Speaking as a collector, or NPME (non-profit making entity), I do, wherever possible, try to obtain coins with a provenance. I find it important that a coin that I want to keep has some extrinsic baggage, a life story if you will, and I would pay more for that.
I'm sure that we'd all like to own unique coins, well I like to think that, to some extent, a provenance gives you that.
For each coin, I like to compile a file of information containing not only the physical specifications and historical details of the piece but also the tickets, auction catalogues, and any information that I can find relating to previous custodians. I do not then have generic examples of such-and-such a coin or medal, but examples with unique alter ego's, thanks to their provenance. A provenance can give an unobtrusive cookie-cutter coin a unique aspect. Of course, there are provenances and there are PROVENANCES and that's another interesting discussion.
I suppose you're either into it or you're not, as the actress said to the bishop.
Here's a recent example. I'd been looking for a Lilburn acquittal medal for a while and I passed on a better looking (and cheaper) example to select the one below. I chose it above the better grade for its interesting, albeit tenuous, non-numismatic provenance.