Percentage of young collectors at coin shows?

Tsimmerdown

I've read a lot on this board about the aging of the coin collector demographic. I'm wondering if anyone wants to put an estimate on what percentage of the crowd at coin shows represent younger collectors. When I say younger, lets make that collectors older than 18. Generally, these collectors have more disposable income, and if they are still collecting at this point, there is a higher potential that they will keep with the hobby. These collectors who may not have the resources for higher-end coins at this point, do represent the future of the hobby.

I'm 24 right now, and I've been collecting for about 5 years. Last year, I spent between 1-2K on paper currency. It's not much compared to veteran collectors, but my income will rise substantially this year. I see some people my age at coin shows, but I don't know what percentage of the collector base my age group represents. Anyone want to make an estimate?

paigowjohnny

I'm gonna pull a SWAG that, in the 18-35 demographic...less than 5% of a coin show crowd is in that group.
I think the pressures and diversions of starting an "adult" life pull folks away from more "passive" hobbies like coins.

kieferscoins

I'm 21 and even at major shows the 18-25 age group is represented with maybe 10-12 people with most of them full time dealers working for a place.

Cameron Kiefer

291fifth

At a typical sunday bourse in my area, virtually none. At a major regional show such as the fall MSNS, very few that are not the children of the dealers.

At my local coin club the active members are: (2) late 50's, (5) 70's, (1) 89. At it's peak this club had 160 members with 90-100 actually attending meetings.

JrGMan2004

I wish there was a Coin Club in my immediate area... but the closest ones are about an hour in either direction of me...

Dollars

At the Balt. show a saw a few. 2 members had young ones with them that are into collecting. I think that it is up to us to spread the hobby as much as possible. I talk about coins and collecting at my job, I work as a instructor post secondary trade school. I do get some to bite but most act like I am crazy (the "you paid HOW much for a half dollar?) I am not out to get them all, just the few.

Dave

bushmaster8

Even more striking is the lack of black show attendees. Why is it that there are so few african american collectors?? Any one??

tjkillian

<< <i>Even more striking is the lack of black show attendees. Why is it that there are so few african american collectors?? Any one?? >>



How can you tell an African-American from a European-American? There are plenty of whites from South Africa that I know. Is negro a bad word?

Tom

Merc

There are some but not too many. I'm 31 so I guess I'm moving into the older group. Here in Florida I see lots of kids at the coin shows. My home club has 2 shows a year. They have a boy and girl scout coin merit badge event for the kids at the show. Then the club also has 25+ kid members too. That brings more younger people to the shows.

cladking

Back in the '70's I was about the youngest person around most of the time. Now I see
quite a few younger though they're older than I was then. More importantly there are
some in their 20's and 30's. Don't dismiss the kids too quickly; any kid avid enough to
drag a parent to a show may be a force to be reconned with someday.

Mostly what I see are about 25% under 50. 5-10% under 30, and an occasional kid who
has a parent in tow.

Kriek

I have not seen many in the 18-25 crowd at the shows.

I fit nicely into that demographic at 22 years of age.

Conder101

I've been involved as a collector for over 30 years and I have seen no aging of the demographics over that period. People talk about going to shows an all they see are "old white guys". Well thirty years ago if you went to a show what you saw were "old white guys". With the exception of just a few people, every member of the Louisville Coin Club who was there when I joined is dead now. Yet the club membership and the average age is still about the same now as it was then. People worry about the "aging" of the collector base because they don't see many young people at shows. But coin collecting is usually a hobby that a person is exposed to early, leaves, and then returns to much later in life after the expenses of raising a family are behind them. For that reason the number of young people at shows is under represented in relationship to the number that re-enter as older collectors.

haletj

I'm 26 and going to my first show (Santa Clara) since I was about 13.