dejapooh
Bronze Member
I was EXACTLY where you are when I was 16... I wanted to go into the coin business. First, join the ANA, they have youth programs, including seminars at the ANA headquarters in Colorado Springs. I applied for and received a scholorship to attend (which may include transport, a week of food and housing). You will meet a TON a like minded kids. You can then try to go to an ANA show. The youth program brings in Pages to do favors for the dealers. Cleaning, getting food, and so on. With a bit of work, you can make most of your trip expenses. There are a TON of youth activities. You will also get to know some of the national dealers. Another thing I used to do was talk to some dealers and find out what they need for a customer. If you can find it on the floor, you can make $20 to $100 buying the coin from one dealer, and selling it to the other. Many times I would ask if I could show the coin to a friend (ask the price first), I would take it to the dealer and offer it for $20 or $40 more than the first dealer wanted. I would get the money, go back to the first dealer and pay him off. (You may have to leave a deposit or you wallet or something to insure to the first one that you will come back).
The real coin dealers have shops, but spend most of their time during the week chasing down coins to buy, and weekends going to coin shows to sell and put deals together. The old men you see in the shops are rarely the owners, but rather friends, good old customers who have been hired to run the store while the owner does the business of finding and selling coins. I disagree with those who say you should not make a hobby a business. Your love of coins gives you the advantage of loving to learn about the subject. You will find that you will not love the COINS as much, they are just a commodity, but you will love the stories, the friends with similar interests, and so on. I do agree it is hard to collect and deal at the same time. You will have to pick one or the other, but do not hesitate picking one.
The real coin dealers have shops, but spend most of their time during the week chasing down coins to buy, and weekends going to coin shows to sell and put deals together. The old men you see in the shops are rarely the owners, but rather friends, good old customers who have been hired to run the store while the owner does the business of finding and selling coins. I disagree with those who say you should not make a hobby a business. Your love of coins gives you the advantage of loving to learn about the subject. You will find that you will not love the COINS as much, they are just a commodity, but you will love the stories, the friends with similar interests, and so on. I do agree it is hard to collect and deal at the same time. You will have to pick one or the other, but do not hesitate picking one.
