Meet Howard–The Coin Collector

On a chilly day at the end of November at the Columbus Flea Market, the tables were filled with all different kinds of collectables and things the vendors and some others consider treasures. The items there ranged from trading cards to large vases and everything in between. Amish food was being eaten and collectibles were being sold. The air had a musty smell to it from all of the antiques that may have been sitting in a basement for years.

An average sized, middle aged man, with a cigarette in his hand by the name of Howard caught people’s eyes with his table. His table appeared to be catching the sun rays.

The table was filled with coins, but not American money and coinage. The sun was reflecting off the coins making them iridescent and more shiny than they would be if it were cloudy out. Howard started selling various items including stamps and coins at flea markets about 15 years ago. Throughout the past 15 years he has been willing to stand outside in the brisk air like this November day and even in the boiling hot sun in August. From day one he has sold coins of all different kinds. Howard has a lot of Roman coins and coins from the 1600s and 1800s. Those kinds are his favorite. His coins range from old, rusty, and worn to new, clean, and shiny. He started to collect coins by buying them from different flea markets and then selling them as his own. He sells each coin for about a dollar or two but knows they may be worth more or less than that. In a collector’s world, people look for unique items not necessarily expensive ones.

Selling the coins is what he likes to do because coins interest him, so he gets to learn and make money at the same time. At the end of the day if he sold a coin or not, either way he is going home with money in his pocket.