The Future of Our Hobby

[Texans Coins]

My niece and soon, my nephew

 

I was reading an article in Coin World about how we need to constantly be thinking of ways to involve young people in the hobby, because they're the future of the hobby.

 

My niece is 4 and my nephew will be coming along in a few weeks or so. I figured since I just started a type set for myself, so why not start one for my niece and one day my nephew. Right now, my niece knows what money is, but not really what it's for. She just takes it and puts it in her piggy bank. Luckily slabbed coins won't fit..... In the new few years, I will show her the set that I have built for her and show her that our coinage has a purpose beyond everyday commerce. Hopefully, she will show some interest and this will be something she and her uncle can do together.

 

What are some ways that ya'll work to involve young people in our hobby?

 

 

Marcus

 

See more journals by Texan's Coins

[Mr. Smith Guesser]

If kids think coin collecting is "cool", they'll want to be involved.

 

A successful TV or internet show that features coin collecting in some manner might work. The internet show Angry Video Game Nerd (starting in 2004) has been extremely influential and successful at bringing retro video games into the mainstream. Today, boxed retro video games are graded just like coins and comics with some of the rarer cartridges selling for thousands of dollars. The most expensive cartridge that I'm aware of sold for nearly $100,000. Here it is: http://www.ibtimes.com/rare-nintendo-world-championship-cart-sells-over-99k-now-worlds-most-expensive-video-game-1548081

 

A big budget Hollywood film that features coin collecting in some way might work too. Although, new discoveries and research into dinosaurs during the 1950s and 1960s sparked some interest, the 1993 film Jurassic Park sparked massive public interest in dinosaurs, which lasts to this day. In fact, I just read today that box office sales of the newest film, Jurassic World, will cross a billion dollars in just 13 days of being released, the fastest film in history to do so.

Source: http://money.cnn.com/2015/06/22/media/jurassic-world-billion-box-office/

 

It's not an impossible task to influence the younger generation to become interested in coin collecting. However, it may be a very expensive one.

 

[Six Mile Rick]

A fun set to build with your niece and future nephew -- Kennedy half dollars.

 

You never or rarely see them in change and later on they will be coins from the past if not collected. Get your niece a coin album and take her a coin for it once in a while.

[rockhobby]

My granddaughter and I are working on the classic Jefferson set and the classic commemorative set. She is seven now but has been helping me pick the coins for the last four years. The way I keep her engaged is to let her pick out which coin to add to the collections and then let her open the package when it arrives. This way she feels some ownership of the coins. We also go through OBW's together.

 

The downside to the above is that on occasion she will pick a coin that is not what would be considered an "A" or "B" example of a coin. Whenever this happens I try to show her the coin deficiencies compared to others in grade so she can learn what to look for. Of course for monetary reasons (I am not a rich person) I will point out flaws in an expensive coin she picks that looks bad for the grade (guidance not heavy handed decisions is the key).

 

So far she seems to love coin collecting but who knows what will happen in the future. The teen years are coming up and I can but hope the memories of today will drive her passion for collecting tomorrow.

 

Doug

[World_Coin_Nut]

This is something I have been thinking about a lot. My daughter (now grown) has never seemed too interested in my hobby. She now has a daughter that is going on 3. I know this is still to early but when do others try to get kids involved.

[Mr. Smith Guesser]

I was thinking about this more today, and got to wondering what Coin World's true motivation behind trying to get kids into the hobby.

 

It might be a pessimistic view, but do you think there is any part of Coin World's (or others) motivation that's self-serving? I mean, if there were no one in the younger generation who becomes interested in coins, they'll be out of a job sooner or later. It's really in Coin World's (and others including dealers) best interest to keep interest in the hobby afloat.

[RWB]

I wonder if the problem definition might be incorrect? The emotional and intellectual development patterns of children and teens differ from adults. Their brain functions are not the same as mature individuals. It seems to me that the effort to develop new coin collectors might better be served by understanding the motivations of 30+ age adults. People of this age have usually passed the basic social and economic phases. They are independent but commonly part of family structures and also participate in more consistent group activities than younger people. They are coaches, mentors, social examples, etc.

 

Think of your own personal coin collecting journey. Even if you started young, you probably dropped it until you were more financially and socially stable -- typically in your 30s or even 40s.

 

The "middle-age adult" might be a more promising age target for collector growth than YN-age children. From that, one can develop a goof demographic profile and the right materials to appeal to potential collectors.

 

Just a thought.

[Six Mile Rick]

This is something I have been thinking about a lot. My daughter (now grown) has never seemed too interested in my hobby. She now has a daughter that is going on 3. I know this is still to early but when do others try to get kids involved.

 

Chris,

I started my 2 children at around 12 years old. Of course they saw coins come and go prior. In 2004 I got them each a State Quarter album and we filled different slots for a few years together as they came out of pocket change.

Neither of them collect coins now in their 20's BUT they still have the albums that we filled together. They are interested to see any new cool coins I get like the $20 Double Eagle I got last week. When they are ready in time and fortune I imagine they will build a nice set of their own.

 

Later--Rick

[Merlin8*]

Marcus

 

I have tried a couple of approaches with my son, on his birthday I gave him a morgan dollar minted 100 years before he was born, no reaction. The latest attempt was at age 30, with absolute failure. So, I thought about my own journey in collecting and it started with comics at age 12-13. My grandson is 4 so I figure in 8 years, if I see digital comics on his iPad, I'm going to dump a cigar box of old coins out and hope he asks me a question about them, bingo!

 

More likely outcome is after I am long gone he will use my half dollar collection to buy comic books!

 

Cheers,

 

Larry

[Mr Bo Jingles]

I personally think it is a difficult challenge. Back in the stone age when I was introduced to coin collecting, my Grandmother and I would sit at her table and crack open bank rolls of pennies looking for wheaties. Back then she had a 19" TV, no cable, and 6 channels. "Automated" entertainment was pretty much non-existent past riding my bike.

 

Today's kids experience sensory overload so often that I would think coin collecting looks like an "old person's" hobby. Not completely untrue. If they were around when I was a lad and somebody offered me a coin worth $100 or an iPod they could have kept the coin and I would have been stoked! I feel differently about things today.

 

Coin collecting, whether or not people want to admit it, is really an attraction rather than promotion thing. That's my take anyway.....

[Six Mile Rick]

Today's kids experience sensory overload so often that I would think coin collecting looks like an "old person's" hobby. Not completely untrue. If they were around when I was a lad and somebody offered me a coin worth $100 or an iPod they could have kept the coin and I would have been stoked! I feel differently about things today.

 

Coin collecting, whether or not people want to admit it, is really an attraction rather than promotion thing. That's my take anyway.....

 

SO CORRECT!!!

 

Introducing coins at a young age --- 7 to 12 years old. That leaves fond memories of the time when little things were easy. The collection mind will want to experience the same enjoyment ---- 20 years later when there is time to remember the OLD DAYS of 10 years old and collecting coins with dad, grandpa, or uncle.

 

You can NEVER replace the good time spent with a child and their memories of that will last FOREVER!!

 

It does not take much to enjoy coins with a youngster!! My daughter now 23 years old in college and working at a hospital has so many challenges financially. That state quarter set we built together years ago -- only face value but you would think they were GOLDEN as she would not use the coins for gas or anything to help out. ------ (OUR TIME)!!

[Six Mile Rick]

My coin collecting introduction was not family related. At 13 or so in the early 70's I cut lawns for $2.00 a yard. I had 1 customer that gave me a blue Whitman album with one .50c coin in it on the first cut at face value --- Silver Franklins. Each time I cut their grass there was a new coin for my book for .50c of the cutting bill. By the end of cutting season my Silver Franklin set was complete.

 

 

MEMORIES!!!

[centinel]

Unfortunately, some possible collectors cannot be brought to the table when they're kicking and screaming. I believe that most collectors (like myself and others) can only be introduced to coins by "accident". This "accident" involves a thirst for knowledge and wanting to know what a particular piece is, how it got there, and finally, what it's worth. I've tried to introduce kids and it only got so far. For instance, my kids are interested in what I've got, but not enough to request something like it for their birthday. But I'm sure they will enjoy my collection when I'm dead. Still, I'll never stop trying to introduce others, and you shouldn't either. It's either hit or miss.

[Mr Bo Jingles]

Sadly, at the end of the day history is boring to most people until their youth is considered part of it, then it sinks in. I never cared about coins when I wasn't at Grandma's house until I was in my 40's.