A father and son relationship is perhaps one of the most important relationships there is. Cat Stevens even wrote a song about it in 1970 which just goes to show how important it has always been and will continue to be in future years to come.
The measure of a man often begins with the relationship he has with his father. Those who are fortunate to have such a strong relationship often triggers emulation. They look up to the person who has loved with sacrificed, remains a source of strength, and never lets you know how hard they have worked to sustain your needs. They want to be like the man they believe to be the strongest person they know.
Around here, we take family business to the extreme. Made up of sons, daughters, grandfathers, grandmothers, aunts, uncles, and cousins, you can just call us steeped. That does not even include the overall family feel we have with all employees that are not blood. One of the biggest family dynamics we have here though is the father and son dynamic. Namely, your show hosts, “other brother Brock”, and their father, Tony.
Tony began part-time work here on February 10, 1984. As a stronghold for his father-in-law and late founder, Leon Hendrickson, during the day at our parent company, SilverTowne, and a shift worker at night, Tony finally came to work full time for the business after five years. During the five years of pulling double duty, his acquired coin knowledge would land him the task of traveling to about 25-30 coin shows a year for the next 10 years.
“I was gone all the time,” Tony recalled, “but doing that allowed me to meet a lot of good people.”
Andy: “Some of my fondest memories of dad are all the times that myself, Brock, and Tyler went with him to coin shows. It was just us and dad and sometimes grandpa.”
Brock: “We went on a lot of coin show trips together. I cherish all the one-on-one time we got.”
Tyler: “Going to coin shows with my brothers and him were definitely my favorite memories. You know, we worked our tails off at those shows all day long and we would be so busy. It wasn’t until the nights of when we got to sit down, have a nice dinner and a few adult beverages, and just recap the day and all the deals we bought. We just laughed and talked.”
His road diaries consist of numerous notable moments, but perhaps the biggest takeaway lesson learned from such travels was his father-in-law’s relationships with people.
“The biggest thing he taught me was to be a people person,” Tony recalled. “He taught me to be fair with people and to treat everyone the same. That was what it meant to have success.”
Learned from Leon and passed down to his sons, Tony’s legacy from his sons’ perspective is parallel to their grandfather.
Andy: “Dad taught me how to treat people whether it was an employee or a customer. He taught me all of that not based on his words, but his actions.”
Brock: “He’s good with customers. He takes his time with the deals and explains everything whether they end up selling it or not. He learned a lot from my grandpa and that included treating everyone the same.”
Tyler: “He taught me to be honest. Dad always said you had to be as upfront with people as possible. We still mention it on the show sometimes too, but he always said that you should never ship something you wouldn’t want in your own collection. That’s always something that has stuck with me.”
As ingrained as they all were from working during the summers and weekends doing “grunt work” throughout their school days, Tony’s sons were not allowed to work for the business upon graduating. It was thought to be imperative to Tony, alongside his wife of over 40 years and majority owner of the business, Tanda, that their sons experience other things outside of something they were so used to.
“I wanted them to see more and to get other work experiences,” Tony claimed. “I wanted them to do all that without their grandfather or their dad handing it to them. You know, I never dreamed Andy and Tyler would be doing so well with the show. Brock is a lot like me in that he would rather be in the background. Now he’s the CEO.”
Andy: “I would have wanted to work here after high school but it wasn’t an option. After completing my bricklayer apprenticeship and working in that field full-time, the decision to come back to the business was because I was asked to by my family.”
Brock: “When I graduated high school, I really didn’t have any interest in working here. I worked here during school all the time, but I didn’t think much past that. After about my fifth year laying brick after high school, I was traveling a lot and laid off half the year. I was recently married and needed something more stable. Dad told me they had a job for me if I wanted it and that’s when I came here full-time. Grandpa and dad really mentored me."
Tyler: “I’m not sure if I would have worked here or not if I was allowed to after high school. It was never something I thought about because it wasn’t an option. We had to choose a trade or college. I chose college. I appreciate that they made us learn that lesson though.”
Currently still working in our retail shop buying and selling coins as he has for 30+ years now, Tony still gets a kick out of buying stuff and seeing it on The Coin Vault’s live show every now and then.
“It keeps me going,” Tony said.
Another thing that keeps him going? The future of the business being in good hands with not only his sons but also his nephews.
“All three of my boys are a people person,” Tony said. “They can talk to customers really well and they are respected by the employees. And then my nephews are also really great at what they do. Eric does a great job with making sure the building is always secure and receiving in all the product. Ryan works really well with our media company and the marketing side of things that are related to the show. And Kevin has always worked at the SilverTowne Mint and remains a constant there.”
As well respected as his boys are within the business from employees and outside the business with customer, vendor, and retail relationships, Tony may be even more so due to the longevity and relationships he has built over the years. His presence within the building and his overall meaning to this company speaks volumes of the legacy that his in-laws left. He lives and breathes the Leon and Ruhama Hendrickson way.
Andy: “Brock and I took a trip to Arizona earlier this year and on the train that took us to and from the airport to the hotel, there was this very well known CEO of one of the biggest coin wholesalers in the business on this same train. He was with his son and other higher-ups of the company and as he was explaining to them who we were, he said, “you all know Tony Abel from SilverTowne.” That just goes to show how well-known he is. In grandpa’s later years where he scaled back his presence quite a bit, my dad became the elder statesman at all the coin shows and essentially became the face of SilverTowne to the dealer community.”
Brock: “Dad’s a pillar of SilverTowne. He’s well-liked throughout the coin community and well respected. He’s a member of numerous organizations. He has always been hands on.”
Tyler: “He plays a huge role in this business. When he goes to a big coin show, he can’t walk five feet without someone getting at him. There are always people talking to him. It’s “Tony Abel’s here” at shows.”
As time takes hold and this Father’s Day (his 41st) draws near, Tony remains appreciative of the business and the employees that make his past, present, and future so bright.
“We have a very good crew here,” Tony said. “Everyone here and at the call center has been great. There are a lot of people who have been here for many years and I really appreciate that.”
As he appreciates us all, we return the appreciation back tenfold. His sons most of all appreciate the time they have had with him in the business and everything they have learned from him on a numismatic level, but they appreciate the lessons he’s given outside the walls of the family business even more.
Andy: “He’s taught me how to be a good father to my own kids and even now, a grandfather. He’s just shown us the way.”
Brock: “The way he treated us when we were kids has directly influenced the way I am with my kids. He was hard on us but good to us and I’m a better father for it.”
Tyler: “He’s taught me to be a good dad. He lights up when his grandchildren are around. All bets are off when they come running towards him. You know business is important but family is more important. That’s what I’ve learned from him.”