How many coin collectors in u.s.?.

anchor1112 · 09-19-2005, 02:28 PM

every year, the u.s. mint sold millions of sets and coins. but, exactly how many collectors we have?. dealers were buying thousands of sets for re -sell. and collectors and investors were keeping hundreds of sets too. it seems the collectors were in the millions. but i think is not. or maybe true. anyone have the figures?. or guessing or estimating?.

rick · 09-19-2005, 02:31 PM

1,347,973.6

knowtracks · 09-19-2005, 02:31 PM

Counting me... 3

rick · 09-19-2005, 02:32 PM

I was going to say 3... seriously, it was my next guess.

cladking · 09-19-2005, 05:23 PM

It really depends on how you define collector. Too tight a definition and you'll
get a number like a quarter million. (these would primarily be advanced numis-
matists many of whom would have extensive, vast, and/ or advanced collections).
Too loose a definition and you'll get a number like the US mint which claims 119
million people are collecting states coins. (some just toss them in a bucket un-
til they have enough for vacation).

I'd guess we have somewhere around 20 million people who are actively working
on completing some set or other. This is similar to the peak which was hit in the
mid-'60's but many of these people are the same individuals who were active in
those days. There are lots of kids also who are working on the states coins.

It's probably still growing and there are another 20 million or so people who are
paying attention to coins or watching for the WI 25c varieties. Many of these
people may yet become collectors.

satootoko · 09-19-2005, 06:25 PM

How many members does the ANA claim?

My guess is that something less than 10% of the people who would self-define themselves as "coin collectors" belong, so ANA membership X 10 gives a guesstimated floor.

And I'd also guess than 9 out of 10 folks hoarding State Quarters are not truly "coin collectors" as most forum members would define the term, so Treasury estimate X .1 gives a guesstimated ceiling.

Conder101 · 09-19-2005, 07:09 PM

I've worked it out several times using different methods and different assumptions and I get a range of answers from a low of around 1.2 million to a high around 2 million.

Cloudsweeper99 · 09-19-2005, 10:03 PM

I would guess that probably less than 1% of the population has purchased a coin from the Mint, a coin dealer, an internet dealer, or from Ebay in the last 2 years; or has put a coin into a holder or folder for safekeeping. Throwing state quarters in a box doesn't really count in my mind. It doesn't make them a collector in the numismatic sense of the word.