ANA back to Philly someday?
Russell12
Posts: 454 ✭✭✭✭✭
I know next year it's Savannah and Pittsburgh, with Rosemont in 2026. Anyone know of future locations?
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Russell12
Posts: 454 ✭✭✭✭✭
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https://www.money.org/events/future-conventions/
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Future National Money Show® Dates
2026: February 26-28 | Savannah, GA | Savannah Convention Center
Future World’s Fair of Money® Dates
2026: August 25-29 | Pittsburgh, PA | David L. Lawrence Convention Center
2027: August 10-14 | Rosemont, IL | Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
ANA 50 year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
I don't think so I heard that the "Unions" kind of killed the show, I don't think they will ever go back unless something drastic changes. The venue charges are way higher than any other location that offers the same amount of space, but don't take my word for it things may change.
The ANA should look at the Oaks Convention center for a location just outside of Philadelphia, PA.
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I wish it would come back to Denver, but unfortunately the Denver/Colorado Springs greater metropolitan area is surrounded by 600 miles of nothing, population-wise.
Nope. You are 1,000,000% correct. The unions are impossible to deal with there.
And, it's a very popular, and as a result, a very expensive location. The ANA simply cannot meet their requirements.
After the union issues circa 2013, there was a mass boycott of the city by major convention bookers. That created a window and an opportunity for the ANA to sneak in one last time, in 2018, when the convention authority had a lot of space to fill until the Big Boys returned.
As they have. Pittsburgh is as close to Philadelphia as the ANA is likely to ever get going forward.
Oaks is a non-starter for many reasons. Chief among them being that it is so far removed from Center City Philadelphia and the airport that it might as well be Rosemont.
Not super easy to get to, unless you are local and driving (and even then, it can be a nightmare if you have to deal with the Schuykill Expressway), without a critical mass of things to do, restaurants, hotels, etc., and needing a car to get anywhere, just makes it unattractive as compared to alternatives. So I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for Oaks.
PLEASE, I live 15 minutes away.
Yeah. It's a limited market, and someone is now serving it. It's really not an appropriate location for a national show.
There's a reason the Sixers, Phillies, Flyers and Eagles aren't based in Oaks.
Philly is PERFECT. Too bad it's cost prohibitive for the ANA and the dealers.
Rosemont really is a decent compromise for anyone willing to make any effort at all. Otherwise, other than obnoxious parking fees now, Orlando in January right after the holidays really is as close to perfect as we are ever going to get. Which is why that show is so big and so successful, even though it is run by a local club.
Ancient history now, but when I was on staff at the ANA (1978-1984) I was told by a fellow employee that the ANA would never go back to Philadelphia because when it was there in 1976 the Convention Coordinator, Ruth Ann Brettell, thought that the drive into downtown from the airport was too ugly.
With shrinking coin shows we might be looking for a large gymnasium. J.P.
One of the big draws of the Philadelphia Convention Center is the Reading Terminal Market, directly across the street. Oaks is mostly chains and fast food, plus you need a car (as with most suburban locations—I’m looking at you, Cobb Galleria!).
Indeed. Best convention food court ever!
Philly is on the ANA's and many dealers' "never again" list after the union problems with the last one. GACC won't go there, either.
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Philadelphia - what a great city - and a great coin city as well.
I heard what dealers were charged by the union for very simple things - and it was shocking. Carrying some boxes of catalogs from the door to your table was absolutely insane.
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My vote is for the Broadmoor!
Actually, that's not true. 2012 was the union disaster. Whitman pulled out after that. Then there was a nationwide convention boycott, union rules were loosened, and the ANA went back in 2018 when the convention center had problems getting shows to come back.
The ANA is now, once again, on Philly's "never again list." Not the other way around.
Because Philly is once again a major convention town, and the ANA cannot meet its spending, hotel room night, and F&B requirements. Just like most other major convention sites. It's why Chicago is really Rosemont, not Chicago. And why the ANA hot spots are OKC, Pittsburgh and Rosemont.
It's fine. It is what it is. But we can't afford to have a convention at the place with the best convention food court in the world. So we go to a place with a gazillion hotel rooms, and restaurants, 5 minutes from a major international airport. It could be a lot worse.
If you mean the center at King of Prussia I agree that would be a great spot. Even better for a Spring show
Crazy. The dealers should have given out the catalogues to the collectors at the door. LOL. Collectors should have pretended to keep each box as a collectible to avoid the union from charging to discard the box. I heard that the union prevented dealers from screwing in the lightbulbs into the light fixtures?
Again, whatever happened 13 years ago has been loosened up. The unions got crazy, there was serious backlash from all the large conventions, and things have since been resolved. Philly has no trouble attracting conventions in 2025.
The issue today is not light bulbs or boxes. It's the ANA being far too small, and far too price sensitive, for Philly to have any interest in hosting it. Not the other way around. The ANA happily returned to Philly in 2018 when presented an opportunity to do so in the immediate aftermath of the revolt over the union rules.
As a Keystone State resident I'll happily drive the extra hours to Pittsburgh's Lawrence Center rather than venture into center city Philadelphia.
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Why? I've been to both.
Pittsburgh is no bargain, in spite of its lovely rivers. The Philly Convention Center is beautiful, Reading Terminal cannot be beat, and there is a LOT more to see and do in Philly. Including the Mint's Mother Ship.
Anyway, it doesn't matter. Pittsburgh is in while Philly is out. Apparently because Pittsburgh is a much more desirable convention destination. Like OKC and Rosemont. 🤣
Any place that will actually have the ANA is, by definition, second tier. No offense, because I love the ANA, but it is what it is.
As a result, it's extremely pointless to compare places that don't want the ANA to places that do. Philly is objectively many times better than Pittsburgh by almost every metric. Which is why it doesn't want or need the ANA and its WFOM.
Good thing for you that you are a Keystone State resident who gets their first choice. Because, if the ANA had the option, it's a pretty sure bet it would choose Philly over Pittsburgh every time.
Boston would be interesting too
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Not so much. Something must have happened there, because, if you look at the history on the ANA's website, all sorts of cities, large and small, pop up on occasion, but not really Boston. Boston had a WFOM in 2010, which is already at least 18 years ago considering the WFOM is set through 2027. And, before that, 1982.
And that's for both the big shows and the little ones. For whatever reason, Boston is not on their radar. Could be sales tax on sales under $1K. Could be cost, flights, hotels, etc.
Other than the fact that we seem to get bored and like to complain, Rosemont really is the perfect compromise. Like Orlando is for FUN.
I don't get the need to fix what isn't broken. No reason for them not to stick to just moving the smaller show around, since it's easier to place and impacts far fewer people, while giving everyone a chance over time to have an ANA show within driving distance.
We would of course love to see it back in Boston for obvious reasons. I recall several dealers mentioning at the 2010 show that they really liked Boston, but it was too expensive of a trip. They weren't wrong.
I really like the Reading Terminal Market. Only problem for me is there are so many choices! I spend way too much time that I definitely do not have walking around trying to make a decision on what to eat. Just when I think I've settled on a place, I see something even more enticing across the aisle. I've definitely made the entire loop twice in a single lunch outing before.
I remember 1982 Boston. Went to a ball game at Fenway. Ate at some fabulous hole-in-the-wall Chinese place near the convention. Got scrod elsewhere.......
Having read all of the above, It's a shame for both the ANA and Philadelphia. I'm sure the Convention Center can pick and choose next year. I hope the problems that have plagued the Center in the past have been fixed, but people have strong memories. Going by the 1976, 1926, 1876, 1826 and 1776 celebrations, it will be quite a year. (Especially in August, when most of the trash will already be collected.)
Think of it like some collectors do with the “box of 20” concept for coins, as a means of focus and discipline - when shopping at the Reading Terminal Market, limit yourself to one aisle’s choices per visit.😉
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
I went to the last ANA in Boston - the venue was terrible. It was in two different rooms and the dealers in the “second room” weren’t happy. Reminded me a bit of the second room at Parsippany when that show used to to have a small side room with 4-5 tables.
"Look up, old boy, and see what you get." -William Bonney.
I’ll always have fond memories of the last Philly ANA. I was at a work outing and a co-worker who I didn’t really know well asked how my week was going. The next day I was headed out to the ANA show and mentioned that. To my surprise she was also going to Philly as she used to live there and was meeting friends. We exchanged numbers and said we would meet up if time allowed. Married 5 years now with a 4yr old little girl. @coinlieutenant will remember this from the show.
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Just like the Bay State show, it's broken up into 3 or 4 rooms.
They have the 2nd room at Parsippany again and believe it or not the dealers do pretty well there