A step I am taking to invite YN's into our world.

jesbroken

What I am doing is costing me nothing other than a little time. I have so many sets of 1930 forward Lincoln cents, that I am giving these to family members and friends children. I have chosen 10 to 13 years of age, as perhaps the most likely ages to be interested in something new. I stopped all collections at 1999 to allow the remainders to be collected from change, which I feel would make it more interesting to a beginner, as that is how I started some 60 years ago. As my Whitman's were coming apart I elected to place them in new Littleton folders(wow what a job that was). I feel if only 1 or 2 become interested in our hobby, this would open the door to growth in this hobby. Imagine if 20% of the forum did something similar what it would mean to the hobby. Now please understand, I am not bragging about these gifts(as they were inhand and gathered over 60 years at no cost to me), I just wish to convey a method of placing interest in the hobby to those previously uninvited. Also, I have a 20# keg of modern pennies they will be allowed to search for the 2000 up lincolns if they so wish. Thanks for listening.
Jim

tychojoe

Cool idea! After all, how many of us on the boards here got hooked at a young age, so pleased with our little Whitman folders after push-snapping in those old Wheatbacks and newer Memorials?

How many folders did you put together? I bet there'll be at least a few kids who find your gift special to them. Will the kids be all together in a group when they each get a folder? And wait till they see 20 kg of pennies! How will they search them? Pour the whole thing out on a table and spread the pile of pennies out? What a blast!

Extending your idea further, I'll bet one of those kids' teachers might let you come in with a history angle, or hobby angle, to let the class search a pile of Wheatbacks and Memorials after you give a short spiel on the Lincoln cent...

Wishing you a joyous Christmas season,
John

jesbroken

I had intended on 10 collections, but over imagined my pennies. I was able to put together 5 sets, but lack too many of the pre 1950 to even be close. I'm satisfied and hope they will be.
Thanks...Jim

ElKevvo

That is a good thing! Thanks for looking out for the future of the hobby!

K

soleagent

Great idea. I gave my grandson (10) a set of blue Whitman folders with some of the pre 1940 cents and fairly complete 1950-1970. He has enjoyed finding most of the newer dates and mints from his dad's change. Now, after taking him detecting with me this summer and fall and letting him have all the pre-1940 stuff to plug into his book he is getting in to it I think. Not sure what the answer is if we pull out a 1914-d.
But, just like me, he's waiting for spring . C'mon grandpa let's go! I'm looking forward to taking him to the next Salt Lake coin show.

jesbroken

Such a wonderful way to spend an afternoon and bonding with your grandson. Congrats and Merry Christmas.
Jim

crazyhounddog

Merry Christmas to you Jim. Nice work

mannie gray

I think it's a great idea, and even if one kid gets the bug, he or she will have you to thank for a lifetime of enjoyment and learning.
Well done!

ricko

Great idea....I may do a couple of cent folders... only one new member added to the family this year.... still waiting for great-grandchildren...Hmmmmm is that optimistic or what?? Cheers, RickO

Ablinky

I'm not knocking your idea, anything we can do as numismatists to attempt to usher in the next generation of collectors is a good thing. However, when I started collecting in my early teens a few years ago many people tried to get me to do the Lincoln books, I saw no appeal as I felt they were too common. So I worked on an Indian Cent set instead, arguably more history because the design changes a few times and as a kid, it is cool to collect a series that is almost now entirely 100+ years old.

jesbroken

When giving a gift to more than one person, especially when they have never shown any interest in coins, other than to spend them, I felt that it would make more sense to make collecting easier to start. I left the latter day Lincolns out in order to allow them to collect them from change...successfully. Not so easy with IHC's.
Jim

Ablinky

To me, the point to is to make it a bit difficult, if you introduce kids to the idea that coins have "intrinsic" value then they will understand better what it means to collect something versus just picking stuff out of change that is only worth what you can spend it for. I've found after giving a number of YN Programs that the biggest disconnect between "us" and kids is that idea that coins can have value beyond face, so trying to teach them early that principle will better make the collecting bug stick in my opinion.

messydesk

Cool idea. Let us know if any of them catch "the bug." Do any have tendencies to collect stuff or the personality of a collector of things?