# What Hobbies Are Going to Experience a Demographic Crunch? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 28, 2025, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hobbies-are-going-to-experience-a-demographic-crunch/1023445 "2025-09-28T01:07:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2025, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hobbies-are-going-to-experience-a-demographic-crunch/1023445/221 "2025-10-20T21:39:57Z")
Herb Alpert is currently touring as The Tijuana Brass And Other Delights. I guess that a **was** a famous album! ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2025, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hobbies-are-going-to-experience-a-demographic-crunch/1023445/222 "2025-10-20T21:42:48Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > By contrast, when I first became aware of the hobby in the mid 1960s, just after they stopped minting in silver and people started hoarding the older dimes and quarters. Despite this, you could still occasionally find silver in your change, and sometimes even older designs like Mercury dimes. As for nickels and pennies, you would occasionally get buffalo nickels and wheat pennies. I started collecting coins in the mid '70s. Wheat pennies (last minted in '58) were still quite common in circulation at that point, while buffalo nickels, Mercury dimes, etc., had become fairly rare (though I still found one every once in a while). As noted upthread, a big part of what’s going to make coin collecting (much like stamp collecting) extinct is that an increasing number of people simply rarely, if ever, deal with physical money any more. Not only does it make it harder to “find something cool in your pocket change,” but it means that coins are becoming less and less relevant to people. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2025, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hobbies-are-going-to-experience-a-demographic-crunch/1023445/223 "2025-10-20T21:49:44Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > an increasing number of people simply rarely, if ever, deal with physical money any more. Not only does it make it harder to “find something cool in your pocket change,” but it means that coins are becoming less and less relevant to people. Actually for years I have been avoiding the use of cash just _because_ I hate dealing with jars of coins worth far less than the equivalent weight of wing nuts, wrapping them for the bank, paying the Coinstar tax, etc., etc. It’s so much easier to just not use physical money, especially in this country where nothing larger circulates than the quarter. Low denomination coins aren’t necessarily bad; in other economies in which they are accompanied by high value coins, it is much easier to spend them when you need to instead of having them just accumulate the way pannies do here. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2025, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hobbies-are-going-to-experience-a-demographic-crunch/1023445/224 "2025-10-20T22:46:19Z")
On the rare occasions where I use cash and get change, I leave anything smaller than a quarter on the counter. The quarters go in my car for the equally rare occasion where I encounter a parking meter that takes them. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2025, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hobbies-are-going-to-experience-a-demographic-crunch/1023445/225 "2025-10-20T23:04:25Z")
Married in ‘93 and had a similar mandate regarding “Feelings”. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2025, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hobbies-are-going-to-experience-a-demographic-crunch/1023445/226 "2025-10-21T01:06:22Z")
My granddaughter’s high school marching band featured the song _Ladyfingers_ as a pair of dueling trumpets. It was wonderful! Another generation takes on Herb Alpert. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2025, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hobbies-are-going-to-experience-a-demographic-crunch/1023445/227 "2025-10-21T04:00:10Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > Herb Alpert is currently touring as The Tijuana Brass And Other Delights. I guess that a **was** a famous album! It’s a good album. It’s a famous album cover. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2025, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hobbies-are-going-to-experience-a-demographic-crunch/1023445/228 "2025-10-21T05:45:35Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > It’s a good album. It’s a famous album cover. They’re a great band indeed; I had several LPs back in the day. Herb Aloert has also donated a great deal of money in the furtherance of musical education, both in the U.S. and Israel, where one of his stipulations was that the music school he launched there must welcome both Israeli and Palestinian students. I think I still have those albums, though now it’s easier to just use YT Music. ---
**Author:** ![sunacres](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@sunacres](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunacres)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2025, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hobbies-are-going-to-experience-a-demographic-crunch/1023445/229 "2025-10-21T11:47:32Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > The point here is that this coin was famous enough to be used as the premise of a joke Famous indeed, it’s the one and only factoid I know about rare coins. In my mind, it’s repute must be due to those blue cardboard folios with sockets for each year’s coin. As I recall the printed text on each socket included a reference to how many were minted, and the 1909 S VDB had a notably small number. I can’t remember any other reference to that coin, but apparently a lot of us had studied those blue folios! ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2025, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hobbies-are-going-to-experience-a-demographic-crunch/1023445/230 "2025-10-21T11:55:14Z")
> [@sunacres](#): > > but apparently a lot of us had studied those blue folios! All of mine were eventually looted for face value to buy Slurpees and comic books. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2025, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hobbies-are-going-to-experience-a-demographic-crunch/1023445/231 "2025-10-21T11:56:42Z")
Looted by you as a kid, or your kids? ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2025, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hobbies-are-going-to-experience-a-demographic-crunch/1023445/232 "2025-10-21T11:58:38Z")
Me. Those two silver quarters spent on _Giant Size X-Men_ #1 was money well spent…if I had actually held on to it after reading. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2025, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hobbies-are-going-to-experience-a-demographic-crunch/1023445/233 "2025-10-21T12:01:51Z")
Oops. A double-flunk on keeping collectibles. That’s gotta be a kinda rare combination. I only ever collected pennies (yes, in the blue folio things) and never got any of the really rare ones. A few issues might’ve been worth a nickel in better condition than the examples I had. I never bought or read comic books. Nor bought LPs. So not much chance of a collectible screwup in my life. ---
**Author:** ![ewomack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ewomack/32/19149_2.png) [@ewomack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ewomack)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2025, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hobbies-are-going-to-experience-a-demographic-crunch/1023445/234 "2025-10-21T13:06:41Z")
Do people still read books as a hobby? I still read voraciously, maybe 30 - 50 books a year (with a full-time job). Supposedly, physical book sales have remained steady, Barnes & Noble claims that they have opened stores over the past year, and I see a fair amount of YouTube videos featuring younger people discussing books. But, I don’t really know anyone personally who reads. Yet, the industry hasn’t collapsed (yet?) into eBooks like many predicted 5-10 years ago. Also, when I visit local book stores they have people in them. Browsing. Buying. Like the “old days.” Board games seem generally healthy. My nephew, now in his 20s, often played board games with his friends in High School. Groups of people who meet to play seem numerous enough. I do know people who belong to such groups. Perhaps people need a hobby away from computer screens? And coin collecting does seem on the wane. Like others here, I collected on and off over the years. Also like others, I never use cash any more. And I mean _never_. The only time I see coins are in the little change bins by cash registers. Change exists today mainly to make change. It doesn’t really have any purchasing power all on its own. Just this week I walked by a small eating area at a local grocery store and found 3 brand new shiny quarters just sitting there. People walked by them. I didn’t take them. What can 75 cents buy? No one seemed to care. Despite this, I’ve slowly sold off my collection and surprisingly usually have sold what I have for more than I paid for it. So it’s not completely dead yet, but I do think the future doesn’t look too bright. ---
**Author:** ![ewomack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ewomack/32/19149_2.png) [@ewomack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ewomack)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2025, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hobbies-are-going-to-experience-a-demographic-crunch/1023445/235 "2025-10-21T13:22:48Z")
I had never heard of this book, but it sounds fascinating. It looks like a 20th anniversary edition was released in 2020. It included an update on social media. It’s 500+ pages long, but I will add it to my already endless list of books to read. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2025, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hobbies-are-going-to-experience-a-demographic-crunch/1023445/236 "2025-10-21T15:09:41Z")
> [@ewomack](#): > > Board games seem generally healthy. My nephew, now in his 20s, often played board games with his friends in High School. Groups of people who meet to play seem numerous enough. I do know people who belong to such groups. Perhaps people need a hobby away from computer screens? Board games have has a real renaissance over the last 20-ish years. There is now a huge variety of games available, far more than the limited number of Parker Brothers and Milton Bradley games which many of us grew up with. A lot of the popular modern games are “collaborative” – rather than the players competing against each other during the game, the players work together towards a shared goal. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2025, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hobbies-are-going-to-experience-a-demographic-crunch/1023445/237 "2025-10-21T15:43:50Z")
The amount of bowling done in bowling leagues has decreased since the late 1970s, but the number of people who bowl has gone up some. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2025, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hobbies-are-going-to-experience-a-demographic-crunch/1023445/238 "2025-10-21T15:49:03Z")
There is an outfit called Bowlero that is buying up bowling alleys in the US at a quick rate. There are over 350 of them now which around 11% of all of the alleys in the US. They are trying to appeal the younger generations by making them more hip or whatever. It appears to be working. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2025, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hobbies-are-going-to-experience-a-demographic-crunch/1023445/239 "2025-10-21T16:32:37Z")
The recent spike in the popularity of pinball could also help out bowling alleys. Replace the cocktail bars with brew pubs and they might be able to pay the rent on all that square footage. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2025, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hobbies-are-going-to-experience-a-demographic-crunch/1023445/240 "2025-10-21T16:37:22Z")
The California building code for HVAC has (or at least had in the early 00s) a special section just for bowling alleys. When it was conceived they had a rare combination of people getting exerted (like a gym) and smoke needing to be dissipated (like a bar). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hobbies-are-going-to-experience-a-demographic-crunch/1023445.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hobbies-are-going-to-experience-a-demographic-crunch/1023445.md?page=13)