FUN show bus program worthy one

Is this a news story? Is this a column? It’s both. I just had a email from Tony Swicer. He wants to remind all Florida clubs about the Florida United Numismatists bus program.

Any coin club that charters a bus for its members to ride to either the January FUN show or to the July Summer FUN show will be paid $25 a head up to $1,000. There is a minimum of 20 people on a bus.

When the bus arrives at the show, passengers are greeted, a head count is made and they pose for a group picture.

FUN makes it simple for clubs to participate. The club submits the “Club Bus Trip Application” to Cindy Wibker by June 1 for the summer show and by Dec. 1 for the January show.

On the form FUN asks the date and approximate time the bus will arrive and the name and cell phone number of the club contact person.

The club charters its own bus. After the show is over, the club sends Cindy a copy of the bus invoice and the club is reimbursed with a check of up to $1,000 by mail.

For advice on how to get started, Tony asks that you email him at swicer@comcast.net, or you can telephone him at 561-964-7236.

Tony said that FUN sponsored club charters to the American Numismatic Association convention in March in Orlando. He called it a success.

He said that FUN has had as many as five buses come to a show with over 250 hobbyists aboard. That’s $6,250 at $25 apiece. That is generous. FUN is to be commended for having such a collector friendly program.

What could be better? Individual collectors won’t have to drive, or worry about parking. Instead there is a pleasant road trip with hobby friends that culminates with a great day at the show.

I know not every club can afford to do this, but by coincidence, I received the monthly newsletter of the Milwaukee Numismatic Society earlier today. In it was a great photograph of club members riding a charter bus to the Central States Numismatic Society convention in Schaumburg, Ill. I counted 22 passengers in that photograph. Were the club in Florida instead of Wisconsin and the destination the FUN show, there would be a check in the mail for $550 already.

If you happen to be a member of a Florida coin club, now is the time to take advantage of FUN’s support. If you plan a trip to Tampa in January, I hope to see you there.

If you are a member of a club in another state and you are faced with the usual question of what can be done this year that members will appreciate, perhaps a charter bus to a major coin show is the answer. Coin collecting is often a solitary pursuit. As FUN and MNS demonstrate, it does not have to be.

FUN and MNS deserve thanks for providing bus trips for collectors. Field trips appeal to kids of all ages. More collectors should be able to participate in such adventures.

More Collecting Resources

• More than 600 issuing locations are represented in the Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800 .

• When it comes to specialized world paper money issues, nothing can top the Standard Catalog of World Paper Money, Specialized Issues .