My name is Alan Fisher and welcome to my collection of Hard Times Tokens. I've been collecting HTT's since I was about 18 years old and, given the time limitations of my career and family, it's about all that I collect.

I created this site with several objectives in mind. First, as a showcase for the collection I've spent 23 years building. Second, as a repository for interesting articles and materials about hard times tokens and the hard times era. And third, as a clearinghouse of sorts for other collectors.

My collecting story is fairly typical. After amassing about 90 unique varieties between 1978 and 1981, I consigned them to the Bowers & Ruddy's Springfield sale in September, 1981. That was a big mistake! While Bowers & Ruddy did a great job selling my collection, I had been bitten by the HTT bug and promptly began rebuilding the collection. What you see on this website today is that second collection I've been building for the last 22 years. Please note that the tokens on this site are not for sale; they're my current collection that I'm actively building and enhancing.

To me, collecting hard times tokens represents the ultimate collecting challenge. The series is so broad, varied, and with so many rare pieces, it's almost impossible to ever build a "complete" collection. I'm not a purist who only collects the original 183 tokens in Lyman Low's second listing. I also collect the pseudo-Low varieties -- pretty much everything in Rulau.

I welcome correspondence with all HTT collectors. Feel free to contact me if you have HTT's or related material to sell, or if you just want to chat.

Sincerely,
Alan Fisher

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