Like many OHNS members, I was a coin collector long before I was a hobo nickel aficionado. It all began in my youth. I began my numismatic experiences by collecting Lincoln Cents even though, like some many others, I incorrectly called them Lincoln pennies at the time. When I was a kid Lincoln wheat cents could still be found in circulation. I bought a couple of Whitman coin folders and would look through my parents’ and friends’ change to see if I could find a missing date or mint mark to fill a hole in my albums. I didn’t have any coin dealers near me, and I didn’t go to any coin shows, but I kept at for several years. By the time I got into my later teen years my interest in coin collecting was replaced by other activities.

One of my first hobo nickels

    In the 1980’s and 90’s I got interested again in coin collecting and returned to Lincoln Cents. I began regularly visiting local coin dealers and going to some local coin shows. One monthly show I regularly attended was the Blue Ribbon Coin Show held at the time in Maumee, Ohio (Toledo suburb) at the fair grounds next to where the Toledo Mud Hens Baseball Team used to play (They now have a new stadium in downtown Toledo.). This was only a forty minute drive from my home in Michigan. It was at this coin show I saw my first hobo nickel. John Sheets, coin dealer and organizer of the show, sold me a J. Allen hobo nickel for $5.00. At the time, he told me J. Allen was a man and was no longer alive. The Dixiebelle Fox should get a kick out of that! I bought the hobo nickel simply as a novelty. I was still collecting Lincoln cents. A couple of months later I bought a Frank Brazell hobo nickel.
    As time went on I improved my Lincoln cent collection by replacing circulated coins with mint state coins. By the time the 90's rolled around I had a very nice Lincoln cent collection, but I also had two daughters in college. Like many, I hadn’t saved enough, and I sold off the bulk of my Lincoln cent collection to help with tuition and books. I also put my collecting on hold for a couple of years but not my interest in numismatics.
    By the time my second daughter graduated from college in 1997, I had returned to coin collecting. I didn’t give up on Lincoln cents, but I was now interested in U.S.coins in general. I began assembling a U.S. Type Set (all variations) other than Gold coinage. I began subscribing to Numismatic News and Coin World. Besides purchasing at local coin dealers and shows, I was buying some coins through mail order, and I began regularly attending the semi annual MSNS (Michigan State Numismatic Society) Conventions and Coin Shows.
    It was during the later 1990’s that I became aware of the Gallery Mint. The Gallery Mint was offering reproductions of early copper and silver U. S. Coins. These were the coins that I had been unable to afford examples of for my U.S. Type set. So I began buying these beautiful reproductions. At the time, Ron Landis was just a name on the newsletters mailed out by the Gallery Mint. The Gallery Mint began offering annual hobo tokens for $5.00 each. The price was right and I began buying the one or two offered each year. I later learned that Ron Landis carved the original hobo nickels from which dies were made, and then Jefferson nickels were used as planchets to produce the hobo nickels. I was beginning to get really interested in hobo nickels.

My first truly Classic hobo nickel

    I joined OHNS in 1999. I think it was an article in Coin World that made me aware of The Original Hobo Nickel Society. Needless to say, BoTales began opening my eyes to the world of hobo nickels. I was starting to lose interest in U.S. Type coins and becoming more interested in hobo nickels.
    It was at the MSNS Fall Show in 2000 that I purchased my first Classic hobo nickels. One of the dealers I always sought out was the late Norm Talbert (Great Lakes Coins) Norm had been a source for several of the coins I sought out for my U.S. Type set. He also often bought coins from me when I replaced a coin with a better coin. Norm was a Buffalo Nickel specialist and a Hobo Nickel collector (joined OHNS in 1993). At the 2000 MSNS Show I bought five hobo nickels. One was above average, one was average, one was below average, one was crude and one was an average Frank Brazell carving of a soldier. I purchased two of the five at Norm’s table.
    In the January 2001 I won my first nickel from an OHNS Auction. It was my first “Bo Hughes” nickel. By the way, it was a mail in bid.

Myself and Art at the 2006 FUN Show

    A major turning point for me was the Fall 2003 MSNS Convention and Coin Show. As was my practice, I headed straight for Norm Talbert’s table. He had four hobo nickels for sale. As I was looking at the nickels, Arturo DelFavero (Cinco de Arturo) walked up. This was my first meeting with Art. Soon all three of us (Art, Norm and I) were talking about hobo nickel collecting. I learned a lot that day and made a new friend who shares my love for Hobo Nickels. I bought two of the four nickels that Norm had for sale. Art bought another. One that I purchased is by a carver that Art, Candace Kagin and I have given the nickname of “Schnozz.”
    Since that day, Art and I have shared our hobo nickel collections with each other. Art also got me in contact with a coin dealer friend who purchased my U.S. Type Coin collection in 2005 so I could buy more hobo nickels. You can certainly say I was hooked by this point.
    I was asked by OHNS to be a Board Member and was installed at the 2006 FUN Show. As a board member I am ready to serve the membership and welcome an ideas or suggestions how we can improve OHNS. By the way, I collect both Classic and Modern hobo nickels.
    Last year I commissioned my first hobo nickel carvings. Being a Vietnam Vet, I thought it would be fun to feature myself from that era. Bob Shamey and Lee Griffiths answered the call.

−by Bob Shamey Ralph humping radio Ralph in bird −by Lee Griffiths  ( Unit patch below LIBERTY )

    Do any of you have a story to share how you got interested in Hobo Nickels? I’m sure Sport (Don Farnsworth) would love hearing from you and perhaps publish your story in a future issue of “BoTales.”