What do you think of the President-Elect's ideas for the ANA Conventions?
I read the statement that our new ANA President, Barry Stuppler, posted on the NGC site. He raised some interesting points, one of which dealt with the ANA Conventions. Regarding the conventions, he stated the following:
“For years the ANA Spring National Money Show and the Summer World's Fair of Money have had three major problems. First: No efficient way for members and other attendees to find numismatic material they seek. Second: Early departure by major dealers, leaving the front of the bourse floor virtually empty by the final day of the show. Third: the star system, which gives multiple tables at the front of the bourse floor to the same major dealers. To change this,
A. Install a computer kiosk with numismatic location software. Place user-friendly, touch-screen monitors at the front of the convention floor, enabling attendees to easily locate numismatic material. All bourse dealers and auctioneers would be provided with software to download their inventories into the system during dealer setup.
B. Build a clear glass pavilion in the center of the bourse floor (similar in concept to luxury boxes at sports arenas) equipped with up to 40 extra-large tables, with safes, carpeting, comfortable chairs, Internet access, and a concierge service. Major dealers with the highest star-count could have up to four tables in the pavilion, at a substantially higher price, and would be allowed to leave the convention whenever they wish. These same major dealers would be allowed one table at the front of the room if they agreed to fully man it to the end of the show, thus maintaining their presence while freeing up space in the front of the room for smaller dealers.”
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I do not agree with the kiosk approach. Given that inventories change all of the time, I think it would be impossible to keep up with an inventory listing in the kiosk. Maybe the idea is to list a dealer’s beginning inventory so a collector can get an idea of which dealer carries his type of material. However, it might cause problems if a collector is looking for a particular coin, sees it on the kiosk as being in Dealer X’s inventory, and then learns that it got sold by the time he made it to Dealer X’s table. Things like this are just too stressful on collectors and I think we don’t need the kiosks. I sort of like the good, old-fashioned beating of the bushes at a coin show to find things I want.
The clear glass pavilion idea is bizarre at best, and when I first read it, I thought it was a joke. I am picturing some sort of fishbowl that contains dealers, while the numismatic masses peer into the bowl occasionally, and sometimes tap on the glass to see a dealer’s reaction. I am also not sure what the concierge service would do. Someone joked around that Heritage gives foot massages in their Legacy Tent, so would the ANA need to step it up a bit and offer full body massages in the fishbowl? C8cktails? In a way, this separate area isn’t a bad idea. It is used already in other public settings. At casinos, they have a high rollers section that is roped off such that the peons cannot mingle with the heavy hitters. This numismatic fishbowl concept might work in that it will separate the real collectors from the unwashed masses, which might be a good thing.
What do you think of these convention ideas?
“For years the ANA Spring National Money Show and the Summer World's Fair of Money have had three major problems. First: No efficient way for members and other attendees to find numismatic material they seek. Second: Early departure by major dealers, leaving the front of the bourse floor virtually empty by the final day of the show. Third: the star system, which gives multiple tables at the front of the bourse floor to the same major dealers. To change this,
A. Install a computer kiosk with numismatic location software. Place user-friendly, touch-screen monitors at the front of the convention floor, enabling attendees to easily locate numismatic material. All bourse dealers and auctioneers would be provided with software to download their inventories into the system during dealer setup.
B. Build a clear glass pavilion in the center of the bourse floor (similar in concept to luxury boxes at sports arenas) equipped with up to 40 extra-large tables, with safes, carpeting, comfortable chairs, Internet access, and a concierge service. Major dealers with the highest star-count could have up to four tables in the pavilion, at a substantially higher price, and would be allowed to leave the convention whenever they wish. These same major dealers would be allowed one table at the front of the room if they agreed to fully man it to the end of the show, thus maintaining their presence while freeing up space in the front of the room for smaller dealers.”
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I do not agree with the kiosk approach. Given that inventories change all of the time, I think it would be impossible to keep up with an inventory listing in the kiosk. Maybe the idea is to list a dealer’s beginning inventory so a collector can get an idea of which dealer carries his type of material. However, it might cause problems if a collector is looking for a particular coin, sees it on the kiosk as being in Dealer X’s inventory, and then learns that it got sold by the time he made it to Dealer X’s table. Things like this are just too stressful on collectors and I think we don’t need the kiosks. I sort of like the good, old-fashioned beating of the bushes at a coin show to find things I want.
The clear glass pavilion idea is bizarre at best, and when I first read it, I thought it was a joke. I am picturing some sort of fishbowl that contains dealers, while the numismatic masses peer into the bowl occasionally, and sometimes tap on the glass to see a dealer’s reaction. I am also not sure what the concierge service would do. Someone joked around that Heritage gives foot massages in their Legacy Tent, so would the ANA need to step it up a bit and offer full body massages in the fishbowl? C8cktails? In a way, this separate area isn’t a bad idea. It is used already in other public settings. At casinos, they have a high rollers section that is roped off such that the peons cannot mingle with the heavy hitters. This numismatic fishbowl concept might work in that it will separate the real collectors from the unwashed masses, which might be a good thing.
What do you think of these convention ideas?
Always took candy from strangers
Didn't wanna get me no trade
Never want to be like papa
Working for the boss every night and day
--"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)
Didn't wanna get me no trade
Never want to be like papa
Working for the boss every night and day
--"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)
0
Comments
I totally agree with your kiosk comments--I think the data would be out-dated the moment the show opened. This idea demonstrates an untold truth: Just because it's possible to do something does not mean that doing it is a wise idea.
The glass pavilion seems extremely bizzare. Would only high-roller collectors be invited in? (=Longacre) Or would riff-raff collectors also be allowed in (=me)? If this area becomes extremely crowded, will some collectors (=me) be invited out? Plus, one of the delights I have in a convention is to cruise up and down the aisles with my family and show them extremely rare and/or cool items. I have the notion that there will be little crusing in the glass pavillion since all the high-end collectors (=Longacre) will be lounging in their over-stuffed chairs. Once again, I believe that just because it's possible to do something does not mean that doing it is a wise idea.
If the ANA wishes to provide a concierge service for dealers (for whatever reason!) it seems to me that they can do so without building a glass pavilion. Simply have the dealers who desire this service sign up and pay and then give them some identifiable token or sign.
Other than about a hundred other major changes, I’d also suggest vastly improved signage – the stuff I saw at Denver was right out of small-time 1940s photos.
[One obvious idea is to have a daily burning at the stake of coin counterfeiters and adulterators, although this might bump up against local fire codes. Another is to require dealers to wear shoes. One can imagine the ANA Board publicly deliberating behind the bullet proof/sound proof glass as collectors take pot shots from the open floor.]
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
A segregated area where the high roller coin snobs can be seperated from the unwashed masses?. Will they be checking bank account
balances as the price of admission?
intimidation factor if you didn't fit a certain "profile". I would like to go in wearing cut off jeans, sneakers with no socks and a cheap
looking tee shirt with the picture of a ugly rock and roll band on it. It would be fun to see the reaction.
The heart and soul of a show is the bourse atmosphere. Hold onto that, add some creative flair that fits well, and yes, bring a lot more education to the floor, Rob
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