Does it pay to specialize?

[Diederik]

I started off as a general collector, with the 'aim' of having all denominations of all emperors and caesars; it ground to a halt when confronted with my financial limitations: the emperors I needed, were sought by practically the whole world!
Just one single coin of Antoninus Pius triggered my interest in his early cpoinage. In that field I can beat many collectors and dealers and am happy there are only few others on my warpath! This way I can come up with rare coins, every now and then.
On the other hand I want to be able to buy coins at very affordable prices and therefore I regularly browse coins of the period 294-237 AD and regularly find pieces of some interest.
On the other hand, when I look at my old collection, I am glad I still have all those familiar faces, the clumsy Celtic coins, the nice Greek ones and the venerable Republican pieces.
So, Yes, it pays to be a specialist and Yes, it is lovely to be a generalist.

Frans

[slokind]

The choice, once one has had a taste of collecting, is a matter of temperament.  You should choose the kind of collecting that gives you the greatest consistent pleasure, intellectual and aesthetic, within the limits of a budget reasonable for your income.  Allow yourself, of course, to make exceptional purchases.  Pat L.

[Paul Severus]

I decided to specialize fairly early on. I settled in on two areas, one narrow, one not so narrow.

I've always had an interest in the Roman Republic and I've always liked to myth of the Dioscuri. So coins of the Republic featuring the Dioscuri are the narrow collecting area.

For imperial coins I have gravitated to the Severan period because of the dramatic history, the fact that the coins struck during this time were still of high quality, and are in sufficient numbers (for the most part) to be affordable. I'm also a little bit of a silver bug so I focus on the silver denari of the Severan period. I try to include only EF coins and those with exceptional portraiture. Reverse type and legend or scarcity is not as important as well struck coins and excellent portraiture.

Without the story to bind the collection together, it is just not as much fun.

[Vladimir]

Isn't the point of being a specialty collector to trust ones own judgement most?

well sure, but that's philosophy already,  I guess I meant it in a  more general meaning.  Like that many collectors might buy a coin of Augustus at one point or another.

[David Atherton]

I have specialized from day one on Flavian denarii. The very first ancient coin I ever held or bought was a Vespasian denarius. The very first numismatic book I purchased was Roman Silver Coins II. My collecting niche comes about from my interest in the period historically (The Jewish Revolt, Year of the Four Emperors, Masada, Pompeii, The Colosseum, Mons Graupius, ect...). I have tried to purchase all the main books about the period both coin wise and historically.

I have a great deal of interest in other eras and coinages...but my heart has always been with the Flavian era. For me, specializing is the most enjoyable way to collect.

[Aarmale]

I've pretty much centered around Judean coins. Many dealers cannot read Proto-Hebrew, so I have the advantage!  I got some really good deals.

[Ghengis_Jon]

I'd agree with that in a general view, Paul.  I've found as a specialized collector that the knowledge you not only gain, but can impart to others is one of the most rewarding aspects of the hobby.  When I first started collecting ancients, it was Greeks with mythological creatures on the reverse.  Then it expanded to Greeks with animals.  Uncleaned coins brought me into Romans and now I focus almost exclusively on the "victoriae dd avggq nn" series.  (But I still can't resist a Greek with a nice hippocamp or griffin!)

If one decides to specialize, go for it with gusto.  I am very fortunate that my current obsession/focus is cheap and readily available.  This does not detract from the collection, it enhances it as new additions frequently arrive.   With 400+ variations, I know the thrill of the hunt is always there.   

High end or common coins, its all the same, I've never regretted specializing a coin type.  The dealers I regularly buy from haven't complained either.   

[ancientdave]

The best way to collect IMO is not to intentionally specialize, but to look at alot of coins and decide what speaks to you, and why. For instance, I collect primarily Roman Imperial bronze of the 1st & 2nd century, but I also have a small collection of denarii, and I also collect the early Imperial bronzes of Antioch. Within each of these groups are small theme collections, such as architectural reverses, orichalcum asses, animal reverses, etc, etc. So my collection has many different themes that run through it, and this keeps me engaged, as there are many different coins that I can collect for different reasons. I feel that this approach makes my collection far more interesting than would rigidly sticking to a single focus. My interest grows organically, many themes upon which I collect would have never been revealed to me had I not been open to taking some small side trails off of the main path, so to speak. My advice would be look at many different coins, think about what attracts you and why, and read voraciously. Then just let your feet take you where they may.