Always the season to collect

I was flying over the Midwest during the Memorial Day weekend. Looking down on all the rich farmland and the greening of the countryside put a smile on my face.

For someone like me who lives in Wisconsin, this time of year is a time for making plans, doing things and shaking off the lingering effects of winter.

It is an amazing tonic to be able to move around and see the country and meet different people. Just being able to be active makes me more optimistic.

I even received two 2011-D dimes in my change at an airport newsstand. Getting current year coins makes me optimistic as well. I have written before about my observations of economic conditions and the length of time it takes to see the first coins of the new year.

But I also had a nice conversation with a fellow named John who drove me to the Cincinnati airport yesterday. He is basically retired, but he told me he works one day a week for the hotel so he and his wife can do a little travel each year.

He had great things to say about China. Conditions in Russia he thought were bad. The people of Australia were so friendly that he and his wife were invited by strangers to join them at their tables.

Overall, you could tell he enjoyed seeing new things and the people he meets along the way.

Great attitude.

That’s what has always impressed me about the coin collecting hobby. The people are friendly and you get to see new things all the time.

If we weren’t a bunch of optimists, why would we undertake the difficult challenge of putting coin sets together?

In short, in a way, it is always spring somewhere for collectors who are starting a new set.

That’s the season I want to live in.