In 1989, the first Function Associates (Lake Books)
catalog of numismatic literature was mailed to several hundred
collectors. That mail-bid
sale consisted of 602 lots in 22 pages and featured the "Redbook"
collection
of Harry X Boosel.
Now in its 18th year, Lake Books has issued ninety
sales
with some 70,000 lots of numismatic reference material being listed.
The
customer base has increased to almost nineteen hundred collectors and
the
distribution list circles the Earth. The consignor list has grown to
several
hundred people encompassing all areas of the numismatic experience. A
complete
list of the sales is available at the link to the left marked "Past
Sales".
As a coin collector, Fred Lake was keenly aware of the value
of having research material available to consult. The old Aaron Feldman
dictum, "Buy the Book Before the Coin", was reinforced by visits to the
coin shop of Frank and Laurese Katen. The Katens stressed the
importance of education in numismatics and they became good friends and
advisors over the years. Frank can best be described as the mentor who
fostered the growth of our present
endeavours. He is missed as good counsel.
During these past seventeen years, Fred has traveled
extensively acquiring consignments and visiting many coin shows where
Lake Books has
maintained a "free" table at which a wealth of books and catalogs has
been
distributed to the public. One noted numismatist dubbed Fred, "The
Johnny
Appleseed of Numismatic Literature."
Fred and Joan Lake are partners in a very real sense.
Joan has a background in the publishing field as a
production
coordinator, editor and manager. She also was the head librarian for a
small,
private library in Marshfield, Massachusetts, where the Lakes started
what
is now Lake Books. Fred is the cataloger for all of the sales and Joan
assists with the packing and shipping of the lots won by bidders in
each sale. They
moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1989 and the business has been
conducted
from their residence since that time.
Fred is active in a number of numismatic organizations
including the NBS , EAC and has been a Director of
the Florida United Numismatists
(FUN) since 1998.
