geeky, but these flash mobs stand alone. tonight, a secret network, a strict dress code and a spectacular main course. >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, this is "nightline," december 2nd, 2011. >> good evening. it's friday, let's talk about sex. never has our culture been so sex saturated, so explicitly carnal in the age of the internet, sex really is everywhere. so much so that adults who do not have sex, who remain virgins into their 30s and beyond, they not only seem exceptional, they seem in a way, revolutionary. and, in fact, their numbers are growing. so, tonight, we meet these sex dissenters, you may call them. here's abc's stephanie sy for our series, "modern sex in america." >> you may kiss your bride.

>> reporter: it may be one of the most cringe worthy kisses in american history. two virgins hitting first base on their wedding day. easy fodder for "the ellen degeneres show." >> dear diary. today, i had my first kiss. not worth the wait. >> reporter: ryan and shanna are part of tlc's new show, "virgin diaries," kron kming the lives of virgins in their 30s. >> i'm 35 years old and i'm a virgin. >> we're both still virgins. >> reporter: they may seem like a cultural anomaly, especially when you see that kiss. but government statistics show virginity is on the rise. the number in ages 15 to 24 has increased. 27% of men and 29% of women consider themselves virgins. >> you want one? >> yeah. who made them? >> reporter: as do three attractive roommates living together near vancouver.

all around 30 year s old, all christian. lisa's only kissed one boy. >> it's not just, i'm not going to have sex. i'm going to honor the person i've been with. >> reporter: danielle was once engaged. >> challenging because of the stigma that's associated with being a virgin, especially a virgin who is older than whatever age people should be having sex by. >> reporter: and tamara is part of a sub-set of so-called reclaimed virgins who was once sexually active. >> i remember, i would be lying there afterwards and half the time i would end up crying and it was always this feeling of, there's something missing. >> reporter: that doesn't mean they're not ready to find love. the women are so ready for marriage and sex, they've diagrammed their dating life. >> so, here we have lisa, in first place, which is shocking, shocking. one, two, three, four, five. >> a girl is advertising something when she's a virgin. she's advertising that she can

control her sexual urges. and this she's looking for a certain kind of individual. that she's got certain values and goals. >> reporter: what are the down sides to waiting? >> they haven't learned anything about sex. they haven't learned a great deal about themselves. they don't know how to handle somebody, not only in bed but in the courtship process. >> reporter: lisa is under no illusions about what the first might be like. >> i don't think we live in a fairy tale of, it's just going to be wonderful. and the first night is going to be the best thing in the whole wide world. i don't think that's how it goes. i think if he's experienced, awesome, if he's not, we'll learn together. >> reporter: for women,ed a mifting you're a virgin car rips less of a stigma. there aren't many famous men who advertise their virginity, save for tim tebow who has been called the only virgin in the nfl. and steve carle's character in "the 40-year-old virgin" was no

tim tebow. >> i borked a lot of women in my day. >> are you a virgin? >> yeah, not since i was 10. >> that makes so much sense then. >> reporter: just imagine the ribbing 35-year-old kerry gets from his buddies. the mortgage analyst has got his own place, a cat and cool glasses. yet, she's only ever imagined his first time. >> what are we doing? >> reporter: he's imagined it plenty. >> the first time, i think i would have to have music playing and probably want the lights off. the music is to cover up the funny noises and the lights off is to cover up the funny facial expressions. >> reporter: how romantic? being a guy who is a virgin at his age is, well, let's just say not even his mom could believe it. >> wow. too much information. >> you didn't know that? >> how would i know that?

>> i guess so. we don't really talk about that very often. >> i think you should get it taken care of. >> reporter: but is it really that unheard of? is there an age at which it really becomes odd to not have had sex, single or not? >> i think that most americans do think that it is strange, if you make it into your mid to late 20s and you've never had sex, people wonder what's wrong with you. sex is natural. it an enormously powerful drive and a fundamental part of human procreation. >> reporter: what's remarkable about all the subjects of "virgin diaries" about how they all have normal sex drives but are doing just fine without it. their brains have overridden their bodies. kerry makes fudge to address his desires. and you know what they say about orgasmic chocolate. and the three roommates say their lives are not lacking in much.

>> you know, i love to get out in nature and hike and being active. >> i don't think that you explode if you don't have sex. that's the thing. >> reporter: so, what does happen if you've never had it? you may not be as skilled or experienced a lover come the special day but you may also have saved yourself a world of heartache. then, there's this possibility at the end of the long wait. an undoubtedly odd, devouring kiss. but a lifetime commitment to work on the finer details. for "nightline," i'm stephanie sy in new york. >> and "the virgin dire r jigins sunday on tlc. thanks to stephanie sy for that. coming up next, the latest money making scheme. and the main ingredient? well, you've probably got some laying around. to find you a great deal, even if it's not with us.

[ ding ] oh, that's helpful! well, our company does that, too. actually, we invented that. it's like a sauna in here. helping you save, even if it's not with us -- now, that's progressive! call or click today. no mas pantalones! confidence, with depend in color. now available in gray. looks and fits like underwear. same great protection. depend. good morning. great day. mom, mr. and mrs. bradley got netflix! netflix? it's this cool service that lets you watch unlimited movies and tv episodes instantly. yeah, you can watch netflix on your pc or on your tv through a game console or o other devices connected to the internet. whoa, that's speedy! and netflix is only eight bucks a month! pretty cool. let's tell dad.

dad! we're getting netflix! dad! we're getting netflix! super... man, i got to lay off the chestnuts. [ mom ] start your free trial today.

>> announcer: "nightline" continues from new york city with terry moran. >> today's jobs report finds

that unemployment dropped last month to 8.6%. good news on its face, though much of that drop comes from people just giving up, looking for jobs. meanwhile, americans continue to find all kinds of enterprising ways to make a buck. and tonight, we're going to look at the latest example. a startling solution, right under our noses, collecting in jars, rattling in driers, hiding in coauches. here's abc's neal karlinsky. >> got any pennies today? >> reporter: you hardly need a penny for joe henry's thoughts. >> are these good ones? yes. >> any dimes? >> reporter: he's on a first-name basis with bank tellers in med foford, oregon, scouring banks with one thing on his mind. pennies. buying some, changing others back in for cash. it all seems a little weird. but he's no collector. and he's not alone.

he's what's known as a penny hoarder. from the orange tubs that hold an astonishing 200,000 pennies in a shed next to his house, to the hours spent sorting, it's no joke. he's really into pennies. but not just any pennies. only those that are from 1982 or earlier. because those aren't just spare change. they're med of copper, and get this, a copper penny is worth more than a penny. it worth 2.4 cents. >> the copper has such a different sound than zinc pennies. real money has a definite sound of money and if you listen to a modern zinc penny, they don't sound the same. they sound sort of tinny. >> reporter: here's the thing, copper's price has been skyrocketing. just look at this chart from the last few years. the rising price has led to some unusual crime sprees. thiefs have been exploiting the value in obscure items. stripping the copper wiring from

phone and utility cables. from construction sites. even this 122-year-old copper bell, stolen from a san francisco cathedral. in san diego, so much copper wiring has been stolen from eight different city parks that soccer teams can't practice because the lights stopped working. penny hoarders aren't thieves, just opportunists. take a look at ebay and you'll find a slew of listings for pennies in bulk. and here's the amazing part. you'll see listings like this for $10 in pennies, being sold for $20. if you think only a sucker would pay two cents for a penny, you're missing out on a business opportunity that a guy by the name of adam young has perfected. >> approximately 1$100 is in ths box. >> reporter: in pennies. >> yes. >> reporter: but it doesn't cost $100 to buy this. how much -- >> for them, it's about $176 just for this box. >> reporter: people are paying you $176 for $100 in pennies.

>> yes, sir. >> reporter: young runs a massive penny-sorting operation, locked inside a secure facility that deals with armored cars, semis and ships to clients in every state and works in pennies by the ton. he has big-money clients storing huge sacks of pennies and inquiries from hedge funds. what kind of money are we talking about? >> just in face value alone, about $270,000 right now. >> reporter: in pennies. here. >> yes. >> reporter: in bags like this? >> yeah. that's just the face value, that's not even the copper value. the copper value is about three times that much, so -- >> reporter: you can't stop smiling. >> no. >> reporter: clients deal with young because he separates copper pennies from the chump change. the newer ones that are only worth a cent. but in the weird world of penny hoarding, getting to the copper is a very big problem. it's illegal to melt pennies. and just in case you were thinking of taking them to another country to turn your pocket change into copper,

there's even an obscure law that makes it illegal to transport more than $5 in pennies out of the country. really. of course, the penny hoarders know this, but they know something else, too. in what could be the biggest legislation to hit the u.s. mint in 50 years, officials are now looking at the composition of pennies and nickels and considering an overhaul. if they get rid of the penny, you can melt them and then -- you're a wealthy man? >> yes, sir. >> reporter: which is why joe hen rim's penny collection will only get bigger. he even has a $500 home counting machine to separate the copper ones. >> you put a penny in here as a sample one and then when the penny drops through, it decides if it's zinc or copper. >> reporter: to be sure, penny hoarders are another breed. but that doesn't mean they're wrong. >> if i had enron stock, it's worth nothing.

dot com stuff, worth nothing. these are still worth a penny. so, it might seem odd or strange, but they're worth at least a penny and maybe some day a lot more. >> reporter: if the law is changed, a penny saved, many times over, could be a whole lot earned. i'm neal karlinsky for "nightline" in portland, oregon. >> penny hoarders. thanks to neal karlinsky for that. next up, these people clearly all got the memo. but what on earth did it say? we crash the party. [ knock on door ] cool. you found it. wow. nice place. yeah. [ chuckles ] the family thinks i'm out shipping these. smooth move. you used priority mail flat rate boxes. if it fits, it ships for a low, flat rate. paid for postage online and arranged a free pickup. and i'm gonna track them online, too. nice. between those boxes and this place, i'm totally staying sane this year. do i smell snickerdoodles? maybe. [ timer dings ] got to go. priority mail flat rate shipping at usps.com.

a simpler way to ship. confidence. available in color. depend for women is now peach. looks and fits like underwear. same great protection. depend. good morning. great day.

what did the human race do when given a new tool arowing us to communicate instantly with large groups? we invented the flash mob, that's what we did. the excuse to act wacky in public we apparently all were waiting for. of course, some mobs are more civilized that others, so, here's john berman with tonight's "sign of the times." >> oh, it's a flash mob! >> reporter: for better or worse, this is the age of the flash mob. songs, dance, high jinx.

from a light saber battle, the geekiest flash mob. ♪ what lieu ya >> reporter: to the christmas curious flash mob. >> this is 39th avenue. >> reporter: to the raciest flash mob. pantless subway rides. but the undoubtedly classiest flash mob on earth has to be this. it even has a classy name, because even french sounds classy. they call it "dinner in white." and it could be coming to a park near you. more than 1,000 people show up at once to eat dinner outside wearing only white. are you embarrassed you showed up and everyone's wearing the same thing? >> a little bit. >> reporter: we're kidding. the colors, the clothes are the whole point. on a picturesque new york night, this bleached band of brothers and sisters gathered in an

instant to look, be and eat fabulous. >> this is so elegant and the setting is so beautiful. and to think that people care enough about coming together with complete strangers and make a meal out of it in this setting is really a great way to dine. >> reporter: how do you get an invite? >> i heard about it from my friend meredith. >> my friend melinda. >> friend sent it to us. >> reporter: for the most part, it's a who you know kind of thing. and as far as the what you know, they wait for the last minute to tell you. >> they told us to meet at a certain subway stop at a certain time wearing all white and carrying a table and championships. other than that, we had no idea what we were getting into. >> reporter: needless to say when it's in full motion, it is a vision. a strange, wonder rouse vision for those walking by not in the know. >> i wish i was invited. >> reporter: this was the first time anything like this has been tried in the u.s.

it started 23 years ago in paris. it was this man's father. >> it started in the garden of our house and by the time the garden just became too small so we went in a public space. just a way to dress in white, dress to recognize each other. >> reporter: even reporters covering the event need to obey the dress code. >> you wouldn't be accepted tonight. because you have -- you need to have white shoes. >> reporter: i tried. >> you tried your best? >> reporter: i don't even know where to get shoes like that. but there's little time to stew over the strict colds because after a few hours of pristine picnicking and preening, the dinner disappears. gone as fast as it came. there are plans to take this national, but for now, it's just a distant memory -- in white. i'm john berman for "nightline" in new york. >> dinner in white.

well, monday and "nightline," angelina jolie, sex symbol, celebrity spouse, mother of six, talks with abc's christiane amanpo amanpour. join us for that. thanks for watching abc news. we hope you check in for "good morning america." always online at abcnews.com. jimmy kimmel is next, and we will see you here monday. >> dicky: tonight on "jimmy kimmel live" -- "dancing with the stars" winner j.r. martinez. >> jimmy: now that "dancing with the stars" is over, i don't know what i'm going to watch anymore. when did the nfl season start? it did? what the hell is happening to me? >> dicky: david beckham. >> jimmy: that's a great show and tell item. >> i know. >> dicky: dana delany. >> i don't know what it is. >> dicky: and music from nickel back. >> jimmy: oh no he