Give Him Time

My father was a big coin collector and my young son has inherited his collection, however he just doesn’t appear interested. I would like to encourage him but I am just not having a lot of success. Do you have any suggestions?

I am sure that your father had a wonderful and, most likely, expensive coin collection and it is nice that your son has inherited such a special item. It is important to remember that much of the joy of collecting comes from finding a special piece. If your son was not into collecting coins before your father died, it is unlikely that he can appreciate the collection yet. Give him some time and you may find that his appreciation grows. You can always encourage him to start a collection of his own. Perhaps he will more appreciate your father’s collection if he has experienced the joys of collecting something. Post cards, pins, baseball cards or anything that sparks his interest will work. Once he understands the joy of collecting, he will see the coin collection for what it is-a representation of something that his grandfather enjoyed and spent his time and energy on. Then the joy of receiving the coin collection will be as much in the connection to your father as in the worth of the collection.