I am looking forward to attending my first Utah Numismatic Society meeting next week. I'll certainly hold any judgements on the org as a whole until after at least a few of meetings... However, I'm curious as to how many of you belong (i.e. are an active, contributing member) of your local club(s). And, do you like it? Do you learn from fellow members? Any regrets? Do you prefer solo collecting, with just contacts of the "outside world" thru here? Inquiring minds want to know. R/, Norm
I belong to 3 (one in GA and two in NC). The purpose of coin clubs is to 1) meet other collectors, 2) learn from these collectors, 3) use what you know to teach these collectors. A club which disallows 2 and 3 is not one I’d consider joining. I’ve attended clubs whose meetings allot no time for 2 and 3, and I never went back.
I've belonged to 6 local coin clubs at various places where I lived. Held offices in some as well. They ranged from clubs with former ANA Governors and National Exhibit Judges, to clubs where the majority of the members were just interested in the latest state quarter. Enjoyed every one. Unfortunately, the closest to me now is over an hour away, but sooner or later, I'll join. It's a great way to meet other collectors and like Coin Talk, a lot of the experienced collectors are interested in helping the newer people. IMO, you can't go wrong joining a local club
I personally haven't had much luck with my local coin clubs, but that may have more to do with me than the clubs. My experience is that every club has an established membership base that more or less runs the club and it takes time and patience to become more involved and feel like you have a voice. I felt welcomed at first and then slowly ignored as time went on. Again, I'm open to the possibility that it's me, but the club appeared to have a very strong clique when I joined and I saw other new members struggling besides me. I did see some great talks, though. Those were definitely the highlight. But I had a hard time meeting people. So, if you run a coin club, here's my advice: be very welcoming to new members but keep them involved and interested as much as possible. Try not to establish an inner circle that is difficult to penetrate.
I belong to my local coin club of which I am the sec/treasurer. Don't regret it as its fun to meet other hobbyists. I also belong to the ANA. I don't go to the ANA events due to travel but I enjoy reading the Numismatist.
My experience has been that that base runs the club because they can't get anyone else to run for office and help run the club. So it's the same people over and over again. I am a member of four local clubs and trying to get much of the membership to step forward and take an active part is like pulling teeth. But I feel you do get a lot more out of being a member if you take an active role.
I’m one of those members who wants to take a leadership role, but just can’t due to my schedule and lack of a car on campus.
Heh - I have had the opposite problem. I feel like I do come forward and enthusiastically volunteer to do things and I always get a "yeah, that's great! Thanks! We'll get in touch!" but then they never get in touch, again, probably because they're too busy. It probably depends on the club. Or perhaps I just can't take a hint.
HI. Happy New Year. Yes, join a coin club or two or many in your area. I belong to two in my area. I have been a coin collector for 63 years. A couple members and I try to make the meetings interesting by giving talks on coins. I have studied many books and give talks on counterfeit and altered coins using examples which I have encapsulated from ICG for educational purposes. I also encouraged our President of one club to contact the Secret Service to give talks on counterfeit paper money ( dealers handle much cash money) and I consult for them on counterfeit and altered coins. Remember study the books, read the books, buy the books before you buy the coins and buy the coin, not the holder. I have over $4,000 invested in old and new reference books to study die varieties and characteristics of many denominations of coins. If you are a serious collector, study, study, study and take part in your club to pass on information to other members with slides, pictures, written information. Make it interesting to belong to your club. Happy coin clubbing.
Thanks! Great advice. I am reading Bower's Morgan book, and have the Modern Dollar book on deck. Also have Mr. Bressett's beginners guide. Starting my library quickly!!
Our coin club is pretty weak but we are the only one left in West Tennessee outside of Memphis. We meet monthly and have hosted a yearly show since the early 1960's. I am a member because we need to support the hobby. Also an ANA member.
See, also, this recent discussion "Your Local Coin Club": https://www.cointalk.com/threads/your-local-coin-club.329455/#post-3278622 As noted in this thread, clubs vary and people's expectations and experiences also differ. And they differ over time. Your needs change; the club changes. That's life. The easy answer is that overall, I gain as much from a coin club meeting as I do stopping in here. It is just that we have hundreds of active members here are larger and the meeting runs 24/7. And the medium is that we can all talk at once, which make a live coin club meeting just noise. (See my comments in the other thread. We have used different seating arrangements.) And I have seen the upside and downside in clubs as people (a) help each other and (b) take advantage of each other. I have learned a lot from experts. And just about every local club has someone or more people like that, not just people who know a lot (though they do; and you can learn), but people with national reputations as dealers or authors (or both). Also, appreciate what is involved in organizing and maintaining a club. It is an important and valuable resource in every community. I have been in clubs that were active with the local historical society, and others that donate Red Books to schools. You can get a lot out of being in a club, but you also might find rewards in what you can give.
I will be attending my second coin club meeting the third monday of the month where I will be voted in or blackballed. I understand no one has ever been blackballed so far. HaHa. Was a little disappointed in the first meeting but am going to give it some time.
Well, working in IT, my wife and I both belong to several computer user groups. (I am just a technical writer. She has the CISSP.) My other hobby now is astronomy; and I am in the local club, also. I mention that because in all cases, coins and computers and astronomy, you are really a character on the set of Silicon Valley or Big Bang Theory. And you are not a character in Friends or Happy Days. Numismatics is a hobby for people who like being alone, looking at coins through a magnifying class. That's their idea of a friendship: My Favorite Coin... If you want to meet people who are easy to get along with, join Toastmasters or the Kiwanis. Back in the 1990s, I learned to fly and did that at probably a dozen airports with 20 instructors as I was also writing for regional aviation magazines. I never met a pilot I did not like. My theory on that is that aviation is consequential and unequivocal. There are old pilots and bold pilots but no old bold pilots. It is better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air than to be in the air wishing you were on the ground. I believe that if you misgraded a coin, it would kill you and everyone in your home at the moment, coin collectors would be nice people, too. (And grading problems would make news headlines.). But that's not us.
Good to hear you have the Morgan book; it's really good. As for going clubbing, my experience has been that all clubs go through periods of ups and downs in attendance and membership. Don't be discouraged if you hit a low point for the club, just keep going and it will bounce back.
Yes, I've joined a local coin club, which doesn't meet very often. But it's an opportunity to share, to exchange books or coins and - not least - ideas. For instance, a new guy had coin with Charles II. It led me to an interest in Charles I (beheaded in the English Civil War), Charles II and Cromwell. Not forgetting the English Civil War. To my knowledge, the Club hasn't had a Civil War - yet ! These words, by President John Kennedy, may apply - "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country." c