So, tonight I'm going to a coin club meeting. Been collecting for many years, but never been in a club before. Wondering what to expect. Secret handshake? Decoder rings? A treehouse? Will there be some kind of initiation where I have a steal the stamp collector club's mascot? Should be interesting. Hoping I can get the word out on my want list so they'll bring their extra stuff I need to the next meeting. Steve
I think you'll have a great time. I love our coin club. If your club has something cool like stealing the stamper's mascot, it will be one hot club. Invite me !
In most areas coin clubs are really great. However, if you live in a high crime rated area I suggest you don't give out personal information as to your real name, address, amount of coins you own, etc. First find out just what your getting into. In many smaller areas, not big cities, coin clubs are as common as gun clubs, camera clubs, etc and are really a great place to buy, trade, sell items. In larger city areas they sometimes are a source of information as to what you have.
Thanks for the caution. My area is like Mayberry, but I will use caution. The thing is, I tend to work on a "cheap" Dansco or an "expensive" page of the Dansco at a time, so the rest stays locked up in a safety deposit box. My collection isn't all that valuable anyway. Still, a break-in would be a major PITA. Since I'm a car buff, it would be hard to follow me home because I like watching what is one the road. I always used to get a chuckle out of the show Magnum P.I. when he would follow someone in a Ferrari. If I was driving, I'd be like: "hey, cool...there is a Ferrari behind me...look...he's making the same turns!". Steve
Congratulations. I hope it turns out to be a good club, and worth your time. In my experience, these things are typically very positive. I enjoy my club, when I can make it.
Don't let them try to convince you that the newbi has to buy the first round at the local watering hole after the meeting.....unless you are into that!
let us know what you think. I have thought about joining one, but not sure I want to do that. In any case will look forward to what you have to say. I could use that venue as a way of filling some holes in my sets I suppose.
OK, here's my club-logue: I got to the club a little late. They had some food available and they let me, a newbie, have a plate of barbeque. Cool! So I grabbed a plate and found a table in a very packed coin dealer's shop. It was a good cross section of mostly guys aged 35 to 70. I then abandoned the food, grabbed my Dansco Jefferson Nickel holder, and went over to the counter once I figured out that the shop was open for business and I'd never been there before. So, I was going through nickels when they brought the meeting to order. No, I wasn't the only one milling around. They then talked about a silver 1965 dime that one of their member's found and then introduced the new members and gave us a moment to tell what we collected. I introduced myself and told them to bring their extra toned Jefferson's to the next meeting. Later on at the meeting, a few members came over to me to ask me what I meant by "toned"! So then, they announced that the person who was supposed to give a presentation wasn't available tonight, so there was no agenda. And that was it. After that, it was essentially about 25 guys in a coin shop talking with each other or shopping. So that's how I spent my time as time flew. I went through all their nickels. I feel somewhat guilty about it, but I cherry picked the heck out of them. I found a 1960D nickel listed as EF for 15 cents that was BU with a weak strike. I found a really cool 1951 nickel that was almost free of any tick marks at all, but the dies they used were so rusty and worn that the thing just sparkled. Really super weak strike. I also found a 1913 P Buffalo, Type 2, priced at $12. I scooped that up, because it also was a weak strike and like AU58 because it only had a hint of broken luster. I'm talking about lettering that was blurry but still had the luster and the hair on the buffalo's head was about as furry as I've ever seen. I didn't go out of my way to buy weak strike coins, but I found that when coins were weakly struck, they were priced at bargain, or even "steal" prices. They found a happy home! I didn't mean to be antisocial, but they had a deep bucket of old circulated war nickels and I finished the meeting looking for varieties. I only got 1/3 of the way through them, but I found a 43/42, which tickles me because I think it is a sleeper coin. What was neat is the owner's buddy was running the counter and he assured me that if I cherry pick something, that was OK with them. After I found the 43/42, he gave me a second opinion to confirm my find. Sporting of them, really. So that was it. In essence, the club meeting didn't happen, but I did talk to a few members about my nickels since I was a man on a mission and didn't know anyone. A couple of the members were interested in my collection, which was fun to share. The people I did speak to didn't bring any coins, and in fact, most people did not. Hopefully, some people will bring some trade material for me next meeting. Steve
Wow, the meeting at a coin shop. Like having a beer in a bar. I would have had a blast with that cherry picking time. That's a lot of what I did at a recent coin show. Sounds like you are in a position to help some of the other people. Thanks for the notes. That's kind of what I am worried about. If I give up an evening and get there and there is no game plan. I guess it all depends on who is running the show.
Well, I looked at it like this: If I try to go to the coin shop on a Saturday, the wife frowns about it. But if it is a monthly coin meeting, it's understood that I'll go and that I'll probably be writing a check. I think I've found a loophole in reconciling domestic tranquility with coin collecting. :bow: The meeting was interesting for me because I've spent decades collecting, but always alone. It's really odd to say things out loud...perhaps for the first time...that you've thought about or read about. Another interesting wrinkle is that it gives an opportunity to teach noobs. But the problem with that is that if they start liking what you like, then you end up competing for that material locally...a sticky wicket. So I guess the trick is to teach them stuff they may not realize about their own collections, or turn them onto aspects of coins that you "almost" collect. Steve
Very interesting idea. My routine is and this is true, my local coin shop is next to my barber. So once a month when I get my haircut, I tell the wife I am stopping by the dealer on the way home. So now she is in a a routine of a once a month expensive haircut. For the coin show I recently went to, I had to develop a slightly different approach and budget,which she agreed to. Slowly but surely I am bringing her over to the, "coin side".
Coin clubs are great!! I did have a fantastic time at my first one, Which was A social style near Christmas but after that it was a little more business like And since i only collect Mpc i felt a little out of place! There was others that Collected it as well but were more in to coins which is fine, So iam kinda now Looking for a club that does more paper then coin
Now there is something I'm amazed at that other coin shop people haven't thought of trying. I know that most I've been to don't have the room for a large group of people, but the ones that do should really consider such a club. Sort of like having a beer tasting club in a bar or saloon. The more I think about this the more I realize some probably already do this. I know there are gun clubs that meet at the local gun shooting ranges.
Texmech, the local DFW clubs always have a plan even when we don't have a plan. (edited to expand) The Dallas club, for example, has speakers probably 10 meetings out of the 12 during the year, and we've been known to have people give impromptu talks and very good ones when speakers had to bail at the last minute. We usually have show and tells, sometimes with very, very nice coins. We always -- always -- have raffles and door prizes; I personally make sure that happens. And I think we've had at least a small auction at every meeting I've been to since I joined nine years ago (OMG... it's nine years!). We don't have refreshments, but we meet in a Mexican food place so it's not exactly necessary. If memory serves, you're closer to Collin County, and their club meetings are known for huge auctions. They also do a good job of having speakers every month.
Clubs that only do paper aren't especially common. However, you have an excellent opportunity to pass along your knowledge about MPC to the other people in the club -- to become a resource, if you will. That, in and of itself, is fun, and it will probably help you, as the expert, to sell some of your stuff. I first learned about MPC when an MPC specialist in one of the clubs I attended gave talks about it; before that, I had no idea it even existed, let alone was collectible. Now, I have a small collection -- nothing serious, no real high grade stuff, but one (cherrypicked) replacement note. And it's all due to being in a club with somebody who enjoyed it.
