Is the sky really falling????
USAFRETWI
Posts: 464 ✭✭✭
All the talk about the market going down and not coming back up because coin collectors are getting old has me thinking on what to do at this point.
I have coins that I like just because I like the series (Peace Dollars, Barber Halves). Then there are the “investment” coins, mainly key and semi key dates.... I know, I know don’t buy coins as an investment, well myself and many others have on here.
So here here is the delema, I’ve only been collecting for 20 years or so, (I’m 53). All my coins fall in 50-5000 range. Has this happened to the market before in the past ? Does everyone really think coin collecting is going the way of stamps and sport cards? Will keys and semi keys always be in demand?
Thanks for any input
Ken
2
Comments
Let's hope the rebound is accurate.
As long as coins are being used in commerce you can feel safe in collecting. If we go to crypto or non cash completely it becomes a different story. Will there still be youngsters collecting if they don't see them day to day. I think that the demand will be there as long as twenty years after the demise of the coin. Then, who knows.
All speculation for sure. Stamps I hear are making a comeback I hear. But sports cards??
bob
Yawn.
Sorry to bore you....
It is just time to get much more selective about what you buy AND what you hold. If it is common and/or "ordinary" dump it.
Remember paper is always superior to metal. Ask Venezuela or Zimbabwe or Germany.........
Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value. Zero. Voltaire. Ebay coinbowlllc
Got some of that too....lol
I think there will always be some sort of demand. I also do not expect any positive return on investment as a collector. Breaking even will be good enough for the heirs... as I do not sell.
This coming from a hobby coin collector. Hobby is for fun and is expendable income. I keep the investments stuff separate from the hobby, i.e., bullion and the markets.
Anyone want to chip in for a U-haul truck to take coins to auction?
I buy coins because I enjoy owning, don't want to loose money just like anybody else, , but now I only own coins that people say wow, like to own that, everything else has been sold off while ago. For reasons stated above , glut of coins on market, with fewer and fewer buyers and holders, and It will only get worse as more people pass away. From a financial standpoint, its probably best to hold on tocoins that are not readily available and that have strong demand (this used to be most key-dates, but not any longer) only a selective few IMO are worthy of this.
@USAFRETWI
IMHO the market for semi and hard date will remain strong since there are less and less of them to surface.
Try to collect what would bring you joy
Most US "key" and "semi-key" coins are actually very common. They have been the target of hoarders for several decades and are eventually going to come back into a market that will probably not have enough collector demand to absorb them.
I nearly fainted yesterday when a retired military guy came in the shop looking for a few statehood quarters to finish his collection. He told me I was the first shop he's been to that has individual quarters. He said all the other shops only had completed albums for sale. Good thing I didn't use them all at the car wash.
I agree with Paradise & Hemispherical, etc. I imagine people asked this same question 100 years ago. And besides once we ever go cashless your coins would gain even more.
Relax, it may seem like the sky is falling, but it is the ground that is rising!
Whatever happens, my current personal activity is to buy ONLY a few coins that compel me to.
I'm putting stuff in my "look again" file and removing it within days.
Most of my commoner stuff is dumped.
For practical purposes I am no longer "collecting."
Actually it feels very odd as I have enjoyed coins for 6 decades and now can't care less about them.
Disappointing really.
That is probably more like me when I snatched my 1921Crowned Peace MS65 for 2K
Would I ever realized what I paid down my decades ?
........well I thought she is the prettiest one I've seen in a long time so it's alright if I do or don't get my return of investment ..... it's ok whatever the market might be in the future
News of the hobbies' death have been greatly exaggerated.
Check out my current listings: https://ebay.com/sch/khunt/m.html?_ipg=200&_sop=12&_rdc=1
If you listen to folks here the sky has been falling for years, is it really falling... maybe. Will it implode tomorrow... not likely. Will it get better... nobody knows for sure.
My Collection of Old Holders
Never a slave to one plastic brand will I ever be.
I also look at it this way .... with my Peace; if she makes me smile each time I take the box out for the next 20 yrs then the cost of my JOY is less than 30 cents a day
....... she is practically free to go 
IMHO.......there will always be coin collectors.
I talk to people all over the U. S. Almost on a daily basis that have coins put away in one style or another. Some are Dad's old handful of silver dollars or wheat pennies. Almost Every place I go to when I mention I am a coin collector the response is " Oh I have a bunch of old coins from my Dad/ Grandpa." Social media steals the highlights of finding a valuable coin in circulation. There is no hype like there was back in the 1950 's / 1960's about finding key or special coins out in general circulation.
You guys in your 30's / 40's are the fortunate ones today. Old guys like me are not going to be around much longer and I'm sure my kids will be selling my collections in a few years, Coin collecting is not dying it is becoming more selective. Wooden lures from the early 1900's are bringing a fortune today, toys from the 1930's and up era are bringing crazy money. The day we quit producing pennies, my collection will double in price. Prior to the State quarters there was an estimated 300,000 neumismatists, yet 14,000,000 people collected state quarters.
As far as going cashless, that's never going to happen, WHY? Because you can't hide graft to the politicians on credit cards!
Bob Sr CEO Fieldtechs
Try me Toppy
That’s a great attitude to have! I totally enjoy the history of these coins. Yes, they may go down in value, break even, or go up in value. I would like to think that I will make some decent money in the end by acquiring tough coins in above average grade, but the joy of ownership is priceless.
@Colonialcoin
Yes ...... the history you learnt along the way is priceless
Since virtually all of my stuff is cherrypicked or obtained with cash from cherrypicking I don't worry too much.
Collect what you love. Love what you collect.
Simple.
Pete
It's only money anyway.
This!
Love them 21 Peace Dollars
I also collect for the pure enjoyment of collecting and don't worry too much about value. My heirs can worry about that.
Human nature is not going to change. People will continue to collect stuff.
The world is becoming increasingly richer, faster and faster. Mainly due to technological progress, but also because we continue to learn from our mistakes, and from our successes and failures. That is not going to change.
Everything is getting easier and easier to find. That is not going to change.
As a result, some coins are going to go upin value. Some of those will go up a lot. And other things will become worth less. Actually, most things will underperform. They're just too easy to find.
None of this should be all that difficult to grasp. Take it from there.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
For collectors, the time period of ownership is just a rental fee, until the next collector starts their rental term.
End Systemic Elitism - It Takes All Of Us
Feeling superior?
Smitten with DBLCs.
Like the way you look at it ....... it's the cost of our fix and it would Not go down the toilet the next day
People have been saying the sky is falling for years and years. I do not believe it. Just buy quality, rarity and eye appeal you'll be fine.
Sometimes, it’s better to be LUCKY than good. 🍀 🍺👍
My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947):
https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/16292/
It is a valid question and concern.
Not sure exactly what the future holds for coins.
As for sports cards, the explosion in that field was a fad, or a bubble, with newly made collectables being hyped and inflated. I assume that the vintage stuff held its value somewhat.
As for stamps, the high end stuff held its value.
Worth studying the other hobbies, but I am not sure there are direct comparisons.
Yeah, it's like having a quart of fine whisky that never goes empty!
Check out my current listings: https://ebay.com/sch/khunt/m.html?_ipg=200&_sop=12&_rdc=1
If the US government stopped making money, I'd be using Mexican or Canadian currency for "under the table" transactions.
Cash still talks in a lot of places around where I live.
Funny story about a millennial -vs- me at a Amish lumber yard.
(You can guess what happened)
My Saint Set
If youre an investor, then there are better ways to invest.
If youre a coin collector, then coins are the only way to do that.
I consider myself a collector. I havent sold a coin in nearly 10 years(i might have sold 1 or 2 come to think of it, but literally 2 I think). I would love for prices to fall. Would love to be able to pick up some Barber halves on the cheaps. Would love to grab some MS67 P$s or make a full set of 65s without tapping my entire budget. Heck I'd love $4 silver and $400 gold again so I can make a nice Saint or Indian set. So the sky is falling is not a bad thing for collectors.
By most standards, my coin collection is pretty meager, but it gives me joy. Really, that's all that matters.
Successful BST transactions with: SilverEagles92; Ahrensdad; Smitty; GregHansen; Lablade; Mercury10c; copperflopper; whatsup; KISHU1; scrapman1077, crispy, canadanz, smallchange, robkool, Mission16, ranshdow, ibzman350, Fallguy, Collectorcoins, SurfinxHI, jwitten, Walkerguy21D, dsessom.
@Paradisefound.. She is pretty
@USAFRETWI Both of those 21's are nice
With what I've kept I don't really care about the "value."
I pared down to what is for me some VERY nice pieces.
There aren't many that I see that can compare.
What I've added in the past year or so has been purchased with funds from selling other coins.
They are enjoyable to look at and admire and remember the acquisition, but my common sense tells me that I now have .... ENOUGH !!
Same here.
Would it depress you if I encouraged you to only keep CACed coins in case you wish or need to dump them quickly?
Great thread, a lot to ponder.
Generally, the rare old coins i still need to buy to complete my collections, i wish they would go down in price, but they keep going up, and are hard to find.
My newer common duplicates that I'd like to sell, are easy to find better alternates, and everyone is marking them down lower and lower to move 'em out.
If I could sell all my gem, white and toned handpicked Franklins, late date walkers and mercs, Washingtons and Roosevelts, and Morgan and Peace dollars in one fell swoop I'd probably do it.
It would take a lot of grading fees, postage, and tons of my time to get anything close to "what they're worth"
Meanwhile, any genuine 1793 copper, 1795 gold, and 1796 silver that's not too ugly and costs under 5 figures would be most welcome
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
Even at recently softer levels, many non billion tethered coins are at extreme multiples to what they sold for two or three generations earlier, even adjusted for inflation. I bought three or four coins out of the Newman sale not many years ago and saw that the proof have dime I picked up for $1400, was purchased by the collector for ten bucks, I dunno, in the 1950's or so.
More stunning and dramatic is the record holding $10,000,000 Dollar that was the $1,000 Dollar in 1948 (I think I have the year right.
My crystal ball is often wrong so I can't tell you if rare coins in the aggregate will go up in price or down but there is plenty of room to move in either direction.
Not at all. They mostly are CAC right now and although I'll still say that they are a primary hurdle and element of uncertainty that NO amount of ignoring will cure.
What's depressing is that some nebulous "rating" company has become so much of the current scene that the question even comes up.
Hey wait a minute you mean the Statehood quarters is not a thing? J/k but that is one album that isn’t complete... I’ll find the last few in circulation (need some Ps)... maybe. LOL
That is the fun part... collect the coin, enjoy, and have fun. If you stop having fun, then what is the purpose? Just become a robot.
Now time to get serious and buy some stocks!
