Should ANA Deaccssion the Museum? 1 1

[VKurtB]

Just now, GoldFinger1969 said:

increase ... social media spending

This is as much (or more) a quality play as a quantity play. They have "social media" in place, but it's just so sad.

[VKurtB]

2 minutes ago, VKurtB said:

their own internally drafted strategic plan

This has been Colonel Ellsworth's Number One positive project. It is fully underway. 

[World Colonial]

Just now, VKurtB said:

This is as much (or more) a quality play as a quantity play. They have "social media" in place, but it's just so sad.

I infer a lot of collectors would agree with this recommendation.  Question to me is, who is the primary intended audience and how to reach them exactly?

I hear the ANA has around 25,000 members but that's a small fraction of the US collector base, depending upon the definition.  The point is, presumably every active collector is aware the ANA exists, though maybe many aren't aware of the value proposition or reason to join. 

I am aware of it, it just isn't really relevant to my collecting.  I'm also not a member of a local club which I assume has a higher membership overlap.  I'm not a member because I'm not really interested in the coins most US collectors collect either and that's presumably the focus of any club where I live.  I suppose I should try it once before jumping to conclusions but it's not a priority.

[VKurtB]

36 minutes ago, World Colonial said:

I infer a lot of collectors would agree with this recommendation.  Question to me is, who is the primary intended audience and how to reach them exactly?

I hear the ANA has around 25,000 members but that's a small fraction of the US collector base, depending upon the definition.  The point is, presumably every active collector is aware the ANA exists, though maybe many aren't aware of the value proposition or reason to join. 

I am aware of it, it just isn't really relevant to my collecting.  I'm also not a member of a local club which I assume has a higher membership overlap.  I'm not a member because I'm not really interested in the coins most US collectors collect either and that's presumably the focus of any club where I live.  I suppose I should try it once before jumping to conclusions but it's not a priority.

The Chicago Coin Club, one of the top clubs in the nation, of which I am a member, cannot do auctions like most clubs do, because "no two members are into the same material".

[GoldFinger1969]

5 hours ago, VKurtB said:

The Chicago Coin Club, one of the top clubs in the nation, of which I am a member, cannot do auctions like most clubs do, because "no two members are into the same material".

I would think that auctions among club members are not as important as 30 or 50 years ago.  You have coin shows and online for that.

Maybe better would be -- since you have multiple collectors of different types ("no 2 members are into the same material") -- to have veterans/experts in their area of expertise say what is happening in their sector price-wise....noted sales or auctions....TPG and supply trends....etc.

I would rather get a 5-10 minute update on pricing and other trends on coins I am not familiar with that brings me up to speed rather than have unnecessary auctions.

[VKurtB]

2 minutes ago, GoldFinger1969 said:

I would think that auctions among club members are not as important as 30 or 50 years ago.  You have coin shows and online for that.

Maybe better would be -- since you have multiple collectors of different types ("no 2 members are into the same material") -- to have veterans/experts in their area of expertise say what is happening in their sector price-wise....noted sales or auctions....TPG and supply trends....etc.

I would rather get a 5-10 minute update on pricing and other trends on coins I am not familiar with that brings me up to speed rather than have unnecessary auctions.

At the CCC, show and tell is a competitive activity, with all members judging all presentations. 

[Zebo]

11 hours ago, VKurtB said:

At the CCC, show and tell is a competitive activity, with all members judging all presentations. 

Not sure I'd like that - being judged unless I was preparing to exhibit at a major show. 

Where are (CCC) they holding their meetings these days - (too lazy to check).

[RWB]

Why is "competition" necessary -- or even beneficial?

Enjoyment does not require competition - at least not the rancorous stuff promoted by American TV/cable. Judging coin club presentations seems repugnant.

Go watch "The Great British Bake-Off." Then watch the American TV version "Great American Baking Show." Compare approach to competition. The first works, the second fails.

Edited October 29, 2020 by RWB

[Zebo]

I like competition and enjoy competing. But if I'm presenting something to a club for education or enjoyment purposes - I would not liked to be judged. If I'm preparing something for a show or competition - then judging would be appropriate and would assist in improving the exhibit. 

[zadok]

...coin collecting has always been competitive, even when there was only one collector, he was competing against himself...only a non-collector doesn't understand that....I guess that's who they have baking shows for....

[World Colonial]

It depends upon someone's definition of competing and with it, "winning".  I'd describe placing first in many sets as the equivalent of receiving a participation trophy just for showing up.  Of course, since this practice occurs elsewhere in US culture today, I can see why it's appealing to many collectors.

With many US series, it's easy enough to just buy the ranking,  With many others, there is no practical difference between the "best" sets and numerous others; up to thousands or even tens of thousands.  With world coinage, "winning" usually means almost no one else is even competing.  Just request a new set and win it by default when few or no one else participates.

Personally, if I were inclined to participate competitively for what I collect, I'd never be interested in "winning" since I presume there are at least a few genuinely better collections than mine which will never participate.  Where is the satisfaction in that?

Decades ago when the highest quality coins measured by TPG grade frequently weren't worth much of anything, the price spreads for all others was much narrower than it is now and the price level was much lower, few if any cared about what are disproportionately minor quality differences for common coins.

If or when the current financialization becomes less important and the price level declines to predominantly reflect collecting as a recreational activity, collectors mostly won't care, again.

[Conder101]

On 10/26/2020 at 9:07 PM, physics-fan3.14 said:

But if you show a slick ad with a coin worth $5 MILLION DOLLARS - COME SEE IT FOR FREE!!!!! then I have to think that some people are going to come see it just for the novelty.

But that pales next to the BEP's Billion dollar exhibit.

On 10/27/2020 at 9:24 AM, GoldFinger1969 said:

ANA has the McDermott and Walton specimens.

They own the McDermott specimen, I think the Walton coin is on loan.

 

On 10/27/2020 at 1:12 PM, GoldFinger1969 said:

I wonder how much the "Hawaii 5-0" episode is responsible for that

Max Mehl was more responsible for the publics awareness of the nickel.

 

On 10/27/2020 at 2:17 PM, World Colonial said:

I understand this is very common of museums generally and not just for coins.  I went to the British Museum once, in February 1999.  A few coin displays but more recently, I read it has one of the largest collections in the world.  Don't know if it is true but if so, most of it is archived and never sees the light of day.

I believe it is true, but the US National collection may give it a run for its money.  But most of the collection has to be in storage.  How could you reasonably expect to display 1.5 million items?

Edited October 29, 2020 by Conder101

[World Colonial]

40 minutes ago, Conder101 said:

I believe it is true, but the US National collection may give it a run for its money.  But most of the collection has to be in storage.  How could you reasonably expect to display 1.5 million items?

Best US institutional collections to my knowledge are the Smithsonian first, I'd probably rank the ANS second and the ANA third.  Less familiar with the ANA since I don't know if it is cataloged on-line.  Also, I would give more weight to a collection that is presumably more comprehensive but still with many of the more prominent rarities for what it includes.  I think of the ANA as much better than ANS for US coinage but not even close for world and ancients.  But I might also be wrong about that, as the ANS had a 40+ year start.

As for the British museum versus Smithsonian, no idea which is larger or "better".  In the past, I considered the Smithsonian best, but once again suspect it's not as comprehensive for world and ancients.