The American Numismatic Association is breaking new ground with a solicitation to 10 auction firms to submit their bids for the right to hold auctions at future conventions.
With three shows a year starting in 2011 and a convention anchor city of Chicago for four of the five summer conventions scheduled through 2015, ANA executive director Larry Shepherd told the board of governors May 11 at a telephone conference that ANA would “see what kind of interest is out there.”
Firms will have the option of bidding for an individual auction or for all three auctions in the year. They will also have the opportunity to make bid proposals on a three-year and five-year basis, Shepherd said.
Bids are due back to the ANA’s Colorado Springs, Colo., headquarters June 4 and the board will review them at the next telephone conference June 22.
How the auction firms react to the new possibilities will guide the board in future deliberations.
Board member Wendell Wolka asked if there were going to be too many coin shows in Chicago.
This question was more rhetorical or philosophical, rather than something that needed to be acted upon.
As background, the ANA is in the process of consolidating its summer show in the Rosemont suburb of the Windy City. The conventions of 2011, 2013-2015 will be there.
Central States Numismatic Society is doing the same thing. First in Rosemont in 2011 and then in Schaumburg 2012-2016.
The Professional Currency Dealers Association autumn show will be moving there from St. Louis for the Nov. 17-20, 2011, event.
Then there are shows that have been long anchored in the city, the Chicago International Coin Fair and the Chicago Paper Money Expo, which are held annually.
Board member Jeff Garrett asked whether the two hobby papers were getting the word out about this and whether they were getting feedback. Both editors said they had done stories and there was no significant feedback.
Even though the discussion led to no action, the concern that the ANA retain its $750,000 a year auction income is the reason the board is closely watching the situation.
For the summer convention in 2011, which is called the World’s Fair of Money, Charles Ricard was named honorary chairman and the Chicago Coin Club was designated host club.
For the 2012 Philadelphia convention, the Red Rose Coin Club was named host club.
Shepherd told the board he was looking at the possibility of renaming the general chairman of each convention something like “local chairman” to be a more accurate indication of the holder’s responsibilities.
The upcoming Boston convention will feature a harbor cruise on Tuesday, Aug. 10, to honor Hall of Fame members. It is hoped that this event will attract ANA members in numbers similar to what was achieved by the tour and barbecue at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing plant at the Fort Worth convention in March.
Also for the Boston convention, the board authorized the executive director to negotiate with the Royal Australian Mint for the use of the ANA logo on a special convention product package in return for a royalty consistent with past practice.
President Clifford Mishler reported that proposed bylaws revisions had gotten to the stage where staff was evaluating them.
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