So how do you get a 7th grade boy interested in the hobby?

I was getting desperate, so I decided to go out on a limb...I spiked a 1906 IHC in the "cookie jar," and we went through the coins, and I let him find it. Do you know what he said? "Is this anything?" So, sticking to the script..."Wow, that's an IHC--you found an IHC--that thing's over 100 years old!" Do you know what he told me? "You put it there." You know, they're just so smart at that age! :headbang:

 

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IMO, you can't get any one interested in the hobby. They have to do it on their own.

Not tryna be rude or anything when I say that, but you can't try to get people into something, they have to find some interest in it by themselves, or they will draw further away from it. Sure, you can help them, but that is only after they become interested.


stainless

 

I'd say if you wanna get him interested bring him to a dealer that has those large bins of coins that are 10 for a dollar or w/e and let him find ones he likes might spark n interest lol but still a good story

 

Sounds to me like you have the seed planted. Let it grow for - oh - 15 years or so and see how well it rooted. His most interesting "hobby" for those 15 years well probably be girls. If he so much as manages to hang onto what he has, you will probably have succeeded.

 

collector gene

I sometimes think that you either have the collector gene or you do not have the gene. If he has the gene, then you have planted a seed which will grow. If he does not have the gene, then there may be nothing you can do.
Very best regards,
collect89

 

You might be on to something there. My dad gave all three of us boys coins when we were kids. I'm the only collector. One of my brother is slightly interested, but mostly just stashes away stuff for his 1 year old son. And my other brother has no interest AT ALL. You could give him a coin worth hundreds of dollars and he probably still wouldn't care. I guess I'm the only one that got the gene.

 

I dont think that becoming interested in collecting is something that you do on your own ,although, it still can happen. Most often the interest is sparked by a friend or relative that collects or from a collection that was handed down through the generations. If he has the slightest bit of interest, take him along to a coin show. He may see something he'd like to collect. Thats what I did with my daughter, she picked out Eisenhower Dollars to start with because as she said "They're big and shiney!". Somethings bound to catch his eye.

 

Show him error coins, off center coins. Show him how to use a loupe. I always thought they were cool when I was younger. Tom

 

Well what are his other Hobbies?
For example, If he likes Metal Detecting, talk to him about hopefully finding very old coins in the ground!

 

All good advice, friends, and I appreciate this. Not saying stop...keep it coming...there still may be hope.

Actually, though, I want to concede, I should feel a little ashamed. Maybe it's good this backfired on me. Maybe I'm the one who could have stood to learn something, here.

Anyway, I was going to tell him it was a ringer. I just wanted him to experience the thrill of finding something like that. I've given him a lot of coins...and, to his cousins, and, to his friends (and, I continue to do so)...and, I'm sure they may revisit those, at some point. But, as things stand, nobody in his "circle" seem very interested. At least, not like some of the YNs I see, here...or, some of the stories I've heard, on how many of us have started. I guess I just got a little carried away, this time. But, I know better...you guys are right. Not that I'm giving up. But, no more stunts. And, just, thanks for enabling me to see that. :thumb:

 

I think it might skip a generation. My grandfather loved coins, my father could have cared less. My grandfather got me started with a blue Whitman folder and a handful of wheat pennies and explained and dates and mint marks, how they worked and let me go for it. By two years, later every bank teller in the small SD town hated me. I would go through rolls of pennies for hours. Getting two or three dollars at a time, going through them and bring them back. This was before counters and wrappers, so they had to count and wrap everything I brought back to them by hand.

 

I've been trying to think of stuff to get kids that age interested. I think one good suggestion would be to accompany him to a show and let him explore a little. Maybe a positive experience at a show with you would help.
I think with the kids I work with, I'm going to have to create a numismatic-based Playstation 2 game. I'm thinking of a game called Statute of Limitations starring Samuel Brown and the Liberty Head Nickels. You have to successfully mint, sneak out, and sell the coins without drawing attention to yourself for seven years. I think it'll be a hit.

 

Both my father and Grandfather had "collections" of coins, by which I mean 1 box of assorted coins packed away. My gradfather's collection consisted of a donzen morgans some rolls of silver quarters, dimes, wheat cents, etc. Not much. Neither one was an active collector, but when they got me interested. WOW, I was struck and knew I would collect for the rest of my life. With my kids, I tried to get both of them interested young. My son and daughter take turns going to the shops with me. I always let them get something there, be it a wheatie, an indian, some foreign, a silver half. They love it. My daughter is a junior member of the Omaha coin club, I don't know if they'll do it for life. But I've given them a foundation and introduced them and included them in something their father loves to do, and it lets us spend time together and in the end that really is the most important part to me anyway.

 

timing might be key as well if he;s studying ancient cultures in his class then mayB pick up a few cheaper ancients for him might also spark some interest.

 

I'll go along with they either will or won't become a coin collector. There is so much outside your world that demands so much of childred these days that many hobbies that require just sitting around looking at something that does nothing is just not practical in this day and age. Many, many hobbies have or are slowing dieing due to they do nothing. Stamps, coins, baseball/football cards, Beanie Babies, etc just sit there and kids today have access to computer games, computer talk sessions, emails, hand held games and phones. Amost any kid today has to have a cell phone by the time they are able to walk it seams. You can see kids at or near a high school walking around with a cell phone in their ear.
How can something like coin collecting reallly interest kids today? Some do and are now called nerds.
Every year for many years I order proof and uncirc sets from the Mint. Also, many Red Books. I used to give away about 15 or more each year hoping to inspire some younger ones to start collecting. Some have actually asked me to stop that since they have no interest in coins at all. A few others told me they all just get put into a box somewhere and have to find that box each year for something of no interest. I asked my son what he would do if something happened to me with all my coins. His answer was for me to start getting rid of all those now. He doesn't want anything to do with them. He carries no change at all anymore and relies on credit cards only. Like he told me coins and currency are about to vanish anyway.

 

my grandfather had the greatest collection of gold mohurs that was ever assembled. he literally had them bagful. That inspired me no end also my mom gave me a lot of expensive coins as a kid and i could ruin them if i wanted to and that made me real responsible real fast.

 

As a 7th grade boy, let me tell you how to do it. Have a girl hold some coins, and he'll suddenly become incredibly interested in the hobby!:hug:

 

I have a 7th grade son, and all he is interested in are rather nuisances - annoying little call all evening 7th grade girls.