Future of this Hobby

The origin is different and perhaps the "quality" is better, but I heard all about fakes during the 1980's from my dad, and he had heard all about fakes in the 1950's.

For Thalia Elizabeth and me, there's more to the hobby than just collecting the coin; there is understanding its heritage and the geography and history that it represents. That works whether the coin is in the 10 for a dollar "treasure box" or in a slab with a multi-digit multi-comma price tag.

That's not to say I'm not worried about fake coins in fake slabs-- I am. But I'm also concerned about the proliferation of mint issues, the "need" for stickers on slabs, and the difference between "spot" and "real" in pricing for precious metals. Not to mention the economy at large, which is great if you have a lot of money for coins, but not so good if you're not in that position.

But I think I'll have a good feeling about where we are when I (finally) start putting the presentation together that I promised for my coin club's meeting in February, namely, because we already have a lot of goodies, none of which would break the bank or my heart if it turned out they really were fakes.

 

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The nice thing about collecting back in the early 1950's was the variety of coins you could pull from circulation. I was able to complete (well, almost complete) collections of SLQ's, walkers, buffalo nickels, etc., just by checking my parents change (and having a grandmother that would grab a few rolls from the bank every once in awhile for me to check). Plus there was still quite a few Barber's out there. Then there was the hoopla in 1954 over the Henning nickels... most of us kids were able to pick up a few (they originated in Camden NJ, not far from where I lived). But as stated, by the early sixties I began to lose interest, and sold my collection in 1969. Getting back into collecting after nearly forty years has been an amazing experience. So I'm a firm believer in the "cycle" theory.

 

I don't know, with five dollars and six quarters a year for the next dozen years, this might be difficult. Especially since not everything circulates.

 

I am working my way up to super mod watch out GD

the last part should have read smarter than me but its okay i guess

 

making threats eh? the fire bird should be coming in any time now? i just equipped him with a new flametho watch out

 

wow

 

To convenient to shop online. Were getting too lazy!

GD excellent point about the cycle of life. I'm 41 and just getting back into it.

As for countfeits it's discourageing, but it makes it a challenge and a learning experience which i find fun.

 

Coin shows and shops are fine but the reality is, I buy far more coins on a regular basis for the small amount of shows to ever be anything but a fun little trip downtown a few times a year.

As for coin shops, they are few and far between here, all are severely lacking in world and ancients.

The internet took the place of catalog shopping which was the only way to get the coins I wanted at one time. I have a pretty big stack of catalogs that most of my earliest bought coins come from...now we have a much easier alternative.

Its far from lazy I would think...its just a newer way and happens to be much easier than driving all day looking for a coin I might want, but never finding it because people in this city only care about US and Mexican coins. To collect without buying from all over the world I would be forced to buy US, Mexican, or the crap in the world coin jar. Nothing against the US coins because I like all coins including US. Its the US coin market I dont like...its not the coins fault Plus all the other benefits. I can share my collection with everyone, get info easier without buying a bunch of books and catalogs (with money I coild be using to buy coins), and I can chat with other collectors while at one time I was all alone in the hobby, I knew no other collectors and just did it on my own.

With he internet I can buy coins from all over the world much easier, sometimes a coin type is more common there than here so they are much cheaper...notgeld is a prime example...I am told they are much more common in Germany and Europe but in the US they are rather rare.

I think those who say its not going anywhere are dead on. Its not going to become the next big thing but it wont die out.... if there is a lull and less people than before....rejoice because there are less collectors wanting the same things you want. If there is a boom...then maybe 1% of that boom might stick with it and carry it on with any passion (some of them might stop then rediscover it later like said before)...There is your new blood.

It might just be because I am new to the 'hobby' as a whole with this greater amount of communication, seeing it as a part of a group thing and not an individual thing, but I have been collecting for some time now and it seems to me to only be gaining people of different levels of passion. You will always have collectors and those who just dont get it.