There is the question of the storage of our coins but why not displaying them in the same time? I always had a lot of fun about exhibiting a part of my collection, and also promoting our fantastic hobby. For outsiders we are probably weirdoes spending hours with our little pieces of metal. So I have a special display in a corner of my living room dedicated to my visitors; family, friends, classmates of my kids...It's always the same pattern: curiosity attracts them to my wooden showcases. Now the usual question : -what's that ? Answer: -these are old rusty washers that I found buried in my back yard idiot. No just kidding...I want to interest them in coin's collecting, not laugh at their ignorance. Real answer:- these are 2000 years old Roman coins. Then the usual moment of silence ( their brain is processing those informations). The second question: are they real? And then the conversation is started. How do they cost? Can I hold them? Where did you get old Roman coins? For how long are you collecting? Now that I have their attention, it is the perfect time to attack. I open the cover of one of my boxes, and after a faked hesitation, I grab with grace one of my favorite coin and then it's my time to ask a question: ever heard of the Emperor Caligula? Do you know the story about his favorite horse? And this one: Did you know he was killed just after pissing behind a bush? And this poor guy not very lucky too; he was struck by lightning at the height of his glory... Finally, when my guests aren't bored of my stories after 5 minutes, I invite them to choose on coin in a junk bowl I keep in my office. It only remains for me to hope to have conquered another coin's lover in my neighbourhood. Now you tell me please how you try to promote our hobby around you!
That is a great way to go at it! I have brought several coins into my office to look at throughout the day. Most of my coworkers know I collect coins but they never realized that that includes ancient coins as well. I don't know if I have hooked any of them, but they are interested at the time haha. Last year, my son had a Cub Scout achievement for coin collecting. I brought in a bunch of different coins to do a quick explanation on the minting process and different types of coins through history. All the boys went home with a baggy of coins from my collection. A buffalo nickel, wheat penny, a few world coins, and of course a LRB. One of my son's friends is really into history and knows all kinds of stuff about the Greeks and Romans. I have passed a couple other coins over to his dad to give to him as well. If it doesn't hook him into collecting, at least it will foster his love of learning.
My wife collects antique furniture and antiquities. From time to time she reminds me that she even married one...
I may not have done anything to promote the hobby but I have been a fashion leader for several years now. Are we related?
"The Current Price Range Based on 38 Vendors on Bimedis. It's Costs Starts Approximately at $602 and ends at the Highest Price $11,487 The Average Price for Phoropter - $2,905 Based on 38 product listings in this category." I don't think I can swing that much $$...BUT I can definitely send you a few pairs of my old glasses. That way you can flip between them and decide which is better. 1 or 2.
I once saw a set of antique optometrist lenses for sale in an antique shop. It had a hundred or more differern + and - diopters for use in prescribing glasses before there were machines.
