Board Member Announces ANA Board Campaign

griffin6

I mentioned my intention some time ago, but have now officially accepted a nomination to run again for the ANA board. For those who may not know, I served on the board from 1995 - 1999 and ran unsuccessfully for president in 2001.

I am not one to promise pie in the sky. A board is supposed to be involved in strategic planning and prioritzation of funding. In that regard, I believe that a strategic plan that establishes the goals of the organization for the next decade is essential (and I don't believe there is one at present). I recognize that everyone may have a different idea of what should be prioritized for funding. My priority areas are:

1. The Numismatist - goes out to every member and is the one universal membership benefit. I like the new "face" to it and while the article mix seems to be getting better, I'd like to see a little more money for authors to encourage more "A List" articles.

2. The ANA Website - could help change the fact that the second highest usage of any member benefit is under 10%. The ANA has a wealth of information to pass on and share with the membership and the numismatic community as a whole. The Internet is the logical medium to reach more people, and while some efforts have been made to improve the website, it is still EXTREMELY clunky. I tried to use the search engine to seek out anything related to The Numismatist, and though I tried every boolean combination I could think of, got absolutely ZERO responses. BIG money here make this the premier numismatic clearinghouse of information and dialogue!

3. Consumer Protection - there is no question that the ANA would like to be prominent in addressing consumer protection issues. Regretfully, I think it has lost its way in the changing of key personnel, fear of lawsuits and, indeed, perhaps even the lack of a clear understanding in what it can and cannot do. I would like to see that change and would work dilligently to accomplish that change.

Individually, I am thick skinned, pragmatic and possessed of a reasonable degree of common sense. While I would have but one vote on any issue, I have learned how to build consensus. I have worked on the ANA staff and for several major coin companies before opening my own business. As such, I know the players, the issues and their slants on them, while being beholden to no one. I am relatively convenient to ANA headquarters in Colorado Springs, and as I travel to the ANA shows for my personal business anyway, would not accept per diem or travel expenses during my tenure.

I am running a low key campaign this time, as I do not wish to solicit campaign funds from any corporate entity. I am personally funding one half page ad in the June Numismatist and enough fliers to pass out at shows around the country. Otherwise, it will be the available free adveritising and the hope that I have enough recognition from the past. I will be going to Central States, Texas (TNA), Denver and Long Beach before the ballots go out. If any of you are going to other shows and are willing to pass out some fliers for me, please PM me with your mailing address and I'll send you some.

I am also working to get a campaign tab up on my website at www.peakcoins.com. Please look for my platform and credentials there, and if you are an ANA Member, thanks for your consideration. I am accessible and will give full consideration to any reasonably presented position on pertinent issues.

nwcs

Very interesting. I especially like the idea of making the web site more useful. It's so 1995 oriented that it's hard to get much useful out of it. Although I am a harsh critic since I an a programmer and working at a place where I'm building/maintaining 5 web sites.

One question, what is your position on what can be done with companies like Accugrade and Numistrust? Even though the ANA has no governing authority over private corporations, the ANA could certainly provide a role similar to Consumer's Union and inform the hobby about the relative strengths and weaknesses of all the companies (not just slabbers) in the numismatic family.

Neil, ANA member

AbesNeighbor

I think your thoughts and your "Platform" were very well presented.

griffin6

As part of the clearinghouse of information, I think one of the home page major topics links should be CONSUMER PROTECTION ISSUES. That could lead to any number of articles, one of which could be titled "Not All Grading Services Are Created Equal." It could generically discuss various consensus systems, the existence (or lack) of as sight unseen trading network, and the fact that some services do not even subscribe to the ANA grading standards or contemporary market standards. This in turn should link to the PNG/ICTA survey which very accurately portrays how the included services are seen in the professional community.

The ANA cannot, indeed, take action against a firm, but it can against the principals of a firm... IF a complaint is filed against them. In the recent Hager vs. Stuppler dispute, witnesses for Mr. Stuppler gave written statements about Mr. & Mrs. Hager's business practices that would certainly merit strong consideration as ethics violations. If a complaint were filed against them and the if evidence deemed credible, some of the available remedies might ban the Hagers from participation in Association activities. This might effectively remove Accugrade from the ANA bourse and preclude them from advertising in The Numismatist. That would, of course, be dependent on the complaint being filed, the nature and credibility of the evidence presented, and action of the board in addressing the complaint.

MAULUMALL

Consumer Protection - there is no question that the ANA would like to be prominent in addressing consumer protection issues. Regretfully, I think it has lost its way in the changing of key personnel, fear of lawsuits and, indeed, perhaps even the lack of a clear understanding in what it can and cannot do. I would like to see that change and would work dilligently to accomplish that change.



Does this include notifying the General public of the 3rd 4th and 5th rate slabbing co's.
AND enforcing the dealer ethics questions for selling those slabs to an uniformed public.




eddited to add,Your quick.

nwcs

Mr. Rossman, I appreciate your comments. Now, this next question is asking for an opinion. I won't hold you to it. Do you think the ANA should modify its membership rules to allow the ANA itself to take action against/for a company/individual instead of waiting for a member to initiate action?

dorkkarl

your a member of png. therefore, i'm afraid i can't vote for you

K S

MAULUMALL

<< <i>your a member of png. therefore, i'm afraid i can't vote for you

K S >>



I know who png are but why wouldn't you vote for him because he's a member.(I really want to know)

griffin6

I want to be careful in answering this, as I really don't know all the legal and ethical reasons for the complaint policies as currently written. Obviously, there are circumstances for which we would all like to see the Board act arbitrarily, decisively and with maximum impact to remove what are widely considered cancers on the hobby. I suspect that individually, most if not all of the current board members would agree. HOWEVER...

Organizations, like governments, tend to implement systems of checks and balances to preclude just such a rush to reach arbitrary judgment. One such check is not to allow the judging authority to bring forward charges, as it then has a vested interest in the charges and cannot be seen as completely objective. One might argue that there are individual circumstances where this shouldn't matter, but from an institutional basis it goes straight to the credibility of the authority.

MAULUMALL

How much does the ANA charge to bring a dispute to the table.

Mark

Will:

In the last ANA election, I voted for Mr. Wilson because I was concerned about Heritage and some issues surrounding the ANA auctions that were never made properly public. However, I was most impressed by your post after the election asking for support for Mr. Wilson. And, I have continued to be impressed by your posts afterward.

I think there are two main issues the ANA faces: What can the ANA do to help sustain itself?; and what can the ANA do to improve the numismatics in general? Obviously if the ANA cannot sustain itself, what it can do to help improve numismatics is moot. So, when I look at the three points you mentioned, points 1 and 2 are concerned with the ANA's ability to continue to exist and point 3 is concerned with improving the climate of the hobby.

Re your point 1, the version of Numismatist. I just had an article published in Numistmatist, so I can tell you that the people I worked with there were top notch. I don't think enough time has passed to successfully judge the new format, however. I would like to see the ANA conduct a survey after another few months asking a sample of the membership how they compare the old format to the new. Also, Dave Bowers seems presently to be at "loose ends." I was dismayed by his abrupt removal from the Numismatist, so I hope some effort is made to reacquire his services. But, primarily I think a survey asking members what they think of the new format is necessary before fine tuning is undertaken.

Re your point 2, the web site. Up-dating the web site seems necessary. A feature that I think would be nice and would benefit everyone who does not live near the home office in Colorado Springs is a streaming video presentation of the current display(s) in the museum. It would be easy to have someone walk around the museum and comment on the various displays, though I hope something a bit more professional is done. I also would like to see video of the conventions--perhaps the presentations could be taped and, with the permission of the presenters, the tapes could be put on the web so as to give people unable to attend a "virtual convention." I don't expect these video suggestions should be too expensive.

Re your point 3, consumer protection. I agree with your assessment that the ANA must explore vigorously what it can do. I am not an attorney and so do not know what lines the ANA cannot cross, but to the extent that the ANA is serious about going after operations that verge on being frauds, I hope that attorneys are consulted so that the ANA does not step over the bounds of what is legal. I also mention that I was dismayed that Mr. Stuppler had any sort of sanction imposed on him in the Stuppler versus Hager dispute.

Two last questions:
1) Are the issues involved with the choice of auction house cleared up? Do you want to comment on your role in this issue? (Given I was not privy to all the inside information about this topic, I hope this topic isn't too "nasty"!)

2) What is your opinion of the ANA's very rapid decision a few years ago to renovate the museum (to acquire the Bass collection?) before the funding for the renovation was in place? This decision seems to have been a costly one for the ANA?

Will, thanks very much in advance for any response you might make.

Mark

dorkkarl

totally disagree that ana should be vigorously involved w/ consumer protection blah blah blah

it's the American Numismatic Association, not the American Coin-Collectors Association

support numismatists, they are the backbone of the hobby

K S

TheNumish

KS

I disagree. If there is a party that is ripping off NUMISMATISTS and the ANA has the ability to do something about it than they have a duty to do it. I don't think they should become the coin police but in cases like ACG where it is blatent fraud than they should get some cajones and make a stand about what is acceptable and what isn't.

nwcs

I think the ANA should be involved in the consumer protection area. If they wanted to stay out of it, they would never have sponsored NGC (or any other company considered) as the preferred slabbing service of the ANA. Never would have come up with clauses specifying how dealers are supposed to conduct themselves (documenting problems, taking returns, etc.). Etc. Etc. They already crossed the line. I'm saying they need to go all the way and do it right.

Neil

griffin6

Mark,

The issues surrounding the auction contracts were more a matter of innuendo than fact. It is a very LONG story that is probably best left in the past. What is probably most germane to your inquiry concerning me is that the contract in question was bid and awarded before my tenure on the board. I also never voted on any issue for which there was any potential conflict of interest during the years I served.

As to the building fund... I grew up in not-for-profits, with both my father and my uncle working as YMCA executives. I guess I'm traditional about fund raising as a result. My formula is that when you set an annual budget or plan a special project, you form a committee made up of the community leaders (e.g. financially well-to-do) and establish the goals. The leaders make significant contributions to the drive and solicit other substantial donations from their peers. When the drive is presented to the rank and file, the goal is already substantially subscribed and then further funded by the rank and file. If there are any short falls at the end, the committee generally picks up the slack... sort of the American version of noblesse oblige. In this manner, regular progress is maintained, the goals always seem reachable and are obtained within the prosribed window. Everyone in the community feels like a positive part of the effort and the community benefits.

With due respect to my friends on the board, they got this all "bassackwards." The building work was contracted for before the funds were raised, and with the notable exception of Dwight Manley, the committee named did not make the significant contributions that would have both set the example and primed the pump. It's actually surprising that they've ended up with as much as they did using these methods and I think the heroic efforts of a few people are responsible for that. At this juncture, we can only hope that the lesson was learned should the need arise for future fundraising.

dorkkarl

<< <i>If there is a party that is ripping off NUMISMATISTS and the ANA has the ability to do something about it than they have a duty to do it ... in cases like ACG where it is blatent fraud... >>

friend, i seriously doubt that numismatists get ripped off by the likes of acg. i would agree, however, that COLLECTORS may well be getting ripped off.

i just don't think that a numismatist, ie a person who studies coins, is likely to fall for overgrading tricks, etc.

however, i am not saying there shouldn't be something in place for consumer protection. i just don't think ANA is that place - for PROTECTION. EDUCATION, however, is an entirely different issue, & i would whole-heartedy support ana efforts at EDUCATION of consumers.

utlimately, i surely think that most folks would agree, that EDUCATION is the best protection you can get

K S

LucyBop

Dorkie, I disagree with your icon!

Bailathacl

Very few numismatists gain that lofty status without first spending a period of time as coin-collectors, if there's an important distinction to be made between the two. And fewer people will pursue the hobby and become serious numismatists if preventable consumer fraud is given a chance to run rampant. Yes, education is definitely the best way to prevent rip-offs, but I don't see a downside to more aggressive ANA standards and remedies regarding blatant known rip-offs. (The whole free-market approach would allow a dealer who thinks ANA is going too far to drop membership, or found/sponsor a more laissez-faire competitor.) The more honest the hobby/business appears to new, potential numismatists, the more vibrant and healthy the hobby/business will be in the future, I think.

Russ

Cool, politics. I'll start the bidding for my vote at $50. Do I hear more?

Russ, NCNE

griffin6

KS, I'm curious as to your beef with the PNG. Like the ANA and most other things in life, I don't agree with every position or action they've taken, but overall, am quite proud to be a part of the organization.

Likewise, I'm unsure of your comment separating numismatists and coin collectors. Being a numismatist in the most general sense involves no more than an interest in the study of coins. There's no particular qualifier unless you're evaluating someone's individual competence. It's a continuing learning process and after 40+ years, I know that part of the process involves taking some lumps along the way. That's probably inevitable, but if an organization like the ANA can limit the size of the lump, doesn't that have to be a good thing? I agree that educational capabilities are one of the ANA's best features, but sometimes you have to recover a bad situation on the back end.

Russ - like I said, this is a low budget campaign. If my platform doesn't cut it, about the best I could do would maybe be a pop bottle cap and a couple of bubble gum wrappers...

Trime

Russ,
I am not sure I understand your apparently critical comment about Will's bid for election.
He has thrown his hat in the ring, outlined a platform amnd responded to questions and comments in an articulate and professional fashion.
I do not know Mr Rossman personally but this seems entirely consistent with the democratic process.
This leave's me with only one question: What are appropriate topics for this forum?

dorkkarl

<< <i>KS, I'm curious as to your beef with the PNG. Like the ANA and most other things in life, I don't agree with every position or action they've taken, but overall, am quite proud to be a part of the organization. >>

if i may, let me answer your question w/ a question (2-parts)

(1) what are the requirements for membership in png?
(2) have the requirements ever precluded ANY professional numismatists from membership?



<< <i>Likewise, I'm unsure of your comment separating numismatists and coin collectors. Being a numismatist in the most general sense involves no more than an interest in the study of coins. There's no particular qualifier unless you're evaluating someone's individual competence. >>

i agree w/ you. a numismatists studies coins, so therefore, what does the issue of pricing, grading, this slabing svc, that slabing svc, different grading standards come into play? such arguments merely introduce noise into a fairly clear-cut pursuit of coin study. a numismatist studies coins & does not require the "protection" of the American Numismatic Association, as he is pursuing the interest of study, not worrying about profits, etc.

otoh, a coin collector is concerned w/ buying & selling coins for enjoyment, investment, whatever. therefore, i perceive a need for the American Coin Collectors Association to provide protection (mostly in the form of education) for the consumer.

that is where i see the differentiating feature. i grant you that someone may be a numismatist AND a coin-collector, but i simply do not believe that a numismatic assocation need be concerned in consumer affairs. now, if the ANA wan'ts to change its name to the ACCA, that's a different story.

btw, i also voted for wilson in the last ana election.

oh, also, take my png slams tongue-in-cheek. i count several members as friends, but several members also, i dislike bitterly (no names). but see my 2 questions above to know where i'm coming from on this.

K S

griffin6

KS, OK, there are people whom I admire and people whom I don't admire within the PNG membership. The guild does have membership requirements more stringent than any other organization of its kind. They do actually vette you financially, legally and through the membership before allowing you on board. Obviously, that doesn't preclude examples of "Group B" above, but it limits them. Yes, there have been applicants who didn't past muster, and others who knew better than to apply.

Thank you for voting last time, even if it was for my oponent. If you like my views this time (relative to the other candidates), I hope you will consider me. We have eleven candidates running for seven gubernatorial seats.

I see no reason for us to debate the definitions of a numismatist to much greater depth, but seeing that you like tongue-in-cheek, just exactly how is that your numismatist ACQUIRES the coins that he (rather loftily) studies in this pure vacuum of numismatic bliss?

wayneherndon

Will,

I enjoyed our chat last month at the Chattanooga show--you can count on my vote.

Thanks,

WH

griffin6

The pleasure was mine, and I did quite well with the 1797 bust dollar!

wayneherndon

I did well with your check! Maybe we can do it again soon.

WH