Unscientific look at who's collecting coins these days.

Discussion in 'US Coins Forum' started by Jim Robinson, Dec 2, 2014.

  1. ldhair

    ldhair Clean Supporter

    1957. Started at about age 7.
     
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  3. Gilbert

    Gilbert Part time collector Supporter

    1948. Started collecting around 1960. Believe it or not, I have never sold a coin. But have given a few away to children and grand children.
     
  4. swish513

    swish513 Penny & Cent Collector

    I'm 35, started collecting in 1994. I don't do shows, unless it's held near me. I won't spend my vacation time on a coin show.
     
  5. Mainebill

    Mainebill Bethany Danielle

    Since this thread was last current I've been to several shows. All as a dealer
     
  6. bugo

    bugo Well-Known Member

    I was born in 1973 (42 as of 2-8-16) nearly 10 years after the last boomer was born and I've been collecting since I was a young kid in the '70s. I've always been partial to wheat pennies and I've saved every one I could find plus every pre-1960 nickel because they're easy to find in circulation. I have always saved bicentennial quarters just because they're common and a neat coin. I've moved to collecting slabbed coins along with coins that aren't found in circulation. I wasn't very interested in collecting coins other than looking through my change until I started working at a gas station. That piqued my interest and even though I don't work there anymore I haven't lost my passion for coins. I enjoy buying boxes of coins and searching for treasure and I always look in the reject bin, on top of the machine, and underneath the machine when I walk by a Coinstar machine. My main interest is pre-1965 US coins and later proofs and special coins, but I also have some foreign coins in my collection including some of the lovely coins from Switzerland. I found some pretty amazing coins in circulation working at that store.
     
  7. silentnviolent

    silentnviolent accumulator--selling--make an offer I can't refuse

    How have I not seen this thread for so long?

    I'm 30. Started collecting at 10.
     
  8. Evan8

    Evan8 A Little Off Center

    23. Started collecting when i was 7.
     
  9. UnCommonCents

    UnCommonCents Variety Collector

    I'm 27. Started collecting in 88 I guess.. my gram bought all the grandkids proof sets for the year they were born. And then she would get us all either an ASE or little coin sets for christmas. Started picking wheats, mercs, or anything foreign out of cash registers at the random jobs from age15-18.
     
  10. longshot

    longshot Enthusiast Supporter

    42. As a kid I liked and saved any item ( not just coins ) that seemed odd, old, or unusual. Really wasn't till my early 20's that I started really buying coins. Now with 5 kids ( priceless :) ) I can only buy a coin occasionally but I spend a little time with this great hobby most days.
     
  11. Numismat

    Numismat World coin enthusiast

    33. Collected world coins when I was a child, forgot about it when I hit the pre-teen years, then rediscovered the hobby when I started college. My time as a serious collector is about 15 years now.
     
  12. Hey, Happy Birthday!
     
  13. hesteria69

    hesteria69 New Member

    I am 46 and have been seriously collecting for over 20 years. I too, notice at shows that I am among the younger demographic.
     
  14. merrill01

    merrill01 Member

    I was born in 1956 and it seems to me that most dealers at any coin show are a bit older than I.
     
  15. JPeace$

    JPeace$ Coinaholic

    I'm 52. Ugh. Even hurts to type it...lol. Anyway, spent all my change as a kid, so I didn't really do the album thing. I've been serious for the last 3 years.

    I wonder if the age at Coin Shows is just based on acquisition "style" and that most young collectors prefer the internet. BTW, I've bought the majority of my coins via the web, not coin shows. I'm saving up for the Central States Show in April. I've only been to smaller local shows to date.
     
  16. chascat

    chascat Well-Known Member

    65, Been collecting since 12
     
  17. DieHard11

    DieHard11 Member

    I'll be on Medicare in about two months (you figure it out). Was an avid collector at age 10, was in a local coin club with guys over 60. Buffaloes still roamed back then (in circulation), and Mercury dimes and occasional Indian Heads showed up as well. Pretty sure I had some VDB S Lincolns and '16 D Mercurys. I don't recall anyone talking about '55 doubled dies, but pretty sure a few must have gone unnoticed when I would search rolls. My crowning joy was a new roll of '64 Kennedys that I had JFK sign (attended church with the Kennedy clan in Hyannis, MA. Still have that one and have wondered how much it would sell for at auction, but am holding on to it for now.
     
  18. Hommer

    Hommer Curator of Semi Precious Coinage

    Now that was a powerful church.
     
    -jeffB likes this.
  19. Jwt708

    Jwt708 Well-Known Member

    I can't really answer this because I've never been to a show...but being in my 30s I feel qualified to answer why I've never been to one - not enough time. Usually when there is a show near me, it's on a weekend. Well I work all week and the weekend is family time. Sometimes I work on the weekends and that interferes. I think that the guys at the coin shows are older because they've reached an age where they have a little more time/disposable income to set aside a day or so to go coining.
     
    JPeace$ likes this.
  20. JPeace$

    JPeace$ Coinaholic

    I never really thought of that reason. Probably explains a lot too.
     
    Jwt708 likes this.
  21. bsowa1029

    bsowa1029 Franklin Half Addict

    So before you could walk or talk you were consciously assembling a collection of coins? I call BS.
     
    Hommer likes this.
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