What can a coin convention do to generate interest among kids, similar to the upcoming Pax East?
Longacre
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This Friday, Longacre is venturing into the unknown, and attending the Pax East convention in Boston, at the request of Master Longacre, aged 12. For those who do not know, Pax East is an enormous gaming convention held over three days (there are other Pax conventions in other parts of the country, such as Pax West, etc.). The Man bans the site at work, but here is a link:
east.paxsite.com
Master Longacre has been scouring the website for months, plotting his strategy, and making sure he hits all of the booths and displays that he wants to see. I will be dutifully in tow. One can say he is working himself up into a Frothy Frenzy.
I plan to also take him to the Whitman Expo in Baltimore. Although he is being a good sport, he is not showing the same level of excitement for Whitman as for Pax.
Given the need to bring newer (and younger) people into the numismatic fold, what can coin conventions do today to generate as much interest in coins as something like a gaming convention can? Or are the two completely different, and there is just no way to interest the younger generation to look at cases of coins?
Didn't wanna get me no trade
Never want to be like papa
Working for the boss every night and day
--"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)
Comments
Sadly, unless he shows real interest on his own, the chance of him becoming anything but bored at a coin convention is remote.
YN treasure hunt? not a video game but he might enjoy it, instead of just walking around.
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I've give him $X.00 and tell him to get the coolest coin he can find for the money at the show. I'd give him some latitude, but would arm him with principles about what constitutes value and quality along with the looks, and about reasonable negotiating. I'd show him the Red Book and take it along with you for him to consult off to the side, as a rough way for him to reflect on and ponder the astuteness of the purchase(s) he contemplates. He has you as a mentor and font of wisdom about this stuff, of course. And depending on the kind of 12-year-old you have, I'd try to avoid being overly directive or controlling about what he decides.
Then the coin is his.
Here's a warning parable for coin collectors...
someone here had a kid with an interest in animals and coins
the subject turned to a zoo collection
good idea.
i hope that really works out well. new blood is great for us these days
Perhaps there is an interest not just in video games but in the history of video games. I've found that anyone of any age who shows the remotest affinity for history of anything will at least lend an ear when talking about coins. Maybe it's the history of the United States or just old historical stuff in general.
If not, then the interest crossover--animals and coins, or video games/superheroes and coins, or even zombies and coins (that's how I got my sister into bullion)--may be the way to spark a similar level of fervor.
I've had a few friends who are otherwise not even silver stackers (for instance) ask me if the upcoming ANA in Denver is worth attending. Of course I've said yes, but I've found that appealing to some interest of theirs has had a positive effect on the conversation. So far I'd say that about a half dozen folks will be headed to the ANA in August as a result of that appeal. Not to coins per se, but to their own self-interests.
Remember that outside of someone being absolutely NOT into a hobby, the persuasive path is a journey not an event. And even for a collector like me, I took 2+ decades off because of baseball cards, cars, high school, girls, college, and career. The shiny objects (and literally in this case) can be the motivating factor.
Good luck at both events!
Gonna get me a $50 Octagonal someday. Some. Day.
At 12 he is too old. I think most kids will have an interest in coins around 5-6 and that will disappear as girls/video-games/sports become more cool in the pre-teen and teenage years.
I first got interested in coins at 5-6, lost interest and then regained interest when I was much older (30s) and got married.
For those YNs that are 12-25 on the boards I dont mean to insult you, you are the rare crowd that stays interested for a lifetime. And I think thats great. And you are all the future dealer/pros in the industry.
What does he like or p[lay for video games? Sports, FPS, adventure or something else?
See if you can find a table with a good selection of rounds to get him interested in bullion. I've seen Mario brothers, pokemon and Zelda (depending on what he likes) and other video game inspired bullion. You can also use another topic like his favorite sports team as there is a lot of bullion for sports teams and sports icons too. Get him hooked on bullion and get him a "treasure chest" and its a pretty easy jump to coins from there. If you buy a cool coin, explain the backstory or history and that could pique his interest if he likes history.
Give him your bidder card!
Sunshine Rare Coins
sunshinecoins.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html
although if he acts only on your request, he'd probably enjoy it.
dansco with generic quarter eagle
Coin conventions can and do lots of things to try to increase YN attendance.
Free admission for YNs; Youth coin auctions; Treasure Hunts; Various giveaways to kids; Boy Scout Merit Badge workshops; Free club memberships; youth activity tables (usually penny rolling machines or a pile of Lincoln cents to try to fill a Whitman folder); raffles; educational programs aimed at younger collectors.
Probably lots of other ways they try that I'm not thinking of, but no matter what, as others have mentioned, there really isn't any way to force this hobby on the kids. If they show an interest, it can be nurtured, but if they're just not into it, trying to get them involved against their will probably has the opposite effect.
Have fun!
Michael Kittle Rare Coins --- 1908-S Indian Head Cent Grading Set --- No. 1 1909 Mint Set --- Kittlecoins on Facebook --- Long Beach Table 448
The younger generation will really never be interested in numismatics, as most of them don't know what money is. They use the rents credit cards and never see cash.
Seems to me that the problem with using coin shows to generate interest in coins for kids is that the kids who show up are ALREADY interested. They caught the bug somehow on their own, or are the children of collectors.
The solution might be to work outside the "ones who will already show up". Maybe provide buses to local Cub Scout troops? Advertise in schools with learning tools and speakers? Or better yet, school administrators and teachers to promote "field trips"?
The problem might be that some parents will NOT appreciate having an "expensive" hobby being foisted upon them.
It's probably not an easy sell...
Disagree with that. Every show I set up at I see dozens of young collectors who actually love the hobby. Sure, they may not use change in daily life like many of us do/did, but there are youngsters who do appreciate the history of coins and are into it. And there are some others who like the hobby as they can see profit from by flipping coins at shows.
Of course I also see many young collectors at shows who seem to have zero interest and are there following around one of their parents with a cell phone glued to their eyes.
Michael Kittle Rare Coins --- 1908-S Indian Head Cent Grading Set --- No. 1 1909 Mint Set --- Kittlecoins on Facebook --- Long Beach Table 448
A couple shows that we attend have a YN auction where they can get coins. A couple shows I also go to have YN dollars that they can spend on items that the dealers have at their tables. The YN's go around to participating dealer tables with a question sheet about coins and get help answering the questions. They get a dollar for every correct answer when they turn it in at the check in table. At the end of the show the sponsor reimburses the dealers with real money for the play money. A treasure hunt would be kind of cool to do. Prizes could be given out to who ever finds the most, but everyone would get something for just participating. Something to do with grading coins might also be a good idea. Don't they have seminars for kids on the national show level? That might be something to think about also.
How'd it go?
Pax show was great. Even your very own Longacre had a good time at the event. Let's see if the Whitman Expo can produce as much excitement for Master Longacre.
Didn't wanna get me no trade
Never want to be like papa
Working for the boss every night and day
--"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)
OMG wait til you see what PAX is like... it is unlike any coin convention... packed sold out and young people pay $50 bucks plus a day for the ticket.... been there done that with my son (on the bright side) he went into computer programming .... Pro Trip... take a trip over to Mikes for a pastry
Being 20, I and the other young people on the boards take offense to this. I just finished a term on the Board of Directors for the Michigan State Numismatic Society- I was the youngest elected director ever. I have run the YN Program for MSNS, and my local club for years, and have helped run the YN Treasure Hunt at the CSNS Show. I have developed a variation of the YN Bucks system the ANA uses to get kids to be involved in coins year round. And I am now serving a term as Secretary of MSNS so as a young person I've made it my mission to attempt to bring new blood into our hobby anyway I can. Now I ask you, what you have done to make the "younger generation" more interested in numismatics?
Andrew Blinkiewicz-Heritage
Magic the Gathering tables in the back. PCGS can have their PSA people there grading them.
Give away free coins.