The Interest factor is a term used to indicate how much demand a particular coin or variety might have. A variety with a very high interest factor would be in high demand, with several thousands of collectors desiring the variety. A medium interest factor may indicate that the variety is desired by hundreds or a few thousand people, and a low interest factor might indicate that the coin is sought by just a handful of collectors.
As a variety receives more publicity within the numismatic press, the interest factor may rise as demand increases. This may cause the price or value of certain varieties to increase without any change in the estimated quantity available. On the other hand, if a large quantity of a variety surfaces, the value of that variety may decrease as the supply outstrips the demand. As in other segments of the hobby, a combination of supply and demand almost always dictates the price or value of a particular variety.
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Famous quotes containing the words interest and/or factor:
“President Kennedy had a wholesome, widely discussed, and largely deserved reputation for his interest in women.... But no President, however young and energetic, could possibly have gotten around to all the ladies in Washington, New York, and Hollywood who made claim to his affections after he died.... Such was the force of Jack Kennedy and the manner of his death that anyone associated with him, even the pretenders, assumed added glamour and interest.”
—Barbara Howar (b. 1934)
“Weapons are an important factor in war, but not the decisive factor; it is people, not things, that are decisive. The contest of strength is not only a contest of military and economic power, but also a contest of human power and morale. Military and economic power is necessarily wielded by people.”
—Mao Zedong (1893–1976)