I got hosed at my MD Club meeting last night.

[lonelyduckhunter]

So here's the story. Last night had our monthly club meeting with guest speaker who was a expert on silver/gold. He gives us a great presentation. Anyway we have our annual "find of the year" and 4 items are entered 1 coca cola watch fab, 1 Maryland militia button, 1 1877IHP graded by Anacs VF20 and a 1794 flowing hair liberty large cent. Well each entrant explains there find and the president who enters the large cents gives a bunch of crap how his 1794 large cent is worth $900-$200,000 and going up in price which at best is in Good condition considering he scrubbed it with a sos pad and the date is barely readable and copper is showing everywhere where he had scrubbed it. (Earlier in the night our coin expert looked at it and told him it was in Good condition at best and worth maybe 500 but the problem was the coin had probaly reached its max value and would be hard to sell) Well the older members in the club by the presidents bullcrap story and vote his $200,000 coin the winner I'm not a sore loser but sorta mad at the fact that other members consistanly vote for his stuff based on his own facts. This same coin tied the month before in club favorite category with a irish halfpenny but then beats out hands down a 1877 IHP graded by Anac VF20 and a Maryland Militia button for find of the year. I'm starting to get irritated with the constant bullcrap that people buy into because of there lack of knowledge so they vote on what they are told. Any opions on the matter. Everything this same president finds is colonial and worth a fortune or 1 of a kind. He was one of the founders of the club so I guess it gives him the right to be the local expert on everything.

 

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[sniffer]

most clubs only allow you to enter a coin once, not including find of the year.
anything else, would be wrong

 

[vayank54]

crap like that is why I don't belong to any clubs anymore. It's sad things have gotten so competitive and people have to try to make themselves look important. When we started one club years ago it was just a bunch of friends getting together showing what they dug and hanging out. Then it started getting cliquish and I got out.

 

[sniffer]

I went to a meeting of a local club last summer. all they did was have drawings for money. 5 times in a half hour
it was a joke

 

[Iron Patch]

I don't see a whole lot out of the ordinary, although to get the vibe you'd have to be there.

I see detector people over value their finds all the time so him wanting to believe it's worth double is not a surprise. Also, there are some people who vote for something just because it's old, or just because it's something they would like to find. I have seen $20 reales beat finds worth hundreds! With that said, it's probably why it's not a good idea to invest much in a club monetarily or otherwise because politics easily find a way into this hobby.

PS.... The 1794 might have had my vote except for the cleaning. When someone makes a find worse rather than better I usually look around to see what else to vote on.

 

[TORRERO]

I was a member of a club in SC and it seemed to me and my friends that there were
"Clicks" were One member brings a mediocre item in, and all of his friends vote for him
because he is their friend, and I saw some really nice items get no votes and some really
crummy items win 1st prize because them and their friends were in the MAJORITY !!
I was a member there for 2-3 years but have not been back in over 5 years.
and I will never go back....
some things were nice, but it did seem to be rigged toward members with "Friends"

 

[Iron Patch]

I was a member of a club in SC and it seemed to me and my friends that there were
"Clicks" were One member brings a mediocre item in, and all of his friends vote for him
because he is their friend, and I saw some really nice items get no votes and some really
crummy items win 1st prize because them and their friends were in the MAJORITY !!
I was a member there for 2-3 years but have not been back in over 5 years.
and I will never go back....
some things were nice, but it did seem to be rigged toward members with "Friends"

Someday I will probably start a club here but it will just be a show and tell type thing, no contests. When 99.9% of the interest is just seeing what others found what really is the point to trying to figure out what's best... it was all free! We don't have a club, but have done many get-togethers and we all know what's a great find and what's not, no one has to vote. When detecting meetings start to sound like work, I'd have to say for that reason... I'm out!

 

[lonelyduckhunter]

I promise to use this as motivation this year to find a chain cent or better for next year and I want to see that get beat. I clearly understand the click thing I see it every month. It's all good just a little dissapointed in the way some people are led to believe things that aren't true. I personally can't see a graded by Anacs 1877 VF20 IHP (The Key Date) get beat by a scrubbed almost dateless 1794 Large cent that tied a worn Irish Penny the month before. Happy hunting to all, may you all find $200k Large cents this year. I know I'm looking for one so I can retire.

 

[ivan salis]

our club has 5 groups of finds monthly --best coin -- best jewelry ---best relic (anything metal thats not a coin or jewelry )--best misc --(non metal items -- like arrowhead or bottle --pottery ) --and youth finds (just for kids)

scoring is simple everything gets voted on by everyone there -- first place --gets a silver coin (this year its a 1964 quarter) award and 5 pts --second place 3 pts --third 1 pt

point tallys are kept by catagory and person for the year -- most total "overall" points wins "treasure hunter of the year" trophy * if you win it thats it ( if you win the "big" trophy -- you must pass on the class ones)--class trophys are awarded in coin , jewelry and relic and kids class --there is no "misc class award " but the points do count for the over all points trophy

often folks in my club tend to vote via $$$$"value" --ie how much is it worth? -- in jewelry-- 18K gold with diamonds ,beats 10 K with diamonds and 10 K with stones beats plain silver normally its the highest $$ item that wins

in coins any gold , then old spanish silver (commonly thought of as "treasure coins"), old american silvers , old copper coins --again normally the older silver coins tend to win

relics -- CW stuff , american rev war stuff ,war of 1812 stuff , seminole war stuff all are popular -- and it varies which wins depending on what it is and what it up against

in the misc cat --anything indain related or shipwreck related tends to do well --

 

[Mackaydon]

IP:
Count me in if you start a 'show and tell' only club.
Otherwise, if the club votes on just the monetary value of the finds (versus conversational and historical values)--or if 'bloc votiing' is important to egos of its members, you wont find me on the membership roster.

 

[Iron Patch]

IP:
Count me in if you start a 'show and tell' only club.
Otherwise, if the club votes on just the monetary value of the finds (versus conversational and historical values)--or if 'bloc votiing' is important to egos of its members, you wont find me on the membership roster.

Sure! Was 7 of us at this one.... and no voting. (but we had lots of coffee)

 

[sniffer]

it's a bragging club with the good ol boys

 

[lonelyduckhunter]

is in Good condition considering he scrubbed it with a sos pad and the date is barely readable and copper is showing everywhere where he had scrubbed it.

And this is the PRESIDENT!!!??!!??

Yep he is held in high regards by alot of members being he was one of the founder. I prefer to call him a different word.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Sounds like it is time to find or start a different club. On the way out the door I would tell them what I thought of their ways too.............Be careful if the president stops to hear you, sounds like several people could end up with broken noses from running into his a$$....

 

[bazinga]

This happens to everybody. At our club meetings, we just put our FOM of the table and don't talk about it. So nobody is aware of the values.

For example, a couple months back I brought in a very high grade 1911-S Barber Half Dollar. Outside of being a dug coin, in the condition it was in, it is probably a $200 coin. The coin that beat it was a common date, well worn silver 3 cent. Not a very valuable coin. But outside of me and maybe 1 or 2 others in the room, nobody there had ever dug one. So they all voted for that, even though on a good day it might have been a $20 coin.

On a small local website that i used to frequent, it's all about a pretty picture. One month somebody took a picture of a 1907 Indian Head, and that won over several other nice finds like a Barber Half Dollar, etc. Even though on a GOOD day, it's a 50 cent coin.

Another month, a common date silver 3 cent in poor condition won over a fugio cent and a 1790s large cent with a nice date.

A lot of detecting club members just aren't very knowledgeable about coins and their values and rarities. And like you said, sometimes it's just a matter of them voting for their 'friends'.

 

[stefen]

Sounds like its time to gather your marbles and go home...that or suck it up

If it was me, I'd go home

 

[Keppy]

crap like that is why I don't belong to any clubs anymore. It's sad things have gotten so competitive and people have to try to make themselves look important. When we started one club years ago it was just a bunch of friends getting together showing what they dug and hanging out. Then it started getting cliquish and I got out.

Yes clubs are a pain in the a$$ you could not pay me to join one. I have been there and to me they are a joke .The only thing i go to a club hunt for is to check out the product's brought by a dealer.......... Running through a field to find something that some one hid there not for me............ I am not a joiner or a collecter i hunt for enjoyment and profit..............

 

[LI Tom]

Maybe you should run for president.

 

[Burnt Chimney]

It's all about Presentation.I once took a Dime store ring and mounted in a nice rock with the help of a Dremal tool while others set their gold rings up with paper clips and I won best finds.

 

[michigan michael]

Bing a red book to the meeting and leave on the meeting table. bookmark both the lc and the IH. Things probably wont change but, you may bring a little knowledge to some clueless people.