Coin Collectors - Where Are They?

NYC
http://www.money.org/ana_custom/clu...b_id=1000001
White Plains (Westchester County)
http://www.money.org/ana_custom/clu...b_id=1047091

It doesn't seem like people "collect" stuff in general the way they used to... stamps, baseball cards, butterflies... I think a lot of the younger generation never got the opportunity to start collecting because they were too busy playing video games *shrug*

I just read through this thread and found it kind of discouraging, the guy that says
he don't consider the guy that finds State Quarters in his pocket then puts them
in a holder a collector. Try to pass one up here in canada. I now he is just using State Quarters
as a generalization to circulation change but people put coins in holders for there own
collecting reasons. A collector collects, its not all about profit, thats just a fun killer.
One mans junk is another mans treasure

Wow, did someone open a heated discussion or what? It is good to see a thread with so many different people putting their Two Cents in and at the same time being kind to each other.

To me, the Internet has changed so many things in the world and can be a place to start pointing fingers. Everyone can remember a time when something they saw was so amazing they had to tell everyone they knew and share it with them, now we can do that with a simple email. Record collections are disappearing to MP3's, literature can be read online and purchased for a fraction of the newsstand price, and items you never heard about can be bought in seconds from far ends of the world you never knew existed.

When I was a kid I remember collecting mainly comic books and non/sports cards. I started collecting cards when I was 6 or so and did that on and off for about ten years. As I started to grow up my interests turned towards art and the escape and freedom I got from comic books. At that point I started to trade my cards for comics and added to them as much as possible. Then when I was in my early 20's they just were not that important anymore and I did not collect anything, most of my time and money went to school, work, a car and dating.

Then about three years ago I moved to a smaller town and did not have much to do and I was getting bored with all the free time on my hands. I started exploring the town and all the second hand stores around. As I was searching I accidentally came across a coin shop and went in. For the next six months I went there about once a week and just looked around and nothing else. Each time I went in there I became more interested in coins and remembered that when I was a kid my grand/parents had given me some Whitman folders for cents and dimes, so I quickly went home and found them. I started looking at them and thought this would be a fun and cheap (ha ha) thing to start collecting again.

During the last two years I have learned a lot and have passed on what I have learned when I can. At one point I asked about a coin club in this area and was told that one really has not existed for about 5 years or so, in fact, someone tried to restart it and had no one show up. The decline of this was partly because of lack of interest and that others did not want to have others know that they were collectors. This has been more obvious each time I go to the coin shop with the interest in bulk silver and gold and "how can I make a quick buck" attitude.

With the younger generation their attention span is a few seconds and they quickly become bored with things. If you asked most kids about a $2 bill they would look at you funny but they could tell how to get past the last level of GTA4. Technology is the new collection for most 'kids' with everything from computers to phones and as long as one comes out that is better than what they have, they want it. My kids have some small interest in coins but if I put a pile of coins from around the world and a Wii in front of them with the most boring game on earth, they would choose the game.

The thing that most of us forget is the time and dedication put into collecting, no matter what it is. Some want only the best, others want what they can get, some want world while others want local, no matter what, we all want something. No matter how you collect coins someone will always tell you another way to do it, and we are all right, what is good for you may not be possible for me. Personally I feel everyone should have multiple sets of what they collect in different conditions to appreciate the difference in grade. If I had the money I would have 70 sets, one for each grade, but I know it will never happen.

One of the problems with collections lately is not lack of interest due to modern stuff like TV, computer games, etc. Mostly the problem is with our buisnesses that ruin most hobbies. Like the Beanie Babies where what started out great, then they started making way to many. Then the fakes, counterfeits, copies, etc started to flood the market. Same with baseball/football cards. My Son started colleting those back some time ago. Then he found he could buy a box of 5,000 of them for $5 at the flea markets. That ruined it for him. One person I know that collected those cards now has over 100,000 of them and says they are basically worthless.
Almost anything people collect, someone will start making the fakes, copies, etc and ruin the entire hobby. Our own government is guilty of this. Anyone remember when US stamp collecting was big? Then out popped the stamps for anything and everything. I even saw a sign at the post office that said you could have your own photo on a stamp if you want. And so ends another hobby. Our government recently inspired many new coin collectors but I'm afraid they will continue to mass produce all sorts of wierd and oddball coins soon and ruin this hobby also.
As noted though a hobby is supposed to be fun. I think way to many people constantly say "How much" when it comes to coins. Way to many times I've noticed someone asking about a coin what is this or where did it come from, etc. And sure enough many will come back with "Not worth much you know".

IMO the web messed up "collectors" in general, too much information, too fast for people in general. Everyone is a expert, or can "play" expert at anything, put up a few web pages, and pow , you're a expert.

Nor meaning to sound cruel but really long posts also become boring.
As with many things if people get bored, they loose interest and that is what happens sometimes with long posts.
Meanwhile back to the original question. Today, Sunday, I went to one of the many coin shows I go to each month. This is probably not the smallest and for sure not the biggest. Most dealers there are basically the same at most shows I attend so I have gotten to know them well.
The parking lot was full at 9AM. Almost all dealers were already set up. One was still setting up when I left at about 11AM. The place was mobbed with collectors when I entered and it is supposed to open at 9AM. One dealer I know was telling me there has been no let up in sales lately at all. He pulls in over a hundred thousand a month and that is clear. He does not sell on ebay, not on any auction houses, does not have a web site, no coin store either. Just sells at all coin shows. As usual he gave me about 10 empty Albums free and said many more on the way. Got to crowded by 11AM so I left.
At this coin show there was one female dealer about early 20's, about 50% of the others were below 50 years old. All the other ones were elderly. I found that of all the people buying that NONE were females, a few kids, small amount of people below the 50 year range and all the rest well over 50. So basically the entire coin show for what I could see was a sort of balanced age thing. And about the same for as long as I can remember.

I think Penny Pincher is right,ebay has made it so you dont have to leave your home to find that special coin,which probably makes Coin Shows an afterthought to a lot of collectors..

This leads to another downfall for younger people, the inability to develop social interaction.