Under 30, you're a coin collector, what would you like to see more, and maybe less of in this hobby?
bennybravo
Posts: 1,930 ✭✭✭
Younger people just getting into the hobby, or maybe you started as a kid who's a teenager now, and have a few gripes. What do you like about the hobby currently, and what do you see as maybe a problem going forward?
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Comments
The line between dealer and collector is too arbitrary.
I think non-existent
Less reliance on TPGs - they get it wrong sometimes.
I do love some of the community though, there are some truly exceptional people in the hobby.
Coin Photographer.
Me too sometimes, especially so after a couple of whiskey sours.
The hobby is mostly dominated by men, would be great if more women were interested but that just hasn't been the case. Relax Alex, just a joke.
Successful BST transactions- Bfjohnson, Collectorcoins, 1peter223, Shrub68, Byers, Greencopper
I think I saw the joke in a different light, which is why I reacted more strongly.
I know there are lots of reports of women who have gone to coin shows and had particularly negative experiences from the dealers who were making highly inappropriate comments about their appearances. That was more of where I was coming from before.
Coin Photographer.
Sure, I do know what you are saying. Took my wife to a show and had a remark made but that also happens in Costco, at the construction site, or on a walk. Some guys can be crude, definitely never my intention to make someone uncomfortable.
Successful BST transactions- Bfjohnson, Collectorcoins, 1peter223, Shrub68, Byers, Greencopper
Yep, I see that now. Glad we got that cleared up!
Coin Photographer.
Particularly CAC. It amazes me that significantly corroded coins get stickered because they don't appear to be cleaned. If one were to dip those coins, they would be instantly rejected as "details" coins for issues other than the dip.
Yes, there are really wonderful people in the hobby. That was my takeaway from the FUN show in 2019, the first coin show I had attended in 30 years. I realized that what I'd been missing in the hobby were the interactions with other collectors.
As technology increases, counterfeit coins in counterfeit holder will become more and more deceptive. The white hats need to stay one step ahead of the black hats. RFID chips in slabs. You could have a blue tooth RFID reader on your phone that links you to the TPG with photos of the actual coin that was graded. If collectors, especially newer collectors (the future of the hobby) become disillusioned with the amount of fakes in the market place the hobby will wither,
I am happy to report that my wife and I have had nothing but good experiences at shows.
When I had a table she helped out and never had a problem. In fact, she loved it. Lots of people talked to her but nothing rude. The part she really liked was at the end of the shows we would have 3 or 4 guys just hanging out and chatting when it was nearing closing time.
There is no way I could keep her from tagging along if I was going to a show now.
Successful BST deals with mustangt and jesbroken. Now EVERYTHING is for sale.
Realistic prices from the mint.
Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value. Zero. Voltaire. Ebay coinbowlllc
And less offerings.
I don't like that I'm apparently no longer considered a younger person in the hobby. Sigh...
On this forum, and elsewhere, I feel like I'm being treated like I can't be that knowledgeable just because of my age. I think some people have a hard time accepting that someone as young as me knows as much, if not more about coins than them. For example, I took a coin to a dealer at a show and they said something along the lines of "just so you know this coin is scratched". Of course I know that, why else would I want to sell it raw? I would like to see less of this.
Young Numismatist • My Toned Coins
Life is roadblocks. Don't let nothing stop you, 'cause we ain't stopping. - DJ Khaled
It fades as you start to build a name for yourself. I know that personally here on the boards I rarely get treated any differently because I’m younger, but that’s also because I have a long track record behind me now.
I don’t usually go to shows, but at the FUN show last year I didn’t really get treated any differently by the major dealers because I had made somewhat of a splash in other ways so they knew what I was capable of. However, even if dealers treated me differently, it’s not necessarily a negative. I once disliked it, but there’s always more to learn and in the long run it doesn’t matter what people think about you when you know what you’re capable of.
Coin Photographer.
I am a young fellow and have had a couple similar experiences to @hummingbird_coins. I was holding a professionally altered "1804" dollar at the ANA and I asked the dealer how much it was. He immediately replied "Nothing you could afford." I pressed for an answer and he said $5,000. His assumptive response caught me off guard but there will always be goofy people out there. If you want more respect, just wear a suit and tie.
I agree with @FlyingAl, people can trust your opinion despite your age. You just have to spend more than a few minutes with them. There are plenty of examples of young people on the forum becoming experts in a field specialty that people flock to for opinions and information.
What to see more of in this hobby?? Let's crack out all TPG coins and bring the hobby back to 100% raw!!!
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you" Matthew 6:33. Young fellow suffering from Bust Half fever.
BHNC #AN-10
JRCS #1606
Had the same thing happen to me when I wasn't wearing a dealer badge or had something that showed I was in the numismatic world. I've had a lot of older dealers try explaining coin topics to me or treat me like I just collected state quarters, but they seem to become pretty silent when I begin discussing Capped Bust Halves by Overton variety with them.
Collector of Capped Bust Halves, SLQ's, Commems, and random cool stuff! @davidv_numismatics on Instagram
At the Long Beach show, that happened to me too
I picked up a few of his bust halves and attributed them by memory (they were the easy ones) and next thing you know he was treating me like I was the Queen of England. Love it when that happens. We should tag team next ANA David.
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you" Matthew 6:33. Young fellow suffering from Bust Half fever.
BHNC #AN-10
JRCS #1606
I had the, “You can’t afford that,’ line dropped on me when I was in my 20s. As it turned out he was right. His prices were so high that I could find the same thing elsewhere for less, and I really couldn’t afford to pay his prices.
One guy dropped that line on me when I was in my 50s. He was right for the same reason from 30 years ago.
I have a few thoughts here based on my experiences (and bear in mind I’ve been on the boards since I was 14, and I’m about to turn 38). First, being online offers some anonymity, which makes it easier to be judged for content versus demographics. I know you’re a YN because it says so in your sig line, but otherwise, I wouldn’t know, and since there aren’t many YNs here, my default would be to assume anyone is an adult. It’s a double edged sword: my experience was that being a YN (here among the folks that knew I was young, or in person) gives some leeway if you commit a faux pas, and many folks went out of their way to give me guidance that remains valuable to this day. Sure some had a negative bias, but they were few and far between.
Second, being younger, you have fewer experiences than folks who have been around a while, and naturally you will see things through the lens of a YN. I mention this because of your example. There are some dealers who just have bad skills when it comes to treating potential customers with respect (or they just don’t care). You may see it as the result of being young, but in 10 or 20 years, you’ll still run into them and realize that they don’t discriminate.
So why might a dealer mention the scratch as that one did? Let’s pretend your coin is worth $100 problem-free, and a dealer might pay $70 for it. With the scratch, maybe the dealer thinks it’s worth $60 and will offer $30 because it’s a tougher sell with damage. The dealer could mention the scratch outright so that if you (the generic seller, not specifically a YN) are going to ask full retail, you already know he’s aware of the problem so a counter offer that may seem extremely low has some justification. Or it’s a negotiating tactic where the buyer talks down the coin as much as possible to justify starting with a particularly low offer. Or maybe the dealer has dealt with enough coins where the seller truly didn’t realize there was an issue that he points it out up front. That you were aware may put you in the minority of his clientele. Point being, adults selling coins face this, too, but you might need to wait a decade or two to see it for yourself.
As far as the “you can’t afford it” line, there are loads of those stories here from folks who may have just dressed comfortably in a way that doesn’t show off wealth. Some of those folks had extremely deep pockets even if it didn’t look like it. Yes, most younger folks don’t have “a lot” to spend, but the dealers that make those generalizations won’t judge just by age. It’s a crappy response from a dealer, but it’s definitely not limited to just kids.
If I can offer any advice, it’s this: find the folks who will go out of their way to help you—here and in person—soak up their knowledge, and when the time comes, pay it forward. Yes, you’ll run into jerks. I still do, and not because of my age, but because some people just happen to be jerks. Don’t fret over them. Make a mental note and pass them by next time. Or cherry-pick them and profit from your knowledge. But you’re going to come across some amazing people, and they’re the ones to stick with. The fine folks who set me on the right path as a high schooler remain among my closest friends in the hobby and are often the first I reach out to with a question or a thought today.
Holy Crud, Jeremy!
You are about to turn 38-years old and I remember when you would come to the Parsippany, NJ show with your parents when you were going from middle school to high school and would stop by the table I shared and we would talk coins. You're older now than I was when I first started on these boards in the late 1990s!
I guess the part that makes me laugh the most is that USA Fencing considers folks who are 38-years old and older to be "Veteran" fencers and they even give us our own Veteran events to fence each other. I still fence the "Open" events that are designed for folks 14-years and older, but I can tell you that when I show up at high level Open events like the USA Fencing National Championships (which you have to qualify for and I do every year) that I get some of the strangest looks from the guys who don't know me, but are in their twenties and have to fence me!
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
I get your “point”. 😂
Steve
My collecting “Pride & Joy” is my PCGS Registry Dansco 7070 Set:
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/type-sets/design-type-sets/complete-dansco-7070-modified-type-set-1796-date/publishedset/213996
I miss the YN (and young looking) days. There were lots of helpful people and I’m pretty sure I got better deals. I made my own mistakes and also occasionally got taken advantage of, but I’m sure you’re more knowledgeable and patient than I was.
I still make mistakes and probably occasionally get taken advantage of due to my impatience and not staying in the areas I’m most knowledgeable. There’s also still lots of great people.
Some people are jerks, they come in all shapes and sizes. Keep the focus on getting what you want. That can mean anything: A particular coin, great relationships, proving to the old codger that you know more than him, only doing business with people who are kind to you…just keep the focus on getting what you want and not the peripheral stuff.
There are definite advantages to being “new” or “young” and you might miss them one day.
I hope your positive under-30 experiences far outweigh and outnumber the bad ones, as they did for me and apparently others on these boards. These days are fleeting (so sayeth the dude who’s now in his 40s trying to raise his own YN).
I think there are a lot of big names in this industry that are idolized by the general collector base but who are less accurate than they might seem, especially regarding things like PR/SP/MS designations on early US coins, restrikes vs originals, grading in general, and maybe even counterfeit detection. It’s a little frustrating sometimes to see so much ego-stroking and blind faith within the hobby. I think in 10 or 20 years there may be a fair amount of undoing of damage caused by misrepresentation of coins, and a fair amount of current-era Walter Breens (in the sense of misrepresentation, not the other sense).
One thing I do like about the hobby is the ease and relative safety of buying and selling. There’s so much backup in terms of both tpg guarantees and auction house / eBay guarantees.
Less Bullion oriented stuff, I hate it with a passion. Its 75% of the business in shop, but I hate it.
When I was a kid growing up going to coin shows, people were looking and searching for coins to fill albums, collecting, you would see an occasional 10 oz 100oz bar a few rounds, here and there, but it was practically all coins.
Now you go thru shows, and it cases and cases of slabbed eagles, bullion stacked to the gills, and bullion oriented stuff in many cases.