Is The Numismatic Community Growing Or Shrinking?

May well be true. By me we have a coin show within 15 miles of me on all four of the first Sundays of every Month, all year long. There are so many coin shops, flea markets, hobby stores around with coins that coin collecting is rather easy.
On the other side of this is sort of what tbg was getting at. Population statistics. If you look at any coin book with mintage facts something that sticks out is the quantity of coins minted in the past. So many coins have been minted with quantities even less than one million. Many with less than ten million in the US that is. Now think of the population in the US of well over 300,000,000. Throw in the many people in other countries that collect US coins and there could well be 20, 30 or more millions of collectors. Using Mercury dimes as an example, notice how many have a little over one million made. Not all collectors will ever get many of the ones in that series.
Such facts could well discourage many prospective collectors. AND throw in all the counterfeits, this too makes for a dismal outlook for the future.
Coin shows have massive advantages but also disadvantages. With the price of gasoline, driving to one for many is rather expensive. The amount of thefts in some areas also makes leaving a coin show a problem. Of course there is no postage, handling, lost in mail, insurances, paypal fees, ebay fees, etc. at a coin show either.
Of course on line you only have to make it to the mail box.
For many that don't drive for some reason, work the same hours as a coin show, don't like crowds, to far to go to any coin shows, not much else left except the internet.

At the local coin shows in Texas (where I'm at) seem to still have a lot of kids attending. Though most serious buyers are older mid 30's and up more so above 50. The ASE, State Quarter and ATB Quarter programs have helped somewhat by bringing in kids to the hobby. I don't see the membership of the ANA increasing and that is troubling. All serious collectors should consider becoming an ANA member IMO. For the younger crowd the scholarships for summer seminar and the ancient and early copper clubs they offer are worth it alone! I just hope with the introduction of a new and fresh ANA board that the ANA will greatly increase membership and how they do outreach online.

To me it appears to be shrinking as does the interest in other collectibles like stamps, postcards, etc. Seems the younger people have more interest in computer games and less interest in researching and collecting.

I think message boards like this one increases interest in coins. I think coin collectors have been much more successful in utilizing new media in spreading interest in coins. I started out just buying junk silver coins and got more interested in other types of coins through Internet message boards.

I was amazed last year at the number of people collecting the British Olympic Games 50p coins. Some were even getting bags of 50p's from the bank to sort through.

I'm sure that many of these new collectors will lose interest after a while, but if only a few of them get bitten by the collecting bug, it will be great for the hobby!

On the other hand, traditional coin shops are in terminal decline around where I live. About 20 years ago there were 4 or 5 in a 20-mile radius of my home town. Now there are none.

Here I notice that coin shops are shrinking, otherwise, internet sales are growing. I live in a mid size town. We had a great shop but the owner only sells through his website nowadays. Since I was a kid I used to spend the time I could there, looking at those coins and now I can see them only if I buy :(

In the other hand, it got easier for me to get rolls for cheaper prices. Competition among online sellers is so positive.

Information is more democratic, I can have access to catalogs just downloading them.

I am trying to become an online salesman, but I am having some trouble to buy large quantities here in order to start the business

Cipriani: Here's just a thought. Since you live in Brazil I have to tell you that the coin show circuit in the American Midwest and Southwest has a shortage of good South American coins especially silver. So if you bought quality South American coins and are willing to sell to American buyers over ebay or even though this forum --- that might really work out for you. Here's another thought --- put education in your listings. Assume an American audience knows nothing about South American coins. Educated buyers are willing to shell out more money for the rarer dates if they know they aren't going to be sheared like a sheep.