This article got me thinking that I don't have the history on what fads there have been. http://numismaster.com/ta/numis/Article.jsp?ad=article&ArticleId=24422 What have the commonly recognized fads been? MS-70s now. Roll collecting in the 1950s(?). State Quarters. Or if you like predict a future fad!
Since fewer & fewer people are using coins & paper money I think one of the current fads is collecting Stolen Credit Cards
Fads, or what is popular at any given time, are so whimsical as to almost be ridiculous. They are started typically by a single story or news release on a given subject, sometimes even by word of mouth. Sometimes even by a posting on coin forum. And they rely largely on the herd mentality for their success or failure, as the case may be. Given that, there is no predicting them.
