Flynn Book Looks to Next Generation of Collectors

By Mike Thorne, Coins Magazine June 28, 2011

This article was originally printed in Coins Magazine.
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A friend tells me that stamp collecting is dying, and I’ve certainly seen evidence of this as I’m selling off my stamp collection. Catalog values, for example, have actually fallen over the years, sometimes precipitously. The stamps of countries that used to be popular to collect (e.g., United Nations) are worth virtually nothing.

The problem seems to be that young people are no longer attracted to the hobby. Is this true of coin collecting as well?

I certainly see no evidence of declining values of rare coins. Part of the reason, of course, is that many coins have some intrinsic value as precious metals. With increasing activity in precious metals comes increasing interest in coins, even those with no intrinsic value.

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Still, it seems to me that young people of today aren’t likely to be attracted to such a sedentary hobby as coin collecting, with all the electronic distractions vying for their attention. And that’s the purpose of the new paperback book I’m going to review for this column, to attract a new generation to the rewards of numismatics.

The book is Coin Collecting for the Next Generation, by Kevin Flynn. According to the author, “Readers [of this book] get information about how to make coins fun and exciting for young collectors. Coins are also a good teaching tool on many different subjects including history, math and drawing.”

The book is divided three major parts: The first part consists of many small “chapters” on kid-centered topics by Flynn. The second part is comprised of short “chapters” written by a variety of well known numismatists, such as Ken Bressett, David L. Ganz, and Harvey G. Stack. The book ends with several chapters with titles such as “Coin Trivia,” “Cool Stories for Kids,” and “Helpful Websites.” I’ll sample each section to give you some of the flavor of this small paperback.

Early in the book, Flynn considers the question of when to introduce coin collecting to a child. His answer is between the ages of 6 and 12, as a child under 6 probably won’t have the sustained focus needed to appreciate coin collecting and a teenager is likely to be distracted by too many other interests.

He points out the importance of the history represented on a coin and writes, “When kids start learning history in third and fourth grade is the perfect time to show them coins and help explain the historical significance behind the coin and the relationship between events, people, and places of the past.”

Flynn also discusses how to make coin collecting “fun and exciting,” two necessary components for retaining the interest of a child. One fun event he describes is “filling penny albums.” “This gives kids a jump start on collecting a series. It also gives them the experience of comparing coins and determining what they find appealing.”

In one chapter, Flynn discusses kid-friendly coin shows. Advertising for such a show should emphasize activities aimed at younger collectors, such as contests for articles written by junior collectors, grab bags of inexpensive coins, and the like. The main thing is to emphasize the family friendly nature of the show and to have kid-friendly dealers at the show.

In the section consisting of short chapters (or essays) written by numismatists of note, there’s one by Charmy Harker, the Penny Lady. According to Harker, “I try and encourage young people by engaging them in conversations about coins, asking them which series they’re interested in, finding out how they got started, who their mentor is, what questions they may have, etc.” Harker writes that she notices “more and more young women…becoming interested in coins, which is exciting and encouraging.”

Harker notes, “probably the most positive thing I do for kids (and most important, as far as the kids think!) is give them their first Indian cent.… I feel this penny is something they will most likely treasure, and perhaps this tiny copper disc will be the seed that is planted, grows, and blooms into a full coin collecting hobby for some of these young people.”

David L. Ganz’s chapter is titled, “Young Numismatists Needed to Grow the Hobby Tomorrow.” In it, he talks about his own collecting history, reinforcing Harker’s idea of an Indian cent as a seed when he writes, “I started collecting coins in 1960 at age 9. I found a circulated 1906 Indian head cent in pocket change as part of my 25c a week allowance…I was hooked.”

In his chapter, Youth Numismatic Educator and ANA Gov. Walt Ostromecki writes, “a recent ANA membership survey revealed that the average age of its membership (32,000) is approximately 60.4 years old! How sad.” He goes on to write that “shows that employ new, innovative methods” to attract families and youth may see their attendance skyrocket as a result.” In the final section of the book, there’s a “chapter” that presents “Cool Stories for Kids.” It probably won’t surprise you to learn that the stories feature marvelous coins such as the 1913 Liberty Head nickel, the 1804 silver dollar, and the 1894-S Barber dime.

Although this is a book about increasing numismatic interests in children, it is not aimed at children but rather at their parents, teachers, scout leaders, and so forth. If any of these labels fits you, then you may want to have a copy of Coin Collecting for the Next Generation.

According to the flyer I received with my copy, “Coin Collecting for the Next Generation is available for $12.95 per copy. Contact Kyle Vick at Stanton Books and Stone Mountain Supply, 1570 Holcomb Bridge Rd., Ste. 120, Roswell GA 30076.”