Memories of Ballina NSW sought !

[Condy34]

Hello all ! 

My father was an avid coin collector all his life and in the 1990s he was living in Ballina, northern NSW. He talks very fondly of these days, the regular meetings up the top of the RSL club and dropping in to the bookshop on Tamar st (maybe Barry as the owner) ? He has a coin to do with 100 meetings for the coin club too.

He unfortunately has dementia now, anyone have any memories of Ballina and coin collecting ? I'd love to read them to him. He said it was absolutely mad back then and the in-thing to do ! 

Cheers

[Basilstate]

Hello all ! 

My father was an avid coin collector all his life and in the 1990s he was living in Ballina, northern NSW. He talks very fondly of these days, the regular meetings up the top of the RSL club and dropping in to the bookshop on Tamar st (maybe Barry as the owner) ? He has a coin to do with 100 meetings for the coin club too.

He unfortunately has dementia now, anyone have any memories of Ballina and coin collecting ? I'd love to read them to him. He said it was absolutely mad back then and the in-thing to do ! 

Cheers

:welcome:

Hi Condy
            Sorry about your father,Dementia is common up here for some reason,golfing friend has just gone into a local Nursing Home,doesn't even reconize his wife of over 50 years and she just can't cope anymore.
 I've been back and foward(Sydney) from Ballina since 1979,my Mother(decd),Sister and Brother also live here.
Currently staying in Ballina until Covid goes away,i have a Holiday booked for Hawaii so i hope that happens soon.

The Bookshop in Tamar St. was run by Barry Cooper,a major Sydney Coin/Stamp Dealer who semi retired to Ballina  in the late 1980's.I knew Barry well and he souced or sold many Coins for me over the years.His wife died and he also became ill,closed the shop, and moved over to live with his daughter in SA. about 10 years ago.
The meetings you refer to at the RSL was Barry's Monthly Coin/Stamp Auction but AFAIK the local Coin Club folded back in the 1990's but as i was in Sydney regulary so another one may have started up i did not hear about.
AtB
Ian

[Condy34]

Thank you so much Ian, I will talk to him about this, that has helped a lot to put the pieces together of what he was saying !
I really hope you get to Hawaii soon !!! Covid has put a spanner in so many works !!

[Basilstate]

Hi Condy,not much on Google but a couple of links.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/lismore/ballina-auction-a-costly-affair/news-story/20bdfe3c9b2145af3caf647efb045900

https://www.stampboards.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=1725

[Condy34]

Hi Condy,not much on Google but a couple of links.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/lismore/ballina-auction-a-costly-affair/news-story/20bdfe3c9b2145af3caf647efb045900

https://www.stampboards.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=1725

Thank you Basilstate ! Cheers

[Basilstate]

Hi again....Barry was an enigma,tiny shop that turned over 6 figures+ in coins/stamps every years,his books/comics sale/exchange was to pay the rent and fill in the quiet days he said.
He had an Auction at the RSL every Month for a while,then every 3 Months depending on what stock was available,around 50+ people attended so was relatively busy for a tiny town like Ballina.The buyers came from everywhere, Sydney,Brisbane,Gold Coast and country NSW & Qld.At one Auction the guy sitting next to me came from Perth to bid on one stamp,he flew into the Gold Coast and rented a car to drive down,didn't know Ballina had a Airport,god knows his background but he seemed well heeled as he flashed his CC to Barry.
I had some some good times at the Bar after the meetings,as i could walk home,i made new collecting friends that i'm still in contact with today,many appeared to be a bit eccentric when in the feeding frenzy of bidding but over a beer just normal guys that had a passion for Stamps/Coins.
 Your father may be thinking of these meetings as i think the Ballina Coin Club folded in the 1990's,i may be wrong thou. as i was in Sydney at the time.
Barry's contacts from his time in Sydney were huge,a lot were very well heeled customers of his.He also valued Coins/Stamps for various people including the Courts,Solicitors,Police and Insurance Co.'s so he had a very busy life in his 'retirement'.

That's about it Condy,hope it helps your father remember,if i find out any Info on the Ballina Coin Club i will post but i think its in the dustbin of history.
AtB
Ian.

[Condy34]

Hi again....Barry was an enigma,tiny shop that turned over 6 figures+ in coins/stamps every years,his books/comics sale/exchange was to pay the rent and fill in the quiet days he said.
He had an Auction at the RSL every Month for a while,then every 3 Months depending on what stock was available,around 50+ people attended so was relatively busy for a tiny town like Ballina.The buyers came from everywhere, Sydney,Brisbane,Gold Coast and country NSW & Qld.At one Auction the guy sitting next to me came from Perth to bid on one stamp,he flew into the Gold Coast and rented a car to drive down,didn't know Ballina had a Airport,god knows his background but he seemed well heeled as he flashed his CC to Barry.
I had some some good times at the Bar after the meetings,as i could walk home,i made new collecting friends that i'm still in contact with today,many appeared to be a bit eccentric when in the feeding frenzy of bidding but over a beer just normal guys that had a passion for Stamps/Coins.
 Your father may be thinking of these meetings as i think the Ballina Coin Club folded in the 1990's,i may be wrong thou. as i was in Sydney at the time.
Barry's contacts from his time in Sydney were huge,a lot were very well heeled customers of his.He also valued Coins/Stamps for various people including the Courts,Solicitors,Police and Insurance Co.'s so he had a very busy life in his 'retirement'.

That's about it Condy,hope it helps your father remember,if i find out any Info on the Ballina Coin Club i will post but i think its in the dustbin of history.
AtB
Ian.

Oh that sounds exactly as he talks about it now ! its funny as I don't recall him telling me much as an adult child about this, I was in Vic over this time, maybe it was his little secret ! But we now have to deal with his suitcases of coins which he has forgotten all about, so I know he was up to something up there to do with coins ! Thank you very much for your candid memories, I will read this to him. Cheers

[Mister T]

Hi again....Barry was an enigma,tiny shop that turned over 6 figures+ in coins/stamps every years,his books/comics sale/exchange was to pay the rent and fill in the quiet days he said.

Was that the comic/book shop in main shopping strip on the water in town?

[Basilstate]

Hi again....Barry was an enigma,tiny shop that turned over 6 figures+ in coins/stamps every years,his books/comics sale/exchange was to pay the rent and fill in the quiet days he said.

Was that the comic/book shop in main shopping strip on the water in town?

Hi Mr T,No,he was in Tamar St. which runs parallel to River St.,Ballina's main St.
There has been several Book Shops in River St. over the years but they usually don't last long,its one of those that you are probably thinking of.

[Mister T]

Yep you're right - I think Simon was the name of the guy who ran the one I was thinking of.