Previewing The Coin Market In 2017: A Long-Term Outlook For The Hobby

I actually thought that thread was pretty civil. People disagreed, strongly at times, but I didn't see any real name calling or hair pulling. Maybe those posts got deleted before I saw them. Ah well.

The distinction between coin investors and collectors was interesting, but I think even collectors would probably hope that in the end, their collection is worth more than what they paid for it.

I like your idea sel_69l. I would be happy to work with you (and any other interested members) on creating a survey (poll) in this regard.

~ Mark

I don't believe you. Is there a reason why you could not list the location in your post? Is it top secret? Does the CCF community not have a high enough security clearance to know the location of this mystical paradise which exists in your fantasies?

@dd27:
I do not think any more needs to be done, other than starting a new thread which asks us to express our opinions about where we think the market is going for the average collector, rather than the top end investor.

I will give you the privilege of starting that thread, the time you choose, and the design of the question.

Spruett:



Hobbies don't find anyone. People have to be exposed to it. Read some posts from people on this site as to how they first got into coin collecting for further clarification.




Coin collecting is, primarily, the hobby of the educated. I guarantee you that many regular commentators on this site have college degrees. You can tell from the way they write. When you enter into the world of the educated, facts matter. This is not some local bar where people talk loudly and can bully their points and opinions onto people.

You should be ashamed of yourself when you say you don't have to prove anything. Wrong. If you want to be taken seriously with this crowd, come with facts or your opinions will not be taken seriously or will be, entirely, disregarded.




My original post on this thread was about getting different races and women involved in coin collecting. It will be better for the hobby in the future. Initially, someone may have interest in that coin only, but, who knows, it may lead to something more. Maybe that same person will start researching other coins and become a regular buyer of coins as well.

That individual may want to know about other coins which have an African American theme. Upon researching coins, that person stumbles across the Booker T Washington commemorative half dollar. It is the first coin that, not only had an African American theme, but was designed by an African American artist.

If African Americans ever got into coin collecting at a much higher rate, that coin would skyrocket in price. As of right now, it is a severely undervalued coin based on its mintage. I own about 175 Booker T's. Many of them are graded MS 64 or better.

It's too bad that you don't want to get other kinds of people involved in the hobby. I guess you don't care about the future of coin collecting. How unfortunate.

It is primarily comprised of older white men who are entering the latter stages of their lives. Who said everyone is?




It definitely is representative of the demographics of the coin collecting community and so is this website. There are very few nonwhites, women and younger people getting involved in coin collecting. That is going to cause problems for this hobby in the future. Like stamp collecting, this hobby may be entering its final stages.




You made that up. I never stated all of them would. I am an Indian American who collects a variety of coins. My favorite kinds of coins to collect are US Colonial coins and Pre-1800 American coins. I love the Booker T's because of its historical significance and the story behind that coin.

Also, let me clarify that my post pertains to the US market. The rest of the world's coin markets are insignificant when compared to the US collectible coins market. We got the most money and are willing to pay top dollar for high quality authentic items. Basically, we are the big dogs and you are the fleas. No other country's coin community comes close to the collective size and wealth of our coin community. Where our coin community goes, the rest of the world's will follow.

If the point of the conversation is how do we draw more people in, I still say one huge draw is the lure of the treasure hunt. The idea that one of those pieces of metal weighing down your pocket might be worth a gajillion dollars has a real appeal that crosses lines of gender, creed, nationality and race.

Seed the media with stories of those valuable, rare finds--those "In God We Rust" State Quarters, and even the occasional 90% silver coins that are still in circulation, that are worth many times face value. Get people LOOKING at coins, dropping by coin shops to see the kinds of coins they should be looking for, and those who have a bent for the hobby will discover that they enjoy the coins themselves.

The real treasure for most of us is the enjoyment of these small works of art and pieces of history, but I'll bet good money that nearly everyone here initially had their interest piqued when they got their hands on some old coins and hoped they were worth a whole lot of money.