Collecting Dieing?

I got my 10 year old son interested in coins, he really enjoys it. He had to do a report on "a State to visit and why someone should go?" last week. He picked Georgia. He had to make a poster and have props so he took as one of his props his MS64 Stone Mountain Commemorative Half Dollar and he went into detail about how and why the coin came about. Needless to say all the kids in his class and teacher were really impressed and interested in where he got the coin. He was really proud of himself and glad he could share with others. He says that kids are now coming up to him with change asking him if any of it is "worth anything".

I am thinking about seeing what it would take to lead a "Coin Collecting Merit Badge Clinic" for my son's Boy Scout troop once he is old enough to move from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts.

I think that in 20 years the older coins will always be the mainstay of the coin collecting, but will they be affordable? Every day bags full of older coins are being melted down for their silver content. There was a big article about repealing the melting of copper cents last week in Coin World.

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The way I see it is the same thing will happen to coins that happened to Stamps, Beanie Babies, Hot Wheel cars, Baseball and Football Cards, etc.

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I tend to agree with Carl on this. I collected all of the above at some point and time. Over-production is the downfall of most hobbies. I collect stamps then all the commemorative/distinctive sets came out and there were more varieties than you could shake a stick at! Same thing happened with Sports cards, inserts and 8 tier levels of the same cards became the focal point rather than enjoying and building the set!

I am waiting for the day when the Mint starts putting a special limited serial numbered coin in random rolls of a certain type of coin...if that ever happens I am going back to collecting arrowheads in farmer's fields if I can find one that doesn't have a Walmart developed on it, at least I know they aren't making more of those!

Longline, I agree, I am a Oil Painter, avid reader, Military History Buff.. Former scale model builder. All my hobbies are done alone, with research, dedication, and most of all time to persue them. The lifestyle of reading and researching for pleasures' sake is dead. I don;t think the younger generation, be it Gen, X,Y or Z has the willingness to take the time, relax and enjoy a hobby. Carl, I agree with you on the Modern Coins and Mint products. the older stuff will still have us around to buy and collect it. If we still have the younger people intersted in History and Coinage that's a great thing and should be fostered.

Tony

I presently go to about 3 coin shows a month. Also, occational gun shows, knife shows, computer shows, etc. I usually wonder where all the women and younger people are at these shows. Sometimes for the fun of it I attempt to count the amount of women or kids at coin shows. At one of the bigger ones around here from about 9AM to 11AM I counted 3 women, 2 kids. Probably 80 to 100 dealers and virtually hundreds and hundreds of collectors. Then I noticed that most of the men appeared to be of the retired age group. At my age it is difficult to see older people anywhere but they are at the coin shows. I've met people at coin shows and asked if they had kids and if so why not bring them. Always the same answer. No interest. Can't get them away from the computers. Ask aren't they interested in the new Dollar coins with our presidents on them. YEAH, right, just what kids need, education outside of school. Now also seeing more painted coins at coin shows and especially at flea markets and now in mail order catalogs. I'm sure our Mint will soon start with painted coins, more denominations, Vice Presidents on coins, Presential dogs and cats, movie stars on coins, a complete set of coins with the constitution on them, etc. The end will be when if you send the Mint $20, they will put your face on the coins.
I truely believe that our Mint will soon distroy this as a booming hobby.

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The end will be when if you send the Mint $20, they will put your face on the coins.

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I was going to put something like this in my original post but I didn't. On some program I was watching a while ago, they're saying that kids today are growing up believing that everything revolves around them. They have all of this youtube videos, myspace, facebook, blogs, etc. That might be it. I've seen Heinz ketchup bottles and M&M's that someone could customize it with whatever they want.

I am the exact same way, not only do I collect all kinds of stuff from die cast cars to coins, but when I get something new I always keep the box they came in also (which can take up allot of space). I have no idea why in the world I do this but it just seems to happen that way. Its not because I am thinking of selling it down the road or ever really ever putting the item back in its original box, but still the cars go on the shelf in the living room, and the boxes are stacked on the shelf in the closet

I see serval problems why lots of people don't want to collect coins old or new collectors of all ages. Before I collected coins I restored old cars and alwayed made money or got my money back on what I what I built car for. I lost money sometimes on the time I spent fixing car. It was an labor of love and time did not mater to me since it was an hobby. The problems I see with coins or collecting them or building coin collections or coin sets I am learning .

1. Dealers charge high prices on coins and if you buy them . Later you will onley get maybe 50% or less of your money back on them I see an lot time on ebay. The TV coin shows, ebay dealers, the ads in coinage mags selling overpriced stuff for over fair market value. Who wants buy an coin or set and onley be able to sell for less than half of what you paid for it.
2. The Fakes, altered coins, cleaned coins being sold as bu or real coins.
3 . When building sets example say an 1938 Thur 1961 nickel book. The keys like 1950d, 1939d, 1938s, 1938d. The set cost maybe 30 to 50 bucks already built on ebay, Greysheet says its worth only 25 to 30 bucks wholesale. The price on keys cost like 35 to 100 bucks buying the keys to finish set. I know I made the mistake building an 1938 Thur 2007 set buying keys. I have more it than whats its worth fair market value. If I sold it I lose money on it. Its like that with lots sets besides nickel books. Its like with all sets it seems, Pennies, dimes, halves, etc.
4. Roll searching is tough since you need to have serval banks to buy and sell coins. Bank tellers complain sometimes when I try ordor fedboxs of coins or they get upset when you try dispose of boxs of coins after you search them. Lots extra money buying wrappers to re wrap coins. Some banks refuse to order dollar coins, half dollar coins , 2 dollar bills even after you tell them they will not come back to your bank ever again. I am standstill trying build 4 1965 thru 2007 half books. I need coins and I cant buy them since banks will not buy them. The other thing they get upset when you want ordor say 5 boxes of pennies or large amounts of coin boxes like I need to go Thur to build sets. Its takes lots coins to go Thur to cherry pick good clean coins for sets.
5. Time and lots money spent on ebay selling your surplus or extra stuff you don't need. Pay pal fees, listing fess.
6. Dealers or ebay charging like 4 to 9 bucks on shipping an single coin.
Sorry for so long writing this. I see why lots peaple dont want or could care less about collecting coins. If they have problems like I see each day. I cant blame them for not wanting collect coins or stuff.

Like I said my old hobby of rebuilding old cars at least I could get my money back no problem and maybe some extra money on it. I don't see it in coins it seems. Any ideas on how to change coin collecting where guys dont lose money doing it. If it dont change I see it will die or people will stop collecting for the above pitfalls or problems with it. I like coins still and would love to finish my sets I want to keep.

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