Hobby Insights Show Growth
A surge of young collectors, strong demand for modern coins, and record PCGS submissions point to a vibrant and evolving coin market.
The August 26 Professional Coin Grading Service 40th Anniversary Award and Cocktail Party event held during the recent American Numismatic Association convention in Pittsburgh may have honored three new Hall of Fame inductees, but it went a lot further. Speakers’ comments gave a rarely seen observation of what is really going on in the hobby and market for coins.
According to one speaker, new collectors and overall submissions to PCGS have increased dramatically during 2026. PCGS is now involved in the fight to clean up the proliferation of counterfeit coins being sold through eBay. Very important—coin dealer Kevin Lipton acknowledged that about 80 percent of his profits are coming from recently issued modern coins, not from earlier and, in some cases, classical U.S. coins. This is a market on the move.
Speakers acknowledged that the U.S. Mint’s recent innovative issues and a younger set of collectors are driving this market. This is a vibrant market of young collectors, not a group of older and well-heeled collectors throwing money at rarities. Yes, classic coins are holding their value and will likely increase in value over time, but the good news is that young collectors are dominating much of the market. Women are more actively involved than ever before.
Couple this with the observation on the bourse floor that many of the dealers are relatively young, and you have the greater picture. Coin collecting is better than simply being here to stay. There is a serious future for coin collecting, regardless of whether the general public pays with plastic rather than coins. Coin collecting has caught the attention of a young generation, concluding that the health of the market is excellent.
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