COINHUB FOUNDER BLAKE ALMA INTERVIEWED

A young Ohio entrepreneur is turning a hobby into a successful online business. Blake Alma's passion for coin collecting has spawned Coin Hub, a booming business that's getting noticed all over the country, especially on social media.

Alma, 22, got inspired to collect coins when he was 9-years-old. It happened in a most unlikely place: Sunday church. Alma sang in the children's choir and he would sit next to an older gentleman in the front row.

His name was Tom Estes, Alma said. He opened up his Bible. and I saw he was using a one dollar bill known as a silver certificate. I thought it was neat and a month later, he said, ‘I want you to have this, but you have to promise you're going to keep it until you're really old like me.' And there it is now. I still have it, and that's what got me into coins.

He pointed to the bill which is framed behind his desk.

Alma said he realized he could turn his hobby into a business during the COVID crisis.

When COVID happened, everyone was looking for something to do, Alma said. I saw an opportunity to make videos about coin errors and how people can just get coins from the bank and look for errors that could be worth more than face value.

He takes online orders and sells coin protectors, magnifying eyepieces, and other things used by collectors and he's just published a book, The Coin Hub: An Ultimate Guide to Coin Errors.

Alma and his brother, Jakob, fulfill orders out of the home Alma's renting in Lebanon.

His brother, Caleb, helps with TikTok live streams. Some videos get more than a million views, scoring Alma a plaque from TikTok and some sponsorship deals.

I think the future of coins rests in the hands of social media, Alma said. I think things are changing. It's not your boring closed auction house anymore. It's not limited to dusty old books. It's now all on the internet where you get to be a part with other coin collectors and see what they're doing and you get to share your experiences all online.

To read the complete article, see:
CoinHub founder cashing in on hobby (https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/dayton/news/2023/04/07/coin-hub-founder-cashing-in-on-hobby)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
BLAKE ALMA'S COINHUB (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n06a17.html)
NEW BOOK: COINHUB GUIDE TO COIN ERRORS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n15a03.html)

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web