More on Set Collecting: Off the Grid

Collecting is about forming sets.
   In a previous posting, I challenged readers to consider breaking out of the mold set forth by coin folders and collecting guidebooks. The necromancer collector is all about collecting "off" the  book. Admittedly, collecting without a folder, moving beyond a series if you will, can be scary!
   Oh, I'm not scared. That's what you say.
   But why are you grasping the handrail so tightly?

A peek into a cash box secreted
away during the Civil War.
A collection?

   Consider this: Some scholars -- maybe philosophers is more apt -- have described the collecting process as ART. The collector creates something unique. No two collections are alike. Within each collection, objects are arranged to tell a story.
   What story? I knew you would ask this.
   Two stories actually. First, the collection is a representation of history or memory or fantasy (usually all three) that has personal meaning to the collector. A Civil War buff might focus on series that circulated during the 1860s: copper nickel cents, CW tokens, and silver trimes.
   Second, the collection reflects a timeline of the collecting process itself. As each coin is added to the set, the collector has discovered something new and added it to the collection. The best years of our lives are marked by a series of acquisitions. Also, our mindset is changing all the time such that new acquisitions reflect changing tastes, attitudes, and so on. Our Civil War buff might add an old pocket piece or love token to the collection because one was seen in a museum. Consequently, the collection is evolving, becoming more personal (as our imagined images of history evolve over time).

   Why would you want to play follow the leader by limiting your collecting to a folder? What does this say about you? And the art part? Well, it is like painting-by-the-numbers.

   I have heard more than a few seasoned numismatists reflect that eventually the true collector will end up seeking die-varieties, tokens, themes, and so on. Why is this? Because these avenues are off the grid. Such items have to be diligently hunted for (and sometimes not found). And, they allow more creativity in creating sets that reflect the personal taste of the collector. Next up, we will explore contextual collecting, as this gets us nearer to the embrace of the coin collecting necromancer.