Bringing kids into coin collecting

Blade

Hey folks,
I was wondering if some of your kids share your enthusiasm for coin collecting. My Dad got me into it when I was young (8-10), I re-entered with a vengence in my teens (15-17) and returned once again last year (36).

I have a daughter Katie who is 1 1/2 yrs old. Every day, she gets so excited to take my left over change and drop it into my change jar (old glass gallon cider container). She loves dropping the coins in one at a time and will say "oooh" when she sees a shiny quarter. She also likes red copper, and will once in a while try to swipe a penny. It's really cute. When I bring out the slabs, she goes right for the shiniest gold coins.

I also had a son born this week. I imagine I am a long time away from taking them to shows and getting them filling the albums. When did you get your kids into coin collecting? Did they stay interested/active for long? Do any of you have adult children who collect on their own?

oldcameoproofsguy

Every year for Christmas I give my kids, my nephews and nieces all proof sets. I figure that the collecting bug will bite at least one of them.

ANACONDA2

congradulations on yor new baby.
I started collecting about 2 years ago.

Blade

I also thought about putting together a date set - the kid's birth years 2001 and 2003 and 100 years earlier 1901 and 1903. Nice XF coins would be fairly inexpensive and might get them really interested one day. I thought about adding 200 years earlier 1801 and 1803 but decided that would eat too uch into my type set budget!

jbsteven

my 2.5 and 4.5 years olds got sample slabs at the Long Beach show and carry them around with them EVERYWHERE. That's enough to bring tears to a fathers eyes

baccaruda

My dad got me started, although he had a very passive role.

My dad collected when he was young (early 50's) through the mid 70's. The kids came and he most likely quit because the money (and priorities) shifted. He never really showed me his coins but I used to look through his old collection. I always thought they were kind of interesting but never considered collecting them. Eventually I bought a few uncirculated SAEs because they were nice, heavy silver coins. I bought some gold when it was cheap (around $260) and saw how beautiful coins could be (french roosters, swiss helvetias). Eventually got more into the numismatic side, have learned much about coins (mostly thanks to this board) and now am working on getting my dad back into them.

jonesy

Hey Blade, That's not a future Numismatic you got there; Just your everyday red blooded American Woman in the making!
At least that's how my ole lady is!!

Blade

Sean,
Excellent! I met you at the Grapevine show this past Fall with your Dad. Looks like you have a good eye for coins - keep it up and make sure your Dad gives you some nice ones for your next Birthday.

Blade

Jonesy,
Yeah, that's what I thought too - first gold, then the diamonds

ANACONDA2

yes sir

meos1

Both my kids (6 and 9) are really interested. I was influenced by my father and hopefully they are getting the bug early. They will most likely inherit a collection of 100 year old coins and moderns. I personally gravitate towards to SAEs. So they will receive those unless there is a run on silver. Barracuda, go for you. I wish my Dad and I had had an opportunity to collect together.

Kind regards,

Dan

indianabyron

I got my nephew whos name is also sean into collecting about a year ago. he just love to go through all of mmy folder and binders. He loves my 8 slabs I have. LOL and get this he thinks ANACONDAS coins are so cool . Sean is 10yo for his birthday and for christmas i always get his someting coin wise. He is always so happy with it. this christmas i got him his first gold coin a 10$ 2002.


Byron

baccaruda

meos -

I'd really like him to get back into them. I think he was burned on a couple deals which made him shy away from buying anything else. Bought a coin he really like that turned out to be heavily cleaned junk. I can understand that - when I make a foolish purchase I sort of lose interest in coins for a while. I imagine it was a lot harder to learn the basics way back when. Now I can just come to this board when I have a question...

He bought a set of 1976 Canadian Olympic Silver coins for $500 in '76. They were being hyped as a great investment, blah, blah. I guess he put the $500 on a credit card and my mom has never let him forget about it! I guess money was a little tight then.

It's a beautiful set (as most Canadian coins are), but it's worth maybe $200 today. Not a very good 27 year return.

Dog97

My kid doesn't care much for the nice shiny ones-she goes for my toned Morgans. That's understandable since women have a thing for painting their faces. She's also named after a coin-Amber Morgan. Can you tell I really like Morgans?
I do the year sets-that's why there is 97 after my handle. It's fun since PCGS added year sets to the Set Registry. There are catagories for MS, Proof, & Bullion. Take your pick. You can make sets using $10 coins or $1,000 coins.
The 100 year sets are cool too. You can collect & learn a lot about Barbers, IHCs, & LibNicks but only doing only 1 year keeps you focused on quality and you don't get distracted by trying to accumulate all the different dates & mintmarks. You can find nice MS & Proof examples of most denominations for less than $500 except for the Proof Gold.
You can also take a walk in the DarkSide & collect foreign 2001 & 2003 Proof or Mint sets by country pretty cheap. The quality & beauty of the foreign Mint's holders just beats US hands down. You can also get really old ones cheap. I bet Katie would just love a coin that's exactly 300 years older than her: Text

shirohniichan

I started my daughter on Whitman folders last year (she's 3 now). I take her to the coin store with me once every month or so so she can go through the junk box and pick out some treasures. If she's still interested in it when she's older I'll try to get her hooked on the history and design of coins and not make her think coins are supposed to be investments.

stujoe

My oldest son and I filled some folders together from rolls. He hasn't been too interested but enjoys seeing what I buy. He has the collectin gbug, though. Trading cards mostly at this point.

boz

I've been showing my daughter my (our) coins since she was old enough to lift her head. She is now 19 months and will sit in my lap for hours as we surf the web looking at coins. We even go to the smaller shows in the area, and she really impresses the dealers. Not only with her behavior, but with knowing what each kind of coin it is. ( Nickel, dime, Qtr. etc) Really makes a killing in YN dealer give aways.

Just recently we were looking over a popular? dealers' (here on the boards) site and ran across a nice Fugio PCGS MS63. She immediately noticed the sun on the coin (she loves the sun) and pointed it out to me. Well we looked at it for a while, and as I have always wanted one, I asked "should we buy it"? She turned and shook her head in the affirmative and said "buy it."

She now asks every day to see her "sun penny" as she calls it.

coincop

Blade, I've done exactly that as well. My son was born in 2000. I'm 3 coins shy of having a complete set of pcgs slabbed coins Lincolns thru Sacs from S P and D mints including all 5 quarters. The complete Gold Eagles set. Working on the Platinum eagle set. Also other silvers from around the world, Maple Leaves, Libertads, Dragons, Pandas,Britannias. Rounding up the 2000 commems too. Then there's the 1900-2000 set. All of the mint sets. He's only 3 now but if he doesn't get into coin collecting when he's a little older I'm selling him and keeping all his coins!!!

RNCHSN

All 3 (6-9-11) of my sons have been collecting for years. My youngest buys BU Buff Nickels, the oldest is into Peace dollars and Frankies, and my middle child has an eclectic collection of whatever catches his eye!

Blade

Coincop,
Very cool. In addition to an excellent memento, I think one day the significance of the 2000 date will carry a premium. (OK, maybe a very long time from now). Sounds like a neat way to collect.

Mrpawn

My son collects from the darkside - alot of variety and affordable. A few years ago I sent all of the Florida nephews and neice an almost complete Whitman #2 Lincoln book & a roll that contained the ones needed to complete it - no feedback from them or parents, thus no more coins sent. Last year 2 Idaho neices liked the Type Sets that I showed them, so I assembled them each a 20th Century set to compliment their state quarters sets. They both are hooked and look forward to seeing new additions to all of our sets.

My 4 month old Grandson is chewing on a PCGS slab while I type this and he wants to help with the keyboard as well.

The future of coin collecting is bright

Blade

ttt - anyone else?

cladking

Any way that gets someone interested in coins is a good way. One "surefire" method
that worked for most of us still works today; give them a folder to fill up. There is a sense
of accomplishment one gets as he sees the folder fill up. Each addition just seems to prod
one to search harder for the missing coins.

itsnotjustme

My son collects. He likes rare type, and doesn't mind low grade. Of course he loves the MS64 Half Dime he won from WWBillman! He wants to start searching rolls to find high grade quarters to submit, so he can sell and buy Magic Cards. Maybe he'll be a dealer.

a2labmom

I have started my now 11 year old neice on collecting. When she was 8 or 9, we started talking about the Sac dollar and I was telling her about the wounded Eagle variety. Since then she has loved to talk to me about coins. So about a year or so ago, I sent her a couple of packages with various coins and Whitman folders. She is now taking quite an interest in coins. She has started picking through her parents' pocket change to try and find things to fill her folders with. She is even talking about buying a coin book with her birthday money.

nalamolly5

I TRY TO INVOLVE MY 5 YO SON AND 9 YO DAUGHTER. ALL NEW COINS I GET I SHOW THEM AND HAVE GIVEN THEM ALL THE EXTRA COINS I HAVE WHICH THEY KEEP IN AN NGC BOX, NONE ARE WORTH MUCH, BUT THEY LOVE TO LOOK AT THEM. IT IS GOOD TO FIND A COMMON PASTIME, I CAN'T PLAY ANY OF THEIR VIDEOGAMES, SO IT DOES GIVE US SOMETHING WE CAN ALL SHARE.

islemangu

I have a 11 year old that seems only interested in Yigioh cards for last few years and then Pokemons a few years before that. I have tried the state quarter albums, proof sets but nothing really worked. I think attending a show together may stir some interest so eager in few months.

Askari

I think most kids become old enough to get really interested around 6-8 y.o. Spending time with them and discussing with them what you like about collecting and about your favorites (especially ones they can collect themselves) probably lays the strongest roots. Remember that you have to compete with all of the other exciting -- and more dynamic -- things, like TV and video games ... and later on the opposite sex, etc. in dawning adulthood -- so you have to be patient. It's typical for them to get away from collecting in the later teens and there's no way to know if they'll ever return to it, but if they do, they'll do it because of you. If you don't believe me, check out the threads that appear from time-to-time asking people how they got "turned on" to coin collecting.