CCF Census! (Or: Collector Demographics)

M 45-55.

Since the 1st grade world coins were my ticket to day-dream travel around the world. I was the first coin collector in my family, was snickered at by my older sister.

My kids now are semi-interested in coins, but mostly, I believe, because they (still) want to be like me.

M (what a lot of those we have ) 25-35, had a small collection of world coins from even before I was 9 because of all the travelling I (and my father) did.

You could've probably done this as a poll!

M 35-45.

Started collecting at age 12 (1982). I am now a collector of Early Copper Coins, as well as a part time dealer/appraiser of U.S. Coins.

M, 35-45, Got into collecting when I was about 12. My interest started when I found a 1906 Indian Head cent in my neighbor's yard. I had an uncle who collected coins, so when he heard I found an interesting old coin he put it in a nice holder and gave me some other coins and an older edition of Photograde to get me started. This was 1986, so the ASEs had just started coming out and I really fell in love with them. My uncle was a high end collector of both coins and comic books (I remember drooling over his Detective Comics #27) so I was eventually splitting my (and my parent's) money between both genres. My parents didn't have much money to spare, so they eventually convinced me to stop collecting both around my junior year (coincidentally about the time my aunt and uncle got divorced). I never did get into coin roll hunting at the time, but I wish I had. There were a lot more LWCs and silver in circulation then than now.

I got back on the wagon about 2 years ago when I found a 1962 silver Washington quarter in the coffee club collection cup at work. It led me to get my old collection from my parents house, and I've been adding to it since, much to my wife's annoyance now. That money thing always seems to get between a collector and their coins.

This is a great thread!

M, 45-55. Grew up just outside of Boston in the mid 70's. Would look forward to the Bay State Show every year, and would save up all the money I could throughout the year to go there. The teenage years came along, and I discovered that girls were more interesting than coins. Eventually I drifted away from the hobby. In the early 90's I became a pretty successful sportscard dealer (actually got into that at just the right time). Stayed involved with that long after that "fad" faded, and got myself into some debt due to not jumping off that bandwagon. While moving back in late 06 I stumbled on a box that contained some of my old coin collecting stuff. I ended up going to the bank and buying some rolls to go through, and I was instantly hooked again. No going back this time (not that I want to!)

I'll play as I'm not currently in a "stodgy mood" but I am an old man.

M 55-65. My dad collected and got us interested around age 5 or 6 (1957/8). He'd buy $50 bags of Lincolns (all LWC) and we'd spend a couple of evenings going through them for key dates and errors. On our hit list were any dated prior to 1940, 1909 SVDB, 1909 S, 1914 D, 1922 (no D), 1931 S and the 55 double die. We did snag some 1909 S and 1931 S lincolns. He would also give my brother and I $5 a week to "exchange" with the local merchants ... we were looking for any dated buffalos, dimes, quarters, halfs dated prior to 1940, and any silver dollars. It was great fun filling our Whitmans.

The sad part is dad falling on hard times and liquidating his and our collections for a small fraction of their value in the 80's. His pride prohibited him from contacting us for help. I started over again in the mid-80's and have only a few of those coins from our early days.

@Chris: so THAT'S where I got the smoking jacket from!! That picture actually does look incredibly familiar, even though I only know a fraction of Rockwell's stuff.

Everyone else: I'm glad you're enjoying the thread!! We have some great stories going around.

All such polls are interesting. However, all must remember that many things in such a poll make them highly inacurrate. For some, but far from all, of the reasons listed below
1. This particular poll is for only members of this one particular web site.
2. This particular poll is for only one location in this numerous different types of forums.
3. This poll works for only those interested in answering.
4. Many femailes do not get involved in coin web sites although they may wall be coin collectors.
5. Numerous kids on the internet just have fun making up STUFF for such polls.
6. Many so called adults do the same as 5.
7.

And number 7 is so true.