We have the thread for erm, rather calamitous happenings thread (hello nail file??) so I thought I'd create one for the great watershed moments you've had that enhanced your collecting. Hopefully others can pick up some tips from it too!
Opening an eBay account in 2015! Why? Because it's all there, in front of you, and nobody puts pressure on you to buy. You can compare prices; you can wait and see and eventually make an offer; you can study pictures and find new varieties; you can find amazing deals if you know what to do and not do...
And since you started this thread, oggy, what is your watershed moment?
I think I am going through one now, but it has taken a few years to get to this point. Now,instead of getting a bunch of coins just to add to my collection, I look for coin designs I like that fit within my budget. I don't care what country a coin is from or what type it is, so long as I like the coin and would not want to replace it. I believe it is better to have a few nice coins than to have a lot of mediocre ones. I also like to look at my coins a lot to get to know by heart what coins I have in my collection and to know exactly where each coin is stored. I am a more selective about swapping coins, too.
I think mine was perhaps 6 years ago. We bought a house in France and during renovations, my father found a Silver 5 Francs from 1873 and gave it to me. Ever since seeing that coin I've loved French coinage and the history that goes along with it and have collected French coins ever since.
