Making - And Keeping - Numismatic New Year’s Resolutions

It seems just about everyone has resolutions they make around the start of the new year… Inevitably, many of these well-meaning intentions end up totally unresolved by the end of the new 12-month calendar. In fact, a 2023 Forbes Health poll revealed only 1% had kept their resolution for 11 or 12 months, most bowing out within four months. We numismatists aren’t immune from such resolution-related stumbling blocks. We all hit lulls in our numismatic lives from time to time.

It’s easy, sometimes too easy, to abandon collecting goals; life gets busy, budgets get tight, patience gets short… And on and on. Sometimes numismatic resolutions get lost in the shuffle simply because some collectors bite off more than they can chew, both in their hobby and in life – and this can complicate the achievement of goals that are totally realistic in the grand scheme of things but simply out of reach at the moment.

So, what’s a collector to do when the collecting gets tough? The collector gets going!

The first thing collectors must do when setting resolutions is to make sure they’re creating real goals that are within the scope of their reach. Remember, much of the battle isn’t in the doing, it’s in the psyche. Many collectors allow a let down – maybe the failure to find the coin they want at a price they can afford or in a grade they want – stymie their progress altogether. Don’t let that happen! Instead, think of workarounds that can help you reach your goals.

Many collectors set their new year’s resolutions around goals related either to budget or building and completing a certain set that’s important to them. The thing about budgets and set building is that both often bend to factors that are out of our control. Think about it… A blown tire, a leaky roof, or even the loss of a job or income stream can have us digging deeper into our pocketbooks than we want, skewing collector trajectory. Even for those whom budget isn’t a prevailing factor, completing a set can be hampered by too few opportunities to find the coin – or coins – you really want for your collection. Some coins are nearly impossible to find, even if money isn’t an object.

So, what do you do then? Start working toward a palatable Plan B!

Can you make do with a suitable placeholder coin that helps you complete your set in the new year? Maybe that filler coin can be upgraded at a later date when a specimen you really like becomes available. This is what many collectors do when they want to complete a PCGS Registry Set with the knowledge that they can still “do better” on their score given enough time (and money).

Short on funds? You’re in good company… Many people are, at least according to one September 2025 CNBC poll that showed around one-third of Americans had no emergency fund. So why not spend the new year budgeting to save for an emergency fund so that if life throws you a curve ball, you can still be on the ball with building your coin collection? Surely that suggestion is easier for some to act on than others, but the sentiment is the same: make collecting coins easier for yourself when and where you can.

Understandably, time – or a lack thereof – is the bane of many, including coin collectors. There sometimes just aren’t enough hours in the day to devote to collecting coins, even when the budget is there and the coins you desire to acquire are available. This is especially the case for those who are still in their prime working and child-raising years, often burning the midnight – and both ends of the candle – to make everything happen. Hobbies and other recreational activities fall by the wayside for so many important reasons. And this is often what leads to numismatic resolutions, like maybe attending that next coin show near you, hard to achieve.

Whatever your numismatic resolution may be, remember this: one of the best ways to spend the new year as a coin collector is to get the most out of numismatics. Period. You don’t need to stipulate esoteric goals for yourself, commit to building a coin set that you know will strain your budget, or self-impose lofty standards that make coin collecting harder for you. Just strive to enjoy the numismatic journey as best you can. If you can do that, then you’re already winning in the hobby. Happy New Year!