Last night I stopped at McDonalds. I got a dateless buffalo nickel in my change. I decided that I'm going to put it back into circulation. I want to see what kind of response I'll get. I'll keep you posted.
I paid for my dinner last night with a 1933 $20 Saint Gauldens. Wasn't doing much good just sittin' in my safe.
Send it, hopefully some youngster gets it and turns into a future collector. Or just pick some random kid and give it to them. I do both with dateless buff's
Why does everyone want more collectors? I want less collectors with less demand so the prices go down so I can buy more for less. :yes:
While I don't want more collectors per say, I want more younger collectors like myself (19). Most of the people in my coin club are in their 50s and 60s. If we don't get younger people interested, in 30 years they will be all dead.
Just got back from the corner store. I gave him the nickel. He didn't even notice. This guy gets a lot of Wheaties, Kennedy halves, and modern dollar coins...people spending their collections on a pack of smokes.
Good to know us old folks should not collect since we all will be dead in thirty years.. FYI.. its "per se" not "per say".
I didn't say that. Coin collecting became a hit in the 50s and 60s. The "golden era" collectors are getting up there in years. If more younger people are introduced to the hobby, then there will be just as many to replace the "golden era" numismatists once they pass in 10-30 years. Nothing wrong with older people collecting coins.
Before I put the Buffalo back in circulation I would have tried to recover the date with ferric chloride (also sold as Nic-A-date). It may have been a key date worth a lot more than 5 cents, and worth keeping. The date restoration will drop the collector value of the coin, but some folks would still pay a premium for one, if it's a key date.
First, we would all be dead in 30 years, now it's down to 10-30. We just lost 20 years of life expectancy.
I view this as a common fallacy. I started in a coin club when I was younger than you, and most of the collectors were 40-70 year old men. I jonied another club when I was 25 and most collectors were 40-70 year old men. I joined the TCACC a few years ago when I moved and most collectors were 40-70 year old men. So, during a 25 year timeframe the average age of collectors have not changed. I think older men are for some reason the most prone to collect coins. Sure, younger men and women sometimes collect as well, (more the merrier), but its mainly an older man's hobby. As such, many collectors never start until they are 40 or older. I just do not see lower numbers of kids as being "the death of the hobby". I think even if they do not collect when they are 22, when they get past 40 many will start. I have been reading your exact argument ever since I got into the hobby, and it has never appeared to be true. Having said that, I do all I can to encourage anyone to be a collector, including giving away stuff to younger collectors. Chris
Im a young collector also at 15 and I have no money to fund my love for this hobby so im losing interest fast.
I get wheats and buffalos in change alot. I examine them and if its of no use to me I just dump them back in circulation.
Collect what you can afford. Writing a check never makes a person a collector, its knowledge and love of the hobby. If you cannot afford expensive coins, have you considered world coins? Tens of thousands of different coins sell for less than a quarter each. Roll searching current coinage is also a way to go. A collector can collect regardless of budget. I would love to have a BU type set of 18th century US coinage, but I cannot afford to buy them. I do not think that makes me less of a collector. Hang in there kid, you have your whole life to buy the more expensive coins. Chris