How many "serious" collectors are there in the US?

but dear gd you are retired

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

How many "serious" collectors are there in the US?

Both of us.

 

I agree with the breakdown estimates here, but I think, based on my definition, the numbers are even smaller in the higher valued groupings. Why? Because I'd say more than half of the people with collections in the $1 million level and above aren't what I'd call real collectors. They collect bullion for bullion's sake, not to collect in the sense we think of. There are the rare exceptions, like the Ford's and Green's...collectors that only come along once or twice per generation.
Guy

 

There is always someone more serious than another. I am serious in an amateur kind of way.
- I only have a few coin books
- Coin inventory software
- Multiple spreadsheets of the coins
- Do not go to a coin club, although I have thought about it
- Multiple times have spent more than $100 on a coin
- Probably most of my discretionary money goes to coins more than anything else
- My family thinks I am a nerd (have to be serious to take that)
- Been collecting off and on, now more on since I was a kid in the 60's
- Go to Coin Talk forum a lot and try and pick up some knowledge
- Never have sold a coin
- Have my coins insured
- Completing various sets such as the Lincoln's (minus S VDB), Jeffs (done), Rosie's (almost done), Washington (working on) and Morgan's (minus a bunch)
- Very much enjoy this hobby regardless of the "serious" definition

That's my story and I am sticking to it

 

My experience has been the opposite. Every collector I've known with $1M+ collections have been serious scholars. Of course I've never known a "collector" whose collection was just $1M+ of bullion type items.

 

I personally know two that buy only bullion and have several million tied up in it. Two years ago I accompanied one when he bought $1.2 million in gold bullion from a dealer in one transaction. I just think there are more of those guys out there than collectors with millions in actual collectible coins.
Guy

 

I have no idea how many serious collectors there are but I would like to characterize these two groups as follows:

1) Serious Numismatist
2) Serious Collector

 

My GUESS is that there are 1000 casual collectors for every serious collector. Then there are 100 serious collectors for every numismatist. Then there are 100 numismatists for every expert.

We are fortunate to have many of the experts on CT and even more like me who aren't quite there yet, but would like to be.

 

Paul! You're back!

 

I was now that I'm getting older I believe it's time to star selling off the majority of my collection as no one in the family has any real interest. What will I keep my ASE's, Lincoln set, Franklin Half set, Walker short set Peace Dollar set ( maybe) the rest will go to auction.

 

lost in translation eh gd?

 

This is so not true...I can break 1m easily without one billion coin.

 

There are a lot of serious collectors, these days. Of plastic. Even though that's bad for the environment.