"Limited Edition Gold Bars Instead of Luxury Bags"…MZ Generation Collecting Gold

Korea Gold Exchange Sales Record High
Limited Edition Gold Bars and Coins Collection 'Popular'

Recently, gold has become popular among the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z). As gold prices continue to rise, more people are collecting highly rare items such as limited edition gold bars and commemorative limited gold coins.

According to the Korea Gold Exchange on the 7th, last year's gold sales reached a record high of approximately 4 trillion won, an 11.5% increase compared to the previous year. Ryu Min-gyu, senior official at the Korea Gold Exchange, explained, "Recently, inquiries and actual transactions from young people have increased significantly, comparable to those from middle-aged and older generations. Reflecting this trend, we are introducing 1g gold bars and limited edition gold bars featuring cute designs and unique names."

An employee is organizing gold bars at the Korea Gold Exchange Jongno Main Branch in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

In particular, young people are winning bids for limited edition gold bars, commemorative minted gold coins, and limited edition gold medals through auctions and secondhand trading. On a domestic gold community site, more than 50 posts per day were made with titles such as "Buying Mexican gold coins made in the 1980s" and "Selling limited edition golden turtles."

Park (35), an office worker who recently started collecting gold, said, "I'm still a beginner, but until now, I only invested in gold ETFs. I purchased limited edition gold coins through secondhand trading. Not only can I enjoy long-term investment effects, but even from a non-investment perspective, it’s quite fun to put the collected items in an exhibition and look at them." Han (37), who started collecting gold four years ago, also said, "When I look at the gold products I have steadily collected, I don’t envy Bitcoin. Finding and purchasing rare products that others don’t have makes me feel good, and I believe I can receive even greater value later."

Experts analyzed this trend as a result of the MZ generation’s desire for rarity and originality aligning with practical aspects. Professor Lee Eun-hee of Inha University’s Department of Consumer Studies said, "Young people basically have a desire for things that not everyone can obtain, and limited edition gold products satisfy this desire while also offering investment value. Probably, the psychology behind this is that they gain psychological satisfaction from collecting rare products and can expect capital gains in the long term, making it a win-win situation."