I was looking at my calendar this morning and am stunned at how quickly we’re approaching Memorial Day weekend, a time considered by many to mark the unofficial start of summer. Of course, the cadence of this year has gone so differently than during most years, thanks in large part to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. In some ways, the first half of the year is flying by. And in other respects, it seems to be dragging along slower than molasses.
I’m not sure how quickly – or slowly – 2020 seems to be moving along for you. But all I know is this: the dog days of summer may be barking a little more loudly this year if so many of us are still stuck inside our homes to help do our part in preventing the spread of this virus. Cabin fever during the dog days? Well, as pop group Bananarama once sang in their hit that topped the United States charts in 1984, it may indeed be a “cruel summer.” But it needn’t be for us coin collectors.
Even with the fate of the big summer coin shows still largely unknown – in large part because show coordinators and government officials can’t predict how this situation will be playing out as coin show dates pop up around the United States – we in the numismatic community can still enjoy some hot hobby action. What is it that we collectors do when shows aren’t happening in our neck of the woods anyway? That’s right – we collect coins!
As I mentioned in an earlier post here some weeks back, I’ve had the opportunity to go through my coin collection and clean out the numismatic cobwebs while reassessing what parts of my collection need attention. Namely, I’ve had a chance to identify holes in my sets – even holes I didn’t realize existed. As a Lincoln cent collector, I may find my album full, but there are some neat varieties I’ve determined I want to buy — ones for which there is no standard album hole. And my birth year set? I’ve got all the United States Mint coin products issued the year I was born – even the locally sold souvenir sets – but I see there are some United States Mint ephemera materials I want for that set, too. And maybe I’ll expand my United States type set while I’m at it.
Oh, so many things to buy and not enough money to purchase everything I want. But isn’t that the story for so many of us anyway? But I digress…
Anyway, don’t let the summer get away without having a chance to examine your collection and see what you want to add to it. Theme parks, malls, and other favorite summer destinations are closed and even plane flights are getting too expensive or dicey for most people to consider anymore (don’t forget how we all saw our beautiful nation years ago before plane travel was affordable for the masses – by car!).
But guess who is still open? In any cases, our favorite coin dealers, who operate businesses governments largely consider “essential” due to their financial nature. And even if your favorite local bricks-and-mortar coin shop is closed, many are still providing a full suite of services online and by mail.
Hopefully your upcoming summer is as numismatically rich as ever, and may you and yours stay healthy and well!
