devote myself to the flowers and vegetables in the garden.

It came to a head earlier this month when I attended an auction - I didn't buy anything and I'm still disgusted.

Sample of that auction:

I am bidding my maximum price in the last seconds 578,-Kč  - 26,24$

someone paid - 42,40$

Example from this auction:

I was willing to give 900,- but someone overpaid

the final price is unacceptable for me : 118,17 $

 46,49 $ - and there is still time to add  ( I just don't give it and that's it) Although the UNC? 
I won't give!  Not knowing how it ended, I gave up before the end

 I wanted to give 800 for the obol, but as it started to rise before the end, I gave up, pissed off.

I repeat, I have the money for it, but the current market caught me off guard. What about colleagues? Do you still accept coin values ​​according to tables from the last century? Maybe it's just me and the world is right or is it the other way around? ,, I'm going to cut the bushes so the harvest is certain,,

Ahoj Ivan

I can relate because in the last 8 months I’ve started to lose interest/not have the time for it because of many factors I’ve encountered.

Firstly is that the globally in the last year or so are slowly moving out of our covid cocoons hence we are have less time overall for our hobbies.

Secondly what MIMAEL said about the significant unrealistic rises in the prices of coins overall is forcing us (me included) to buy less often. 

Thirdly is around me because now I’m a autistic 19 year old adult now so things such as college, exams and work are taking up much of my free time so the only times I have free time is during the holidays and the my future is uncertain due to me mostly saving up for University 2024. 

Fourthly I’m trying to improve my overall lifestyle because during the pandemic I turned to bad habits such as not exercising and eating junk food so now I’m spending most of my free time going to the gym or playing table tennis with friends, I still watch coin related content whilst exercising.

I usually lose interest when I am broke and have no money to buy more. Once I got paid, my urge of buying returns, back to normal.🤑

ahkai

I usually lose interest when I am broke and have no money to buy more. Once I got paid, my urge of buying returns, back to normal.🤑

Ditto

Very interesting, as I had a similar problem when I became a musician, my first real job after school.  I was always out playing in bands in my early teens, but when I took annual leave after becoming a professional I almost never revisited the bands I once played with.  I'd bring my instrument home with me on the first day of the holiday, put it up in my room at home, then pick it up on the way back to work a couple of weeks later from the exact same spot - complete with an impression of the case left in the carpet afterwards.  

When I finally changed jobs, the way I got my enthusiasm for music back was by playing the music I really loved and joining groups with a really good vibe.  Maybe that's the solution to a problem with a lack of enthusiasm with coins.   Look at what you really love, find other people with a similar passion, then distill your interest down to that.

Good luck

When I first started attending shows (about 3 decades ago when there were a limited # of currency dealers) I remember meeting dealers who seemed completely bored senseless.  I could easily understand how that could happen as I would get bored just being at a show (a) b/c I couldn’t afford most of the banknotes I wanted & b) a lot of people were just rubber-necking/window shopping but knew very little about collecting!  

A dealer in another forum complained about how collector/customers would bend their ear off (showing off their knowledge) & how he would show the person about 20 different notes & the customer still wouldn’t buy. I can imagine that being a real challenge that would take a great deal of patience on the dealer’s part.

Anyway, what I would suggest to re-ignite the flame (as I’ve experienced this myself):

A) educate yourself on some area that you have had a passion for (or an area of collecting you feel you may be a little rusty on like grading, assessing the note/coin’s value, ID the Book code for X coin/note, etc)

(My education often started with the catalogues which I would often read cover to cover. Today, you can get a lot by studying the endless online resources)

B) research a particular series so you feel like you know as much (or more) than your boss

C) organize your collection & purchase the best binder, sleeves, flips, etc to show off your collection (remember to organize it physically & digitally here or on a spreadsheet)

D) identify gaps in your collection & then develop some goals on how you will 1) raise $ for X coin/note 2) sources you can get X coin note for __ price. 

E) start your own website to show off your collection (or sets in your collection). Start small & then get more ambitious

F) make some videos of your learning, your sets, or your experience working with your dealer boss & post them on the usual sites. 

G) if all of the above fails, just take a break & then try an area that you get curious about again.

Good advice from all of you. You guys hit all the nails there.

1. Dealing or working for a dealer = losing interest as a collector, lots of nice things that you will never have.

2. Auction sites where Mr Moneybags snipes a coin you nearly won or drives the price up to a point, you don't want to pay for it anymore.

3. External things going on/other hobbies vying with your time.

4. The thrill of getting rather than owning - having = meh!

5. Running out of money.

6. Not mentioned yet - catching a major health problem or with someone you love/family.

However it is still a hobby and a past time and its up to you how serious you want to be. I find you can take a break, if the market is flat or you can't be bothered. Just return to it when you are ready.

I don't fear getting bored for a while for two reasons.

1. My partners death has left me well off, so I feel like a kid in a candy store and all my coin dreams are coming true.

I will tone it back eventually, but I know a 1927 Proof set of the UK will be a good use of $1400 in the future!

2. I am autistic and get obsessed with things, collecting and learning. Coins have been an obsession with mine, since I called coins “shinies” when I was like 3 years old and I have been obsessed with coins and money since then. Wanted to get me a good toy when I was 5 - get me Play Money. (I always ended up losing it!). Learning to count with play money at school often ended up with my school bag being searched for piles of stolen plastic coins, and me getting them out during wet lunches etc.

Even when I was 9 or 10, my Mum had a friend from the Netherlands, I couldn't stand her or her yuppie husband (It was the 80s), but I loved they had a big box of foreign coins, they got it out and let me play with them. I would not move for hours!

Well, I think it might be wise to further investigate the reason why your interest is fading. 

You might have some ‘unconscious’ stress due to adapting to a new job or other things that have happened that you might not even realize affecting you negatively. It has been known that losing interest in activities you are previously enjoying might have something to do with stress and depression. If that is (hopefully) not the case, then you can try to focus on collecting something or a particular aspect of numismatics that are not heavily discussed or talked about at your job such as collecting silver coins that are sold for under $1 or someting like that.

Ultimately, things come and go. It might be a sign to start your journey to find other - equally healthy and interesting - hobby.

Glück!

Have you ever thought why did you enjoy coins collecting before? There are plenty of ways of having fun from collecting, what was your best way?

Have you tried selecting a certain theme or motif for your collection? Try that, it worked for me. 🤔🤷‍♀️

Isn't it natural? If you start working in a restaurant, you will start being indifferent to food in a few months' time even if you're a foodie yourself.

So I reckon this has to do with the line of your job.

Isn't it natural?

-Yes! I agree it is natural to lose interest. Add saturation to one subject over & over (as would happen working with coins/banknotes) then it would happen quicker than normal. 

I believe it is a challenge to stay interested & active with any hobby.  I never was good at it.  It took me at least 15-20 years of dabbling (to drop the gung-ho immersion/apathy cycle & just become consistent/"steady as she goes.") Online participation & picking a few days to revisit the hobby helped (one doesn't have to have deep pockets to keep involved in the hobby- which is contrary to popular myths floating out there). 

BTW: I “job coached” a prep cook at a restaurant & it was months before I could eat out again!😀

Serial_Number_8BTW: I “job coached” a prep cook at a restaurant & it was months before I could eat out again!😀

Why, because you know how often the stakes fall on the floor? 😅

Usually cooks don't want to cook at home after a long shift in the kitchen.

Why, because you know how often the stakes fall on the floor? 😅

-Something like that: the chap I was helping dumped all pasta he measured into dirty/unwashed basins over many shifts I observed him. Nobody seemed particularly concerned with basic hygiene at the restaurant either.

Usually cooks don't want to cook at home after a long shift in the kitchen.

-Makes sense. I imagine they're not too eager to eat out too… 🤣 

If the lack of interest is in part explainable by money-related issues, you can change your focus on collecting something else that is more affordable to you, such as small denomination coins from circulation or cheap world coins which are usually abundant in junk bins, not the expensive stuff that is sold at auction houses.

Thank you for all the replies. The thing about working in an auction house is that you get to see so many valuable and expensive items on a daily basis. The customers, naturally, are well-off as well and walk in with wads of $50 and $100 notes that total up to five figures. I noticed that my interests in collecting has shifted from “this coin looks interesting and has lots of history” to “will it be worth it to send this coin for grading” and “will I be able to profit off this coin/note”. Perhaps, taking a break from collecting for a while would be wise. 

I haven't been on this Forum or coin collecting for about 3 months.  I change with the times……..

Being  a “Gamer” for the last 40 odd years, I've been playing Pokemon Go for the last 3 months.   Low cost, time consumption during a period of financial stress.  In 6 months, that stress will be gone and I'll perhaps move on to other endeavors, including coin collecting.

Some sage advice I heard 20 years ago… “ A change is as good as a rest.”

See y'all again in 6 months (or sooner). 

Peter M. Graham

See y'all again in 6 months (or sooner). 

We shall look forward to it. 

Lets be careful out there.

I do collect more items like sport stuff,  silver ware items made of (silver, silver plated, and gold),military stuff, funko pop, and more stuff that in top 100  popularity collectibles