ANA worth joining?

I've been a member for nearly 50 years, and I renew every year more out of habit than anything else. I have enjoyed the summer ANA conventions I've attended, and lately I find that I read The Numismatist from cover to cover. I have used the library a time or two, and I think The Numismatist online is a great benefit. It strikes me that ANA membership is a good way to support the hobby, and it's my fault that I don't get more out of it.

 

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Probably the best way to find out if the ANA works for you is to join for a year and find out. As others have already said, $28 doesn't exactly qualify as a financial risk.

I joined about 4 years ago and my experience has been mixed. The Numismatist does often include fascinating articles, but they rarely apply to my interests or level of collecting. It reminded me a little of when I read "The Space Shuttle Operator's Manual" a number of years ago - it was utterly fascinating to read about how to operate the Space Shuttle, but I'm never going to actually get a chance to do so. Articles about billionaires buying $300,000 coins for their enormous collections makes me feel a little the same way. Interesting, but it doesn't apply to me at all.

The magazine's auction ads and listings often feature five and six-figure coins that I wouldn't buy even if I had the money. I also agree that the entire enterprise does seem geared more towards the high-end dealer than the average collector. As for the focus on youth, it's similar to the McDonald's effect: hook them when they're young so you can sell to them when they become adults. It works. All of that is more or less okay as long as you know what to expect. But do realize that the agenda around increasing interest in the hobby has quite a bit to do with increasing the number of people that dealers can sell to. If people stop buying coins, they go out of business. It's very much worth their time and money to keep the hobby going. Again, that's fine as long as one's fully aware of what they're getting into, which is a business like any other.

The ANA also gets criticized for their focus on American coinage, but they are the "American Numismatic Association," after all, though I agree that more information on non-American coins would make the organization a lot more interesting.

After 4 years of membership I find myself reading The Numismatist less and less and I seem to get less and less out of the organization because I'm just an average collector with not too much stake in the coin game. I did visit the Money Museum and saw the impressive library and the rarities on display. It was all very nice and interesting. I even attended a seminar. Yet, after all of that, I'm still not sure if I will continue my membership when it expires sometime this year. I don't think the ANA is directed at people like me, which is fine, but there is no obligation to the hobby or coinage or anything to be a member. One can still play a healthy role in this hobby without joining. It's up to you.

 

Yeah, at the time, I was disappointed. I thought that since my project was somewhat unique and would advance the known information on the subject (and since I've read that the ANA actually ARE interested in supporting research efforts), they might be somewhat more supportive than telling me "you could give them your ANA number to check your status, but don't tell anybody that we said you could do that(!)" Since the initial disappointment, I've gotten over it after I put it in the context of liability and ANA funding capabilities.

However, it does make me worried that if the ANA is afraid of liability, shouldn't I be? It'll make me think twice about vouching for someone else, too.

 

Do you use the online archives of 125+ years of back issues? To me, the wealth of knowledge is beyond reckoning.

And, by comparison, do you subscribe to either Coin World or Numismatic News?

You can be involved in the hobby many ways. The ANA is just one but as you can tell some of us here feel that it is (as the auctioneers say) "highly important."

 

One year may or may not be a good indication if you never actively engage. You get access to all 125+ years of The Numismatist. And you can borrow books from the library. But if those are not benefits, then what would be?

Also, on your second point, when I go to Target to buy, say, refills for my razor, I am not angry because they sell aisle after aisle of clothes for women and girls that I never will buy. When we needed a new car, we were not alienated by the Tundras, Escalades, and Camaros we would never buy. The people who sell Zillion Dollar Coins have inexpensive coins (and banknotes and tokens and ...). Just ask.

 

Youth and adults are two different markets and the dealers of today will be gone by the time today's collecting youths return as collecting adults. Typically, kids give up coins (or whatever else) when they become teenagers and take up dating as a hobby. They get married, etc., etc., and return later. We see the same thing in aviation with people returning to learn to fly after the kids are grown and gone.

The youth market is a long-term strategy of the 128-year old organization, not the 45 or 75-year old dealer. Kids are a separate market. They buy different things than adults. Kennedy Halves seem ancient to them.

It is a fact, as you note that Americans collect American coins first with Canadian, UK, German,etc., as decreasing seconds, thirds, and belows. Medieval, ancients, tokens, US federal paper, other American paper money ("obsoletes"), and on and on, each becomes a niche apart from and of smaller participation than classic 19th and 20th century US Federal coins.

But The Numismatist does indeed address all of those other niches, on a rotating basis, usually four times a year each. In addition, any good feature article will get placement, often a cover story. The problem there, though, is not the lack of collectors, but the lack of writers. Believe me. I write. But also have edited very often, usually as the lone staff technical writer for an IT devops team. They usually write like Mr. Smith gone to Washington fillibustering the House, but sometimes like Tarzan. Sometimes like Tarzan filibustering...

I have attended conferences for writers and if you think of Vanity Fair or Forbes that is the top of the pyramid, like those $30,000 coins you don't buy. Most of the magazines on the rack at Barnes and Noble pay about what The Numismatist does. You do a lot of writing here. Why not do it for pay? Then you can have your own interests appear in The Numismatist.

 

In articles written about coin collections (especially U.S coins), I think that there is some overemphasis on the guys with the zillion dollar coins. I like reading about them, though, sure. But...why not write articles about unique collections that average-income collector/ANA (non-YN) members are putting together? Or are collections like that not possible in U.S. coins anymore? Perhaps that's the larger issue?

Ha! Yeah.

I've tried that.

If I don't get the eyebrow lift that indicates that my inquiry does not dignify a response, the common response is "I left all of that stuff at home."

 

Part of what you say pertaining to the 'you get what you put in' attitude is a pet peeve of mine relating to an irritating thread I created some time ago. What I mean without getting into it is that I really don't appreciate the 'work for free' aspect. Anything worth being done is worth a price and it annoys me that so many are willing to surrender their labor unpaid, especially in today's corporate 'profit has to be had on every investment' (and hence the abuses of corporate labor). Point being that I don't really accept that premise since everything I do via the corporate labor market has to be 'earned', and so on. So, I guess if the ANA hinges on the participation of paid members well, perhaps it isn't for me. If it is truly geared to high dollar dealers and not so much towards collectors of 'lesser means' than indeed I probably don't belong. You seem to say 'we're not Stacks/Bowers' on one hand and blame the members for the lack of interest (apparently) that many share. To me, that says the 'big boys' club and it probably isn't for me. I have many of the same issues in this forum with the disconnect between hobbyists like myself versus the high rollers. I was looking for an all inclusive kind of atmosphere rather than a county club setting. Now I'm uncertain whether I want to even waste the meager membership fee my club offers and instead invest that same money in an actually coin or coins. When the big boys start handing out cash for free or pay better, (or at least NOT expect people to work for little to nothing) I'll probably keep that attitude.
Anyway. I am not getting into a whole diatribe on that front again. I was just wondering whether the ANA was 'worth' joining for someone like myself. Seems I got my answer. I again, appreciate the responses. I do enjoy 'The Numismatist' though it seems also geared towards high rollers. It's a shame the hobby seems so split in two different directions. It is a product of today though I suppose.

 

I would tend to agree with your perspective. Not my bag either. I do get that with a couple of members in my local club. Sometimes I wonder why they bother at all. Perhaps they're only bragging and lap up the oohs and ahhs and somehow need to be bragged upon. Perhaps that's why nobody has joining the ANA thus far. I don't know.

 

I haven't joined yet, I may but I just haven't yet! I guess you could say I'm still thinking about it. If I joined, it would probably be because, I like their magazine.

 

Yeah, if you just consider it a glorified magazine subscription that's not too bad a way to look at it. That has value I suppose.

 

You surrender your labor unpaid in post after post...
In this thread
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/i-wish-i-could’ve-grabbed-the-rolls.332715/page-2
you say to keep reading. It is good advice, but how much do you pay for the reading? Complain above that ANA membership is just a glorified magazine subscription. Well, yeah, 128 years online; that's over 1500 issues written by experts. And you say to keep reading, but what do you actually read? And do you pay us to write for you?

 

I'm not forcing anybody to post anything. There's a distinct difference but I already experienced that folks love to work for free. To each his own I guess. Far as the ANA, I was asking about it and it seemed suggested to me that that's kind of what is was. To answer your question, I suppose they get marketing schemes out of the 'free' thing. Nobody does anything for free without an angle in MY OPINION. Geezus H. Somebody ultimately selling something is what it boils down to I suppose. I don't know how the ANA is. It's why I asked. I got answers. All my opinion is what I offered. Relax.

 

Yes and maybe use their library if that's not too difficult. I hear what you're saying and I agree I think it is a high rollers club or a bit clickish but I ignore all that shizzle because it seldom applies to me. Besides, I don't have time for it. ~Cheers!

 

Good for you. I guess you just have to ignore some things and some people, just like they do us. I just hate that aspect of the hobby. If people want to brag over their high price collections and bang champagne glasses together, I just wish they'd do it some other place. Unfortunately though, the hobby has many snoots in it so not much you can do. It's like going to a party and you mingle and guys are grouped and chatting about their stock prices and how well they do, and eventually brag about their investments and you just sneak away while they drool all over each other. Not my bag.

 

I joined to help support the promotion of the coin hobby. With that membership I received access to the library, a magazine subscription, access to an on-line forum, submission privileges to NGC, 10% discount on Whitman products, free entrance to ANA events and a few other perks. Not a bad deal. I use all of the items I listed.

I just received my benefit booklet with membership cards in the mail yesterday. Along, with those items, was a book marker promoting coin week 2019 April 21-27. I am going to contact the ANA to see how I can get more of the book markers. My wife is a teacher and can hand them out like candy at Halloween. So hopefully that is one way I can promote the hobby through the help of the ANA.

The membership is going to be as worthwhile as the individual member makes it. To some people it is a magazine subscription. Others use it as a portal for numismatic research. While other members may not use any ANA benefits at all and see it more as a monetary support of the hobby. Every member is going to have a different experience. Joining is the only true way to see for one's self if membership is worth the money.

 

Whats the difference between joining ANA or a different one NGC,PCS or any at all?

 

Why don't you join ANA and find that out?

 

that's why I was asking to see.. I DONT JOIN THINGS just to be joining. I like to find a little more info out first if that's alright...

 

The ANA is the main coin collector organization in the United States. The ANA was "formed to advance the knowledge of numismatics (the study of money) along educational, historical, and scientific lines, as well as enhance interest in the hobby."

PCGS and NGC are not collector organizations. They are "third party graders," who will authenticate and grade your coins for a fee. They operate forum sites, like this one, too.