$ 5 gold piece minted in 1848 in Dahlonega , Georgia . Among the most famous and beautiful U . S . coins , The Saint-Gaudens $ 20 gold piece was minted from 1907 to 1933 .
Brown , who has lived almost all of his life in Georgia , shared the story of one of his favorite coins , a $ 5 gold piece from the Dahlonega Mint . The mint operated in the mid-1800s in Georgia . “ Back then , they couldn ’ t get gold from the mountains to Philadelphia , so they built a mint in Dahlonega ,” he explains . Coins from that mint were always rare , and once the Civil War started , the mint closed down , and most of the coins were melted down for their gold content . “ I found one through a collector — it was never on the market — and it turned out to be one of the finest known early $ 5 gold pieces ,” he maintains .
Some people collect to complete a set . Stamp collectors , for example , might collect airmail stamps , commemorative stamps or stamps that focus on a specific topic , such as birds or ships . They can eventually collect all the stamps in their category . “ When people reach the point where their collection is total , they often switch to a different area of collecting ,” Dr . Belk remarks .
Other collectors , such as art collectors , may never complete their collection — there are always new pieces to acquire . In either case , the advent of the internet brought changes to all types of collecting . Ekström observes , “ I think it ’ s really changed our behavior quite a lot .” It ’ s introduced transparency , liquidity and a broader geographical reach to the hobby .
THE INTERNET HAS CHANGED THE FACE OF COLLECTING “ Years ago , I was mainly buying from a local auction company . The problem with that is you ’ re not necessarily aware of what prices are available nationally ,” Witkowski says . “ The internet has exposed me to the national and international market . You ’ re better able to judge the going prices in any particular area .” Brown agrees , “ It ’ s much more
scientific . It ’ s easier to determine the rarity of a coin .”
In the past , it wasn ' t easy to find someone who wanted to buy a complete collection , and it was time-consuming to sell one piece at a time . “ Putting it up online is much easier ,” Belk contends . “ Almost anything is sellable , and you can find the market .” The internet makes it easier for buyers to find pieces , too . “ There are internet sites to find things that are otherwise rare and difficult to find ,” he says .
THE LEGACY OF COLLECTIONS Some collectors find family members who share their love of collecting and plan to pass their collections along . For example , Brown hopes to spark a love of coins in a grandchild — just as his grandparents did for him .
Witkowski , who collects certain ceramics and paintings by California artists as well as firearms , has given some art to his son . But he doesn ’ t expect to hand down his complete collection . “ The best thing for them to do would be to put them up for auction and use the money the way they want ,” he says .
Ekström has begun the process of paring down her collection of glass bottles . “ I don ’ t want to get rid of them all , but I want to diminish the number and be able to live a more simple life ,” she explains . At one point , her collection was displayed in a museum . “ When I looked at them in the museum , I felt a very strange feeling , very detached from the vases ,” she says . The museum display inspired her to buy glass cabinets and install lighting to display the glass . But it also motivated her to start trimming down her collection . “ If there are too many , you can ’ t see one . It gets too crowded . One or a few things can be beautiful ,” she muses .
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