What's your local Coin Club like?
CoinHusker
Posts: 5,033 ✭✭✭
Not ever attending another Club meeting in a different City, I was wondering how other people would describe their club.
Our's has monthly meetings, is nearly 70 years old (a large % of the members are that and then some
), a bit clique-ish (it's obvious a lot of the members have known each other for years and years and are a bit cool to "Outsiders", er, newcomers). Big on parlimentary procedure for running the meetings "Any old business?, Any New business?" which generally turns out to be the meat of the meeting itself 
. Never have any sort of open discussion or presentations. There's a silent auction, and door prizes.
Sometimes it seems like some of the members are more interested in getting the meeting over so they can get to the coffee & donuts and talk about their latest health problem than actually doing anything numismatic during the meeting. Generally nice people, But it seems to be kind of stuck in a uninteresting rut.
Is that typical? What's your club like? It would be nice to get some ideas of how other clubs do things so that maybe we could incorporate some ideas and maybe make it better.
Edit to add some "frills and dressings".
Our's has monthly meetings, is nearly 70 years old (a large % of the members are that and then some
), a bit clique-ish (it's obvious a lot of the members have known each other for years and years and are a bit cool to "Outsiders", er, newcomers). Big on parlimentary procedure for running the meetings "Any old business?, Any New business?" which generally turns out to be the meat of the meeting itself . Never have any sort of open discussion or presentations. There's a silent auction, and door prizes. Sometimes it seems like some of the members are more interested in getting the meeting over so they can get to the coffee & donuts and talk about their latest health problem than actually doing anything numismatic during the meeting. Generally nice people, But it seems to be kind of stuck in a uninteresting rut.
Is that typical? What's your club like? It would be nice to get some ideas of how other clubs do things so that maybe we could incorporate some ideas and maybe make it better.
Edit to add some "frills and dressings".
Collecting coins, medals and currency featuring "The Sower"
0
Comments
The Bad
1)Lots of old timers around.....none I can relate to....or they think I'm just a young punk that don't know crap, yet they say that you can't get a 53-S In FBL.
2)Sell Junk
3)They have a small auction where they pass around thier cleaned and overgraded junk.
The Good
I get some extra sleep before I go into work that day
In short I don't attend anymore.
One thing my club can do is get some younger folks in there who are a little bit more upbeat. If the peeps that are there now get just a little upbeat they fall over dead.
PURPLE!
A bunch of Buzzards, waiting for an unsuspecting newbie to show up and snatch up his coins.
"Live long and prosper"
My "How I Started" columns
PURPLE!
About twenty-five percent of the members are quite petty. I think they come to the club so they can enjoy squabling over issues that shouldnt matter. About 10% of them scoff at people that collect above what their level is. This really drags the club down. You shouldnt scoff at anyone who collects at a level where they're comfortible... reguardless of whether that level is above or below your own.
Having said that, there are a lot of quality members to. I generally wait for the general assembly to flow through it's natural sequence, then go visit with the more possitive members of the club.
David
<< <i>My club is like this:
The Bad
1)Lots of old timers around.....none I can relate to....or they think I'm just a young punk that don't know crap, yet they say that you can't get a 53-S In FBL.
2)Sell Junk
3)They have a small auction where they pass around thier cleaned and overgraded junk.
>>
I was trying to be diplomatic, but you described yours more succinctly. Uncanny resemblence to my club. They must have read the same book on "Ten easy steps on How to ruin, er, run a coin meeting"
<< <i>What's your local Coin Club like?
About twenty-five percent of the members are quite petty. I think they come to the club so they can enjoy squabling over issues that shouldnt matter. >>
That sounds familiar too. Sounds like some of these issues are kind of universal.
<< <i>It would be nice to get some ideas of how other clubs do things so that maybe we could incorporate some ideas and maybe make it better. >>
I don't like to complain without giving off a few ideas.....complaining is too easy.
Here is a pretty good idea.
Instead of having Old business/ New Business, have something setup like FC57Coins(Frank) with his Franklin Half Dollar lessons.
**The Key would be to break what is already happening now. Which would prolly be an earth shattering task considering old folks get stuck thier ways and don't like change. (hey I'm not trying to piss off old peeps, but tell me it isn't true)
Maybe Change the order of what happens? They prolly have it memorized by now.
Stuff that goes through the small auction(if you have one) should be looked at by a knowledgable person to start cleaning up the crap. Probably (as XpipedreameR would say) be crapping in the punch bowl with this one and some will leave because of it.
More educative stuff and less medicare stuff is the way to go.
PURPLE
<< <i>
I don't like to complain without giving off a few ideas.....complaining is too easy.
More educative stuff and less medicare stuff is the way to go. >>
Hey, I agree 100%! And thanks for the suggestions. As you have mentioned, it's hard to suggest change to people set in their ways and equally hard to suggest it to people who think they know it all.
Meeting is held 2nd and 4th tuesday of each month. Starts at 7:30pm, however, many folks start showing up around 7pm to talk and trade amongst themselves and catch up on the BS.
At the start of the meeting we discuss any old business, finanical report of the club, then its on to new business. After the business portion of the meeting is conducted, we sell door prize tickets. They are 4 for 1.00 and you can buy as many as you like. Whatever money is taken in, we put half into the club, and the other into to the door prize drawings and pull tickets out of a bag for the winners. (Mostly proof set, mint set type prizes)
Then its on to the club auction. We have a small club auction and you can put what ever item up (with no fee) as long as is numismatically related. Most of the items that sell here are flea market type coins, junk, etc. In fact, its really a waste of time to put any item that is more than a say a $100.00 or so on the auction, becuase no-body will buy it. But it is a lot of fun, and I am now the back-up auctioneer, so I enjoy doing it even more when the main guy dosent show?
Most of the members are in the 50 and older range, but thier are a few of us in the mid 30's range. A majority of the members here are the good old boy type, very freindly and courteous, but really are not in touch with the outside coin market world, and have no idea what is happening on the national level. Most folks here, if they attend a show, go to the local once a year show or a regional show.
One sad thing is that many of the members here even though they have been collecting a long long time, cannont grade coins or identify overgraded, cleaned, etc. I have spent a lot of time helping fellow members in this area and educating them as well, but do get a little resistance from time to time from some of the old set in thier ways folks. However, after placing in the PCGS WSOG for the second time, and going to several major national shows the past couple years and getting to know a lot of bigger names in the business, more and more folks are seeking my advice and opinions at the meetings.
Jim d
My local coin club is a little different than the genearl responses. I think the big difference, is that the club just started a few years ago. So we do not have a lot of "older" memebers. Although, we only have around 20 members, of which 10 usually show up for a monthly meeting. I would like to see our coin club grow to approximately 50 members in the next 2 years.
The average age is probably 40'ish of our members. Our meetings are pretty informal, and although we do ask if there is any old or new business, we don't spend a lot of time on it. We usually have a 20-30 minute presentation (for educational purposes) such as someone talking/displaying a particular set or series. And at the end of the meeting, we usually pass around coins to see if anyone is interested in buying. Most of our talk is coin related, such as coin shows, certain coins, etc. Some of us collect higher-end coins, why some members collect average, circulated coins.
We are also trying to host our first coin show this coming fall. And I am in charge of it. So I hope to have a good first show, in order to generate new members, and also would like to turn the show into a annual event.
What bowled me over was how someone can be so knowledgeable about coins [40+ yrs experience] and know next to nothing about grading, fakes and cleaned coins. I own [and have read] over 200 coin books and still feel less knowledgeable than many here. But at local coin clubs I feel like a genius but get treated like a peon when I talk of grading standards, PCGS, auction results, VAM, etc.
Coins needs needs some new blood.
<< <i>I have belong to coin clubs in 3 different metro areas. Seattle/Tacoma, Vegas and San Francisco. No difference and the comments here sum up my experiences. I gave up trying to be friendly to cliquish grumpy men and now only attend major and regional shows.
What bowled me over was how someone can be so knowledgeable about coins [40+ yrs experience] and know next to nothing about grading, fakes and cleaned coins. I own [and have read] over 200 coin books and still feel less knowledgeable than many here. But at local coin clubs I feel like a genius but get treated like a peon when I talk of grading standards, PCGS, auction results, VAM, etc.
Coins needs needs some new blood. >>
Bingo!
<< <i>Mine is clothing-optional. >>
Now there's a club that should invest in the "extra leaves" quarters!
a club where 75% were also metal detector users and their idea of a coin discussion
was to show a corroded Franklin half that they dug up.
why not do that at the Local Coin Clubs and not expect any laurels, share what you know, if indeed you know anything worth sharing with other collectors?? why not try to help out by running for office within the club, but that would involve devoting some time to someone/something else, right?? why not consider that maybe, just maybe, you aren't the end all of knowledge in your local community, those older collectors might possibly know something?? thing is, you'd have to have an open mind for that, wouldn't you.
and everyone wonders why this place is such a pathetic panty waste of complaining and juvenile bickering so much of the time. i guess it's just a microcosm of what many of us have going on in our personal lives. don't give the other guy a break, don't show the other guy any respect, don't excercise any patience, tolerance or compassion for anyone else. instead, consider that all those oldsters are retired and just sit around all day, so screw 'em when you can, they probably deserve it.
OK, i feel better now.
i belong to three local clubs and have found it to be enlightening. i've made many, many good friends and enjoyed many nights in the company of collectors that i otherwise would have not known, collectors who have taught me when i chose to be receptive and asked questions. in return, i've gotten active and tried to help out by allowing the oldsters to relax. i help with the auctions, have been serving as Secretary, do the club Newsletter, serve on the Grading Committee and answer any questions that the guys ask.
along the way it's been a way to sell some of my lower priced items that have been gathering dust for many years as well as some of what doesn't pan out from current purchases. without knowing it would happen, some of the best items in my collection have come from the club auctions, itemns that would have gone unnoticed by anyone in the clubs themselves-----a 1940 Reverse of 1938 Jefferson Nickel that graded PR67 at PCGS ($50), a 1941 Cleveland Commemorative C'Stamped by WRNC in 1941 that graded MS66 at NGC, the same from 1971 that graded MS63 at NGC (both bought for less than $50 total), a beautiful 1865 3CN that graded MS62 at PCGS ($17), a 1945 DDR Jefferson that's currently at PCGS and should post at MS65-66 next week ($60) and i could go on, but you get the picture..........................
so go ahead, oh ye of the small closed intellect. avoid those clubs at all cost. instead, come here where you'll find likeminded collectors who wouldn't know how to help others even if they could. sadly, they also fail to reap the rewards helping others, not the beautiful coins, but the people that might be met along the way. the coins are simply the icing on the cake.
OK, i'm done ranting. now come in here and tell me i'm wrong and all wet. i dare you, i really do.
al h.
I do miss any one on one interaction with someone local, but find this forum to provide the minimal interaction I require to keep my interest in tact.
<< <i>ah yes, and it's so refreshing to dive in and read about Local Coin Clubs and PCGS Forum members, members who seem to criticize the Local Coin Club members and speak out of the other side of their mouth's about how they like to share what they know. amazing!!!!!!!!!!! >>
When ya have a bunch of old dudes that think they know everything how can you share what you know and get activly involved? Amazing!
<< <i>why not do that at the Local Coin Clubs and not expect any laurels, share what you know, if indeed you know anything worth sharing with other collectors?? >>
Uhhh I tried....But to them I'm just a punk newbie so who cares right? Yes, I've learned some stuff since I have been on this forum. Stuff that I probably wouldn't have found out if I stuck to a coin club that circulated within the club , overgraded, cleaned coinage. I don't think I would like to hang around a group that tells you encapsulating coins is bogus. But then want to sell you cleaned garbage? Nice ethical coin club if ya ask me......NOT! At least on this forum I learned about cleaned coins. I don't believe the geezer at the coin club would have told me that. Remember, I'm the punk newbie, not a member.
<< <i>why not try to help out by running for office within the club, but that would involve devoting some time to someone/something else, right?? >>
I wouldn't mind doing this if there was a more diverse group of members who wanted to accept new members and would like to get to know you rather than take your money and be done with ya.
<< <i>why not consider that maybe, just maybe, you aren't the end all of knowledge in your local community, those older collectors might possibly know something?? thing is, you'd have to have an open mind for that, wouldn't you. >>
Your right! I'm not the end all of knowledge in my community or any community that I visit. There are alot of people I idolize because of their knowledge. Some are on this board and some are in my hometown. Yep, those older collectors do know alot! But no way in hell will they share to a new guy.....are you nuts......he is way out of the clique.
<< <i>and everyone wonders why this place is such a pathetic panty waste of complaining and juvenile bickering so much of the time. >>
If you see it that way you can leave anytime you want to. I haven't learned much from you anyway.
<< <i> i guess it's just a microcosm of what many of us have going on in our personal lives. don't give the other guy a break, don't show the other guy any respect, don't excercise any patience, tolerance or compassion for anyone else. >>
This is the exact way the Older collectors think. The Dude is ready to push up daisies anyway so what the hell does he care about the new members/collectors that come into the hobby? Respect? I respect my elders only if they respect me. Patience? No patience when ya staring at a coffin. Tolerance and Compassion? Don't get you sales and that is what they want, your money.
<< <i>instead, consider that all those oldsters are retired and just sit around all day, so screw 'em when you can, they probably deserve it. >>
No they do not deserve it one bit. They Probably worked hard in their life time to get where they are. But were not exactly talking about that now are?
<< <i>OK, i feel better now.
i belong to three local clubs and have found it to be enlightening. i've made many, many good friends and enjoyed many nights in the company of collectors that i otherwise would have not known, collectors who have taught me when i chose to be receptive and asked questions. in return, i've gotten active and tried to help out by allowing the oldsters to relax. i help with the auctions, have been serving as Secretary, do the club Newsletter, serve on the Grading Committee and answer any questions that the guys ask.
along the way it's been a way to sell some of my lower priced items that have been gathering dust for many years as well as some of what doesn't pan out from current purchases. without knowing it would happen, some of the best items in my collection have come from the club auctions, itemns that would have gone unnoticed by anyone in the clubs themselves-----a 1940 Reverse of 1938 Jefferson Nickel that graded PR67 at PCGS ($50), a 1941 Cleveland Commemorative C'Stamped by WRNC in 1941 that graded MS66 at NGC, the same from 1971 that graded MS63 at NGC (both bought for less than $50 total), a beautiful 1865 3CN that graded MS62 at PCGS ($17), a 1945 DDR Jefferson that's currently at PCGS and should post at MS65-66 next week ($60) and i could go on, but you get the picture.......................... >>
Im glad you like your clubs and that you are very activ with them because it's very rare you find nice clubs with cool people to hang out with!
<< <i>so go ahead, oh ye of the small closed intellect. avoid those clubs at all cost. instead, come here where you'll find likeminded collectors who wouldn't know how to help others even if they could. sadly, they also fail to reap the rewards helping others, not the beautiful coins, but the people that might be met along the way. the coins are simply the icing on the cake. >>
I will avaoid my club at all cost because, I learned(and still learning) what to watch out for and what not to do. What is messed up is , thats exactly what they ARE doing there! That is not healthy for a new collector. Avoidance is the only way until something changes which could be a number of things Including what I know then maybe I'll dive in a bit! I'm not afraid to admit that I don't know alot but there is absolutly no excuse to go to place you know flim-flam is going on. Took me 1 time to look around and figure this out And that was because of what I learned on this board. So KUDOS! to everyboard member here!
<< <i>OK, i'm done ranting. now come in here and tell me i'm wrong and all wet. i dare you, i really do. >>
I'm Game Dude!
I had great experiences with the Central Florida Coin Club and would like to have a club like that. It will take some work, but we will see what we can do.
FrederickCoinClub
silent auction...
lots start at .05 and last december, the most expensive was 90.
all the old timers stare and look at the cheap coins (even the .05 ones) and when is time for bidding, no one bids??
I don't even think they have ever seen PCGS or NGC slabs
I have not learned anything new since last august at my club meeting...everything i am learning is right here on the message boards
enough said
<< <i>Tell us how you REALLY feel Al.
do you relly want to have a cut/paste war??
much of what you said in your reply points the finger at the "other guy" as being the problem. so be it. i walked into the clubs i belong to as a relative stranger, tried to be friendly and helpful and it's worked well. i hope you'll have the same success and won't give up before that happens. get active if you can, the other members will appreciate the help if you try not to run the show.
al h.
It's easy enough to sit back and criticize until you've tried to run the club yourself. Most members just want to be entertained.......they make suggestions but are never willing to do anything to help implement their ideas. It's usually 4 or 5 people that do all the work, while the others sit back and complain.
If you think your coin club could be better, why not run for office and try to implement the changes?
Cher-Wood Forest Aviary
POTD - May 26, 2005
<< <i>OK, i'm done ranting. now come in here and tell me i'm wrong and all wet. i dare you, i really do. >>
You're wrong and all wet.
Great transactions with oih82w8, JasonGaming, Moose1913.
you summed things up nicely.
al h.
My hopes was smashed to pieces when I joined up and checked out what it was all about. I didn't get warm welcome from members except the people who were actually operating the club.
I did get to look around at the tables they had setup and I did buy a half-dime that I really like. Now here is the kick in the head. After I had bought that Half-Dime a few members asked what I had bought. I showed them the coin and they said verbatum " thats a nice coin, good pick". When I put it up here on the forum someone had pointed out to me that there was PVC on it.
It was my fault for not knowing about it(which I learned about later on this board via darktone) but wouldn't you think one of those guys would have told me? This is the kind of activity that happens at my Coin Club.
Now, not all coin clubs can be the same or have activities like the one I pointed out. I'm sure there are awesome coin clubs around. Unfortunatly this is the closest one to me and stuck for now. Things will change later that will allow me to get to others.
Another thing, when I joined up I had to go a couple of times till I got my swearing in or whatever it's called. They called my name and asked other members do they agree and most raised thier hands........and then on disagree 25% raised thier hands and it was a bunch of old guys!......what the hell is that about! It had to be a joke.....I'm sure...then again was it? Look at the activity.
So I quit going.
handfull of doers while the rest sit and complain. I have been
president of a number of professional societies, so I have been there
done that. As for shairing my coin knowledge, I just have my ignorence
and I do not intend to share that out of pure spite.
Camelot
There is the usual "Roberts Rules of Order" part of the meetings. But we have a 50/50 drawing (1957 Proof set the other night, a 1955 Bugs Bunny Half the meeting before that and I remember a very nice MS64 1939-D Mercury Dime FSB one other night). We also have a drawing that starts at $25 and goes up $5 each time we don't draw a winner from the hat (the hat has all the members numbers in it). That will be worth $45 next month as I remember.
We have presentations just about every month. One of our members talked about and demonstrated the evolution of coin albums/holders last meeting. He had 30 or 40 of them with him to show us and discuss the pro and cons.
I spoke about grading in general the month before and passed out 5 slabbed Morgans all taped together with the grade covered with masking tape. They were all in MS64 NGC & PCGS holders, but the grading was all over the place by the group and rightfully so as some of them deserved to be higher and others lower than the slabbed grade which emphasized "buy the coin, not the slab".
We've had talks on Commemortives, Error coins, and the coins and paper money from Iraq in the last 6 months.
We host an annual coin show and draw for prizes from the names of those who help set up and tear down the show. From all the dealers who attend, I understand that they really like our show (80 tables) and the way the members pitch in and help them get their material in from the cars etc.
Every year we have a youth auction at our annual show. We have had around 100 lots every year. The kids all start with an imaginary $10,000 and they have to learn to save for what they really want that way, we look out for the kids who might still not have enough money to buy anything at the end of the auction and give them a SAE or something similiar when they cash in their pretend money. No one goes away skunked that way. The lots come from the members and from the dealers who attend the show, primarily the local dealers.
We also encourage displays at our annual show and there is a "People's Choice" award for the best or most intersting display.
Our monthly club auction isn't what I want it to be, but it's only as good as what the members offer up. There is always a reserve on the material. We also have a monthly bulletin that announces the meeting as ell as the auction lots. It also has numismatic news in it as well. We also have an annual banquet at one of the local resturants and we bring our wifes/girlfriends to that. We also have a few lady members as well.
Yes, our average age is probably something over 50 years old, but we have several people with good sense of humor and everyone is made to feel welcome and everyone is there to have fun and maybe learn something.
I've been involved with coin clubs and many other hobby interest clubs, but you usually find that 10% of the members do 90% of the work. If you want to make a club better, you have to get involved and try not to be abrasive. Don't be the kind that sits around and complains about what the "doers" are doing, be proactive and
helpful.
The Golden Rule always comes into play. It's also good to remember "you get out of something what you put into it". Coin Clubs are no different.
Best wishes, Pete
Louis Armstrong
Now, it's been amazing to see how many people are dissatified with their clubs. Striking similarities in behavior of members and content or lack thereof at meetings. don't you think that there's a chance that there is a little shared culpability here? To say change it up to new members and assume clubs are doing their best is unrealistic. But so is expecting to find a "perfect" coin club.
There's two issues most people really have trouble dealing with, control and change. Both come into play in what I've read people have shared about their experiences with their local coin clubs.
I posted this thread to try and find answers. not sit back and complain. I want to help. those with great expereince use some of that obvious literary talent and jot down some of the good things that happen at your club. Give some examples, relate some of the great activites and presentations you've seen and been part of. Share the wealth!
But it's obvious some clubs are just plain awful. compalining about it won't fix it nor will prejuding people's motives who raise concerns or make observations of their personal experience.
As I wrote in a previous post, I have learned something from every post (the clothing optional club has real potenital
It sounds like you have a great club! Thanks for sharing your experience!
If there is one it must be a riot trying to find out who the members are. Hey, be happy you have friends that you can tell you have anything over a dollar at home so quit complaining.
<< <i>If you know anyone in the Chicago area that has or belongs to a coin club, please let me know.
If there is one it must be a riot trying to find out who the members are. Hey, be happy you have friends that you can tell you have anything over a dollar at home so quit complaining. >>
Carl,
Hope these help and that you find what you're looking for.
Chicago Coin Club
Hillside Coin Club
Central States Numismatic Society
edit to add one more: Illinois Numismatic Association
Take every member older than 60 out behind the barn and shoot 'em. They're just a bunch of "geezers" anyway.
BTW: after you shoot me, you can open my 1956-1957-1958 -1959-1960 proof sets envelopes (I bought from the US mint), and have a "cherry pickin' feeding frenzy" looking for DCAMS, varieties, etc.