Why has new membeship dropped so much in the last 6 years?
TopographicOceans
Posts: 6,535 ✭✭✭✭
There were 210 users who responded to this poll and 72% have been here 7 or more years, while 28% have been here less than that.
Internet access has increased dramatically in the last 6 years, but fewer people are joining here.
Why do you think that is?
Internet access has increased dramatically in the last 6 years, but fewer people are joining here.
Why do you think that is?
0
Comments
Stuart
Collect 18th & 19th Century US Type Coins, Silver Dollars, $20 Gold Double Eagles and World Crowns & Talers with High Eye Appeal
"Luck is what happens when Preparation meets Opportunity"
Access is growing but so is the competition competing for our time and there is only so much time available.
Only way I can join another forum or devote more time to those that interest me is cut down my sleeping schedule.
One suggestion I have for this forum is to create a new category for modern coins and place it right a the top to grab the attention of the newest group of collectors, those that the state quarters brought in. It's hard initially to get them interested in classic coins that they'd need a history book to know they existed
Also,I'd bet there are many of us seasoned collectors who know almost nothing about modern coins
Coins take money and so do kiddos and families. Nothing left over for coins I'm afraid.
bob
Average John Doe collector like my brother-in-law and his brother, or some of the people in my local area would not know one person who posts here, and again I say that with the utmost respect for all the numismatic heavyweights who volunteer their insights here daily.
The majority of Internet forums are asking this same question. The format surged in popularity a few years back but people are turning to other forms of social media to scratch the itch.
This.
The forum format is falling by the wayside but I don't see great replacements. Other online communication formats, such as newsgroups, mailing lists, chat rooms, bulletin boards, are dying. More portable social media which is friendlier to mobile devices is the communication preference these days. Unfortunately this kind of discussion doesn't lend itself well to that kind of communication. If anyone can figure out how to make that work, there's your next big app.
I'm on a coin mailing list and one of the recent messages was essentially, why are we still doing this when the technology is ancient? Needless to say, old as it may be, it still works fine.
One suggestion I have for this forum is to create a new category for modern coins and place it right a the top to grab the attention of the newest group of collectors, those that the state quarters brought in. It's hard initially to get them interested in classic coins that they'd need a history book to know they existed
Good suggestion. Ten years ago or so the PCGS Registry category was created with the idea of giving the "Modern" collectors their own forum. That category has since morphed into something a bit different.
Maybe some folks are a bit intimidated jumping into the U.S. Coin Forum. It is, after all, a hodgepodge that can at times be a cesspool.
I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment
How many members were there six years ago? How many members are there now?
There use to be a member link, but I don't know where it is now.
All that is know is that (now) 225 responded to a poll on when they joined, and of those new membership is dropping.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
One suggestion I have for this forum is to create a new category for modern coins and place it right a the top to grab the attention of the newest group of collectors, those that the state quarters brought in. It's hard initially to get them interested in classic coins that they'd need a history book to know they existed
Good suggestion. Ten years ago or so the PCGS Registry category was created with the idea of giving the "Modern" collectors their own forum. That category has since morphed into something a bit different.
Maybe some folks are a bit intimidated jumping into the U.S. Coin Forum. It is, after all, a hodgepodge that can at times be a cesspool.
Up until very recently, there was a faction here that insisted on entering every single post on a modern only to bash and denigrate it. They added nothing to the conversation, they only came into the thread to try to tear it down. (It has gotten much better lately.)
If you want to see it taken to the extreme, go ATS and post about a modern, and see what happens. It is laughable and sad all at the same time.
I can see why a lot of modern collectors would have gone someplace else. And entry level collectors will be modern collectors.
Then too, I was probably a lurker here for a couple of years before I actually signed up for an account and posted something. Just because they haven't joined the forum, doesn't mean they're not reading. Just not participating.
(Also agree about the current-entry generation. They don't seem to want to own anything, except smart phones. Maybe they'll change as they grow up. Even many of the hippies back in the 60's became successful business people...)
There are some familiar "call-signs" here and have encountered many others who have enlightened me on several subjects, which I am thankful for. As mentioned previously, there are several advanced collectors here at CU which have provided some insane images of their collections.
Glad to be on board.
BST transactions: dbldie55, jayPem, 78saen, UltraHighRelief, nibanny, liefgold, FallGuy, lkeigwin, mbogoman, Sandman70gt, keets, joeykoins, ianrussell (@GC), EagleEye, ThePennyLady, GRANDAM, Ilikecolor, Gluggo, okiedude, Voyageur, LJenkins11, fastfreddie, ms70, pursuitofliberty, ZoidMeister,Coin Finder, GotTheBug, edwardjulio, Coinnmore, Nickpatton, Namvet69,...
Where have you been in the last 7 years???? Dang, the economy has not been up to snuff and disposable income is at an all time low.
Coins take money and so do kiddos and families. Nothing left over for coins I'm afraid.
bob
right with ya bob on this note
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
Where have you been in the last 7 years???? Dang, the economy has not been up to snuff and disposable income is at an all time low.
Coins take money and so do kiddos and families. Nothing left over for coins I'm afraid.
bob
That's it. Coin markets generally rise and fall with the economy. You should have been around from 1990-1996 (or worse yet 1981-1982) when things were probably more dead than they are now.
On that note, I had an old time dealer call me yesterday whinging, and whining and complaining about the price "I" had to pay for certain year ASE's.
I told him I did not have them on hand. The only way I could get a deal was to offer him the same price that they cost me.
Let me ***** about dealers for a minute. I am one.
Edit to add: that old time dealer needed those ASE's for "his" customer.
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
That made me smile.
Hey, what's this white hair stuff? Mine is still only gray - of course, it was only last year that I got my Medicare card.
Member ANA, SPMC, SCNA, FUN, CONECA
2. The economy sux. The lowest labor participation rate since women entered the workforce en-masse. Real average and median earnings are down from just 7 years ago.
3. A savings rate that is half on what it was in the 1960's makes for less disposable income for collectibles.
4. Generally less emphasis in school on history that can lead to an interest in coins as historical items later in life.
5. A fiat currency that draws no interest for its intrinsic value.
There were 210 users who responded to this poll and 72% have been here 7 or more years, while 28% have been here less than that.
Internet access has increased dramatically in the last 6 years, but fewer people are joining here.
Why do you think that is?
Maybe your poll is off. Let's suppose I am one of the 4 who's been here less than 6 months ?
That's right. I lied in your poll
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
the past. Cheers, RickO
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My sets: [280+ horse coins] :: [France Sowers] :: [Colorful world copper] :: [Beautiful world coins]
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Most of them are playing Pied Piper on other venues like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat or whatever. Have you been anywhere in public lately ? About 85% of all people are looking down at a device, communicating with something instead of someone in their face.
^This. Been said before, the under 45's have so many other things to spend their time on, rather than coins. My belief is there will be a huge drop off in coin interest for the generations after the baby boomers. Many of us started with our collecting change from paper routes. I haven't seen a kid collecting in 30 years.
There were 210 users who responded to this poll and 72% have been here 7 or more years, while 28% have been here less than that.
Internet access has increased dramatically in the last 6 years, but fewer people are joining here.
Why do you think that is?
Can I fit a good response into 140 letters? Sure did.
There were 210 users who responded to this poll and 72% have been here 7 or more years, while 28% have been here less than that.
Internet access has increased dramatically in the last 6 years, but fewer people are joining here.
Why do you think that is?
Money / economy''' millennials don't excess funds for coins
The comment about modern coins is not totally true. I believe that we have an obligation here to help beginning and intermediate collectors. It does the hobby no good if someone pays a very high price for something and then finds out later that they have been "had."
I don't have anything against modern coins, except for the fact that we now have too many one ones every year. I collect the silver Proof sets every year, and I have kept up with the modern commemorative series.
I don't like OVER PRICED modern coins. I don't like "roach motel" deals where collectors pay super high prices for stuff that is really worth a fraction of the price paid, or stuff that has a short market life that will not be worth anywhere near the short term market price.
I've been a collector for over 55 years, and I was a dealer for 10 years. There have been many new issues that were as hot as a firecracker for anywhere from a few weeks to a few years that once sold for high prices. Now many of them have been almost forgotten.
However, one would think this would drive collectors to PCGS given their spot in the coin industry. It should be a hub of activity.
I have drifted in and out for years. Usually something financially related, but having to dump my Morgans and IHC just became a lot of work and equaled a lot of small losses.
Driving to a small show last weekend, I thought WTH... this is five hours I could have spent on Ebay with all my guides at my fingertips seeking CPG varieties where my modest budget goes a long way.
At another show, a dealer and a show promoter were talking about how much the internet has changed coin collecting and that dealers needed to adjust.
I see the collapse of PM's having more to do with a decline in interest. Just like the Moneymaker Effect on Poker which waned in time but created a generation of young poker talent.
There will be another cycle in a few years.
Plus let's face it...my kids can either play Minecraft on their computer or look through coin rolls trying to fill a Whitman...sorry but with them Minecraft wins out every time even though I try to keep them interested.
There are a lot of reasons...who knows where the hobby will be in 10 years...but hopefully we will all still be around!
Just some random thoughts for a Friday...
K
Yes, having too many coins in a set definitely limits your interest. I like the look of Liberty quarter eagles, but then I look at series that runs from 1840 until 1907, and I just have to say it's not possible. So I have a Charlotte, Dahlonega and New Orleans coin plus an 1848 CAL, which very neat and few others. I could handle a 15 piece set of $2.50 Indian coins. The earlier coins are just too much.
Extending the State Quarter series with the American the Beautiful coins was a mistake. One hundred low priced quarters was great for the beginners with ten coins issued a year. If you wanted to be more advanced you could get the Proofs although the silver Proofs, like 1999 got too pricey. Now it's just an open ended never ending series with too many minor landmarks included.
The mint is killing its base with too many coins, and too many games with the "limited edition" stuff that mainly provides profits to flippers. When a collector looks back and sees he paid $150 for something that is now worth the issue price or less, it hurts the hobby.
I can't speak directly to the question as posed, but I can say this: my participation has fallen off over the course of the past few years. maybe some are happy with that, I can't say, but the general mood at this site has changed to the point that what used to be entertaining and educational has turned boring and somehow spiteful. I never would have thought it would get so bad that I'd be criticized because I don't use capital letters!!! but we have become that petty.
that lack of participation is reflected in my daily post count. although I still visit for hours every day an average that used to be over five has dropped to 3.49 posts per day. that's not much till you consider it's been 16 years already.
Where have you been in the last 7 years???? Dang, the economy has not been up to snuff and disposable income is at an all time low.
Coins take money and so do kiddos and families. Nothing left over for coins I'm afraid.
bob
the economy and all that does wonders. people come and people go.
What drove you to do so will be and is the same driving force among the budding and new collector.
We're in for a wild ride and how cool it is we are all in this together and get to share in the jubilee!
The internet is just hiding them.
I can look across any denomination from any century and from any country with the stroke of keys... and have the coined within a week.
I can see where the 1955 and 1972 DDO's sparked young collectors interest. But what else was there to do in 1955 and 1972?
Originally it was the 1995 DDO that sparked my initial foray into coins. Having got burned on that one, I drifted in and mostly out over the last two decades.
I go back to the Moneymaker poker analogy. Though it has waned quite a bit there are so many younger people playing poker in my few trips to the casinos.
We need a Moneymaker Effect coin (1955 or 1972 DDO) that will keep and inspire younger collectors to collect.
Possibly mandate new coin designs every decade.
So much tougher with so many entertainment options these days.
Maybe we are whistling past the graveyard, but I don't think that is the case.
I go back to the Moneymaker poker analogy. Though it has waned quite a bit there are so many younger people playing poker in my few trips to the casinos.
We need a Moneymaker Effect coin (1955 or 1972 DDO) that will keep and inspire younger collectors to collect.
.
This was huge, but for some reason the government killed it on black friday.
Since the 2002-2003 era many members dropped out of the forum and collecting for a variety of reasons:
Some folks who joined have been banned; some were allowed back and then were banned again.
Some folks passed away.
Some folks retired, needed to conserve cash, sold their coins and quit.
Some folks who joined owned a lot of raw coins, but when the coins came back from their grading submissions in body bags they got discouraged and quit.
Some folks bought a lot of holdered coins, and then sent them to CAC with visions of green and gold stickers dancing in their heads, but when the coins came back without stickers they got discouraged and quit.
Some folks bought gold and silver coins as a hedge against inflation expecting that the days of $2,500 gold and $75 silver were just around the corner, but when gold dropped below $1,100 and silver began trading at $14 and change, their bubble was burst and they quit.
Some folks learned about deceptive Chinese counterfeits in counterfeit holders and now in real holders, and became understandably alarmed, and quit.
Some folks looked at the absolute treasures owned by a few board members or the Pogues that made their own coins look like a bunch of rusty washers, and felt that they were just wasting their time and money on collections that would never amount to anything, so they quit.
After seeing thread after thread with photos of coins that look like they were found in a coal bin or a mud puddle, accompanied by lectures about how that is the way a coin “should look”, some folks decided that if coins are supposed to look like that they would rather not collect coins at all, so they quit.
After opening thread after thread with the word “nice” in the title and seeing coins that are anything but nice, some folks got tired and quit.
Some folks collected First Spouse and other moderns for their “investment potential”, and when they finally grasped the concept that even gold and silver can be “shlock” they became estrange from their coins and quit.
Some folks who joined have a thin skin and are easily offended by posts from wise guys, and after reading posts like this they were offended, and quit.
CG
The attitude on these forums are also that if you dont collect PCGS coins you are somehow lesser of a collector. This is a snobby board in a snobby hobby. You want more YNs - the people in the hobby have to show an interest in guiding along collectors that might not be able to afford PCGS graded coins in mint state grades. The registry system hasnt helped the situation with new collectors. Competition for the top sets are the playground of the rich - not the average collector.
People's reactions on this board to some of the millionaires we have hanging out here whenever they post a coin is also discouraging. A guy that spends $10,000 when he has $20 million in the bank is not impressive. A kid who saves up all of his disposable income to buy a $100 coin is more important to the hobby than the millionaire collector.
You want more involvement - then make the hobby more engaging to the average collector.
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
The attitude on these forums are also that if you dont collect PCGS coins you are somehow lesser of a collector. This is a snobby board in a snobby hobby
This is not the feeling I get. While it's natural to prefer PCGS plastic due to our host, a number of coins that get posted here are in other plastic, crossed or not. There are also threads on crossing at grade. There are threads on toned circ dimes, Hungarian denarius, Wiener medals, coin club medals and I even posted a thread on a raw rim-dinged piece that people liked a while back.
and then tell me the correct number that a site like this should have in new members
those who are laughed at always have the last laugh
You don't quit driving just because you cant afford a Lamborghini.
Successful BST deals with mustangt and jesbroken. Now EVERYTHING is for sale.