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If you’re reading this, you may be thinking about getting into collecting coins. That’s great!
Coin collecting is not only a hobby… it’s an investment. Every coin that you add to your collection can gain value over the years.
So, what tools and supplies do you need to start collecting?
3 Must-Have Coin Collecting Items
- For starters, you’ll want a magnifying tool. This will become your best friend.
I learned this the hard way back when I first started collecting coins…
I was going through a big pile of old Wheat cents. All were extremely circulated and had a lot of wear to them. I found myself squinting my eyes at every one of them — trying to read the dates and mint marks, while holding them up at different angles in the light to see if that would help.
Needless to say, I had a coin magnifier by the end of the week!
Here’s what you need to know when choosing a magnifier or coin loupe.
- Next, you’ll need a coin price guide.
- Finally, to protect your coins from further wear and scratches, you’ll want some protective sleeves and holders.
To protect your very first coin collection (like a lower grade collection of cents or nickels), I would suggest using coin folders. Folders have individually dated slots to place the corresponding coins in. Whitman makes folders for just about every type of coin that was ever minted — from buffalo nickels to gold dollars.
Coin tubes are also good for storing coins. For example, if you have several hundred wheat pennies, they make hard plastic coin tubes that hold 50 pennies each. They make coin tubes for all denominations of coins.
TIP: If you can’t find an item you’re looking for at the Whitman site, try Valley Coin. It’s a small company with a large inventory. I’ve dealt with them a few times — they’re very nice people and ship the items fast.
Well, those are really the only “basic” items you’ll need to start collecting coins!
2 Optional Items Worth Considering
As you get to be more serious about collecting coins (or you have high-grade coins), you’ll want to have cotton gloves.
This is because human skin has oils and grit that easily transfer onto your coins and can ultimately be harmful to coins.
You may also want some kind of felt cloth (or other non-abrasive cloth) to lay your coins on while examining them.
With higher grade coins, you don’t just want to throw them on a table!
My Final Word Of Advice
The last thing I want to mention…
If you are new to coin collecting, then you might be thinking about “cleaning” your coins.
Never clean your coins! Here’s why.
Yes, some of your coins are going to look dull and dingy, but cleaning coins reduces the value to a collector. And yes, they will be able to tell.
The Bottom Line
All that being said, there is just one more thing you’ll need to do: Have fun!
Check out our YouTube playlist for new collectors — to help you get started in the hobby:
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