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Getting kids interested in coins |
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paul1980 ![]() Master at Coins ![]() Joined: 03 Jul 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 175 |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posted: 23 Feb 2007 at 9:01am |
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This will take an investment of about $10-15 per kid, but if he has any potential to become a coin collector, this will reveal it. First, buy two or three rolls of ciculated pennies for each kid and tell them to open and search them. Whoever finds the oldest penny will win a special prize. Most likely the oldest penny will be from the early 1970's, but maybe some kid will find a wheat back.
Whoever finds the oldest penny gets their reward - a circulated Morgan dollar from the 1800's. This must be a ciculated piece, but with enough detail to still be an attractive coin.
To all the 'looser kids' (and also to the winner), you give the following:
a few circulated buffalo nickels
a couple of circulated mercury dimes
a 1940's walking liberty dollar
one circulated Indian head penny from the early 1900's
Notice that all of these coins are all very distinct from modern coins. Wheatback pennies look too similar to modern pennies, as well do silver Roosevelt dimes, wartime nickels, and silver Washington quarters. You want to give them something they have never seen.
It is important that all coins are well circulated and no older than about the 1890's. You want kids to realize how old these coins really are and how scarce they are today to be found in circulation. Tell them what a person could buy when these coins were minted and how those people who spent these coins are today either very very old today or dead. This will help them to later appreciate the age of an early large cent or bust half.
After they gain some interest in the hobby (IF they gain any interest), show them your collection so they know what all is out there.
As a general rule of thumb, this is only for boys. Nine times out of ten, girls do not give a damn about coins and never will.
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ShinyDiCoinGal ![]() Master at Coins ![]() ![]() Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 232 |
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Great hints - thanks. I agree about the boys vs girls interest & would like to hear forum responses on the reasons 'why' ... why does it seem girls are not as interested as the guys? |
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codydude815 ![]() Coin Expert ![]() ![]() Joined: 18 Jan 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 720 |
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lol, this is just my perspective on it as a 13 year old boy, Girls are to cought up with clothes, makeup, boys, and other stuff. and to kids, coin collecting is well..... kinda nerdy. so, just a few reasons i could think of.
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The Cody has spoken
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bigbob1968 ![]() Coin Expert ![]() ![]() Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 327 |
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Years ago, my brother and I were into coins and my sister was into stamps. Kinda both on the same line. I see very few females in the coin store and at the meets. My daughter has a small collection of coins which goes along with her interest in all things old and beautiful.
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RBT1968
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paul1980 ![]() Master at Coins ![]() Joined: 03 Jul 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 175 |
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I suspected coin collecting was kind of nerdy until I attended my first coin show. Now I know coin collecting is for nerds. Three-quarters of the members were senior citizens and the other quarter looked like they were pulled straight from the 'Far Side Galleries' stip. I was the best-looking guy there out of a crowd of about 50 people.
I don't care though. I still collect coins and have not been turned away even the least bit. I like the hobby. Nerds can be interesting people (either that, or incredibly annoying and boring).
My point is that if your kids think coin collecting is nerdy, just remind them that no one else has to know about it. It's not like a bad wardrobe, a pocket protector, or an abnornally high-pitched voice. If you want to do it, do it. If you think it is nerdy and don't want other people to know (considering you are an adolescent who places some value on your social life), just don't tell other people about it. It's not like it is going to change your personality or anything.
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josie ![]() Coin Groupie ![]() Joined: 15 Oct 2006 Location: Ireland Status: Offline Points: 49 |
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Dont know about nerdy but for me kids do like to collect stuff it depends on what they collect it is better to show them and let them decide if they want to. |
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One can be trusted in small things can be also trusted in bigger things
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codydude815 ![]() Coin Expert ![]() ![]() Joined: 18 Jan 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 720 |
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lol, i know what you mean about the coin sho thing. i hate using the word popular, so i will say i am pretty "well-known" in my school, and if it got out that i collected coins, my reputation would be crushed. Edited by codydude815 - 24 Feb 2007 at 2:08am |
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The Cody has spoken
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FLBandit ![]() Master at Coins ![]() ![]() Joined: 16 Nov 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 278 |
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I dunno, I was at a show today and there were a few women there that were VERY far from nerdy looking!! Anyway, I think one of the problems with coin collecting for kids is the apparant lack of action. It's hard to compare looking at coins through a magnifying glass to playing an X-Box or a Game Boy. Perhaps if there were Tomb Raider coins........
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I'm so happy, cause today I found my friends, they're in my head.-Nirvana
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just carl ![]() Coin Expert ![]() ![]() Joined: 02 Jun 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1229 |
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Well this post started out as would any that does not even attempt to equalize the male/female interest in coins. So very much depends on how a girl or boy is raised to make them the way they are. Of course pier pressure will eventually enter into the picture but not for the early years. Now some examples of just the opposite are some of the farm people I've known, wife included. They are usually equal in many things and hobbies are included. I've gone to coin shows in farm lands and find a large proportion of women. I also find them at gun stores, auto repair stores and a lot of other places where the average city person just can't go because it's not lady like. Most city people are the guilty ones as noted in the first post hear where it seams to be directed for males only. People that raise girls to be just girls will end up with just girls. If you take a girl to coin shows, gun shows, knife shows, car shows and talk to them as if they were not someone that should be in a kitchen, you'ld find yourself with a female that may outdo you in many things. I'm a man but I've had my share of being outdone by women with guns at shooting ranges. My wife rotates tires on my car, changes oil on the car and can sew anything. She makes all my ties. She also loves coins. She is a great dancer and could probably drop a lot of guys out there with one punch besides being a pretty good looker too. With our country becoming more and more women envolved you may want to consider that the reason you don't see to many women coin collectors is the men are guilty of this. Try teaching a girl about coins instead of complaining they don't care.
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just carl
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ShinyDiCoinGal ![]() Master at Coins ![]() ![]() Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 232 |
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My thought is it will stay like any other 'male dominated' activity - if little girls are fed this stigma, it will perpetuate the same as if coin collectors feel they have to hide their hobby to avoid being labeled nerds. I was at a coinshow recently and a young girl (10ish) was picking through a loose pile of foreign coins- picking out all of the unique brass looking denominations. Sitting beside her I asked if she liked that country, the coin, etc., her response was 'no, I'm going to sell them to the kids at my school - they're so dumb they'll think the coins are gold. That was funny and scary all at the same time. |
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codydude815 ![]() Coin Expert ![]() ![]() Joined: 18 Jan 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 720 |
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Lol, sounds like sumn i would have done if i wasnt a coin collecter
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The Cody has spoken
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ARLroxta ![]() New Member ![]() ![]() Joined: 21 Feb 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 38 |
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gosh i spent all of that money and all i could find was a 1919 wheatie grrr
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just carl ![]() Coin Expert ![]() ![]() Joined: 02 Jun 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1229 |
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She possibly later told her friends about the dumb grown up person that was bothering her at a coin show and how she told him something just to see what he would say. Old people sure are silly.
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just carl
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FLBandit ![]() Master at Coins ![]() ![]() Joined: 16 Nov 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 278 |
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I took both my girls to the last two shows (FUN and Collectorama) they are 8 and 10. Both came away with new stuff, and the little one even joined the ANA. The older one wants to collect an example of foriegn coins from every country she can.
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I'm so happy, cause today I found my friends, they're in my head.-Nirvana
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