I need help with getting my six year old started in coin collecting

Clemaz

I usally post on the baseball card forum and have collected cards for years. I know nothing about coins. My six year old has recently shown a interest in coins. She has a few silver dollars, some bicentenial coins,and a Susan B. Anthony. I am not looking for rare or expensive coins, just some advise on a good way to get her started in collecting. I want her to have fun and gain some knowledge along the way.

tightbudget

A few rolls of cents from the bank plus a Whitman coin album.

TheRegulator

My first bit of advice-don't force it.

Next would be to pick up a couple Dansco folders for Lincoln cents and a couple bricks of pennies from the bank. Searching for wheaties or trying to piece together a set of nicely matched, brown Memorials is a fun challenge and can teach a lot about coins.

If there are any local coin shows, take her there and see if she likes what she sees.

sumnom

Yes, cents are a good way to start. Maybe you can get some circulated Indian Head, Wheat, and Lincoln Memorial cents to give her the idea that coins did not always look the way they do now. That is one of the things that hooked me when I was a kid.

pursuitofliberty

My youngest started at about 6/7 ... world coins and wheat cents seemed to fascinate and keep him entertained
while not breaking the bank.

From searching through wheat cents he purchased and traded back at about 200-300 at a time from a local shop
(and one purchase of a partial set on the BST with a few better dates {from Dad}), he has amassed a near complete
set, less some of the early keys. He also has about five nice rolls of extras. Additionally, he has branched out a bit, is
still interested, and has an interesting collection. He's 12 now.

Walmann

If your daughter does not already have one a magnifying glass or a loupe.

Kids generally find enhanced viewing interesting and she will notice various things on coins that may help her interest.

19Lyds

<< <i>I usally post on the baseball card forum and have collected cards for years. I know nothing about coins. My six year old has recently shown a interest in coins. She has a few silver dollars, some bicentenial coins,and a Susan B. Anthony. I am not looking for rare or expensive coins, just some advise on a good way to get her started in collecting. I want her to have fun and gain some knowledge along the way. >>



It sounds like she's already on her way.

Ask her what she would like to do? As for all the "get her started on cents", they aboviously didn;t read your post as she already has "dollars". Pick her up a SBA folder provided she wants one as it appears that some coins catch her eye while others don't and those that do are of the "one dollar" variety.

COINB0Y

As long as you dn't make anything a chore for her, just let her be around you when you are 'coin'in, she will be hooked.

If you put her to work sorting, you will lose her.

Now on second thought, Mitch probably had his kids chained down when they were going thru about 5K mint sets for the Sac coins, and that might work, too

sumnom

<< <i>As for all the "get her started on cents", they aboviously didn;t read your post as she already has "dollars". >>



I did read the post. Are you suggesting that people who collect dollars won't be interested in cents? As it so happens, I collect cents and dollars. So there! I suggested cents because it is easy and cheap to get a fair quantity of IHCs, wheaties, and memorial cents to give her an idea of changes of US coinage. When I was her age, and actually even now, I was fascinated by the idea what people in the past recognized as money is different from what we in the present recognize as money. I remember so clearly looking at discontinued US coinage of one kind or another and being so amazed to read "United States of America" on coins that looked nothing like the coins I knew as American.

Now, the little girl in question may not think in the same way. Maybe there is something else that interests her but when I started at about age 7 or 8 I was blown away by the fact that US coins designs changed.

pursuitofliberty

Ask her what she would like to do?

Although Lee seemed to go off a little, this is the KEY ... and something I'm sorry I didn't put in my original post.

All three of my kids collected some ... only the younger is still involved, but it would not surprise me if my oldest
picks it up again. He had a sweet set of Very Choice AU Peace Dollars by the time he was a Senior in HS.

My oldest son went from Wheats to Peace Dollars, and really dug some of Dad's stuff.

My daughter liked circulation finds and oddities ... and really liked Fractional Currency.

I told you about my youngest in the first post.

For all three I know it was something to do with Dad also, but they had their own collections and they studied and
looked and asked their own questions, finding their own way. As long as I could afford it, I have always tried to
encourage them forward in what they want to do.

mkman123

how about take your kid to a coin store, hand him/her some money and say, choose something you like. Don't force them to spend the money on what you think is a good deal, let them choose and haggle, etc.

mash

from a teen's point of view, i can say that the only reason I'm into collecting as much as i am, is that i discovered it on my own(neither parents collect anything). If my dad was holding my hand the entire way paying and telling me how to buy, i wouldn't make mistakes and learn the ways of the hobby. And on top of that, copying your parents isn't too "cool" in our minds. If i were you, I'd show quasi-interest in her interest, and let it grow slowly. If you take too much of a part in it, her interest will grow substantially and then will die out soon after.

seanq

My nine year old is also starting to show some interest in Dad's collection, so I went back to think about what it was that got me hooked when I was a kid. Here are a couple of suggestions based on what I'm doing with her:

- buy her a Red Book, even if she isn't quite up to reading it yet the pictures can be fascinating and could help her decide on another area of interest. I remember reading mine almost cover-to-cover and being amazed at the evolution of our nation's coinage. Plus all of the pricing information will give her an idea of what sorts of things she can collect on her budget.

- a Whitman album and a box of coins from the bank is a great idea too, but unless you stick to the memorials only I'd suggest nickels instead of cents. My experience is that you'll find a lot more coins from the 1940s and 1950s by searching nickels.

In my case, my daughter came to me with the Red Book and asked, "Daddy, do you actually have some of these really old ones?" That prompted me to take out my 7070, and I followed up on that by picking her up an old Whitman US type album, which we'll start to fill from some of my stash. Then one weekend soon she will come to a local show with me with a $20 bill and be allowed to find a couple of coins for her book.

However you do it, make sure to make it fun, and you'll have a collecting partner for years.



Sean Reynolds

Clemaz

Thanks for all the info guys. I am by no means interested in pushing my daughter into collecting. She is the one who is showing the interest if she enjoys this great, if not, not a problem. I think I might go to our local coin stores with her and see if she enjoys it. I also will see if they have some of the items you guys have mentioned, to be honest, outside of the wheat coins I don't have a clue to what some of these things are. Thanks again for all the advise, any more is appreciated as well.

newbiecollector

I think the advise previously given about her "own" loupe is a good idea. Many youngster are amazed at the minute differences they se with one.

tahoe98

..........slip them your copies of coin mags to look thru...that may start some questions that may start some collecting!

.......i guess you'll need to buy them first.

Walmann

As you are not a collector of coins yourself at some point your daughter will most likely bring some coin related fact to your attention that you are unfamilar with, when she does so make mention how she is teaching you things that you do not know. The younger generation always like being more knownledgable than their elders. A small incentive but one that creates satisfaction.

DoUPlayOnePocket

I think it would be best to learn if it is something that your daughter would really like to pursue. Why don't you buy her a Red Book for Xmas?

Chris

Swampboy

Some good advice I got about 5-6 year olds and coin collecting.
Big and Shiny works well.