Bullion is King and Coins are dying!

Discussion in 'Bullion Investing' started by SilverForLife, Sep 6, 2013.

  1. medoraman

    medoraman Supporter! Supporter

    Well, considering I primarily collect ancient coins I have to take issue with this. In fact, the ancient side of the hobby has grown greatly the last few decades. I buy bullion as an inflation hedge, my coin collecting money goes into ancient coins.
     
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  3. There are many, many people out there who collect as well as stack bullion. These same people will pay well over melt for limited mintage, themed or slabbed bullion. Without getting into a classic versus modern or a collector versus investor debate, I think people should buy what makes them happy. I have both collector coins and bullion. Not sure what the future holds, but whenever I show someone the stash, they always fall in love with the bright and shiny bullion. Just an observation. TC
     
  4. medoraman

    medoraman Supporter! Supporter

    That is true. Even pulling out coins of Alexander the Great, etc it seems non-collectors are more attracted to the gold.....
     
  5. green18

    green18 Unknown member Sweet on Commemorative Coins Supporter

    Crows are attracted to bright and shinny objects.......... devil.gif
     
  6. coleguy

    coleguy Coin Collector

    It's hardly dying. The economy usually only effects the bullion markets, not the numismatic markets, as we've witnessed the past 15 years. Most people I know who collect don't do so based on market trends, spot price, or economic cycles. Comparing bullion buyers with coin collectors is like comparing peaches to airplanes....it just doesn't make sense to.
     
  7. Mr Roots

    Mr Roots Underneath The Bridge

    I know one coin collector, my grandmother and she's not active, just has all her coins from when she was.....I'm in my late 30's and only know one other stacker. Live in a county with a couple hundred thousand people and not a single coin store....From where I sit it sure looks dead.
     
  8. torontokuba

    torontokuba Thread Crapper & Hijacker, TP please.

    The internet has made it possible for people to take part in many auctions around the world. Reputable auction houses and internet coin sources have regular auctions. They issue catalogues with coin photos and info, that dwarf many current coin related publications. Anyone who wants to know and take part, knows and takes part. Then there is ebay and various smaller auction sites.

    http://www.nomismaweb.com/en.html
     
    medoraman likes this.
  9. Yooper

    Yooper Member

    I don't think the younger generations have the time, patience or the pockets to take on coins as a hobby. Many of us were introduced to the hobby by our fathers and grandfathers interests and collections. Kids today are more likely to have an xbox than a dad.
     
    KoinJester likes this.
  10. medoraman

    medoraman Supporter! Supporter

    Exactly. I know of two very well respected ancient dealers living in rural MN, one clear up by Lake Superior. Coin stores are an antiquated model for the hobby. Most of them nowadays basically pay the bills by buying old coins off of non-collectors who inherit them and wholesaling them out or selling on Ebay. To try to say number of brick and mortar stores is an indicator of the health of the hobby is to completely ignore the internet. I would say the interent has had a more profound affect on this hobby than almost anything I can think of.
     
    Alegandron and torontokuba like this.
  11. medoraman

    medoraman Supporter! Supporter

    They will come around. I was never introduced to the hobby by anyone, I found it on my own. I am the only collector in my family. Like most, during my teenage years girls, cars, etc were more interesting. Fact is, most coin collectors start in their late 20's/early thirties. Always have, always will I believe. For every 1 David Bowers who started dealing as a kid, there are 100,000 kids who start, give it up as a teenager, then come back to the hobby after high school, college, and marriage are taken care of.
     
  12. The bullion market is cooling off slowly. Coin collecting will become more prominent as more people exit from bullion and invest elsewhere. Probably the same way it was in the 90s
     
  13. x115

    x115 Collector

    for me bullion coins all look the same for that particular issue. for example the 2013 reverse buffalos. they are all the same coin. you might have a 70 label or a 69 label, but not much difference between the two. maybe thats the reason for all the fancy labels. same with the UHR & 2006 reverse AGE. its not like you see some great toners out there.the coins are beautiful but all look the same. I bought a reverse buffalo, but its like buying a clone.

    most older coins will have a unique look to them. rather it be wear,toning, marks, die cracks,varieties, Etc.. its hard to find 2 that look the same.

    to me, I rather buy an older coin with a high mintage that has one of a kind eye appeal and its own personality over a bullion coin with 9,999 clones.

    but thats the great thing about this hobby, not every one collects the same thing
     
    Yooper likes this.
  14. NorthKorea

    NorthKorea Dealer Member is a made up title...

    I would view it more as a dead cat bounce, of sorts. It's not that people are aware of a need to invest in tangible assets, so much as a speculation on collapsed assets retracing to previous highs.
     
  15. Evom777

    Evom777 Make mine .999

    I collect both coins and bullion. I first was attracted to older coins because I have been a "digger" and a metal detectorist, for over 15 years now. Some of my friends were into coins before I ever was, as I saw the hobby as reeking of stodgery...so to speak. But the more I dug, the more I found, and the more of an interest in history I took on....the more coins started to appeal. But it wasn`t until about 5 years ago that I started to really get serious about coins and bullion.

    As far as what attracted me to bullion was a combination of an almost instinctive attraction to PMs that I had since I was a kid, and the knowledge of what America was doing and where it was headed. I collect different bullion for different purposes. Some is strictly used for trade, some is held for when and if I need to cash it in for the dreaded fiat currency, :) and some is held simply because I like it.

    Getting back to the topic.....I have seen an actual increase in bullion collecting because of many of the already stated responses. I have also seen an increase in collectors of some coins as well, such as Morgans, Trade Dollars, Merc Dimes, error coins, old U.S. gold and to a lesser extent Buffalo Nickels and Peace Dollars. (anything that`s legitimately toned seems to be doing real well too) But other coins are tanking and some dealers that I know are getting really frustrated with the lack of new blood getting into the "hobby." I know dealers who are no longer doing various shows because they have hardly sold anything, while others are doing better than ever....so it`s hard to gauge, but like anything else it comes down to exposure.....and that starts with each and every one of Us.
     
  16. SilverForLife

    SilverForLife Member

    For the record I hope the Coin shows keep going as I like them. I do see one day a cashless society of plastic and electrons. That may kill the next generations care for coins as they will not have a personal connection.
     
  17. chrisild

    chrisild Coin Collector

    Yeah, "one day" maybe. But even today people collect coins that they have never (or hardly ever) seen in circulation. Also, look at Sweden -- pretty much the cashlessest ;) country on earth, and yet they plan to issue a new set of circulation coins.

    Christian
     
  18. BRandM

    BRandM Counterstamp Collector

    Good point Christian, but "cashlessest"? I can't even pronounce it!:D

    Bruce
     
    chrisild likes this.
  19. torontokuba

    torontokuba Thread Crapper & Hijacker, TP please.

    I'm not sure how I feel about coin shows, the ones I've been to, reminded me of a bunch of foxes, trying to catch a few chickens and get quadruple their cash for a coin.

    A so called "reputable dealer" was offering a 1938 Voyageur Dollar for $600. I assume there was a bit of negotiating room. The coin was supposedly a high grade MS. I asked to see it up close. I saw lots of hairlines and asked if the coin was cleaned. The response I got was that those were bag marks. I'm sorry, but, for $600 I would expect no hairlines and maybe a reputable TPGS. Needless to say, I went home and ordered the same coin on-line in UNC, from a real reputable dealer, for $110, no bag marks, no hairlines. Nothing I saw at the coin shows, made me want to go back, even to the ones with free admission.

    As for the plastic society, I did not see this stage of evolution coming in the form of polymer notes. I am now paying with plastic, whether it is cash or card.
     
  20. Revi

    Revi Mildly numismatic

    I'm one of those people who started as a bullion buyer and am now mildly numismatic. I think I'm turning into a numismatist! I like coins that I can get for close to melt value that might have some more value later. I just got 2 1982 Washington commemorative half dollars for a little over their bullion value. They are bound to be worth more in a few years whatever happens.
     
  21. jobz888

    jobz888 New Member

    hi all, i've been seeing reports of fake bullion. when silver made a play 2 years back edging towards $50.00 i backed off buying all loafs or any bullion over an ounce as some were being tampered with. insides sucked out and replaced to perfect weight with the seal on third side almost undetectable. but now i'm hearing about one ouncers being fake. i'm not talking about 'german silver' either i mean regular old reliable names so i'm gun shy of buying anything newish..
    rob
     
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