Future of this Hobby

All the same, the empire fell...they never thought it would, it was eternal or so they thought. Modern Italy is a far cry, not even a shadow of that great empire.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

I guess my point stated a different way......

Look at the average age of the collector today. When I go to my local coin club, I'm considered a youngin at 49. Look at who attends the coin shows....again, an older crowd. So, I can infer that the number of new blood to carry on the hobby is diminishing. Why is this?

One reason may be the deemphasis of paying for things in cash. Young people are more comfortable with electronic payment so having cash in hand is more and more foreign. Kids are into playing video games, listening to their IPODs, and text messaging their friends. Looking at coins seems to be old fashioned entertainment.

I would agree that there will always be collectors. I wonder though if these things above are indicators of the decline of our hobby.

 

Has collecting coins ever been that terribly popular in the first place? I dont know anyone, young or old, who collects in my daily life. I always thought it was just a stagnant little hobby anyway with maybe a spike here and there...but it was always the domain of the old farts.

Not sure what a decline would mean in a hobby like this though if it means less collectors I am for it.

 

a lot of younger collectors also prefer to use the internet as their collecting tool. Going to a coin show for a lot is just too old fashioned

 

I think this is goegraphical in nature. Every coin show I've attended, I've been about the middle of ages...at 35. Most are young men and women, not many kids or elderly. And thats odd to me, as this region is the retirement capitol of North America.
Guy~

 

You are right Doug that the info is so much more accessible, but what do you see at the shows? Lots of older people. My local coin club is going to die without new blood.

Perhaps I'm being too pessimistic.

 

Cat , could be all the young kid collectors are on the internet , I remember as a kid I didn't go anywhere without a baseball mitt on my bike , kids don't play like we used to , but baseball is as strong as ever , I wonder if scouting is as big as in the late 50s and 60s , they'll probably start joining clubs when they're older , I hope .
rzage:thumb:

 

There was an interesting article in the SLCC journal , if they cancel the cent, or even de-monotize it, what will happen to Lincoln collectors to fill the void as the old ones fade away ( pass )

 

ha. spock has never been part of this so called cycle.

 

So let me guess Doug,

You started at about 271 BC, stopped at 396 AD, started again at 1207 AD, stopped at 2007ish. And will start again in 2319?


stainless

 

Thanks, I will look that up. I don't know a lot about this ANA summer session- where and when, but I will research.

 

ROTFL :smile

 

I think Doug is right in this - kind of a cycle. I don't think the hobby will disappear at all.

 

You just described me to a tee. lol

Me:

9-14: started collecting
15-27: completely out of the hobby. Totally forgot about it.
28: came back to the hobby to stay, I believe.

That was a very good assessment. That is probably common.

 

The fact that a secondary market has formed to try to copy the mints of the world to me suggests that this hobby is stronger than ever. Since time began, enterprising people have tried to copy the ideas of others. Part of the fun of this hobby is trying to figure out if it is authentic or not. I've won most and lost a few. On the other hand, where is the fun in winning all the time. By the way, does anyone need any swamp land in Florida. I can also let you in on a little ponzi scheme that I'm dreaming up for wall street