The importance of Coin Clubs

I would like to express a person view on Coin Clubs. Too often many collectors will pass up the opportunity to join a local or regional coin club. Our ability to access information via the internet, has given us different aspects on our hobby, but that cannot nor should not be a substitute for a club. These groups are made up of people who enjoy coins, and love the time spent together. Many groups are general interest, but a few have very specialized areas. The ANA lists clubs by state and region. National clubs like the ANA also provide a wealth of information.
Most clubs meet once or twice a month for an hour meeting. This time is spent talking coins, trading, buying and selling. Some offer newsletters, and others magazines. The cost is very reasonable. The friendships made are priceless.

For information on clubs in your state, please go to the following link.

http://www.money.org/clublist.html

If you can't find one that meets your needs, please post here in the forum, and we will help you find one.

 

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It does happen that people live far from the nearest club. Other factors come into play -- night of the week; etc. For all of that, joining your local and state coin clubs is truly an important investment for any collector.

A club does not need to be 50 people actively calling for the chairman's attention to make a motion. Three people can meet at a local restaurant, just to talk, to show and tell, to swap. Growth comes slowly. Advertising by talking about it is probably the best way to bring new people in. Your local coin stores might be very supportive.

Sometimes, clubs have problems that they do not see. The median age in our hobby is 55. Most clubs were founded 50 years ago, in the 1950s and 1960s. So, you get 15 old guys who all know each other and you are the outsider. Even so, just showing up and listening can be far more profitable to you than sitting at home, sniping auctions.

Clubs -- especially state and regional -- have newsletters.

Local clubs frequently have meetings that center on drawings, auctions, and doorprizes. They can be fun. A good, expert talk is more helpful. Local clubs often have "celebrities" of one ilk or another who have won awards for exhibits, or other activities in the hobby. You can learn a lot from a presentation.

The cost to join a local club is low, typically $5 to $10 per year.

 

Great post, guys. Nothing supports the hobby like a friendly neighborhood coin club. It's like going to coin school twice a month. Nowhere else can you find other coin collectors on a regular basis. I'm a lifetime member of the Central Florida Coin Club, my hometown club.
These guys run a magnificent club, with separate YN meetings for the youngsters, coffee and doughnuts at every meeting, an auction at every meeting, themed meetings like "bourse night" regularly. There's usually show and tell, there's a huge library that you can borrow books from, they're always looking for new ways to gain exposure, like setting up small coin displays at local museums, fairs, etc. And they produce a nice little newsletter, too. It's a very active club and I'm proud to be a member.
If you need/want help in setting up a coin club in your area post here...there's lots of folks who'd be glad to provide advice.
Nick

 

I am one of the collectors who does not have a coin club to join in the immediate area. The closest one to me which is listed on the ANA web site is in another state and is approximately a two hour drive from my area.

There may be some local coin clubs here that are independent clubs and have no ANA affiliation. I will check with the local coin dealer here concerning the availability of a local coin club(s).

If I am between a rock and a hard place with limited options, should I?

a. make the 2 hour pilgrimage to the closest coin club, once or twice per month?

b. check with the ANA and inquire about starting a new coin club here?

c. Keep looking pal, keep looking.

d. another option I have failed to list that you will kindly give to me.

Thank you.

 

ND...Thanks for initiating such a great thread. As a newbie here I'm overwhelmed with so much info in the way of books, websites, etc that I never took the time to pursue a local coin club. Thanks to the link you posted I found one that is very close by and will be calling them first thing tomorrow.

I'm continually impressed by the quality of information and educational threads that you post here solely for our benefit, at the expense of your time. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say thank you for your tireless enthusiasm and generosity of spirit.
Robin

 

Thank you so much for the kind words. I am constantly amazed at the appreciation that many of you shown me. It is for this reason that I have continued.
I can only hope that I have helped a few of you in some way.

 

Well sir, many share your problem. So let me offer this.

a. While the two hour commute is a bit much (I do that each day), maybe you could make the trip a couple of times a year.

b. Starting a new club is a fantastic thought. If you do, please consider the legal requirements. An informal club can be done with just a few friends gathering over dinner.

c. Always keep an eye out for the club that may not be doing the best job of promoting themselves. Some have a habit of keeping their activities a secret.

d. Another option is contacting some dealers in your area. Some may have some info on an informal club, or one that isn't associated with the ANA.

Remember, that where there is a will, there is often a way.

 

The median age of coin clubs is 55? That's one of the few clubs where I would bring the median age down!!

Where is this age info from?? The ANA???

Also, does anyone know the gender mix of coin clubs and/or the ANA?? It seems the hobby is still very male dominated, which surprises me, given that women have made significant inroads to formerly male dominated professions in the financial world.

For example, If you look at the contributors to any prominent coin book, you might see one or two females out of forty names. I hope I am wrong, and female interest is picking up, but I am not seeing it.

 

rbm86...I'm doing all I can to throw the average age/gender thing all out of whack! lol I'm 35 and AALLLL girl!

 

Good for you!!! Spread the word!!! Unfortunately I am male and I have 4 sons, so I can only help the age thing.

 

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, National Dealer. I will look into joining a coin club and if it means there will be a minor amount of excessive travel involved, I think it will be worth it.

If that is the case, I may even be able to receive some help there with ideas of eventually starting a new coin club here in my local area.

This will be a great excuse to have a reason to travel to Daytona Beach or Jacksonville, Florida also. After coin meetings, I might even decide to spend a minute or two at the beaches.

 

Thanks GDJMSP. I'll take your advice and visit the Ocala Coin Club Forum. The link National Dealer provided gave the specific interests of the coin clubs and I will do some additional research to determine which one is the best for me and best for the club, given the coin club interests/travel time involved.

I live in Savannah, Georgia. An independent local coin club (if one even exists here) would be fine but one associated with the ANA is probably going to have more to offer. That may or may not be true.

Either way, I am looking forward to joining one.

 

It's ok GDJMSP Thanks for your assistance.

I'm sure I'll find one locally but it may not be associated with the ANA. Jacksonville is a two hour drive from Savannah. The Jax Coin club lists Morgan Dollars as one of their main interests and I enjoy collecting Morgans. (Who doesn't, right? )

I'll continue to scan the area for a coin club and will hopefully find a good one.

 

Jacksonville does indeed have an active coin club. Their annual show is coming up the first weekend in June and that would be a great time to visit. I have a table there and would love to meet any fellow coin addicts

 

Have you ever considered why the average age of collectors is 55?

Could it be that this generation was the last to have multiple examples of coinage? It did not take much effort to find Buffalo's, Mercury Dimes, Standing Quarters, Walkers, in daily change.

 

I live in north central Ohio. My local club was founded in 1959. For over 40 years, it was an ANA club. Once the founding memebers started dropping like flies, the remaining "new" members voted not to renew the ANA membership. We never really took advantage of what the ANA had to offer the club, once or twice we borrowed a few slide shows. But the money is now better spent (I believe) in promoting the club locally. The only drawback to not belonging to the ANA is the lack of a listing on their website.