If There Are Fewer New Collectors, What Happens To Common/Lower-End Coins?

I suspect wholesale dumping of V-Nickels and IHC would certainly help revitalize an interest in the hobby and bring in new collectors! Given the prices on ebay, the demand for "low-end" coins still seems strong.

I think the value at local coin shops may be low but there's always a market online. I don't see 100+ year old coins being dumped back in circulation. Even if they drop to 3-5x face, it still would be better to sell online than spend them for face.

The demand for key date and specialty coins (3-leg Buffalo, etc.), will always be there like it has been since the 60's, been some ups and downs, but constant over a 15 year investment window, commonly know as "long term investments". That doesn't seem to be sitting too well in today's "fast ----everything society.

My view of what has hurt the coin collecting world goes back to the late 80's early 90's when the "greatest generation" began dying off. The transfer of wealth was hit up by the gubmint in estate taxes. Unless there was a trust in place, many, many folks lost 50% and more of their inheritances, this included at times coin and stamp collections. Many were dumped upon dealers for lowball figures, less taxes to be paid or just to pay those taxes. Ten years later, a new generation now has no idea what a "_savings account making 4% interest" even was. Coin collecting, sorry to say, wasn't passed down as it was previously, interest in it has waned. There's enough of us right now, to kind of keep it kindled, but as time "progresses", I see no future fire being lit. I pass out Buffalo and liberty nickels to kids in the grocery store. One out of three say "cool, neat",...maybe one out of twenty ask about it, have any sense of wonder, inquisitive. The mothers are more interested, if they don't think your a pervert! I know in my case, numismatics, ends here. Absolutely no interest whatsoever, anything built and left to the daughter and grandkids hasn't generated any interest as yet. All my stuff may just be whats been talked about here, just have to be dumped when I die.

Besides according to CCF new members list , there is no shortage of new collectors in our hobby !

There's a new generation of collectors out there but they aren't easily seen because they don't interact with the rest of the hobby that much. Many of them are beginners but there are lots of intermediate and more advanced collectors as well.

Some don't interact with us because we belittle their collections but for the main part they just grew up with different venues for being in touch and doing things. They're on social media and shop on ebay and similar sites. They don't go to coin shows (yet) and they stay clear of coin shops.

They are the next generation of collectors and they will replace us over the next two generations. In only 10 years they will account for half of the coin market. ...75% in 20 years. This is going to happen very fast because most collectors are baby boomers and we're getting a little long in the tooth.

Remember that there are more and more people on Earth every day. Many so called common dated coins were made when our population was a lot smaller so the amount minted too was a lot smaller. Soon enough coins with mint quantities in the billions will be difficult to find since there will be billions and billions of people looking for them.

A lot of the coins made in the billions simply were never saved. Some of these are really quite scarce or rare in any condition but especially in pristine condition.

Indian mint sets of very common coins sold for a few dollars as a novelty just a few years ago are now worth over $3,000. Common date Soviet coins from the '60's and '70's sell for $1000.

Moderns aren't cheap because they are common. Most are cheap because there is no demand.

Zurie, thank you. What I was talking about. My father in law passed in '95. He was a financial "wonk" in today's terms, retired as head of pension investments for a national bus company. One of those who worked up from the entry level accountant. He had ethics, and a very good brain. The ticker tape ran in his brain, used no computer, just a 10-key. He set up a trust fund for his daughters and grandkids just to protect his personal wealth. The family, including me, has been blessed since then, direct deposit investment income, etc. Those who died w/o such a setup were hit hard, the 55% was just Federal, now throw in the State taxes on real estate and personal upon death, those rates brought it upwards of 75% back then...not much different now even tho "death tax" revisions.

The old joke about the new IRS tax forms on postcards:

1) How much did you make?
2) Send it in.

*** Political Rant Removed by the Staff - Please Stay on Topic! ***