Should there be traveling ANA seminars (rather than just Colorado Springs)?

Longacre

Maybe there are already traveling ANA seminars and I just don't know about them (if so, please let me know). Does anyone know of any plans to hold traveling seminars around the country, simiar to the Summer Seminar that is held in Colorado Springs? I don't think it needs to be as elaborate as the Summer Seminar, but it would be nice to have a day or two seminar at more convenient locations around the country. Why not have a one or two day seminar in New York City? There are a bunch of great numismatists locally or within a short distance that could teach a class. What does everyone think?

zenny

they have them during the week of the money show, this year it was in Kansas City. you can also contact the education department of the ANA and you or your coin club can schedule one.

z

TONEDDOLLARS

Yes , there should be. Maybe if enough people were interested those running for office would notice and try to implament something

TonedPeaceNut

I agree, I would love to attend one, but the cost/expense/time lost from work to go to Colorado is whats really preventing me from doing one!

Come on ANA hold them in some major cities!

Great idea!


TPN

wildjag

<< <i>I agree, I would love to attend one, but the cost/expense/time lost from work to go to Colorado is whats really preventing me from doing one!

Come on ANA hold them in some major cities!

Great idea!


TPN >>

Barry

Not only should they be in major cities, but they should be on weekends. This IS a hobby for collectors and missing several days of work (or school) is unreasonable. If ANA is trying to attract young blood, weekdays only in Colo Srgs is not the way to do it.

PerryHall

<< <i>Not only should they be in major cities, but they should be on weekends. This IS a hobby for collectors and missing several days of work (or school) is unreasonable. If ANA is trying to attract young blood, weekdays only in Colo Srgs is not the way to do it. >>

Pistareen

Hi all:

Having been an instructor at the ANA Summer Seminar for the past 5 years and a student for nearly a decade before that, I can tell you that it is a simply massive undertaking. ANA gets a good deal by having all of their staff on premises and using the Colorado College facilities next door. In order for the ANA to close to break even (I don't know exact numbers), I would suspect that a weekend seminar in New York or elsewhere would cost even more than a week in Colorado Springs -- simply to cover renting a facility, moving equipment (lamps, slide projectors, etc.), transportation for ANA staff and instructors, insurance, etc. They can take advantage of economies of scale in Colorado Springs because there are hundreds of students, but any given weekend in any given city they probably couldn't expect to draw more than a few dozen attendees at most.

They do have seminars in conjunction with their major conventions, normally on coin grading and counterfeit detection, but I suspect having one in a random major metropolitan area just wouldn't be feasible.

Around New York, the ANS hosts the Coinage of the Americas Conference annually, which is the top academic seminar on issues of American coinage. Speakers like Dave Bowers, Eric Newman, etc. present the most up to date findings on things people care about -- silver dollars, U.S. paper money, colonial coins, large cents, etc. I've spoken at the last two COACs, held on a weekend in Manhattan. Both times, attendance was about 30 people. Really. Maybe if they were teaching how to detect artificial toning there would be hundreds of people there?

Edited to add: Taking a week off in the middle of the summer is tough, but anyone who has gone counts it as a highlight of their numismatic year or even numismatic career! It really is that much fun and you learn an extraordinary amount. Luckily, many people can bring their families, and there is a lot to do in the Colorado Springs area for kids, wives, etc. Folks can feel free to PM me if they want to know more.

kranky

Pistareen is too modest to mention it, but the instructors at the Summer Seminar don't get paid for their time. I believe the great atmosphere surrounding the Summer Seminar helps to bring out the expert instructors like Pistareen, coinguy1, njcoincrank, and the others like Rick Snow, Doug Winter, Mike Faraone, the graders from the major services, etc.

If the seminars were done on a traveling basis on weekends and not tied into a big show, it's very unlikely that you would have that caliber of instructor - because they would be working at a show, in all likelihood. And if the instructors had to be paid for their time, taking a weekend away from their families plus travel, the cost of the seminars would be much higher than people would want to pay.

The grading class at the Summer Seminar is a full week. The shortened version done at big shows is three days. If you strip it down to one weekend (and you have to allow the instructors/support team to get home on Sunday, probably), you'd be down to only about 14 hours of actual instruction - and is that really going to be worth it?

EagleEye

Maybe they could have it in Maui. ....On second thought, no one would attend the class - including me.

DaveG

There was a three-day grading seminar associated with the GSNA show last year. It was the Monday-Wednesday just before the show, so at least it was "travelling", even if it wasn't on a weekend.

astrorat

The ANA does provide "traveling seminars" on a number of different subjects. They are called "club seminars" as they are generally sponsored by a coin club (usually in conjunction with a show). They are scheduled at the request of the club, so it is their choice for a weekday or weekend program. The instructors are many of the same instructors that teach at Summer Seminar . . . it just depends on their schedule. The ANA is very flexible as the goal is to promote education in the hobby.

Lane

Barry

I know there have been some ANA educational seminars in conjunction with past GSNA shows (NJ). Unfortunately for me, they have been during the week, and I couldn't take the time off. Weekday seminars don't do much to stimulate interest among YNs either, do they?

Edited to add - I just noticed I said the same thing when this thread first appeared. At least I'm consistent

dorancoins

The ANA really needs to have traveling seminars. Not everybody can go to Colorado Springs year after year or, in actually, at all. But to do this, the local, state, and regional coin clubs are going to have to get involved.

astrorat

<< <i>The ANA really needs to have traveling seminars. Not everybody can go to Colorado Springs year after year or, in actually, at all. But to do this, the local, state, and regional coin clubs are going to have to get involved. >>



This program has been around for years. Just ask your local club to organize a traveling seminar. The two most popular are grading and counterfeit detection. Need an ANA contact? Then drop Gail Baker, the Numismatic Outreach Developer, an email at "baker@money.org" .

Lane