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coin collecting is not as simple as keeping coins: it may be observed from numismatists or even coin enthusiasts that it is a systematic and somewhat complicated hobby. Certain tools must be employed to ensure both fun, discipline and to some extent, good profit.
Here are some of the essential things that must be included in the coin collecting kit.
1. Coin Guides
Coin guides should be used, not just by beginners, but by professional coin collectors as well.
Coin guides give tips on how to start, as well as special instructions on how to proceed with the hobby of coin collecting.
They also provide information on coins, since different coins have different ways of grading, pricing, etc.
It is recommended you read guides before doing starting the hobby to avoid making wrong decisions caused by lack of information.
2. Coin Inventory Record
All items in your collection must be accounted for properly. Information like year, face value, grade, cost, trend, and remarks must always be available for reference.
Inventory Records also help in organizing coin collections. It eliminates the redundancy of coins in the collection by showing the collectors at a glance the items in his collection.
Coin collectors do have options in the method to be used in recording coin information. They may choose the traditional paper-and-pen method, or may use coin collecting software.
3. Coin Containers
To avoid damaging the coins, it is recommended to invest in holders and containers that will give adequate protection.
Just remember that coins react to certain chemicals such as sulfur present in paper and PVC from plastic it is not advisable to use such materials for long-term storage.
4. Magnifying Glass
Magnifying glasses are a great help when it comes to coin grading. Most numismatists recommend using a 7x magnification, but generally, magnification between 4x to10x will do the job.
The magnifying glass is a great aid in examining the quality and authenticity of the coins. Details like hairlines or scratches, which are not visible to the naked eye, are “big deals” when it comes to coin collecting as they affect the value of coins.
5. Silica Gel
The use of silica gel packets is important to maintain the moderate temperature, low humidity atmosphere conducive to coin preservation.
6. Lamp
A light source must be placed half a meter away from the workspace. Recommended light for this purpose may be a halogen lamp, or simply a 75-watt incandescent lamp.
7. Handling equipment
Finger marks reduce the grade of the coins. That is why serious collectors invest in surgical gloves and velvet pads to use when handling coins.
If you are a newbie magician and you want to improve your magic tricks, follow these tips and you are guaranteed to perform magic tricks that will amaze your audience.
Be Natural
The secret in having a great sleight of hand is your naturalness. There should be no hand wagging, no hand waving, jerky or quick motions. You should work naturally, deliberately, and slowly. If you master this, balls, coins, rings, cards, and coins will begin reappearing and disappearing at the tips of your fingers.
Watching your angles
You should be aware of your angles. Angles refer to the sleight lines between the item that you have just palmed off and the eye of your spectators. If you do not have the right angles, the audience could take a glimpse or see the object in your hand and your trick will be caught.
Practice your palming skills wherever you go
The most necessary skill of a man with a great sleight of hand is the ability or skill of palming an object that goes undetected. You could perfect this after some time of practicing palming small objects like coins in your everyday normal routine. You could palm a small object or item in both of your hands or either while writing, eating, watching TV, walking around, or doing other activities. If you practice care about the angles, no one would notice what you are doing, and after some time, what you are now doing self-consciously would later become almost natural to you. From then on, you could be able to palm objects or items more confidently, boldly, and successful each time.
Master your presentation
Practice your presentation. A small trick that is well presented could work wonders even without the most sophisticated of techniques since the audience would most likely relate to your trick or understand it.
What good is a magician if nobody understands or enjoys his or her tricks? The presentations therefore should be straightforward, simple, and understood easily so that your viewers or watchers could understand and enjoy the complete meaning of what you have been saying and doing.
Do not replicate a trick
Do not repeat the same trick for the same viewers or watchers. That is one of the basic rules in doing magic. When you repeat a trick, your audience would immediately know what you are going to do next. What may have been a miracle for you when you did your trick for the first time may not be quite satisfying or dazzling the next time around.
Most people engage in different activities that they consider hobbies. When people consider a particular activity as a hobby, it means that people find that activity pleasurable in that they enjoy collecting different kinds of coins.
In this context, it does not necessarily follow that the coin collector will focus more on the monetary value of the coins. When the focus of coin collecting delves more into the monetary value of the coins than the gratification the collector obtains, it is no longer deemed a hobby but an investment.
History tells us that the main reason other generations collected coins was the value that coins would someday attain. The ancient form of coin collecting was even labeled a hobby ‘fit for the kings‘ because ancient coins were so valuable that only the kings were capable of collecting them.
Today’s coin collection is no longer limited to the ‘kings’ or the affluent. Anyone can now consider coin collecting as his or her hobby. The popularity of coin collecting continues to flourish as more and more people collect coins. That is why it is now known as the ‘King of Hobbies‘.
Why Such Popularity
One of the many reasons coin collecting is considered by many as one of the most popular hobbies in the world is based on its ease of access.
When somebody wants to start coin collecting, he can start any time, anywhere. Some people start coin collecting with the coins that they have in their pockets. This phase of coin collecting is known as the ‘accumulator‘ stage, where collectors try to accumulate as many coins as they can often using their ‘pocket change’.
After the collector gets the ‘hang of’ accumulating coins, the hobby becomes more expensive. This is because true hobbyists are willing to pay the price as long as a particular coin will enhance their collection and will beauty to their ‘masterpiece’. And the rest, as they say, is history.
coin collecting as hobby is a pleasurable activity that any person can use to create a feeling of gratification.
If you are tired of the ho-hum of life and would like to branch out a little, maybe you should get a hobby kit. Many different hobbies have kits that can help a beginner learn about the hobby quickly and easily. It is not easy to teach yourself some hobbies, but with a hobby kit, you can learn from the kit.
For instance, if you have been wanting to learn how to do a needlecraft, such as cross stitch or crewel embroidery, there is no better way to start than with a kit. In a hobby kit, you will receive a piece of cloth with the design already stamped on, yarn or floss in the proper colors and possibly already cut to the proper lengths, and a needle. You may even get an embroidery hoop in the kit. When you buy a hobby kit, be sure to read on the package to see if any other materials or tools will be needed to do the hobby.
A hobby kit is also the best way to learn a hobby like building model cars. In a model car kit, you will get all the pieces you need and detailed instructions. In some kits, you might also receive paint, a brush, and glue, but read the label. You might have to provide these things separately.
When choosing Christmas or birthday gifts for a young person, consider a hobby kit, such as a candle-making kit or a rock tumbling kit. In the fall, the stores are full of kits that could start a kid on a hobby that would last throughout his life. You can find small weaving loom kits, glycerine soap making kits, bead craft kits, wood-burning kits, and art kits. There is a line of colorful books put out by the Klutz company that each gives instruction in a hobby and has a packet of materials for learning the hobby. Some of the topics Klutz books cover are polymer clay modeling, hair styling, and pompon creations. They are all cleverly written and lots of fun.
Another hobby that can be learned from a kit is starting garden seedlings, especially herbs. A seed starting kit typically contains a pot, a small trowel, seeds, fertilizer, and a greenhouse dome or cover. Potting soil may need to be purchased separately.
When choosing a hobby kit, be careful to get one that is appropriate for the recipient. Sometimes a hobby kit is quite challenging. An example of a difficult project is an electronics kit for wiring one’s own radio. If a kit is a gift for a child and it is too hard, it will wind up gathering dust on some shelf. In fact, it might gather dust even if you buy it for yourself! Consider getting a smaller project that you can finish in a short time so you can get a feel for the hobby. The next hobby kit you buy can be harder if you find that you enjoy the hobby and have a real desire to learn more about it.
PRACTICE: Rehearse your magic trick several times before you show it to anyone. If you perform it with no rehearsal, you’ll just reveal the secret or have the trick fail. If you ruin a trick in front of an audience, just go on to another trick.
SECRETS: Do not disclose how you did a magic trick to your friends; regardless of insistent they are. You will lose the fun of doing the tricks once you have shared them.
REPEATING: Do not perform the same magic trick over again. When your friends ask you to perform the trick again, it implies that they were tricked that time, and they will try to observe your actions next time. Performing magic tricks is no longer fun if your spectators are not watching you perform. Thus, as soon as you finish a magic trick, pretend that you are surprised.
MIRRORS: Always consider your viewers will perceive your trick. Practice your trick facing the mirror so that you get to view how you will look like when you face your audience.
TRICKS: Select the magic stunt you love the most. No one can do all tricks extremely well. Here are some examples of card tricks:
Prior to beginning a trick, get the deck of cards out with the purpose of showing the picture, and set them up in order. It is not important which suits you will use (clubs, hearts, diamonds or spades,). Do not show to your audience how you arrange your cards. With the pack of cards facing down, show your three card and put them on top.
To make this more interesting, you can include a “false shuffle” or act as if you’re not certain if the trick will work. Of course, you are certain that it will because you have PRACTICED it!!
Have you tried to read using your fingers? Using this magic trick will show that you can read by using your fingers. Ask three people jot down their names on a piece of paper. Preferably, choose two boys and one girl. Then, cut the paper in three portions, and drop them into a box. While eyes are blindfolded, a magician can pull out the paper with girl’s name on it.
How can you know which paper has the girl’s name? Carefully touch the ends of the paper. The bottom and top names have only one ragged edge. Act as if you are having a hard time guessing which one is the girl’s name, and your audience will believe you can really read using your fingers.
