The E-Sylum:  Volume 7, Number 50, December 12, 2004, Article 15

COLLECTOR DEMOGRAPHICS IN NUMISMATIC LITERATURE

  Dick Johnson writes: "Mention of coin collectors' average 
  age - 55 - in the last item reminds me of the pioneering 
  study of collector demographics published over forty years
  ago. It was prepared by Robert Bilinski, Ph.D.

  He published the results of his study in his book, "A 
  Guide To Coin Investment." I believe it was first published
  in 1957 and a third edition appeared in 1962 (the editions 
  differ in the color of their paper covers). 

  If you can disregard the back half the book, in which 
  the author prophesied what he believed would be the 
  estimated value in the future of U.S. coins, the real
  meat of the book is his statistical studies. This 
  included collector age, income, profession, amount of time
  and money spent in the hobby, geographical location, and 
  similar data.

  Once for an editorial in Coin World, I tracked down Bob 
  Bilinski for an interview. I forgot what I wrote about in
  that editorial, but I remember asking about his methodology 
  in compiling his statistics. He interviewed a large number
  of collectors. But the thrust of his factual studies was 
  to aid in projecting those future coin values. (His tables 
  were fact, based on his interviews, but the estimated 
  values were pure fiction.)

  For his tables he extrapolated the figures from his raw 
  data. (I had found an omission in one of his tables, and
  extrapolated what I believed would be the correct number; 
  sure enough, he responded with that same undisclosed 
  number!)

  Perhaps knowledge of collector demographics would be 
  important today for planning by ANA and other numismatic 
  organizations. Do any E-Sylum readers have a copy of 
  Bilinski's bible (and care to comment on his 40-year-old 
  data)?  But, more importantly, have there been any more
  recently published numismatic demographic studies used 
  by fellow readers?"

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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