[Nathanael_Greene]

I always see a few coin dealers at gun shows--who out there is into coins as well as firearms? How's the market doing? Gold and silver are up a bit, right? Anyone trading guns for gold, or vice versa?

[PATH]

It is funny how you see coin dealers at gun shows. You also get some folks selling books too. I never see gun dealers at coin shows. Odd ain't it. I guess they must do decent business or they would not be at the gun shows. Coins and guns are graded by condition and type. I have a friend who collects both. Just hobbies for him as far as I can discern. I'll ask him about it.

[tl]

Many investment advisors recommend some precious metals in your portfoliio, usually for no more than 10% of your total investment worth. The reason for this is volativity; silver, gold, and platinum prices bounce around much more than any stock market index, and metals are considered a hedge against really bad financial times. Like the stock market, the recommendation that makes the most sense to me is buy regularly, regardless of today's market, and hold for the long term investment.

If you're looking at bullion (and rare coins), I recommend these folks: www.golddealer.com. Coins are a different issue from bullion, and it's a world where prices move tens or hundreds of dollars based on nuances of quality that most of us probably would never see. Having said that, rare coin investments are often recommended, again as part of a long term portfolio. The key is to find a knowledgable and trustworthy seller and, not to cast too many aspersions, a gun show would not be the first place I'd look.

[JohnBT]

There's man who deals coins at the gun shows here. He's retired and does it as a hobby. While he's not trying to get rich, he's not giving the stuff away either. I'd rather let him make a profit than put an ad in the paper and answer the phone at all hours.

I've sold more old coins and proof sets at gun shows than guns. Most of what I have was accumulated between the '50s and about 1970 and is worth a decent amount, but I'll never retire off them.

The dern things take up space in the safe and the safe deposit boxes and don't pay any dividends sitting around either.

John

[durango]

Interesting question. I've noticed the same thing at gun shows and I collect coins and obsolete US banknotes (as well as a "few" guns). For me it is not an investment, but purely for aesthetic reasons. I love the look of old coins and bills and enjoy learning about the history behind them. Much the same with guns. My whole reason for going to a gun show is 10% stock up on ammo and 90% window shopping. Now if we only had combined gun show / quilting exhibitions I could get the wife involved at long last!

[tl]

I think the combo gun show, quilting/ crafts show is a great idea, and I've often wondered why some enterprising company didn't do this; having gone to some of the latter with my wife and seeing a lot of husbands/ so's standing around looking extremely bored.

I hear what several of you are saying about collecting just for the fun of it. Coin collecting, like other collecting hobbies, has been pushed by the investors, but no reason not to enjoy it for what it is. I will repeat, though, that if you have any sense of this becoming an investment, you would be wise to spend some time understanding what it is you're doing. I think the U.S. mint had the right idea with the state quarters series, as it's generated a lot of interest in coins; too bad they didn't do that with the dollar coin as well. Maybe people would have actually started using them.