Why have the State Quarters/National Parks Quarters failed to gain popularity?

291fifth

I was visiting my local hobby shop today and was discussing some markets with the owner. This shop still has a coin and stamp supply section though it does not deal in coins or stamps themselves. The owner said that at the start of the State Quarters program he sold many, many folders and albums for those coins. Today, however, sales are few and far between for both the State and National Parks Quarters items.

Just why did the general public lose interest in these series? Your thoughts ...

Nysoto

I like them. They are great to collect out of circulation. I have quite a few, never paid more that a quarter.

Batman23

Lots of them. No end of the series in sight. No real value. Will never amount to anything in my lifetime.

A couple thoughts that come to mind.

sparky64

I think it's gotten too overwhelming.

Even though I didn't collect them, I still followed the Statehood series.
Looking forward to and critiquing the new designs.

Everyone can associate with states. Family, vacations, history...but when you break it down to finer geography, you lose me.

BryceM

The first time it was novel and fun. People have an innate sense of what is cool about each state. Each person waited for "their state" to come up. 50 (or 51 with DC) is an easily grasped concept with a definite endpoint. The designs were interesting if sometimes controversial.

The second time through it was only a re-tread of a good idea with less interesting subject material, no visible end in sight, and the program grew to the point that nobody cared any more. Some of the designs are OK. Others are really horrible. I don't know anything about the Effigy Mounds or 90% of the others. When I do see a local monument I don't really care.

I always thought the quarter should revert back to the eagle at the end of the states, even if just for a few years. Want to do a National Park Series? Do it on the half-dollar, dime, or nickel. At this point the reverse of the quarter has become a random assortment of nonsense.

Exbrit

Too many - too often

coinbuf

I've wondered this too, like others I suspect the length of the series has allowed the interest to wain.

DBSTrader2

All the above reasons, plus they seem to take a long time to get out there & circulate (assuming you are the casual collector from change & don't immediately buy rolls or bags).

Also, several of them look very similar, and the quarter's size doesn't do the designs justice. I always thought the half dollar might be a better vehicle for them, which would ramp-up demand for them. Quarters already have enoughinherent demand, as they seem to be the workhorse coin.

I think people overall are just getting tired. It used to be our coinage meant something, and was consistent. Nowadays, there are so many designs out there for the quarter that you could practically run ANY fake by a cashier & they'd likely accept it. How would they know it from any other new design?

Brutalfly

My kids loved the state quarters and are wanting to finish the state park quarters.
I think with kids it could do a lot to teach them about states even if they have not been to it.
My wife and I are both teachers so when we get a quarter that we don't have we talk about it and educate the kids about it and then we put it into the album. My kids are always asking which quarter we get back when we get one.
I have enjoyed both series of quarters do to these things I have stated.
I have sense showed them different coins and versions of the coins and we have had discussions about them.
It has been a fun time.

I completely understand all of the statements above and can see the valid point of every one of them.

I think if you are starting somebody out in coin collecting it could be a good way to try to collect everything as a novice.

Tibor

New collectors want to see some monetary gain for their efforts. They hear thru the media how much coins are worth and they expect the same. It takes a special person to collect coins, one who enjoys beauty and history. Let's face it, it takes some money to participate in our hobby.

Onastone

It was 1999. Twenty years ago. Every quarter since then has been different. Some people think that's fun and interesting, others would rather see more consistency. Imagine if EVERY coin changed multiple times EVERY year. Talk about overstimulation. I like new designs, don't get me wrong, but I'd rather see a new design unveiled perhaps just once a year. Why can't we focus on a new design for the dime at least once instead of 100 different quarters? Look at the history of our American coinage and the timing of design change...a change of a coin design used to be much more meaningful and had more impact. IMHO.

messydesk

The novelty wore off quickly, probably when people realized it was a 10-year time investment to finish a set. Now that we're about done with the ATB quarters, the concept of collecting from circulation and looking at change doesn't make sense to the debit card generation.

MilesWaits

I collect them to spend. Much like dimes and 50 Cent pieces and dollar coins.
They are fun for circulation, not collecting.
Otherwise, I only collect PM’s.

santinidollar

Just the thought of putting together sets of all those quarters is exhausting.

keets

burnout.

jabba

I didn’t care for the state quarters I do like the national park quarters and collect them so I didn’t get burned out after a while it gets to be a bit much I think the mint needs to cut down on products.

Icollecteverything

Someday the mint will be just making coins for collectors because nobody will be using cash anymore. I have no good estimate of when this will happen but it seems inevitable.

1Mike1

People expected these sets to grow in value. Many people stockpiled rolls only to find out the rolls were nothing more than a headache taking up room in the safe and were basically worth face value.

7Jaguars

I love coins and yet barely give the newest issues a glance before spending them. My son, ALL of his friends, scout buddies, classmates have ZERO interest in them (ages 9 and 10).

Outhaul

Forget too many too often. My biggest gripe (and why I personally dislike the series) is unimaginative and cartoonish design. Never collected them and never will. Hell, I'm seeing quarters from a couple of years ago that I never knew existed. That is the level of my interest in these modern series of coins.

Just my eversohumble opinion.

Cheers

Bob

coinpalice

uncirculated Delaware rolls were selling for 30 dollars per roll. Delaware p and d $25 mint sewn bags were selling for 800 per set, more if they were in sealed boxes. now the premium is next to nothing. storage issues might of been a problem also, they take up room

ricko

Way too many different designs and market flooded...The statehood series was ok...was defined, limited. Then to be quickly followed by the parks - people were overwhelmed. Cheers, RickO

Hemispherical

Basically said before... takes too long and burnout.

WaterSport

I agree with the reasons all have said here however, I worked for the National Park Service for 37 years. I can tell you I have no interest on a technical point that most folks are clueless and could care less about. But the title alone – National Parks is misleading. When I read the legislation, I knew there would be a big problem because all the politicians pushed to get things in their state minted despite they were not units of the National Park Service. You got National Forest, National Wildlife Refuges and I even think even some Bureau of Land Management areas added in for giggles. So from a purist point of view – they are not all National Park areas. Despite now over 400 units in the system, and one in every state, and the possibility of actually educating people that not all units are located in the west and have a “y” in their name; it is still sexier and more name recognition by saying they are “National Park” quarters rather than say “public Lands” quarters. Plus some units would be extremely difficult to develop a design for especially National Parkways and trails. I mean I could go on and on but I will stop boring you now with why I thing they suck.

WS

yspsales

Should have used the reverse of the dime.

CCGGG

I collected UNC rolls (P's and D's) of the Statehood quarters but lost all interest when the national park series started coming out. Never collected any of those. I turned all the statehood rolls into the bank a year or so ago (except for a few rolls). Just worth face value and they took up valuable space in my safe. On a positive note, they are great for use at the car wash.

Smudge

Maybe if only silver proofs. Otherwise just too many and no upside potential.

mustangmanbob

Lincoln Cent: 1909 - 2019: 3 Major Designs, 1 year of 4 designs, a little wobble on designers initials, 2 alloy changes, 95% of the issues, the only difference is a new date and the same old mink marks: WWWOOOOOHHHHH
Jefferson Nickel: 1939 - 2019: 1 alloy change, a few observe and reverse changes: mmmm Pretty Good
Roosevelt Dime: P D S, and um, ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Washington quarter: 1932 - 1998: Changed alloy once, has P D S and no Mint mark : WWOOOOOHHHH
Kennedy Half: 1 Alloy change, P D S , and um, are they still making them?

Washington State Quarter 1999 - 2009: 50 different designs: + P D S : Boring

Squeekstyle

I feel like the surfaces are just too busy in all the designs, less is more. (EX. Did Wisconsin need a cow and a cheese wheel, since one is a product of the other and is just assumed)

Coin relief these days is also way too weak. I know that the dies last longer, but adding more depth to them would vastly improve designs.

BStrauss3

Because they're UGLY? A lot of the designs look nice in blown up shaded renderings and look like rat droppings on the actual small coin. Some of the governor's choices started as rat droppings, too.

It's nice to have input from real artists, but that seems to have taken over from knowledge of how to make a coin.

element159

I have been getting the proof quarter sets every year, and I was starting to wonder why. Then I got a Dansco album for the statehood and ATB quarters, cracked out the proofs for the Dansco, and now I love the set! But I do have just one of each design.

jabba

The other problem I have is the length of the issues in the high tech you can have everything right now people don’t want to wait 10 years to collect a series of quarters I would say if you are going to do this it has to be a limited time frame or people just get board or burnout and the additional problem of who cares cash anymore I kind of miss pocket change

BillDugan1959

The diameter of the coin is typically too small for the large scale scenic designs that have been chosen. Artistic merit usually gets washed out on the final product. Often, the same designs on the 5 oz. hockey pucks look better.

yspsales

I am not opposed to the idea... it just has gotten stale.

Why not the reverse of the Kennedy half for state birds?

The reverse of the dime for state flowers?

The reverse of the cent for state flags.

Baley

I collected the state quarters as they came out, buying a roll at the bank and putting the best coin in a folder.

Decided to start collecting the territory, park and any other ones that come out someday in the far future, from change, after they've circulated a couple decades, targeting Fine.

kbbpll

I've always wondered what the economic incentive might be for a mint/government to do this kind of thing. Even if you only collect one of each, you've got $25 removed from the economy basically forever. Or at least decades later get $10 worth of stuff for your $25.

For me, I was only interested in one of them, because of a personal connection to that monument, but it didn't really inspire me to want to get all of them. Toss in the fact that this roll came straight from the launch ceremony but the quality of all of them is pathetic.

jesbroken

When most of the circulated quarters look as good as most lower grade BU coins, what is the incentive to collect and pay premiums for uncirculated quarters. Therefore, there is little value in a completed collection of uncirculated coins when for the price of 25 cents you can purchase each quarter at the bank or from change. Now, I am sure an ultra high grade collection of these quarters might bring some buyers out. Not even sure of this. JMO
Jim

BillJones

Most everyone has heard of the states. Each year, when five more states got into circulation, there was anticipation and interest.

Many people have never heard of the national parks that have been honored. I lived in Delware the first 22 years of my life, and I had never heard of "Bombay Hook." I am sure there are other pieces that have been covered that are just as secure to most people.

Kkathyl

Even if you get them straight away, they are processed through the coin counters and most are
damaged as a result. Good for kids to collect but as of now agree with others not on my list of interests.