The Golden Age And Its End?

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Practically any collectable that ended was due to excessive amounts being produced.

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Or you might say--anything that is mass-produced to be "collectible" won't ultimately have much collector value. Imo, that holds true for Beanie Babies, Thomas Kinkade "paintings", or most coin sets made for collectors: it's just a way to make money on collector crazes, using the sales pitch that someday these knock-offs will be valuable collections desired by all. Or more accurately put--coming soon to a garage sale near you!

In a historical context, we know it seldom happens that way. With the exception of a few true masterpieces recognized in their day, it's mostly obscure and unrecognized items that only become "collectible" later due to rarity, trends, or some special quality. Van Gogh paintings were hardly collectible until they were widely recognized for their genius. You can hardly manufacture that.

I don't think real collecting will be hurt by these crazes. Sure, the market gets flooded by junk, but somewhere there are a few special coins that aren't getting much attention. It's those few coins that will be valuable someday.