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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Bonedigger, post: 391052, member: 4367&quot;]Oh, what the heck.&nbsp; Here is the e-mail I sent to the ANA:</p><p>////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////</p><p><br /></p><p>Greetings Sir,</p><p><br /></p><p>My name is Ben Blake and I&#039;m a member of the ANA, #3130358; I&#039;m also a member of the internet forum Cointalk.org which has around 15,000 members and discusses the aspects of the hobby and the ANA quite frequently. </p><p><br /></p><p>The reason for my writing you is to possibly plant a few seeds/ideas in the minds of ANA Leadership about what the (MILLIONS) of small time coin collectors across the USA would like to see and if implemented (just one of these) would increase ANA Membership to new highs.&nbsp; New highs mean more money, and more money...&nbsp; Well you get the idea. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>Here are a few ideas.</p><p><br /></p><p>#1.&nbsp; The ANA needs to reach out to the nooks and crannies of the Nation. Advertisement is desperately needed on a national television level.</p><p><br /></p><p>#2.&nbsp; The ANA must realize that a disadvantaged or poor collector is still a collector who yearns for knowledge.&nbsp; It&#039;s expensive for a young collector to try and attend a seminar in Colorado even traveling from say Roswell, NM.&nbsp; Why not send out an emissary with material to teach a class in a small town?&nbsp; Of course the word has got to be spread about such an action, but hey it&#039;s cheaper for one to travel and teach many, than for many to travel and be taught by one.&nbsp; The boyscouts/girlscouts of these areas would flock to a seminar held by an instructor from the ANA.</p><p><br /></p><p>#3.&nbsp; The average small-time-town-casual collector doesn&#039;t care about fancy advertisements for auctions that only 1/1000th of the collectors in America could afford.&nbsp; Remember, there is a large strata of American Citizens who aren&#039;t taken in by bright shiny items offered for sale simply because they are on good paper.&nbsp; These are the collectors who can get along with the old standbys (Redbook and Whitman Folders) and when they do spread their collections you might be convinced that the focus of the ANA is in the wrong direction. </p><p><br /></p><p>Why not put out a smaller/say B&amp;W newsletter or pamphlet type of bimonthly magazine for those who would like to subscribe to it.&nbsp; This smaller version could feature a small town (100,000 or less pop) coinshop and do a little story about the owner and what they specialize in or maybe a small-time collectors collection and how they came by it...</p><p><br /></p><p>#4.&nbsp; Think about opening a satellite office or two or three around the USA inorder to offer a closer POC for this casual collector who has questions and maybe has a coin to be looked at by an educated set of eyes.&nbsp; I&#039;m not talking about slabbing the darn thing.&nbsp; I&#039;m simply suggesting that they could verify it as genuine or what variety it is.&nbsp; Have some literature available to the person who drops by and maybe a book or two for sale.&nbsp; This would really spread the word/good work the ANA does.</p><p><br /></p><p>And lastly #5.&nbsp; Many collectors (me included) don&#039;t have the time or the money to hop in a plane and jet all over the USA to attend shows and visit numismatic organizations which are always in the same place. And you and I both know that the costs of recreational travel are rising.</p><p><br /></p><p>Why not hold a (again well advertised) convention or show in some smaller cities and try to hit that area/quadrant of the nation so-to-speak.&nbsp; Maybe Rapid City or Sioux Falls, SD etc...&nbsp; The positive impression this should make would indeed be something.</p><p><br /></p><p>I sincerley appreciate you taking the time to read this e-mail and you can contact me via phone at (XXX) XXX-XXXX or snail mail at:</p><p><br /></p><p>XXX XXX</p><p>XXXXX XXXXX XXXX XX</p><p>XXXXXX XXXX XX XXXXX</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Respectfully</p><p>Ben Blake</p><p><br /></p><p>/////////////////////////////////////</p><p><br /></p><p>I honestly don&#039;t expect to hear anything about addressing such drastic changes.&nbsp; Again, it&#039;s just my random thoughs, but as a member I wanted the&nbsp; ANA to know what some of the &quot;common folk, like me <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />&quot; are thinking.</p><p><br /></p><p>You should shoot them some of your ideas if you&#039;re a member.&nbsp; Remember it&#039;s a member&#039;s organization so if they don&#039;t know what the members really want then like any other elected official in office the organization might become corrupt.&nbsp; :goof::goof::goof:</p><p><br /></p><p>Also remember if you hear the (we can&#039;t because it&#039;ll cost too much) answer think to yourself how much they&#039;ve lost in recent idiotic lawsuits.</p><p><br /></p><p>Cheers</p><p>Ben[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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