True value

Some of you may recall my neighbor in California—old man Grif. I’ve written about him a few times.

For Christmas he sent me four coins. On them are various presidential first ladies. The coins are carefully wrapped and came with a white glove—if I ever decide to handle them. In an accompanying letter he wrote: Hope you like the coins. They are bronze and limited addition struck from the same die as the gold ones. Use the glove. In a few years they will be valuable. This was only one little part of a four-page, hand-written letter. He told me about his recent surgery, how rent has gone up and no one is living in my old apartment. How he’s fed up with Publisher’s Clearinghouse. That he liked the T-shirt I sent him—it fits. He also asked how I was doing. How my family was. How school and work were, and if I was liking my new place. Also in the package were newspaper clippings of San Diego’s weather (he likes to rub that in) and four gaudy 2009 calendars he received free with the purchase of other coins and won’t use. (one was a Ronald Reagan calendar—12 months of Ronald Reagan)

Today I got another envelope from him. He clipped out a newspaper article about the stimulus package’s affect on first-time homebuyers. He thought of me and wanted to make sure I knew about the tax credits I was eligible for.

I’ve just finished writing him a long letter, and I was thinking about the coins (as well as how much longer it takes to write a letter than send an email). See, what I don’t understand about coins is that sure, they may gain value, but do you ever really take them in and get cash for them? Some people must. But how long must one wait until they gain value? And where would I even go to find out if these presidential first lady coins are worth a lot more in five years? Let’s say I find out that they are. I would most likely decide to hold on to them for another five years because they’d be that much more valuable. And on and on and on. Until some day my kids are cleaning out the attic wondering why their mom has these coins with a little white glove. Do people who collect coins ever actually cash in on the worth? Or is the real benefit just knowing that you’re sitting on (I think Grif actually kept some under his mattress, so he’s sleeping on) coins with lots of value?

To me, the value is right now. And it’s not in the actual coin, but rather in the giving. It’s in Grif purchasing coins he hopes will bring me value. It’s in his four-page letter. And in his newspaper clippings about tax credits. I'm cashing in right now!