How big of a collector are you?

News: Welcome to the Canadian Paper Money Forum.

Just wanted to get an idea on what stage of collecting you're at?

I remember how my collection started; I was 9-years-old and and I found a dollar bill, one that I haven't seen in ages so I exchanged 1 dollar for it and treasured the note. Then I found a similar (1974) $2 bill and it went on. When I saw a 1954 note for the first time, I think it was a 10, that note was like the rarest piece of scarcity I had ever seen.

For years I would go hunt in downtown with my parents trying to find "old bills". Usually nothing older than 1937. Some stores had good deals where I would almost always buy stuff at near face value ($20 notes for $27 and such), some stores did not give bargains and charged taxes on top.

Now I have several UNC and AU of each of the multi-colors, I have several of each note in the 1954 series (at least 1 UNC of each), I have all the 1937's in high grade, plenty of 1923's, each one of the 25 cent notes and a few in the 1935's.

I know some collectors have a whole bunch of the "series" (1937, 1954, 1970's, birds) and are looking to collect/trade the rare high denoms of the 1935's. Some collectors are even more advanced than that and go into the extremely rare notes like the $25, the $4, the 19th century,.... Some are just very picky about the grade they buy in.

So I was wondering what you collect, how often you buy/sell/trade, what type of denoms you collect, do you do it for investment purposes, for plain sitting-in-the-closet, do you impress your friends? Or what?

Hello,

I'm just like you when I started working when I was young (I have 33) I keep some multi-color 1$ and 2$ after I was searching for the rest of the denomination in Bank of Canada, I being friend with a bank teller so she keep me all the low grade to face value so I get some 1954,multi-color,birds because bank ship them to be destroyed but in this case I have opputinity to keep them ! so later I became a member of Ebay (ouchh....) so being a little bit "impulsive" I bought what I was missing in Bank of Canada, many low grade , I was thinking well I got all what I'm missing don't matter if it's UNC or Low grade and I made some mistake with Ebay but I learn hehehe ... sometime after that I found this wonderful site, became a member and started learning,reading,meeting new friend and some very good people who give advice etc...

Since 2-3 year I bought some chartered and started collecting Journey Insert Notes but right now I'm have a nice collection of PMG Solid notes and PMG 1954 Gem notes.

I'm thinking to sell some journey,birds and multi-color to do only Solid & Error and some rare notes.


Patrick

I started only a couple of months ago. Most of my collection has been "found", pulled from circulation. I have about 20 radars, 10 repeaters, a couple of U.S. bills and a pile of old world bills. I'm considering branching out and collecting early Canadian Bank notes. I love the engraving on some of these. My dilemma is whether to buy lower grade ones to amass a varied collection or to be selective and buy a few higher grade ones. There are so many that I like.

My dilemma is whether to buy lower grade ones to amass a varied collection or to be selective and buy a few higher grade ones. There are so many that I like.

I am a firm believer in buying the best you can afford...It's quality ...not quantity.
If the time should come to sell, I think it is easier to sell a few quality, more desired notes than to sell a pile of low end stuff....Only my opinion

You're right..... sometimes you just have to be reminded of the right thing to do. A great example of a work of art is always better than a faded representation of what it should be. Thanks.

My collection is bigger than my Royal Bank RSP.
I like the smell of circulated and uncirculated notes older than 1988 including the cheap stuff.
I enjoy my collection far more than watching my equity rot away in a Mutual fund RSP.
I always talk about banknotes with my Tellers, Investment adviser, and my Psychologist. 

Dei Gratia

My collection is bigger than my Royal Bank RSP.

Hey mon... I taught u take all da cash out of da Rastafarian Savings Plan to search bricks???

Considering da lousy investment market I might just do dat within da year Squid mon.

I have always found how people collect paper money as an interesting topic.

Some friends of mine have very impressive collections-- not because they're extensive (& they have all of BOC series), but because they have such rare gems-- like UNC asterisk Devil Faces, solids, or "cool" high grade error notes.  Other collectors I know have extensive collections of Journey inserts, Birds, multi coloured and all Bank of Canada series.  Some I know would never touch anything more recent than 1954, while others only collect prior to 1935 (Dominion) or only Chartered bank notes.

What I have discovered is a few interesting trends amongst collectors:
1) Most seasoned collectors don't just collect UNC or better notes but usually above VF (unless exceptionally rare)

2) Many older collectors will only collect 1937 and earlier

3) Many more new collectors will collect UNC (or better) and have extensive Journey/Birds insert/replacement collections

4) A lot of new collectors collect the notes they most closely associate with their teens years.  In other words-- If they were a teen (with their first part time job earning cash) in the 50-70's they will often have extensive 1954 and multi-coloured collections. 

5) Often times collectors specialize in more specific areas (as touched on by viauauto) collecting only special numbers, radars, asterisks, errors or similar rare varieties

6) Most of the "biggest" collectors I know -- would never advertise this fact.  They are the most humble unassuming people who keep the depth and rarity of their collection a long held secret (except for a few postings on a unanimous forum).

I consider myself to be a mid-grade collector, trying to assemble myself a nice type collection. I don't really mind circulated notes from the older series as long as they are visually appealing. I also have a large Journey collection, though only in terms of type, and some fancy numbers, as I do not collect insert replacements. I have managed to assemble myself a nice collection worth about $2000 from what I input into a spreadsheet on my computer.

DId I mention that sometimes when I make a deal, seller will volunteerily give me an UNC 1986 $2, or 1973, 1954 or 1967 $1 or 1974 $2 for free as a bonus? Bill that I started "collecting" in my early days I now get for free. Likewise, I will sometimes give my buyers a little freebie to fill in a gap or something.