I can't stop thinking of something the owner of my (big) local auction house said. He said 99% of the clients are male. And from what I've seen so far, that seems right (if you have other experiences, please share).
But that shocked me a bit because I never really thought about that topic before. There are certain things where a huge difference in proportions between men and women is known, whichever reason they might have. Just look into data of proportions for certain majors in uni, jobs, or whatever. A lot of different interests also come from stuff kids get when they're young (cars, horses, etc.)
But coin collecting? What makes it so out of balance? Is it the "collecting" or the "coins" part?
For the coins part, we have to be honest and admit that most people don't care about coins in general. But when someone is interested in coins, why is it almost always a man? There are many different reasons you could be interested in coins, but one of the biggest would be "history" I guess (at least it's for me). But I don't see why only men would be interested in history?
You see that I'm just struggling to find an explanation. I just don't get it.
For the end, on a little site note how cliche and conservative my experiences were so far: At the two big auction houses/ coin dealers in my city, the boss was always a man, and ALL assistants/receptionists were women.
I hear you but I think it has improved a little (compared to years ago). The first shows I went to about 22 years ago I very rarely saw any women (& if I did they were wives or daughters of the dealers). I went to a workshop about 6 years ago & sat next to a lady who was the president of her local coin club. So things are changing a little.
How can you be interested in a single goal?
Don't you worry about your baby in nursery while you are working? What is your baby doing ?
What will you prepare for dinner tonight, cause he wants more diversity for his meal, my husband, he is not content to have his cheese burger every evening.
And then shopping. You must think about doing it. Because your husban is willing to go to the supermarket to see which bottle of wine he's going to drink tonight but for the rest, when did he think about buying vegetables with the little biscuits for aperitif? Uh… actually never. Just like doing the laundry, in fact he doesn't know how this strange machine where we put the laundry works. And for cleaning the house, ah good? do you have to vacuum? Is it really useful to clean windows? do you see dust on the windows? fingerprints on the glass?
For clothes it's pretty much the same. Where can you buy socks? it seems to me that the big toe goes through mine. Well, I could possibly look on the internet where to buy these socks but, recently, I don't give a damn.
So now there are two children in the family. Ooh La La!
In addition, they play sports and the gentleman is not there to bring them to basketball, judo, these nice devils who will send you packing when they are adults while taking good care of pumping you money.
And now I have some free time. At las. Yes, but you have to reoaser the shirts of Monsieur! Because at the ironing level, then there, it sucks. Once he tried and he burned the shirt.
Good. Meals, ironing, shopping to buy food, bring back and occupy the toddlers, now we have to make the meal that Monsieur will stuff himself without even deigning to say that it's good. There is still preparation! It takes time ! No, he eats as quickly as possible to indulge in his favorite hobby: sorting coins.
Because Monsieur, he has time to have hobbies. He buys coins, then he sorts them. Talk about a useful thing in life!
Ah, there are only men who have time to do useless things!
But in addition, I must be interested in this mania? Messing around by piling up coins in the dining room? in addition to collecting dust! Ah yes, there is more diversity in the coinage of Uzbekistan than in that of Kazakhstan, and yet, given the difference in size of the countries?
But what do I give a fuck!
On average men prefer things and women prefer people. That's reflected in our career or job choices, our choices in education and in our general interests too.
I note your observation about the bosses being male and the assistants / receptionists being female. This reflects the reality that women are over-represented at the bottom of economic hierarchy and under-represented at the top. One of reasons for this reality being motherhood.
It is in the brain-thinking evolved by thousands of years of development of human society.
It is difficult to describe it verbally easily and quickly, I think it's really simplistic ,, PRACTICALITY-FUNCIONALITY ,, ( usefulness).
I don't know the language and it's hard for me to find the right words, but for explanation :
Collectors and a few enthusiastic collectors of women believe that women love coins and banknotes. And they like to spend them a lot . Don't you believe? ,, Faith again,, -she must be chasing me . Women just like money, only practicality and logic in the subconscious suggest it , that valid currencies are better money and you can buy practical things for them.
And I don't want to apply that only to women ( This subconscious) it is also in some nations - think about how many people India has, for example and compare the number of collectors there and for example my Czech Republic or the Netherlands, etc.
Collector friend and great man from India -he explained it to me-This is a game for kids to collect and find out the money is for us to eat and survive, just a practical thing.
Think about it - why more than 90 percent of primary school teachers are female teachers.
Men predominate in asa clothing sewing machines?
How many giant yachts cost over 10 billion - it was now confiscated from the women oligarchs?
Etc, etc.
My thought : the best elections to local governments and politics and entire senates and presidents and asultans - always choose women.
Only then will life on earth be partially better - logic and practicality will prevail - they have a subconscious to do so.
And I'm a guy and a patriarch who have been married to a big family for a long time.
Please - all I've written is just my opinion and again I may be wrong, I'm just a human and an impractical creature that accumulates metal nonsense .
Ivan
I guess some hobbies don't interest some people, but sadly I have to agree, I see plenty of women who are interested in stamp collecting and many of them in stamp clubs as collectors in their own right. By that meaning not because hubby is a dealer or allows it, but because they want to collect.
Yet this does not cross over into coins, maybe its because coins are probably seen as more useful in everyday life than stamps are now? One of those mysteries. Perhaps a female numismatist may want to enlighten us.
I love coins. Especially silver, gold and anything really old.
Member of the Royal Numismatic Society of New Zealand and the Auckland Numismatic Society
Many hobbies tend to attract more men than women. Part of this is perhaps preference, but my observation is that many women who might be interested in such things are either discouraged entirely or keep their interest to themselves because too many men assume that a woman with the same niche interest as them must be open to being pestered. I've stone cold witnessed women who work at my local coin shop being harassed by customers, right out in front of everyone, so I'm sure even worse goes on.
That said, those same women are knowledgeable numismatists in their own right who handle more coins in any given week than most collectors own in a lifetime. Many of them have degrees in history and really know their stuff.
Gerry Roach, in his book "Colorado's Fourteeners", gave as his ninth Classic Commandment of Mountaineering, "Surfer Girl is not in the mountains." It's true everywhere you go.
If we're being honest, some of the comments in this very thread are a pretty good indication of why you don't see all that many female collectors out in the open. I can't say I've ever wanted to associate with people who assumed they know who I am based on a collection of stereotypes and generalizations about my identity, so no surprise if women don't either.
I noticed; when it comes to coin-collecting, men usually focus on a big variety in different coins from different places and ages, once women in general, concentrate on the present coins (and banknotes) from a more specific place, usually their own country....
Quote: "yvon"I noticed; when it comes to coin-collecting, men usually focus on a big variety in different coins from different places and ages, once women in general, concentrate on the present coins (and banknotes) from a more specific place, usually their own country....
Quote: "yvon"I noticed; when it comes to coin-collecting, men usually focus on a big variety in different coins from different places and ages, once women in general, concentrate on the present coins (and banknotes) from a more specific place, usually their own country....
