Newbies to coin collecting tend to WASTE a lot of time and money on erroneous and deceptive purchases simply because they have insufficient experience and knowledge. If you don't want to commit the same mistakes of other newbies like you, here are some tips to help you have extra time and money to make your coin collection as beautiful as any other veteran coin collector's:

Step 1: Information First before Purchases
Don't start collecting coins until you've gained a considerable amount of knowledge about your prospective hobby. While reading books on coin collecting would certainly help, what will truly aid you best is interaction with old-time coin collectors. These guys have learned from experience and some of the things they'll share with you probably wouldn't be found in any coin collecting manual or article.

Step 2: Find a Playmate
There's nothing better than having someone else to share your hobby with. Friendships with fellow coin collecting enthusiasts will make your hobby twice as fun and meaningful because they understand the value behind each achievement you accomplish.

Step 3: Deciding What to Collecting
Now that your “coin collecting crew” has been completed, all of you are now ready to begin your quest for old and rare coins. Having a theme for your collection will make your hobby more interesting and challenging. You have several options when choosing a theme for your coin collection:

Firstly, you can do what most coin collectors do and collect coins according to their country of origin; seeing the physical differences among coins of various nations can be quite beautiful to observe.

Secondly, you can collect coins according to series, but in order to do this, you must look up for information about different coin series, and check the price range and rarity for each series. That way, you'll know which series is within your budget.

Thirdly, you can also organize your coins chronologically. You can divide them into different eras such as the Victorian Period and the Medieval Period.

Lastly, you can choose to collect specially made coins – ones that can't be used as financial instruments but instead have special or commemorative value such as coins given as medals or those used to honor events like the Olympics.

Step 4: Cleaning and Handling Your Coins
Always hold your coins at their edges so that you won't accidentally leave any indelible print on them.

Although old and financially used coins generally have flawed surfaces already, it's best to minimize the chances of giving them additional scratches and further reducing their value by placing each coin in a separate casing.

It is only in rare circumstances that coin collectors find it necessary to clean their coins. Don't attempt this without consulting an expert, and if possible, simply hire a professional cleaner to do the cleaning for you.

If, however, you're determined to clean your coins by yourself, make sure that you test whatever method you choose to use on a replaceable coin to see if anything untoward happens. Avoid using strong cleaning solutions and tap water when cleaning coins because this may damage the coin's appearance.

Step 5: Improving Your Coin Collection
The first attempt of most newbies' is usually not enough to have a “perfect” coin collection; simply put, their collections mostly lack an integral element or two. To improve your coin collection, you can subscribe to a coin collecting magazine or newsletter and receive alerts and notices regarding rare coins on sale. You should join a coin collecting club as well in order to meet other coin collectors and possibly trade some of your goods with them.

Step 6: Organizing a Coin Collecting Party
To cement good ties with coin collectors in the area, you can try organizing a coin collecting party for all of you. Always hold an event like this indoors because a sudden downpour of rain can cause irreparable damage to anyone's collection. Advise guests not to eat and drink while handling any coins to avoid damaging any coin treasures as well.

Coin collecting is a challenging hobby, albeit expensive, to pursue. The great thing about it though is that it's inevitable for the coin collector to pick up some nice trivia along the way as his collection starts to grow. Hope you enjoy your newfound hobby!

BlueWaterArticles.com: - Amazing Time and Money-Saving Tips for Enthusiasts of Coin Collecting

About the Author

Lee Dobbins writes for http://antique-coin-collector.info where you can get more coin collecting tips.