THE COIN COLLECTORS GUIDE TO STRENGTH BUILDING & WEIGHT LOSS

Unveiling the Hidden Power of Coin Collecting: More Than Just a Hobby

By Allan Schein

You heard it here first: Coin collecting isn’t just about amassing pieces of history; it’s a path to building both physical strength and a robust portfolio. This isn’t your typical workout plan—it’s a life-changing guide that combines fitness with the fascinating world of numismatics.

Coins: The Weight of History and Wealth

Coins come in a variety of sizes and values, ranging from mere cents to millions of dollars. The most expensive coin ever sold fetched a staggering ten million dollars. Some coins are as light as 1.67 grams, just over 1/20th of a troy ounce, while others, like the America the Beautiful bullion coins, tip the scales at a hefty 5 troy ounces. If you’re into bullion, you know that a Monster Box of American Silver Eagles can weigh about 35 pounds avoirdupois (compared to roughly 42 pounds Troy).

Strength Through Coin Collecting: The Legend of Milo of Croton

The ancient Greeks knew a thing or two about strength, and one legend, in particular, offers a unique parallel to the world of coin collecting. Milo of Croton, a 6th Century BC wrestler, was a six-time Olympic champion renowned for his incredible strength. The story goes that Milo once carried his own bronze statue to its place of honor at the base of Mt. Olympus. His secret? A simple yet profound strategy.

One day, a calf was born near Milo’s home in southern Italy. The wrestler began lifting the small animal onto his shoulders daily, carrying it around a stadium track several times. Milo repeated this ritual every day for four years, as the calf grew into a fully mature bull. By the end, he was lifting an animal that weighed around 2,200 pounds.

Coin Collecting: Your Modern-Day Strength Builder

That’s pretty similar to the way many Coin Collectors Guides are built—adding a coin at a time, acquisition after acquisition, gradually assembling a significant assortment. Over the years, collectors often acquire every date and mint mark in a coin series, eventually moving on to the next series. This consistent effort strengthens the depth of your numismatic collectibles until, metaphorically speaking, your collection has grown as formidable as a four-year-old bull.

Taking a lesson from Milo, if we were to carry around our collections of coins and bullion as they grew, we would not only gain great strength but also build substantial collections. The physical strength gained would be impressive—especially when hoisting our Monster Boxes repeatedly rather than just leaving them in the safe, closet, or a safe deposit box.

The Strategy Behind Building a Coin Collection

Realistically, having a strategy for collecting is crucial, much like following a strength-building program. Without a plan, you might end up with a few nice coins, but would they amount to a collection of significant worth?

When building a collection, start small with an eye toward the future. You won’t find—and probably can’t afford—everything you want all at once. As you delve deeper into coin collecting, you’ll realize you’ll never be able to acquire every coin you desire. The variety is vast, the costs can be high, and part of the joy lies in the journey itself.

Following a basic strategy, much like a strength-building regimen, will guide you to success over time with regularity and discipline:

 1. Start Small: Be reasonable with your purchases. Don’t spend large amounts on coins you’re unfamiliar with. Take time to learn a series by reading books, examining as many coins in the series as possible, and becoming thoroughly acquainted with it. Over time, you’ll gain knowledge, familiarize yourself with key dates, and understand quality. Once you’ve built a respectable Coin Collectors Guide familiarity with a series, you’ll be better positioned to assess value, rarity, and quality.

 2. Don’t Miss Buying Opportunities: Be consistent in your collecting. Attend every show you can, but don’t feel obligated to buy every coin you find. The more shows or shops you visit, the more coins you’ll see, increasing your chances of finding what you want. Regularity and consistency, much like any successful shop-a-holic would attest, are keys to success. Additionally, the more coins you examine, the sharper your eye will become—an experiential progression.

 3. Increase Your Acquisitions Gradually: Improve as you build. If you’re serious about completing a series or collection, slow and steady is the way to go. Wait for the right coin to come along rather than buying the first one you see. There’s usually, if not always, another, better coin out there that you’ll want. Be patient and disciplined in your search. You can gradually trade up, grade by grade, as you find and afford the coins you seek.

The Weight Loss Benefits of Coin Collecting

Now, onto the weight loss part of coin collecting. If you’re truly committed, the more you invest in your collection, the less money you’ll have for other indulgences. This often means adopting a more frugal lifestyle in other areas. You might find yourself skipping the $4 lattes at Starbucks, opting for the Kroger brand of canned tuna instead of the gourmet sandwich at Whole Foods. Plus, the more you hustle to find the perfect coins, the more calories you burn through increased activity. In reality, Coin Collectors Guide can help you avoid what I call the “coin dealer belly,” a common sight among dealers who sit and wait for coins to come to them at major shows.

But there’s more. The stress factor plays a role in weight loss too. If you have a spouse, you might feel a bit of pressure regarding your spending habits. Stress can lead to anxiety, which often results in appetite loss—and, consequently, weight loss.

Reducing stress, however, is straightforward. Doing positive things for yourself, like purchasing nice coins, can help. It may seem like a vicious cycle, but ultimately, the end result is a valuable collection, greater physical strength, and a slimmer waistline.

Playing “Show and Tell” with Your Collection

Playing “show and tell” with your collection means hauling it to every event and function, replicating Milo’s carrying of the bull—only in this case, perhaps you’re carrying bullion. And fear not being robbed or attacked by some devious thief; a quick bash over the head with a Dansco album filled with your nearly complete collection of Morgan dollars will deter most any criminal.

Slimming Down Your Collection

Slimming down through Coin Collectors Guide also means being selective about your purchases. You don’t need the extra pounds of inferior coins. Take the time to be selective about what coins you keep, and start selling or trading excess, duplicate, or lower-quality material that’s just taking up space. We all have some filler material—coins that lack eye appeal or significant value used simply to fill a hole in an album or space in a folder. Thinning the herd, so to speak, will not only lighten your bulk material but also generate extra cash for that coin you really want. This way, you’ll be ready to afford it when it becomes available.

In Summary

Coin collecting can be a multi-purpose activity, increasing Coin Collectors Guide wealth and physical well-being all at the same time. So be like Milo, and maintain an active but disciplined program to achieve your collecting goals.

Happy Coin Collecting.