Exciting news from ANACS!

[James_OldeTowne]

Got this five minutes ago:

 

Date: Fri Dec 28 12:40:40 2007

From: ANACS

To: NULL NULL

Subject: Exciting news from ANACS!

 

ANACS has recently been sold by Anderson Press Incorporated to Driving Force, LLC, of Colorado, owned by James Taylor. The purchase was effective December 21, 2007 and the company is being relocated to suburban Denver, Colorado.

 

The office is currently closed for the holidays to allow time for the move.

 

Customers that had submissions at the Austin location please rest assured that they are being handled in the safest and most professional of manners as they are transported by armored service to the new office.

 

Business will resume and submissions will begin to ship out January 2, 2008. If there are any questions please don't hesitate to contact Mr. Taylor at: James.Taylor@ANACS.com

 

The new ANACS office will be located at:

 

6555 S. Kenton St, Suite 303

Englewood, CO 80112

1-800-888-1861

www.ANACS.com

 

By the way, the phone number seems to be constantly busy.

[gmarguli]

 

[DC Dawg]

I just received the same note. Interestingly, wasn't it Taylor who moved ANACS from Ohio to Texas before leaving for ICG?

 

Has anyone heard from ICG and their status?

 

Isn't this ANACS's third owner in as many years going from Amos Press to Anderson Press to Driving Force?

 

Another interesting question is why would Anderson sell ANACS? In private conversations with those in the know, Anderson/Whitman wanted to create a one-stop shop for all hobby resources. I thought that would include a grading service. I wonder if it wasn't performing in a manner they hoped for? I wonder if Whitman's success with the Baltimore show changed their minds in their business direction?

 

Scott

[DC Dawg]

Greg... as I recall from a business trip their five or six years ago, Englewood, CO is not a "huge" metropolis. So located in the same town means that they are near each other. Also, it is known that Taylor originally left ANACS for ICG because he wanted to return home to Colorado. If he was living in the Englewood area for ICG, it would make sense he would move ANACS to where he formed the holding company. Thus, this is not surprising!

 

Scott

[cpm9ball]

I just received the same note. Interestingly, wasn't it Taylor who moved ANACS from Ohio to Texas before leaving for ICG?

 

Has anyone heard from ICG and their status?

 

Isn't this ANACS's third owner in as many years going from Amos Press to Anderson Press to Driving Force?

 

Another interesting question is why would Anderson sell ANACS? In private conversations with those in the know, Anderson/Whitman wanted to create a one-stop shop for all hobby resources. I thought that would include a grading service. I wonder if it wasn't performing in a manner they hoped for? I wonder if Whitman's success with the Baltimore show changed their minds in their business direction?

 

Scott

 

Do you think the new holder had anything to do with declining business?

 

Chris

[cpm9ball]

By the way, the phone number seems to be constantly busy.

 

Why does that not surprise me?

 

Chris

[DC Dawg]

Do you think the new holder had anything to do with declining business?

 

But I like the new holder!

 

One feature of the new holders that I really like is the label at the top of the slab, angled in a way that shows it is part of the label but is readable from the top without removing the slab from the box. I do have a series of state quarter proofs in an ANACS box that is easy to identify without searching the slabs one-at-a-time.

 

Scott

[MunkyMan95]

I got the same email. Do you think this will affect ANACS business for the coming months?

[gmarguli]

Has anyone heard from ICG and their status?

 

According to Mike Ellis, James Taylor stated, "I have left ICG and so have most most of the people at ICG at greatly reduced salaries until we get up and running." I guess that means that ICG is an empty shell of a company without any employees. I wonder if they will move it to Texas where there are a lot of qualified graders and staff looking for work?

 

 

Another interesting question is why would Anderson sell ANACS? In private conversations with those in the know, Anderson/Whitman wanted to create a one-stop shop for all hobby resources. I thought that would include a grading service. I wonder if it wasn't performing in a manner they hoped for?

 

There was a lot of chatter that ANACS wasn't working as it was believed they had hoped. It never became that top tier company.

[cpm9ball]

I do have a series of state quarter proofs in an ANACS box that is easy to identify without searching the slabs one-at-a-time.

 

Scott

 

You know, Scott, there is another alternative..........put them in chronological and alphabetical order by date & mintmark.

 

Chris

[WinstonWare]

Greg... as I recall from a business trip their five or six years ago, Englewood, CO is not a "huge" metropolis. So located in the same town means that they are near each other. Also, it is known that Taylor originally left ANACS for ICG because he wanted to return home to Colorado. If he was living in the Englewood area for ICG, it would make sense he would move ANACS to where he formed the holding company. Thus, this is not surprising!

 

Scott

 

I lived in Englewood CO while working on my masters at the University of Denver. It's a suburb of Denver. Nice town, not too much traffic, tremendous whether. Seven miles would be an easy bike ride in Englewood.

[Conder101]

Exactly how is this exciting news? It has been a topic of discussion here and ATS for almost two days now. The only new thing I see is the apparent confimation that Taylor took much of the ICG staff with him, and that didn't come from the original post.

 

One feature of the new holders that I really like is the label at the top of the slab, angled in a way that shows it is part of the label but is readable from the top without removing the slab from the box. I do have a series of state quarter proofs in an ANACS box that is easy to identify without searching the slabs one-at-a-time.

Of course since they have changed the new holders to the NEW new holders, which is what the last few coins in your set will come in, they will no longer fit in the same box. So you will have to have all of your earlier coins reholdered if you want to keep them together. And you might want to wait awhile before you do, just in case ANACS changes their slab yet again because of the new owner.

 

(My next post is #1000! Yes!)

[RGT]

Exactly how is this exciting news? It has been a topic of discussion here and ATS for almost two days now. The only new thing I see is the apparent confimation that Taylor took much of the ICG staff with him, and that didn't come from the original post.

 

James took his thread title from the subject line of the email.

 

There is a post ATS with a much more complete account as told by Mike Ellis, where Greg got his info about ICG.

[CHABSENTIA]

You noticed that too. I tried calling twice with speed dial for about 20 minutes each time and gave up. They either took the phone off the hook ,disconnected it or people calling in are jamming up the lines.

 

 

The website says they are off for the holidays etc and will resume shipping and submissions on January 2,2008 so maybe what people are getting is a busy signal due to a lot of people constantly dialing an answering machine.

 

If they are going to start shipping on January 2, and accepting submissions on that date then Graders and support staff are already in place.You just don't know if some transferred from Austin or none.

[MikeInFL]

Here's some info from one of the graders, Mike Ellis, posted by Rick Snow ATS:

 

http://forums.collectors.com/messageview.cfm?catid=26&threadid=627695

 

Mike Ellis, asked me [Rick Snow] to submit this synopsis and explanation of the turnover at ANACS.

 

While many questions on what transpired and what the new, new ANACS intends to do remain, I now provide you with the facts as I know them. I am Mike Ellis, former authenticator, attributor and grader at ANACS. The bulk of my time was spent authenticating, attributing and grading early U. S. type coinage, not modern errors and varieties as many seem to think.

 

I thought I was on vacation. I returned home from visiting my brother for Christmas in the wee morning hours on the 26th. Shortly after waking I received a call from Tim Hargis, former Senior Numismatist and an exceptional numismatist at that. He informed me that many "developments" had taken place at work and it would be best if I came in and was told face-to-face of the changes.

 

I arrived at what used to be ANACS Austin at around 11:30 a.m. As soon as I walked in I knew something was terribly wrong. Everyone was packing, including a crew for hire with a Mayflower truck! Tim Hargis was already gone. Several ex-employees told me what was up and then I got my chance to meet with James Taylor who had been a good friend of mine for years. This is what he told me: "I have formed a new corporation, Driving Force, LLC. I have purchased ANACS and we have to be in a suburb of Denver, ready to do business by January 2nd. ANACS will fall under the umbrella of Driving Force and we will continue to do business as ANACS. (He then told me some of their plans and the direction they were heading but that is inconsequential and you will see much more of those plans come to light in the coming months.) I tried to purchase ICG. The deal fell through. I have left ICG and so have most most of the people at ICG at greatly reduced salaries until we get up and running. When the deal to buy ICG fell through I called Mary Counts to inquire if Anderson Press would be interested in selling ANACS. Mary said that they had not thought about it but would run it by the board. Well, our buy/sell figures were workable and I told my lawyers to get the deal done in four weeks. (This all started in early November.) They told me it could not be done and they were right. It took six weeks. We want you but you have to do what you have to do because until we know if our plans work out we can't hire you."

 

That was that. I can say that I see the new, new ANACS as more closely akin to what ICG was doing than what ANACS has always done. I was very proud of ANACS because I know it was the grading service providing the most unbiased opinions on coins and the experienced graders were true, interested numismatists - pure and simple.

 

Anderson Press issued a press release at about 4:30 on Thursday the 27th stating they had sold 100% of ANACS to James Taylor of Driving Force, LLC as of December 21st.

 

So that's how things went down and where it all stands now. I hope I was able to shed some useful light on the situation.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Mike Ellis

 

Edited at Mike's request to remove employee status info.

 

[CHABSENTIA]

I just received the latest issue of Coin World and the whole cover is denoted to ICG .It is a big ad for ICG and even lists the phone number for ICG and also its E mail address. On the inside of the cover is another full page ad for ICG. with a coupon for joining ICG.

 

The address here is given as 7901 Belleview Ave Suite 50,Englewood CO and a ohone number for Paul Defelice at 877-221-4424

[CHABSENTIA]

As I mentioned earlier there is a full page ad on the latest issue of Coin World boht inside and out and the address given for ICG is the exact same one as that given for the new ANACS .

[DC Dawg]

I can say that I see the new, new ANACS as more closely akin to what ICG was doing than what ANACS has always done. I was very proud of ANACS because I know it was the grading service providing the most unbiased opinions on coins and the experienced graders were true, interested numismatists - pure and simple.

 

Can someone explain this statement? What is the difference between what ANACS was doing and ICG and the "new, new ANACS" will be doing?

 

Scott

[CHABSENTIA]

I just checked the ANACS website. The suite number for the new ANACS is 303 and the suite number for ICG on both covers of Coin world is Suite 50.

 

The address of 7901 Belleview is the same. I don't know the area so I don't know if these are two separate suites in a commercial building unrelated to each other or Suite 303 is a part of an ICG complex.

 

I do find it interesting that the front cover of Coin World says "advertisement" and both the front cover and inside cover are donated to ICG ONLY and the street addresses are the same.

 

I would imagine that both pages of a Cover would cost big bucks.

[gmarguli]

I just checked the ANACS website. The suite number for the new ANACS is 303 and the suite number for ICG on both covers of Coin world is Suite 50.

 

The address of 7901 Belleview is the same. I don't know the area so I don't know if these are two separate suites in a commercial building unrelated to each other or Suite 303 is a part of an ICG complex.

 

The street address on the ANACS website shows 6555 S. Kenton St, not 7901 E. Belleview Ave. However, the zip code on the ANACS website and in their email is incorrect. It is 80111.

 

ICG was in a suite in a commercial office building.

[MAULEMALL]

Anybody talked to Cammie..

[gmarguli]

Anybody talked to Cammie..

 

Sure, all the time. Talked to him today. Anything I should have asked him? :shrug:

[MAULEMALL]

Anybody talked to Cammie..

 

Sure, all the time. Talked to him today. Anything I should have asked him? :shrug:

Is he still with ICG??

[gmarguli]

Anybody talked to Cammie..

 

Sure, all the time. Talked to him today. Anything I should have asked him? :shrug:

Is he still with ICG??

 

Oh, I did ask him about that.

[Bruceswar]

Anybody talked to Cammie..

 

Sure, all the time. Talked to him today. Anything I should have asked him? :shrug:

Is he still with ICG??

 

Oh, I did ask him about that.

 

Well what did he say?

[MAULEMALL]

Anybody talked to Cammie..

 

Sure, all the time. Talked to him today. Anything I should have asked him? :shrug:

Is he still with ICG??

 

Oh, I did ask him about that.

 

Well what did he say?

Well???

Is he now with ANACS..

 

 

:gossip:pm if you need too.

[gmarguli]

Anybody talked to Cammie..

 

Sure, all the time. Talked to him today. Anything I should have asked him? :shrug:

Is he still with ICG??

 

Oh, I did ask him about that.

 

Well what did he say?

Well???

Is he now with ANACS..

 

 

:gossip:pm if you need too.

 

No, he's still with Angie.

[MAULEMALL]

Anybody talked to Cammie..

 

Sure, all the time. Talked to him today. Anything I should have asked him? :shrug:

Is he still with ICG??

 

Oh, I did ask him about that.

 

Well what did he say?

Well???

Is he now with ANACS..

 

 

:gossip:pm if you need too.

 

No, he's still with Angie.

Well Thats a relief

[cpm9ball]

No, he's still with Angie.

 

Who is Angie? What does his wife have to say about that?

 

Chris

[Frank Provasek]

It would be nice if the ANA could take a financial interest in ANACS and be the only grading service to use ANA standards. Such as MS60 and higher having ABSOLUTELY NO TRACE OF WEAR...instead of slabbing coins with wear as Mint State "because the market dictates an MS price, not an AU price" as PCGS says