Has anyone done a poll on here as far as gender and age goes???

They do or rather did, they're called fanams, basically for India or the Indian Native States. They are between 4.5 and 6 mm across (you can just about put two of them side by side on a silver three cent piece.) The prices have gone up but you can probably still pick them up for $20 or so. Not sure, haven't priced them recently.

 

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Bravo my young friend, and you're "way smarter" than I was at your age.

I am constantly amazed at the wisdom and knowlege of the YN's on this board. Kudos to you young guys and gals.

Oh...I'm 59 and still getting an education. Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks? LOL....

 

I guess I'm an anomaly here then.

I guess I'm an anomaly here then.

21 (just as of this month), female and not a total hag.

I've always had interest in dirty old metal discs and sitting quietly in the basement looking at them, occasionally handing one across the tale to a guy who's also going through the same batch to get an opinion on grade.

We're around, but we don't feel very welcomed. Coin shops give us the brush-off, dealers don't want to even acknowledge us and forums are filled with misogynistic generalizations. It's pretty much like going to a comic-book conventions, just less drool.

OK, I'm probably going to get blacklisted for this, but jees guys, some of the stuff said here makes me wonder there's ANY women involved.

Saying certain things to a woman is pretty much guaranteed she won't wish to be anywhere near you. Like, "all women care about are babies and going out". While both are NICE, how do they preclude us from having hobbies? It's like a woman saying something equally derogatory about a ma's single-minded focus of the football season.

And "women don't have a collecting gene". So absurdly false, because the majority of librarians and museum curators, aka people that that preserve and catalog COLLECTIONS, are women.

I can't even fathom to decipher the line of argument about being socially well-adjusted, nerd and collecting coins. There's plenty of female nerds. They tend to go to college and major in "boring sciency things". Doubtful you'll find Suzy Emptybrains-Cheerleader interested in coins while on the 8th year of her degree in beer bongs, but there's some damn sexy young ladies working as lab techs that I see every day! Most of whom would qualify as "nerds".

I'm guessing it's not the hobby, it's some of those that partake in it that drive women away.

Feel free to proceed with my crucifixion!

Onto the main point, it all depends on childhood exposure to coins. I was given a handful very young and always was fascinated by them. As soon as my life was in order, I jumped back in. Most people these days don't get to handle "different" coins as kids, thus no seed is planted from which interest will sprout. All the cool stuff US Mint is doing these past few years likely will increase the # of future numismatist. Hopefully female ones as well, so we have someone to share make-up tips AND coin album advice with

Oh and gold coins? Love them, but won't be able to afford them for a few years. And that's a wishful estimation. I have one teeny holed one, and it will have to do for a while.

 

Great post MissSasha :thumb:

I recently got back into collecting a couple of years ago. I collected as a kid, but then put my collecting aside during college because I was far too busy chasing around the emptybrains cheerleaders pursuing beer bong degrees, as well as a few of them nerdy lab techs Seriously though I was pretty much too busy while in school, didn't have as much free cash to spend at the time and didn't really want too many valuables lying around in my college apartment. After graduating I did get back into the hobby though.

I remember at the ANA show here in Los Angeles a couple months ago seeing dozens and dozens of girl scouts walking around the show participating in the various activities and most appeared to be having lots of fun. I imagine some of them were actually interested in coins too and hope that some will become collectors if they are not already.

Being under 30 (well I am for a few more months at least ) can sometimes be tough in and of itself when it comes to coin collecting. I just hate when I ask to see a coin being sold by a dealer that is relatively expensive and the dealer says something like "you do realize that coin costs $xxxx right???" or is otherwise rude about doing his or her job, just assuming that I'm not able to purchase the coin anyways if I like it because of my age. I can only imagine how much more of a barrier to entry there would be with some of these rude dealers because of gender.

That said, once you go to enough shows or coin shops, and the dealers start to remember you as a serious collector that knows what they are doing, I don't think age or gender will matter at all. Unfortunately, it seems that you just need to have a thick skin in this hobby to make it to that point.

 

I can't figure out if im a nerd or a jock I was a starter on my football team and in the chess club ... I also did my fare share of beer bongs while in collage

 

Must be a jock

Anyone interested in a Bear Bong would have to be a jock.

 

lol typo

 

No Fair, you nerd!

No fair, your nurd! (or is that nerd?)

Since you edited it, you must be a n*rd.

with his fair share of be*r bongs while at the chest club:hail:

...ooops can I say chest here now that there are...you knows....here now?

 

Welcome

Welcome to the board MissS. Nice photo. I kinnda look like my avitar, too, but it's not really me and they got the dates wrong.

Got some coin photos?

 

Thanks GDJMSP and illini420!

DoK U Mint, I'm working on getting some pictures up, but I'm not a photographer and thus have been unable t take a decentt closeup shot w/o it being to blurry. Might just be the cheap digi-cam I'm using. I used to have a nice film camera from the 60's that shot EVERYTHING, but I lost it when I lost all my things.

Will be reading the camera manual later to see if extreme close-up setting are available.

 

Nonsense.

It's long since time to move past this sort of thinking. The doors are wide open. I'm just glad my wife doesn't play the Victim's card. She knows full well that she is welcome at coin shows. She knows she has often recieved preferential treatment because she's a woman... at coin shows and elsewhere.

She is also aware that some dealers are inattentive. But rather than snivel that she's being discriminated against <whine> because I'm a woman, she knows full well that is not so.

This charge of misogyny is getting old, sasha. Personally, I'm tired of it. It is wrong to level accusations like that.

It's time to say it : certain things are male dominated due to the differences between males and females.

Coin collecting is mostly men, and it's not the men's fault. It has nothing to do with oppression of any kind. Don't accuse me of misogyny. If women want to be part of it, COME ON. I have encouraged my wife.

It's perfectly fine when something is mostly female. Have you been to the doctor's office ? Are men 50% of the staff ? NO. Is anyone saying "we need more men around here" ? NO.

If negative gender stereotypes are so bad, why do men have to put up with so many of them ?

 

Welcome Sasha - and well said on that earlier post! It cracked me up because I felt like an anomaly as well when I first got into coins, and I was an adult.

There was a similar thread on the CU boards asking why there weren't more women involved in numismatics, and I believe part of the answer is what Sasha said, that women don't feel welcomed into this overly male populated hobby. The other forum's comments were filled with even more misogynistic generalizations - actually, it was pretty sickening. It really brought home that our society still has a long way to go to achieve more well rounded diversity.

However, I do see more and more young women getting involved in coins. I usually participate in a show's treasure trivia for kids, and each year I do see more young women stop by my table looking for their clue. So there is definite hope for the future!

I truly enjoy this business, but I think having thick skin really helps, whether you're male or female. It used to be that males would walk up to my table and look right past me to one of my helpers to ask their coin question. I would just stand back and smile as my helper would point to me and say "She's the boss." The guy would usually cough a few times, stutter, look embarrassed, then after glancing at all the coins in my cases, ask, "Are these all yours?"

Over time and after sort of proving myself, I believe I have become "accepted" and maybe even earned a bit of respect from most of my fellow dealers and male customers - at least I'd like to think so.

And Sasha, you're welcome at my table any time - rest assured, you will definitely not get any condescension from me or my helpers whatsoever!

 

No 900fine, it's not "Nonsense". Look, I can put things in BOLD font too!

And it IS time to start moving past that way of thinking. let's start with cutting out comments like "all women care about are babies and kitchen utensils".

No one's playing a victim card here, don't put words in my mouth. And don't tell me what charges are wrong, especially since I quoted DIRECTLY from some of the commentary. And I don't remember calling you "misogynistic" or for that matter many any negative remarks to you, 900proof.

As for "Preferential Treatment" for your wife, I can't comment on it, having never experienced anything even close to preferential in this hobby.

Or by preferential you could mean dealers assuming I know nothing and trying to sell me overpriced junk?

Or ignoring me and actually NOT answering my questions and even in one instance turning away when I was speaking and walking to the back of their shop?

That's what I'm getting PERSONALLY TIRED OF.

And the indirect insults of "sniveling" and "whining" are not necessary, especially when a gentleman is speaking to a lady half his age.

That's just rude.

 

Ricky, Luckily many male coin dealers/collectors are not guilty of misogyny, especially not you. But Sasha is not wrong. Just read some of the comments posted earlier on this thread and, as I mentioned, on the CU forum. It doesn't sound to me like Sasha is "playing the victim card," and I certainly never did. She is just stating that misogyny exists in the coin industry. But, by the fact that we are here joining in this discussion, attending coin shows, just plain participating in this hobby/business, should let you know that she, nor I, are definitely not playing the "victim."

But it is fact that, unless more males get over that "women should collect dolls and not coins" attitude, women will shy away from joining what is typically a male-dominated industry - coins or any other for that matter.

Coin collecting has long attracted more men than women, for a slew of reasons, among them being that some dealers are very condescending to women who do dare to dip a toe into this typically "old white guy" sea. Many women shy away from the sometimes confrontational nature of coins and may be just plane afraid to enter a male's world. Me, Sasha, and your wife for sure are not among this group. But many others - sadly and unfortunately - are.

Ricky, all I'm saying is that some men need to learn to be less condescending, and more patient and welcoming like you - and several others on this forum.

But I will also agree with what was said early on in this thread - that women seem to be attracted to collecting things more for aesthetic purposes rather than intrinsic value. But I see absolutely nothing wrong with this either. Coins are beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. For me, personally, I was attracted to coins for both reasons - that they are valuable and can help see me more comfortably through my twilight years, and they are absolutely things of beauty.

 

Thank you The_Penny_Lady, I'm glad there actually ARE other women into the same hobby!

Just to clear something up, I wasn't saying it's the fact that the hobby is male-dominated that's a concern for me. I don't mind at all actually, more guys that are fellow collectors to talk to who are willing to teach and share their experience as they don't perceive me as competition or a threat like they do other males. I guess that's "preferential treatment" lol. Too bad that most dealers I've met fall in the second category.

It's the select vocal few that spew ignorance like a tapped oil well that annoy me. 90% of people in the hobby and on this board are super-nice and have been nothing but helpful and friendly. But the vocal minority that propagates the detrimental treatment or exclusion of women from the hobby, in general and on this board, are the ones that put women off.

I'm in awe of all the work you have done to expand the hobby and admire people such as yourself! When I was a Girl Scout leader I always tried to get the younger girls to get interested in nature and science, as that's my area of study at the university. If given the chance, they took to it pretty well! I noticed with kids if you introduce them to as many things early as possible, they will be more open-minded later in life and usually won't post commentary about women receiving preferential treatment everywhere later in life

I'd love to stop by one of your tables, but I don't travel much and just going t my first convention (dealt only with stores and online so far) this month in Connecticut, CoinFest. I know you are on the other coast, but let me know if you'll be there!

 

Sasha, you're definitely right about kids and exposing them to many different ares of interest in their youth - they are truly little sponges and the more they experience, the more open minded they will be as adults.

I seriously contemplated going to CoinFest but I couldn't clear a conflict I had so I won't be there this year. I will be at the Baltimore show in November and FUN in January - if you can make it to either of those, I'd love to meet you.

By the way, in spite of his post, Ricky/900Fine is a really "fine" guy and has an absolutely wonderful wife who enjoys coins as much as anyone. They are both a true delight and I encourage you not to judge the person behind the post too strongly because, as I'm sure you know, their true intent, personality and persona often do not make it through the disconnected and detached words of a post.

 

I'll agree there. I work at the local hospital in the admissions area. This hospital has been around for 106 years, admissions is open 24/7. Know how many men have worked in admission during that time? One. And when I applied they had to have several meeting amoung the aministrators to try and decide whether or not they should hire me. Seems they were afraid I wouldn't be willing to take orders from the women. Are you kidding? They've been here longer and they know more than I do! Of course I'll take orders from them.

Of course it did take some getting used to. After 16 years I'm still getting memos addressed to the admitting girls, or even worse the admitting chicks. But being just one of the girls hasn't been too bad, but I have noticed some disturbing trends, sitting around swapping recipes, getting together to pick out wedding dresses, and about a year ago starting to wear pantyhose, (OK, they're compression stockings for a leg edema problem, but I'm a big guy an about the only way I can get them big enough is to get the Maternity size.) They call them unisex but trust me they're womens.

So just say out loud (so others can hear you), "Well if you don't know the answer, just say so!"

 

Wow! Maybe my neck of the woods is in Bizarro World or something. Every coin show I've been to for the past 15 years hasn't lived up to the perceived old man hobby that so many here think it is. Most patrons are young, 20-40 years old, with kids in tow. Half of those people at least are women. It's a great mix of people. Maybe this area is the exception. Penny Lady, you're from SoCal as well, am I right or just crazy? Personally, it's great to have some women and YN's and even some grumpy old farts here who add to the crazy mix. But the old generalization that numismatics is an old mans game is history, as well it should be.
Guy~

 

Guy, perhaps at smaller shows, the ratio is more diverse, but at most of the larger shows, west and east coast, it is definitely more male dominated. However, I definitely do see more and more young men in their 20's regularly attending shows - both large and small. As I mentioned earlier, I am seeing more young girls participating in the trivia hunt, but not necessarily buying coins to fill albums yet - but I think that will come, as long as their interest remains and they continue to be encouraged to participate, just like young men are.