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What does the ANS have to offer?

Hey Guys!
Trying to change my image a bit here. I would like to ask:
What does the American Numismatic Society have to offer for its members? I know it has a magazine, but is it mostly aimed at novices, or is it specialized? Also, is the $50 a year for a student membership ( and more for a regular) worth it? I know the ANA has the same services for half that. I know that the ANS has a "summer seminar" type thing, and a nice magazine, and a museum, ect, but is it really worth it to join? Anybody have any thoughts on why they charge so much and why they get it? The ANA has only 4 or so membership offers: Associate, YN(basic) and normal ( basic), YN (regular), Normal (regular), Senior, and a life membership. The ANS has a much larger organazation of member types, and does not offer the same amount of services as the ANA.
So why do they charge so much, and why are they getting it?

Just do it.

Comments

  • savoyspecialsavoyspecial Posts: 7,309 ✭✭✭✭
    >>. I know that the ANS has a "summer seminar" type thing, and a nice magazine, and a museum, ect, >>



    You are confusing the ANA with the ANS I am afraid

    www.brunkauctions.com

  • jerseycat101jerseycat101 Posts: 1,360 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Joining a club is not going to change your image.

    If you want to change your image, post less, lurk more, learn, and contribute when you know something that is helpful to others.


  • << <i>Joining a club is not going to change your image.

    If you want to change your image, post less, lurk more, learn, and contribute when you know something that is helpful to others. >>



    *hand on forehead*
    It was a question I am sure others have. I would never join the ANS.
    Just do it.


  • << <i>>>. I know that the ANS has a "summer seminar" type thing, and a nice magazine, and a museum, ect, >>



    You are confusing the ANA with the ANS I am afraid >>


    Uh..Noooo..They both have one.
    looky here
    Just do it.
  • savoyspecialsavoyspecial Posts: 7,309 ✭✭✭✭
    >>*hand on forehead*
    It was a question I am sure others have. I would never join the ANS>>


    Then why on earth start a thread asking what they have to offer

    www.brunkauctions.com

  • DaveGDaveG Posts: 3,535
    Taylor,

    There's an old acerbic comment that goes: "If you have to ask the question, you won't understand the answer."

    You can see on its website what the ANS offers its members. Only you can determine if you can appreciate or take advantage of the Society. You're way too young, at this point, to say that you'd "never" join the ANS - who knows where your interests will lie in 20 or 30 years.

    Most of what the ANS offers is best taken advantage of by someone who lives in or near New York, who can attend their events, use their library (unlike the ANA, they don't lend their books) and examine their extensive coin collection.

    I live near New York and have visited their library, but I haven't joined because the ANS is primarily focused on Ancients and, perhaps, American Colonial coins.

    Their magazine, I've found, is aimed at generalists - it's a lot like The Numismatist, I find. Their scholarly publications are excellent, but, mostly focused on Ancients.

    I do recommend reading many of their books, though, especially the Coinage of the Americas Conference volumes - there's a lot of good information there.

    If you do have an interest in numismatic research, or at least something with more to chew on than The Numismatist, then I'd highly recommend you read two free emailed publications: the Numismatic Bibliomania Society's E-Sylum and the Liberty Seated Collectors Club's E-Gobrecht.

    Both are free and offer a lot to read and learn.

    (A quick Google search will lead you to them).

    And, by the way, your link doesn't work.

    Check out the Southern Gold Society



  • << <i>Taylor,

    There's an old acerbic comment that goes: "If you have to ask the question, you won't understand the answer."

    You can see on its website what the ANS offers its members. Only you can determine if you can appreciate or take advantage of the Society. You're way too young, at this point, to say that you'd "never" join the ANS - who knows where your interests will lie in 20 or 30 years.

    Most of what the ANS offers is best taken advantage of by someone who lives in or near New York, who can attend their events, use their library (unlike the ANA, they don't lend their books) and examine their extensive coin collection.

    I live near New York and have visited their library, but I haven't joined because the ANS is primarily focused on Ancients and, perhaps, American Colonial coins.

    Their magazine, I've found, is aimed at generalists - it's a lot like The Numismatist, I find. Their scholarly publications are excellent, but, mostly focused on Ancients.

    I do recommend reading many of their books, though, especially the Coinage of the Americas Conference volumes - there's a lot of good information there.

    If you do have an interest in numismatic research, or at least something with more to chew on than The Numismatist, then I'd highly recommend you read two free emailed publications: the Numismatic Bibliomania Society's E-Sylum and the Liberty Seated Collectors Club's E-Gobrecht.

    Both are free and offer a lot to read and learn.

    (A quick Google search will lead you to them).

    And, by the way, your link doesn't work. >>


    Link fixed. Sorry for another useless thread. Thought others might wonder the same thing is all.
    Just do it.
  • DaveGDaveG Posts: 3,535
    Taylor,

    It's not a useless thread.

    However, there are respectful ways to ask questions and smart-a** ways to ask questions.

    If you really want to change your image, then I strongly recommend that you make much faster progress towards respectful.

    Remember, we can't see you - we have no idea what you look like or anything else about you.

    All we know is the quality of your posts and that's all we care about - we won't give you a break because you're young or inexperienced. There's no "adult" who is going to make us play nice or share our toys - if we don't like the quality of your posts we'll just ignore you or make fun of you until you go away.

    The Internet (including this and other message boards) isn't a "nice" place - you get the respect that your posts earn.

    The best way to impress us is not to have a smart-a** attitude, but, instead, to demonstrate an interest in and willingness to learn and be respectful of the fact that some of the country's best numismatists are willing to give you some of their hard-earned time and knowledge - for free.

    Check out the Southern Gold Society

  • GregLGregL Posts: 470


    << <i>Hey Guys!
    Trying to change my image a bit here. I would like to ask:
    What does the American Numismatic Society have to offer for its members? I know it has a magazine, but is it mostly aimed at novices, or is it specialized? Also, is the $50 a year for a student membership ( and more for a regular) worth it? I know the ANA has the same services for half that. I know that the ANS has a "summer seminar" type thing, and a nice magazine, and a museum, ect, but is it really worth it to join? Anybody have any thoughts on why they charge so much and why they get it? The ANA has only 4 or so membership offers: Associate, YN(basic) and normal ( basic), YN (regular), Normal (regular), Senior, and a life membership. The ANS has a much larger organazation of member types, and does not offer the same amount of services as the ANA.
    So why do they charge so much, and why are they getting it? >>



    I grew up in NYC and had a part time job (as well as a high school internship) at the American Numismatic Society.

    The ANA is targeted at what I would call the average collector while the ANS is targeted at much more scholarly, research oriented numismatists. The level of the articles in their respective publications are going to reflect that difference.

    The ANS' "summer seminar" is actually a program aimed at graduate students in history or the arts who want to do in-depth research of the ANS' collections as part of their academic work.

    Additionally, the ANS' collection is focused significantly on ancient and medieval coinage which only a small part on "modern coinage".

    Greg
    Greg Lyon, ANA Board of Governors 2011-2017 -- The views represented here are my own personal opinions and do not represent those of the American Numismatic Association.
  • SwampboySwampboy Posts: 13,099 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Taylor I admire your enthusiasm.

    There's some good info in this thread you started.
    Have a good evening.

    "Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working" Pablo Picasso

  • CoinosaurusCoinosaurus Posts: 9,644 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Perhaps the question should be, what do I have to offer to the ANS?

    As noted above, you really need to be an occasional NYC visitor to access the library and collections.

    A numismatic researcher colleague asked me if he should join. I told him he should "take one for the cause" and join even though he didn't live that close. He agreed. When you join the ANS you are supporting the best U.S. numismatic library in the country -- even if you don't use it you are supporting people who do, many of whom produce publications at substantial personal cost, that we all enjoy.

    It's kinda like supporting the public TV station, except that they don't run telethons asking you to donate.
  • JCMhoustonJCMhouston Posts: 5,306 ✭✭✭
    If you collect World and Ancient coins the ANS is a very worthwhile organization. I belong, but admittedly it would be much more useful if I lived in NYC. Of course I belong to the BNS also and that's even harder for me to get to. They both provide some very good research materials that probably would not be appreciated or used by most collectors.

    I would say the ANS (even allowing that it is primarily world and ancients) is the right place for collectors who are deeply involved in studying their material, I also belong to the ANA but they rarely publish specialist material for the areas I collect.
  • TreashuntTreashunt Posts: 6,747 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Interesting comments.

    Being close, I really should take the time and visit, and then possibly join
    Frank

    BHNC #203

  • TomBTomB Posts: 22,055 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I'm a member of the ANS. It's not for everyone, but if you live in or near NYC or at least visit NYC with the intent of stopping then you may find the library, events and museum useful.
    Thomas Bush Numismatics & Numismatic Photography

    In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson

    image
  • ColonelJessupColonelJessup Posts: 6,442 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>... You can see on its website what the ANS offers its members. .... >>



    Consider yourself burned... Self-burned. Do some homework.

    Being young is no crime. Being ignorant is no crime. Being intellectually lazy is no asset. Asking for respect is, beyond a certain point, useless. Want to be treated with on an equal basis with adults? Mostly you have to earn it.

    Try "I was looking at the ANS website. I see they are mostly focused on ancients and world coins, which are not, at this point in my numismatic career, of all that much interest to me. I wonder what others think of this resource".

    DaveG ... I just found out recently you can saybass here.
    "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." - Geo. Orwell

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