About the National Association of Collectors

The Association For All Collectors. If you collect, you need NAC.

The National Association of Collectors was acquired by Americana Resources, Inc, Gaithersburg, Maryland, an antiques and collectibles corporation, on January 1, 2002.

The goal of the National Association of Collectors (NAC) is to identify and address those needs and concerns that are common to all collectors, such as: appraisals; security; conservation, preservation and restoration; displaying collections; collection management; dispersal and estate planning; development of research techniques and utilizing new technologies; networking and educational opportunities.

NAC provides individual collectors with a broad range of information and resources. We will stand behind you in representing your issues and addressing your needs.

There is an NAC insurance program and NAC members are offered reduced prices on a broad range of products and services provided by the NAC Partnership Program. An NAC Advisory Board will be named in upcoming months.

As the official website of NAC for the past four years, Collectors.Org is the place to get collecting information. Information features on Collectors.Org include a variety of calendars and directories, news and current issues affecting collectors and the full line of services for NAC.

Complimenting NAC, Americana Resources has also announced the formation of the Association of Collecting Clubs. Through the Collectors.Org website, Americana Resources has been closely involved with assisting dozens of collecting clubs and their memberships. By starting the Association of Collecting Clubs (ACC) this effort will be strengthened and expanded.

Initially, ACC has four major objectives, the first of which is to support collectors and the National Association of Collectors. The leadership of collecting clubs will provide a large part of the knowledge base and expertise for NAC program areas. The membership of any club or society joining ACC will automatically be members of NAC as well, having all the privileges of NAC individual membership.

Background

When Collectors.Org was launched by Americana Resources in January 1998, its stated purpose was that: "This site is primarily targeted at collector organizations or clubs and their members, with a broader secondary audience being `all' collectors."

Collectors.Org soon became the designated website of the National Association of Collectors which was founded in 1996 by Harry L. Rinker, president of Rinker Enterprises, Inc, Emmaus, Pennsylvania and Jim Tucker, founder & director of Antique & Collectible Associations, Davidson, North Carolina which operates the Antiques & Collectibles Dealer Association, Antiques & Collectibles Show Promoters Association and the National Association of Antique Malls. The stated goal of NAC originally was to identify and address those needs and concerns that are common to all collectors.

Over the past four years Collectors.Org has developed into a major FREE information website for collecting clubs--serving club leaders, their members and the entire antiques and collectibles industry. Both NAC and ACC will use Collectors.Org as their combined official website. The website has just undergone major renovation and a number of additional enhancements will be presented in several stages during upcoming months.

Current NAC Program Areas

Several program areas have been identified as current major areas for NAC involvement. This is based primarily on the relationships between Collectors.Org and collectors in many hobby areas.

In addressing these issues, NAC plans to make heavy usage of the expertise of NAC members and collecting clubs as well as using other consultants and advisors.

The current program areas are:

Collection Management

Offering guidelines and resources on how to develop or analize your own personal collection management as it relates to your personal life, interests, collecting goals and other factors will be an important personal resource.

Appraisals

Engaging the appraisal associations and their member in determining the best appraisal resources for collectors.

Security

Collection security is a growing concern and will be addressed from a number of different points including physical collection security and insurance needs.

Conservation/Preservation/Restoration

Although this area may be somewhat different depending upon the collecting area, NAC will offer educational guidance in both general terms and in some very specific collecting areas. Experts in these areas will be sought to share their advise.

Displaying Collections

NAC will solicit the expertise of display experts at every level to offer pointers to collectors on how to best display your own personal collection, be it for private view in your home or office, or for a public exhibition. Many collectors are very good at "putting together" displays of their collections for the enjoyment of fellow collectors and others. NAC will also use the resources of display specialists from galleries, museums and retail stores, thus adding to this expertise.

Dispersal & Estate Planning

If your collection has value -- be it financial value or intrensic value -- you need a documented dispersal & estate plan, if not for your own personal satisfaction, for the comfort and satisfaction of your family.

Development of Research Skills & Utilizing New Technologies

Assisting collectors with the huge, ever changing knowledge base and the various technical resources available to help collectors may well be one of the largest benefits that NAC can provide.

Networking & Educational Opportunities

Understanding how collectors can "network" with other collectors -- both from within and outside their immediate collecting area -- can be a key to collecting success and can often lead to extended collecting enjoyment as a part of quality living. This goes hand in hand with educational opportunities as it relates to both collecting enjoyment and collecting success. The best collector is the educated collector.

Additional NAC Services

As NAC grows, it is anticipated that the services will be expanded proportionately. The following services are presently in place and operational.

Collectors.Org

Collectors.Org is the place to get collecting information. As the official website of the National Association of Collectors and the Association of Collecting Clubs, the site's primary purpose is to provide information for collectors, collecting clubs and the entire antiques and collectibles industry.

Information features on Collectors.Org include a variety of calendars and directories, news and current issues affecting collectors and the full line of services for NAC and ACC.

Some of the site features include a comprehensive Antiques & Collectibles Show Calendar, Collector Club Directory, Flea Market Directory, Specialty Auction Calendar, Club Conventions Schedule, Directory of Collecting Web Rings, Events Schedule, Appraisals and Appraising, Directory of Collectibles Glossaries, Featured Clubs, Featured Club Websites, Featured Collectors, Theft Reports, Collecting Clubs News, Antiques & Collectibles Dealer News, Show Promoters News, Antique Mall Managers News, Reference Library, Current Issues and Surveys, Advertising and Partnership Program.

If you have a personal website, consider Collectors.Org an extension of your own site. A direct link from your site to Collectors.Org brings all of the above features directly to your site visitors.

Help From the Clubs

All member collecting clubs of the Association of Collecting Clubs (ACC), NAC's sister organization, are asked to select program areas where they have interests and expertise, providing a tremendous bank of resources at NAC's disposal.

Collector Insurance Program

Your NAC membership entitles you to participate in the NAC Collector Insurance Program. This program was designed exclusively for NAC by Antique & Collectible Associations' Association Insurance Administrators to provide the very best collector insurance at the very best collector insurance rates.

Free E-Mail Address

NAC is working on the possibility of providing any member who needs an e-mail address one for FREE using the CollectorClubs.org program.

NAC Store and Logo Store

All NAC members will have access to the NAC Store of special NAC merchandise and the Logo Store featuring an array of NAC logos for various display needs such as on your website.

Membership Discount Opportunities

NAC members are offered reduced prices on a broad range of products and services provided by the NAC Partnership Program. This program will continue to expand as new partners join the ranls.

Becoming An NAC Member

Anyone interested in joining NAC can do so by filling out the NAC Application Form and sending it with payment to: NAC, 18222 Flower Hill Way #299, Gaithersburg, MD 20879.

Annual dues for NAC are $5.00.

NAC is owned & operated by Americana Resources, Inc.