Memberships, Numismatic clubs, do you or don't you?

Memberships, Numismatic clubs, etc. do you or don't you belong and do you think it's worth it or important?

I've thought about this a great deal since getting into coins and have some conflicting thoughts about it. I also sense some would like to talk about this and have not so'''

When I first got into coins I thought that I had to belong to all these clubs so I joined. First one then two then a dozen or more and one day I was talking to the biggest dealer in this area (does not have a shop) and he said "no I'm not a ANA member or whatever type" - simple as that and thought at first, "well how could he not support this or that organization that is deticated to our hobby"? Later on though I added up my membership fees per year and began to question the same thing. Was I getting anything that I really enjoyed and benifited from for these memberships and the answer was "not really". The ANA magazine was so broad based it rairly had many things I wanted to keep or enjoy, well written and presented but to far reaching.
Now don't get me wrong they serve a purpose and have meaning as they give back so much to YN and others but you can do the same thing at your own local level also as well. Plus you can support your hobby in thousands of other ways.
That combined with the ever increasing web information as we are seeing the death of printed material as we speek I just don't think it's needed as much as in years past.
So I quit most memberships and clubs and have not really ever regretted it so I just thought I would post this and see what you all thought???

 

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On a local level I would say that a club membership is important. You meet other local like minded people, make connections, and possible find someone who has that coin you have been searching for. Not to mention the furthering of our hobby on a local level.

The ANA membership IMHO is important as well. More then once I have heard people say "Well the ANA is just an expensive magazine". Most of those people have never been properly informed as to what other benefits the ANA membership gets you. For one, you can submit coins to NGC without joining one of their membership tiers. You also get acess to the Dwight N.Manley Library of numismatics which is probably the largest single organized numismatic library in the world. Not to mention the summer seminars which gets you access to the top numismatic experts in the world. You also get free access to the ANA shows and the Edward C.Rochette Money Museum in Colorado Springs. The ANA also provides speakers to local member clubs. All of this promotes our beloved hobby.

 

I am a member of my local coin club and I feel that everyone should join their local coin club at a minimum. That way you support coin collecting as a whole and you add to your coin collecting education. As far as the ANA goes I plan to join soon. Whether everyone should join I really don't have an opinion in that area but I certainly don't see a downside to it. I guess it's just a personal choice. Incidentally you left out my option which would have been, I belong to my local coin club but not to the ANA.

 

I'm a member of the ANA and ANS. I found the exact opposite - The Numismatist had too narrow a view for me. But now, you can opt for a more inexpensive membership and receive the magazine digitally. I urge everyone to attend a summer seminar, you will be truly amazed at how many interesting people there are in this hobby!

The ANS is much more of a scholarly organization, more akin to something like the American Chemical Society than the ANA. They publish (about annually) a scholarly, peer-reviewed research journal (The American Journal of Numismatics).

 

value of membership

Let me reinforce the Dutchman's comments. I just borrowed two books from the ANA's library. This was my first use and I found it quite convenient. I was able to get two out of print books for the cost of shipping. They supplied a return label, which I will use in 2-3 weeks when I send them back.
What the loan allowed me to do was to help me decide between two different directions in my next step in collecting.
Rather than spending $80 to buy just one of the books, my costs will be less than $10. That sounds like value to me.

 

i have no memberships of any kind other than pcgs, is there anything in my area (nebraska) or is it mostly in bigger places? I don't know of any coin dealers other than the pawn shops within 100 miles so i'm not sure where to start other than online memberships. I really don't want to join something that all i would have to drive 4 hours or more to get any benefits from.

 

Yes, I belong and yes it's very, very important.

I'm a member of the ANA, Early American Coppers Society, and the John Reich Collectors Society (early Federal silver, basically anything before the Seated Liberty design). I'm also active in my local club. I will soon join the Colonial Coin Collector's Club.

Numismatics is not just about the coins - it's about relationships. One great place to build relationships is through these clubs.

It's also about knowledge. This website is all about knowledge, and so are the clubs. Both EAC and JRCS publish journals with all sorts of vital specialist knowledge unavialable anywhere else - even in books. They publish recent findings from real numismatists - cutting edge stuff. Stuff that ain't in the books. Yet.

If you are spending any real money, you truly need to be "in the know". If you find yourself gravitating towards a specialty area of interest, find the club for that area and JOIN UP.

Fees are VERY small compared to the value.

I'm also a member of NGC and PCGS, but that's different.

 

I'm going to echo the comments regarding the ANA. I too have borrowed books from the ANA library, In my case the books simply were not available, anywhere, for sale. NGC coin submissions also offer me value.

Not having a local club to join, I opted to join my state numismatic society. Here I get credibility with in-state dealers as a serious collector as the greatest value.

I am also a member of EAC, the detailed information from other collectors and the the club perodical Penny-Wise make membership a bargan.

I view memberships as an educational opportunity, you'll get out of it what you put in to it.

 

I would love to be a member of a local coin club, but the closest one I know of meets about and hour and 45 minutes away.

 

I am a member of the ANA and enjoy all of the benefits of membership. First and foremost is the savings in relation to insurance for my collection through Hugh Wood. I don't often submit coins to NGC but it is nice to know that I don't have to pay an additional membership fee when I do decide to have a coin graded. Discounts on retail items including storgage supplies and numismatic publications is another and of course the magazine, THE NUMISMATIST. I have not yet used the Library system or attended any seminars but I am sure that I will at some point.

I don't belong to a local coin club and probably never will. I consider the online coin forums my coin club. There is no way the membership of a local club could even come close to matching the knowledge of the membership of an online forum. In addition, there are serious security concerns with a local coin club. I live in an area where grifters are everywhere and a rare coin club meeting would be an invitation for one of these people to apply their trade.

If there was a current club dedicated to the study of Jefferson Nickels, I would consider joining it.

 

Boy do I belong. Past and present organizations I belong(ed) to.

Local
Louisville Coin Club
Derby City Coin Club (founding member)
Fall City Coin Club (Club defunct)
Celina Coin Club
Union City Coin Club (club defunct)
Muncie Coin and Stamp Club
Old Fort Coin Club
Chicago Coin Club

State clubs
Michigan State (lapsed)
Indiana State Numismatic Association
Kentucky State Numismatic Association (Life member, Past President)
Ohio State Numismatic Society

Regional
Central States Numismatic Society

National
Early American Coppers
Colonial Coin Colectors Club (C4)
American Numismatic Association (lapsed)
Conder Token Collectors Club
Liberty Seated Collectors Club
John Reich Collectors Society
American Nickels Collectors Association (founding member, club defunct)

 

THere is a lot of good and a lot of bad in joining certain organiazations and clubs. For coins, stamps, guns and/or anything of value that is or could be a target for robberies, home invasions, breakins, etc., such organizations could prove to be fatal. Yes, even fatal.
Naturally the good is you have direct access to information, abilitiy to buy/sell/trade with relative ease. Usually much better deals monitarily. Meeting new people of all ages.
Unfortunately where you live could really make a difference in belonging to anything. For example where I live it is really dangerous to have anything pertaining to guns, knives, coins, stamps delivered to your home via the mail. Many of the companies that publish such magazines, pamphlets, other documents just send them out without blank covers so the entire postal people in your area know what you collect, save, have, etc. Not that the postal people are criminals of course. Unfortunatelly they do have freinds, relatives and not all are saints. Even if such articles stick out of your mail box, many, many people see that. For example I receive the NRA Magazine and it comes with just my home info on it and the entire world can see I'm interested in guns. A FedX delivery of my USMint order handed me a box and said, Here are the coins you ordered.
If you live in a high crime area, and I do, anything at all that could create a situation of a home invasion is not real smart. And yes I know all about those statements of I protect my home with a .357 or I have 3 vicious dogs or both. I've also got neighbors that USED to say similar things. Not after a real robbery though.
If you live in any area in this country where there is any crime, it really is not smart to belong to any organization where you give out your real name, address, phone number, etc.
Sounds a bit Paranoid? Purchase a copy of a Chicago Newspaper.

 

I would need to answer two of those. I'm not currently in ANA, but expect to rejoin within a month or two (they can't get my information right to save their lives...). I am, however, a member in a number of local coin clubs -- some active, some otherwise.

 

I'm a member of the closest coin club in my area, which is still 100 miles away, so getting to meetings is not a frequent thing. But, I do enjoy it when I do make meetings and events. As far as the ANA goes, I think it's a worth organization, but not one I would benefit from. I don't submit coins to NGC or any other grading service, nor am I close enough to any ANA shows to make the trip. LA would be the closest venue, but I would still need to take 3-4 days off work, which isn't an option.
Guy~

 

I have not joined anything yet, I sure should, I have been invited and it might be fun, I am almost done settling my late fathers estate so possibly after that is done with I may join our local coin club.

 

I am a member of The American Numismatic Association, and Numismatists of Wisconsin. I do not attend meetings, but the quarterly newsletterfrom NOW lets me know what's going on and more importantly when the shows are. I understand why, but am kind of disappointed at the price hike for ANA membership with Numismatist home delivery ($46). I always thought it was a decent read.

 

Our local club has a policy of "need to know" in terms of personal information like addresses and phone numbers. Officers are expected to use this information for club business only (collecting dues, sending the newsletter).

If you are concerned about that, check to see what your local club's policy is.

Overall, I think local clubs are great for learning and socializing. I have been able to see coins I would not ever see otherwise, and be both informed and entertained by presentations on (sometimes very specific!) subjects in the numismatic world.

 

I think it mostly is. Sure its also about information and knowledge but seldom have I found myself in a position wher eI could not get the info I needed other than buying it. Books I will buy as long as they are cheap and used...memberships to something like ANA would be a waste for me IMO.

Relationships? I went the fist maybe 10 years of my collecting without ever speaking to another soul about coins save a dealer here and there. While I have met some real nice and knowledgable people on forums and at shows, again, I dont think I have ever gained any knowledge which could not be gained elsewhere or benefits from knowing them.

So for me, it is ALL about the coins and I have yet to see anything ANA or any other organization offers me, they DO in fact do what I dislike and hide information from those who do not pay. Certainly it is their right but if I can get my hands on that information for free I will and I will pass it along as well. The less money I spend on anything other than coins the better.

 

Guess the question of whether you want to be a member of a numismatic society or coin club largely depends on what coins you collect. I for one am not a member (neither of a nationwide society nor of any local club); what I do beyond forums like this one is go to coin shows and subscribe to a coin magazine ...

Christian

 

At my local coin club meetings we have in-house auctions and I get alot of good deals there. It beats feebay all down the street and back. It's alot of fun and if I didn't have that place to go to then I would never be able to attend an auction of that type. As far as I know they have been around since 1952 and a couple of the older guys may have been there since the start. I have to travel about a half hour drive to get there as it's in BF-Egypt. Yeah I like the coin club and our coin shows are the best. I swear sometimes I have to shut my mouth cause I see some of the stuff that's being sold and I have to shut up before I say something like "hey that's all you want, heck you could get twice as much". Anyways I gotta run as I'm at work.