So, I belong to several different professional and non-professional networks, and I rub elbows with a lot of professionals outside of numismatics. I meet new people all the time and have a chance to introduce myself. I'm not sure if this is typical for ANA members, but when I meet someone new I have to decide if I should tell them about my hobbies and interests, and include or exclude my numismatic activities. So far, I have been fairly open about my numismatic educational pursuits and invited people to local club meetings, shows, but a couple times I have have hesitated and not brought it up at all. This caused me to think! Most people I meet for the first time can't pronounce numismatics and have never thought about numismatics. So when I bring it up, I get a range of responses, from blank stares to puzzled looks to big smiles, and everything in between. This usually causes me to go into an elevator speech, taking 30 seconds to describe my own involvement in numismatics, and then ask if they have any experiences of their own. Again, I get a wide range of responses! "I used to collect coins when I was a kid", "my grandpa was a huge coin collector", "I collected state quarters back in the day". So, then it's my turn to come back with a response, validating their limited experience, or perhaps changing the subject if I get a blank stare. Once in a while, I will go on and on and on, and talk endlessly about numismatics, only to realize afterwards that I probably didn't leave a good impression. Perhaps I sounded a bit obsessed or maybe I shouldn't have mentioned higher value items that I own or want to acquire, and just talk about entry level coins and currency that you pull out of circulation. One of the networking groups I belong to is fairly well known, Rotary International. I posted about my coin collection there, and how I am trying to collect one coin from every country. That post was viewed by lots of Rotarians who also collect coins and currency from countries they visit. A couple Rotarians also asked for help in getting an appraisal on an inherited collection. Another networking group I belong to is Lunchclub, where you have a virtual lunch with a like minded professional. My chamber of commerce also has networking opportunities, as does my chorus, my alumni association, and various church activities. Lots of opportunities to bring up numismatics, but I'm still not sure if these are good opportunities for numismatic outreach, or if I am going down a rabbit hole that I shouldn't.Should I invite people I just met to a coin club meeting? Should I tell everyone about the next coin show? Should I tell people how I started collecting and what my collection is like nowadays? Or should I just let out a little hint and wait to see if they take the bait?Does anyone else bring up numismatics all the time, or perhaps you never bring it up unless they bring it up first?
