When I began collecting coins, many years ago, I never considered myself a Numismatist. The images impressed on the round disks were pleasing to me and I was intrigued by the artistry. Silver was ever-present and collecting old dated coins was much easier than it is today and because most people didn't seem to care about them. To me, collecting was just a casual hobby without any preset goal. In the 1960's and 70's, I began noticing books and magazines devoted to the collecting of coins. Strike errors became popular in the late 70's with the famous 1955 doubled die variety, but errors did not pique my interest until recently when my wife handed me a bunch of coins and I found the first of three 1972 Lincoln DDO's which led me to investigate them as well as DDR's and RPM's. I am still a casual collector and periodic recipient of coin presents. This brings me to the title of my thread. I have welcomed quite a few new members to CT during the past year and pondered their interest in coin collecting as a hobby, money making venture or some combination. The majority of questions, to my recollection, have been: "What grade is this coin and what is its value?" which gives me the impression of wanting to cash in, not collect, but that is just my opinion, however, recent newbies seem to exhibit a serious collecting interest. I think the majority of us "Old Guard", were and are, collectors in the strict sense of the word.
Robert, I class myself as a newbie, having had no connection to coin collecting until I inherited this eclectic mix a little over a year ago. The value of it does not interest me in the slightest. It's value is in the connection to it's previous owner, my late Father in Law. As to others you mentioned, most of it is to do with the internet explosion, and many people convinced by you-tube click bait videos. Especially now in this new generation of " I want it all, I want it now, and I don't care how I get it". I have added to the collection over the year and will continue to do so. Back to your original statement, I think the majority are still collectors in the strict sense of the word, and like with all interest, there are those on the sidelines looking to make a fast buck.
I started collecting in the spring of 2016 and for two years spent nearly all of my collecting time on YouTube. Began as a coin roll hunter watching channels that for the most part talked about finding errors in change. While I was really only interested in finding silver and old coins, there is a good portion of the CRH community that wants to flip errors/silvers for profit. And there isn't anything wrong with that all. It's the misinformation and exaggeration of roll hunting that many channels out there produce that is terrible for the community. You will notice many channels making clickbait vids with things like "YOU WILL FIND THIS $16K COIN IN YOUR CHANGE." And when I started collecting, making videos of seeded rolls displaying many silver coins was very popular at the time. While searching for errors in change can be fun, you need to have an extremely vast knowledge of what you are searching for and the minting process. Most of these channels do not have interest in teaching the minting process/die making process/etc. This is why we see so many newbies straight up asking if their damaged coin is an error or not. They just never learned to tell for themselves or do not care. With that said, I believe many people on coin forums have an unfair prejudice against YT. There are MANY good channels on YouTube that are either unrecognized or growing very slowly. I have seen people instantly refuse to watch anything just because of the stigma YT has. And honestly, if collectors on YouTube are misled and need guidance for collecting, why shun them out? Shouldn't we be teaching them or at the very least point them in the right direction? And BTW, here is a small list of excellent numismatic YouTube channels. CoinHELPU Ancient Numismatics Capped Bust Half Dollar Collector Coin Sense and Nonsense Dr G Holding History (Spanish) La historia de Mexico a Traves las Monedas Larry Stendebach Ontario100 Numistacker Sam Shafer Tylonn Platinum the 3rd I was lucky in that I made good connections outside of YT before getting deeper into the hobby. Hopefully yall "Old guard" collectors who grew up with buffalos and Indians in your pocket change will see where I'm coming from.
I started "collecting" in the 50's with my Mom. I have never been interested in investing in coins or bullion, just collecting. If Mom and I didn't find it in pocket change we didn't have it. No way could we afford to buy a coin back then. Collected wheat cents mostly but would keep an old nickel if we found it. I still have a few no date buffaloes from back then. I am still interested in current value of coins and may ask for opinions here on CT occasionally, but it's strictly a curiosity thing for me because it corresponds directly with the grade of the coin. Of course as we all know there are many coins that probably be found CRH or in pocket change, so I will buy coins I want/need/like now to add to my collection. The most fun part for me is the hunt!!! When I find a special coin, regardless of potential value, it's like willing a jackpot!!!!! LOL I tried a while back to get my neighbors son interested in collection but the first time I had to tell him his coin was not the very expensive one he lost interest!! Really a shame!!! I guess that leads to what I think I have noticed with some of the newbies on here. They seem to think they are going to strike it rich, even to the pint of arguing with members who are telling them what they don't want to hear!! Thanks for letting me reminisce and vent all at the same time. Great thread!!
I myself started in spring 2011 at a flea market in my hometown of Auburn. Old, sickly man with cancer. He had a bunch of coins, some stamps (not for me), some military stuff. He said he was dispersing his collection because his wife didn't want to have to do it after he died. Every Saturday morning my mémère would take me, and I would have 5-15 dollars to spend. That man gave me an incredible gift. I don't think he really knew, he was just a scruffy man, kind of grumpy, etc now that I think about it. Either way, eventually that flea market just ends, as do all good things, and I never hear from the man again. At another flea market I saw a woman who sold clothes at the first one, she told me he died. That was what really kicked it for me. I knew immediately that it was 'my thing'. Even in elementary school. Theres a little more to it than that but I'm not a psychologist or anything I welcome people into the hobby but I really suggest they stay away from TikTok, Youtube, etc. To me, the social connections built in the hobby are where you make the richest gains.
I don't think that's any problem, here. But we're not caregivers, either. They want to question, that's fine. They learn from it, that's better. But some are here for more, let's face it, and we're not their mommies and daddies. They don't want to learn, it's their business. We shouldn't lump all of them together anymore than we lump all of us together. We take them as we find them, and vice-versa. They come and stay and come and go. And the forum, well, it marches on...
Cool thread. I never considered myself a numismatist. Rather a rabid hobbyist/hoarder. Been hoarding the better part of fifty years. I watched the advent of TPG’s and have watched with curious interest this new (to me) interest in error collecting. I don’t know if it was more fun collecting average coins as a poor youngster to fill my books... Or if it is more fun buying the coins I dreamed of when I was that poor kid. Either way, the hobby has held me hostage for fifty years and I’m sure it will remain that way until I leave the party.
"I think the majority of us "Old Guard", were and are, collectors in the strict sense of the word." Here, here, and death to.........pardon me. The wife just asked if I know the whereabouts of a glue stick. I must dutifully search the wretched instrument out. I think all of us 'collectors' here have, at one time or another, gotten into this hobby because of the prospect of finding something valuable on 'the cheap'. I'm all for it as long as it doesn't become someones' main focus, because if that be so, you're not a collector.........MHO.
green found something he was actually looking for ! Somebody find a calendar and mark that down 1,367 I'm tellin ya, I'm on my way to 360
New Age Numismatists vs. The Old Guard. Well Robert I dunno. It seems to me that the split between those who collect simply because they like it, and those who collect with profit in mind - has always been there. OK, always might be pushing it bit - how about ever since the days Max Mehl. I'd say he's the one who really got the ball rolling on the profit aspect of it all in the 1920s or so. Now yeah, there may be and probably is more of them, profit minded, now than there used to be. And yeah, the internet may have helped that. But more than anything I think the internet has merely made the rest of us aware of how much of it there is - when we were ever really aware of it before.
I have to consider myself "Old Guard" due to my age (71) and being an off-and-on collector since I was about 9 years old. I can't recall ever considering profit as a motive for collecting. I only consider myself a Numismatist where US Large Cents and Half Cents are concerned because I have actually studied them in books as well as in my collections, in LCD shops, and my old coin club in my former city. All the other coins I collect are pretty random. I really think that to assist new collectors is to constantly remind them to, as I was told early on, "Buy the Book Before You Buy the Coin". I believe the true future collectors will take that to heart. I know I did.
The old guard (my grandpa) got me started collecting. He gave me my starter coins and showed me what to look for in change. He mainly found his coins in pocket change. I started that way too but then I bought a few coins that I read about but never stood a chance of finding in pocket change alone. New collectors near me seem to be interested in turning a profit by buying up all the key dates. Most likely to resell on eBay
