Has the ANA Board faded from interest?

[RWB]

Not too long ago there was considerable discussion about ANA Board members and elections, etc. Now, almost nothing appears. Are there reasons for the chirping of crickets? Is the ANA Board doing well or quietly flailing ?

[World Colonial]

With the internet, seems to me that the ANA itself is a lot less relevant to collecting than it might have been or was in the past, though no one would have known it from the posts on this subject.

 

I don't believe most collectors really care what the ANA does, though maybe those on this forum and PCGS might or do.

 

Me, I have no idea what this organization does now. I was a member when I had to be one to buy insurance through Hugh Wood but don't miss it. I never used their library, took their courses or attended their seminars. I agree it has value but a lot less to someone who doesn't collect US coins.

[BillJones]

The ANA has made itself irrelevant by repeated instances of misconduct by its staff and, on occasion, its officers and by non-cooperation with its members and clubs.

 

Recently I asked about obtaining copies of the course book for the counterfeit seminar. As all of us know, counterfeiting has become a major threat to our hobby. My thought was that I might supply a copy of that book to anyone in my local club who wanted one.

 

The response from the ANA was "nothing doing." You can only get that book if you take the course. That doesn't work very well for people who don't have a spare week's worth of vacation, or perhaps don't have the extra money to go from Florida to Colorado.

 

I'm a 25 + year member of the ANA, but I don't like the organization. This lack of cooperation is only one of the reasons.

 

[bstrauss3]

I don't think much has changed. From personal experience, I know the museum and library staff are top notch. But those are the professionals.

 

Over the years I've spoken with a couple board members, and I believe they mean well. But with the level of controversy in prior years, they were at best ineffectual.

 

As my friend the reformed journalist quotes, "If it bleeds it leads" (NY Post: "Headless Body in Topless Bar")

 

Given that the current board has devoted much effort to reducing conflict and settling issues outside of the public eye (i.e. negotiations not law suits), I think the attention of the press has shifted elsewhere.

 

No press attention = invisible...

 

[coinman_23885]

The ANA has made itself irrelevant by repeated instances of misconduct by its staff and, on occasion, its officers and by non-cooperation with its members and clubs.

 

Recently I asked about obtaining copies of the course book for the counterfeit seminar. As all of us know, counterfeiting has become a major threat to our hobby. My thought was that I might supply a copy of that book to anyone in my local club who wanted one.

 

The response from the ANA was "nothing doing." You can only get that book if you take the course. That doesn't work very well for people who don't have a spare week's worth of vacation, or perhaps don't have the extra money to go from Florida to Colorado.

 

I'm a 25 + year member of the ANA, but I don't like the organization. This lack of cooperation is only one of the reasons.

 

I agree with this. The ANA's ineptitude at managing its own affairs have consumed that organization and hurt its reputation in the hobby. I would not be surprised if many collectors and dealers are like me; I keep an ANA membership only because of the benefits that I receive in insurance and other companies that require ANA membership.

 

[RWB]

Does the ANA demonstrate leadership? If "Yes," in what areas; and if "No," in what areas are improvements needed? Is leadership the Board's responsibility or the officers or Exec Dir.?

 

Just curious.

 

[No, I have no interest in running for the Board or anything else. I've done my public political service and retired to write philosophy.]

[physics-fan3.14]

Whenever there is a scandal, they come back to the focus. There was also a brash member with a bully pulpit who kept the ANA in the public eye. Now that she is no longer there, she has a different bee in her bonnet and her polemic is directed elsewhere.

[RWB]

Ahhhh....Didn't know the Egyptian Polemics wore bonnets, but there were so many after Alexander's death and Polemic I Soter.....

[Raisethis2]

I have no real feel for the board or it's members but what I do know is that their mission has changed over the years and the organization hasn't kept up. I really think that their role is to provide items of interest needed and sought by current collectors while at the same time developing young numismatists.

 

They organize conventions and create a nice magazine for current members. After that, they seem to stall out.

 

Regarding young people, there's just a wide array of entertainment options available to kids today. They must figure out how to encourage kids to take a hobby largely based on solitude and critical thought and make it interesting and exciting.

 

Established collectors typically have the resources to buy what they collect. Kids don't have that option in most cases. Add to that the generally unsocial aspect of collecting compared to games, twitter, texting, facebook, etc and collecting coins can't compete.

 

When we were kids we could at least cherry pick something from change. Today, nothing is rare and errors are infrequent so there's nothing for them to get excited over.

 

 

[Afterword]

"You can only get that book if you take the course."

 

You would think they would have access to this information on their website for all to peruse.

[PerryHall]

The ANA has made itself irrelevant by repeated instances of misconduct by its staff and, on occasion, its officers and by non-cooperation with its members and clubs.

 

Recently I asked about obtaining copies of the course book for the counterfeit seminar. As all of us know, counterfeiting has become a major threat to our hobby. My thought was that I might supply a copy of that book to anyone in my local club who wanted one.

 

The response from the ANA was "nothing doing." You can only get that book if you take the course. That doesn't work very well for people who don't have a spare week's worth of vacation, or perhaps don't have the extra money to go from Florida to Colorado.

 

I'm a 25 + year member of the ANA, but I don't like the organization. This lack of cooperation is only one of the reasons.

 

I took the ANA Counterfeit Detection course a few years ago by mail. They sent me all the course materials by mail and a final exam which I completed and then sent back in. They graded the test (I passed) and sent it back with a Certificate of Completion. The course was quite good and was very inexpensive. Taking the course in person would be better but the mail order course was great.

[World Colonial]

Regarding young people, there's just a wide array of entertainment options available to kids today. They must figure out how to encourage kids to take a hobby largely based on solitude and critical thought and make it interesting and exciting.

 

Established collectors typically have the resources to buy what they collect. Kids don't have that option in most cases. Add to that the generally unsocial aspect of collecting compared to games, twitter, texting, facebook, etc and collecting coins can't compete.

 

When we were kids we could at least cherry pick something from change. Today, nothing is rare and errors are infrequent so there's nothing for them to get excited over.

 

 

I don't believe the ANA can much about what you describe.

 

First, the internet has changed what you describe by making (literally) almost every (US) coin available on demand or in short proximity, except in the context of the minutia discussed on this forum and PCGS.

 

When I was starting out as a YN in 1975, I only had access to my local coin shops (maybe a half dozen) which had a rather or very limited selection. The first time I visited the ANA convention in 1987, I found it amazing. Now as indicated by my posts, I don't find hardly anything I see exciting because it's mostly about having the money.

 

This bring me to my second point. The price level is a huge obstacle though I don't sense that most other US collectors share this sentiment, certainly not if the posts on this forum are representative. Even looking back to my original interests in 1975 which were far less ambitious than today, if I were starting over, I don't believe I would be able to afford much that would interest me.

 

I have read comments by numerous contributors over the years who either believe it isn't a problem or think it shouldn't be one. I have the exact opposite opinion. I don't see why anyone would expect very many prospective YN to be interested given what most of them can actually or likely afford to buy.

 

A crash in the price level would solve this problem but somehow, I have the sneaking suspicion most older collectors aren't in favor this outcome.

[leeg]

I haven't seen or heard much from the Board in the last year or so.

 

The price of membership in the ANA is a bargain just for the research and NGC coin grading aspects alone.

 

 

[mark]

I am a member of the ANA and the ANS. I much prefer the magazine the ANS creates. I find most every article in it interesting, even if it's about a topic that I have never had any prior interest. The ANS articles tend to be well written and educational. To my point of view, the ANA articles tend to be facile and not nearly so well written.

 

Mark

[World Colonial]

I am a member of the ANA and the ANS. I much prefer the magazine the ANS creates. I find most every article in it interesting, even if it's about a topic that I have never had any prior interest. The ANS articles tend to be well written and educational. To my point of view, the ANA articles tend to be facile and not nearly so well written.

 

Mark

 

I presume you know this but for those who do not, the articles are written for a different level of collector. I am not an ANS member but considered joining when I lived in NYC in 2004 since their HQ were also in Manhattan.

 

My main interest in the ANS today would be to have an opportunity to inspect their Spanish colonial holdings (from the Huntington collection) but I'm not sure whether anyone other than staff is permitted to do that. The online archive is much improved but few have images and almost none that I collect. Since it is one of the best collections ever assembled in this area, inspecting the quality of their specimens would give me an additional idea of what might exist out there to be bought that I have not seen and do not own.

[RWB]

ANS members can arrange to examine the coins. Just be patient and be prepared for some restrictions.

 

The ANS publications have much better peer reviewing and editing than the ANA magazine. But the audience is different and has different expectations. Neither publication has a clean record on accuracy, but ANS seems to do better.

[jgenn]

My main interest in the ANS today would be to have an opportunity to inspect their Spanish colonial holdings (from the Huntington collection)

 

Although the ANS had been hosting it, Huntington bequeathed the collection to the Hispanic Society of America, who deascessioned the entirety in 2012. I read that some benefactors purchased some important parts and loaned them back to the ANS. My impression is that these were from the medieval portions. I think you missed your chance to study the Spanish colonials.

[World Colonial]

My main interest in the ANS today would be to have an opportunity to inspect their Spanish colonial holdings (from the Huntington collection)

 

Although the ANS had been hosting it, Huntington bequeathed the collection to the Hispanic Society of America, who deascessioned the entirety in 2012. I read that some benefactors purchased some important parts and loaned them back to the ANS. My impression is that these were from the medieval portions. I think you missed your chance to study the Spanish colonials.

 

I wasn't sure what was bought back. You are probably right. The Spanish colonials are still in their archives.

[jgenn]

My avatar coin is ex Huntington and I would love to read any research done on it that still remains in the ANS archive.

[RWB]

Why not contact ANS and ask?

[jgenn]

Why not contact ANS and ask?

 

Actually I did (I had forgotten when I posted earlier). I still have the reply from Dr. Stolyarik, the Collections Manager, that ANS does not provide information on coins that are no longer in their collection. However, I do wonder if that means the information is no longer there or they won't provide any assistance.

[Mr.Mcknowitall]

Why not contact ANS and ask?

 

Actually I did (I had forgotten when I posted earlier). I still have the reply from Dr. Stolyarik, the Collections Manager, that ANS does not provide information on coins that are no longer in their collection. However, I do wonder if that means the information is no longer there or they won't provide any assistance.

 

They won't. Privacy.

[RWB]

Having interfaced with ANS multiple times, it might mean they have the information but won't give it to you because they no longer control the coins.