Okay...just a quickie as I have a little time on my hands. When I first started collecting it was just me, I knew nobody else who collected, no world wide web and I bought cheap LRB from a catalog and world coins only. When the web came about and a forum like this is born I found many more collectors. Sadly I often see them outbidding me for more rare finds. The first forums I went to were part of online coin shops (I like that cointalk isn't). These people are going to be concerned about attracting new collectors, more potential customers. So they put up a forum to aid people and attract new customers (less so open discussion.) Nothing wrong with this at all... I took the same opinion because that was how these forums are geared, to foster the feeling that more people should collect coins. After a while I started thinking that in truth, attracting more collectors, to me, a collector, only means more money, more competition, less coins. Its a bit contrary to a cheap collectors best interests to concern themselves with attracting new collectors. I know there are a lot of people here who DO concern themselves with attracting new young collectors and worry that the hobby isn't growing or getting enough new blood. Just wondering, as a collector, not someone who engages in the business of selling coin or makes money from the hobby, what inspires you to want the hobby to have more people participating? What are your opinions on the subject of being a bit of an ambassador for the hobby as well as a collector?
One day you may want to sell your coins. Or it may be your estate that wants to sell your coins. If all the old collectors have died off and no new collectors have entered the hobby who will you (or your estate) sell your coins to?
Good question Drusus and as you know I do now work at a shop. I'll tell you what I like about the YNs and it's not just at the store. It's at shows and many times when I was a customer at a shop. The look on a kid's face when they walk into such a place. When it suddenly hits them just how much is out there to explore and learn not because you HAVE to but because you WANT to. That's how I progressed. Now as for "bringing" people into the hobby. Either they want to or they don't. Who knows what drives us? For me my parents thought it was a "phase". LONG phase I can tell you that. Just yesterday we had a 13 year old come into the store for the second time. Both times with his grandmother. Not sure what he wants to collect but he WANTS to collect. Very shy kid and I think I scare him a bit. Just so happens our 14 year old intern was there so I asked Matt to take care of him. Kid loosened up a lot and Matt taught him a few things. Was proud of both of them. I'd much rather see kids learning for enjoyment than wasting their time playing computer games, etc. Can't say I've known many (or any) coin collectors turn into habitual criminals or losers. So endeth my ramble. clembo
Great topic Dru, and wonderful insight Clembo. Like I posted before, you are one lucky rascal to have a "part-time" job doing what you love so much. Personally, whenever we have visitors/customers and there are kids with the parents I usually can find a way to see if any of the younguns are interested in coin collecting. If a child or teen says yes, I will find something (some wheat back cents or a war nickel) to give them to 'prime the pump' or keep the fire burning, so-to-speak... Take Care Ben
Look at stamps , you may be able to get them cheaper but at what cost , less books & information out there , I want my grandkids to be able to enjoy a rich thriving hobby , with lots of peers out there to help them . As they say the more the merrier , Also if for some reason they had to sell my collection , I'd like it to still be worth something in the future . Are there many thriving stamp clubs now , I do know that stamps that used to be worth $1000 are worth maybe a third of that now , sure hate to see it happen to coins . rzage:smile:hatch::hammer:
My reasons are simple. The hobby has brought me alot of joy. If I can share that with others and help them (especially YN's) then I get some satisfaction out of that. Feeling that I'm helping someone else get as much pleasure from the great hobby that I get.
The hobby needs new blood to continue...that's been said many times. I want to see more young people (old as well) joining the hobby so that what we know and share (especially here at CT) can be passed along to them. In that way this hobby will never die. I try to inspire young people as they are the future. I keep a silver eagle in with my loose change and when at the store making a purchase that requires some small change I reach into my pocket and pull it out along with the dimes, nickels, pennys and quarters. Invariably there is always the question...what kind of coin is that? They're hooked. I've gotten their attention and I give them my little speach about what the coin is and where it came from and maybe ...I've inspired someone to collect. It's like you indicate Drusus..in one small way I try to be an ambassador for the hobby.
As a long time collector I know how exciting and rewarding the hobby can be, so some time back I decided to try to interest others in collecting. Kind of my way of giving back to a hobby that has been very good to me. I started buying coin folders and putting a few BU coins in each one and giving them to the tellers at two of the local banks, thought was that they could give them to some of the younger kids that came in and with some coins in them that they had a start. What started small kind of grew with folders holding cents through dollars and coin books and info from the mint. All coin world issues and other books I take in are gone the same day. Not just kids but adults and all of the tellers have folders and books now. Feels good to know someone might enjoy what I have for years. And i have a few tellers that have given me some very nice rolls of coins. Enjoy the Hobby, I do BILL :smile
My son (11) now started at seven. He took an interest in my collection with all the questions. Idont have any real great $ value coins but, Ive had a great time with him explaining the history and eras of the coins I have. He has begun his own collection of very nice circulated (mostly pocket change picks) and has bought a few at the shop. He likes silver rounds right now. His 5 yr old sister is following suit now. With the explanation of the coins he does 30 mins of research on the history of a coin or the designer or what was happening in the US during that coins age/era. He has become quite the history buff thru this. He takes notes and does a little oral presentation for me and the Mrs. We love it. Our countrys history is a great story for all.
I like working with kids and find coins to be an excellent educational tool. Someday, I'll quit procrastinating and post up a great anecdote about Christmas with my nephew and niece. We have a cool tradition involving coins.
Wow, funny how you mentioned that. I was put on probation in January and had been looking for something. Just some kind of interesting hobby that would keep me occupied and out of trouble. Then one day I took some coins to a coin-star machine and 2 of them weren't accepted, and when I took them out of the 'rejection' slot they were a 1939 Canadian nickel (in MS quality too!) and a 1943 Washington quarter. I took 'em home, went on eBay to see if I could sell them for anything, and instead was just blown away by all the different coins there were. I was sucked in immediately and KNEW I found what I'd been looking for. And here I am now. Not in jail, not doin' drugs anymore. This hobby turned me around. **Sorry to go off topic, I just had to say something about that**
Steve, That is BEYOND COOL and glad for you my friend. We all make mistakes and what a great way to stop making them! clembo
I have a similar tactic as green does in that I usually carry with me my german 5 mark silver eagle from 1970 and sometimes i casualy play with it at the bar or w/e and you'd eb surprised whos watching what your playing with n wants 2 ask questions and learn more.
I get a great deal of joy out of giving away coins to new collectors both young and old, when you get a email or letter that goes something like 'WOW I never even heard of that place' etc it makes it worth the effort it can open there eye's to a whole new world and not just the place they live in :smile Steve nice post, and I for one am glad that you found coins and this board :thumb:
Sure i would love to see more fresh blood enter the hobby, young or old. But i dont care 1 bit if the hobby grows or stays the same level over the years. when i die, and my estate is sold, sure i would love for it to seel for millions. But i would be dead, i dont care much I collect for the joy it brings. thats it. I do hope what i buy gains in value, but its not why i collect and buy things. I wish to see fresh collectors come in to keep the hobby going, not so much that the hobby explodes and every tim, dick, and harry and all their kids are collecting. If that happened i wouldnt be able to afford even the most basic items lol yes, it might be a bit selfish of me to think that way, and i know it goes against the priciples of all the folks here that collect to sell for a profit. I dont hold it against them, to each their own if they can, why not? (Pheonix) flame me if you wish lol
I come at this question with the perspective of someone who does not do business in coins, other than to buy them. Forums like this one are valuable resources to YN's, and for that reason I'm glad it exists. I want to see YN's involved in the hobby because (and this is touched on repeatedly in discussions here) the coins we collect are 'living' examples of moments in history. They fix our attention, and we are encouraged to think about them for a bit, and undoubtedly we learn something new. I want YN's to learn the relevence of history, and if it takes the lure of interesting coins to do that, so be it. I appreciate that the market factor of coins is a stronger and more immediate lure, but I don't see the two necessarily working at odds. The other function this forum serves everybody, including YN's, is to alert the collector to alterations by which coins are reduced in value, and to the existence of forgeries. A young person entering the hobby may well be put off for good by bad buying experiences, and the less this happens the better. I liked the comment by SteveMS70 above, its great to see how interest in coins can help distract someone from descending into the more negative pastimes that exist in society. This is a particularily important point when considering potential YN's.
