Long Beach Expo

I would really like to go to this show as a dealer this year but I do not think I would be able to compete with all of the other dealers. What do you guys think? what would be an ideal venue to make my debut as a dealer?

Expo this year is june 5-7

 

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Local show. Start small and then blossom into the big stuff. You're still wet behind the ears young sir and you need to start out humble.

 

Are you serious? You are picking a show in California to make a your debut when you live on the east coast. Do you know how much round trip airfare, hotel rooms, convention table, and food costs would total? In addition, how much inventory do you have? This thread is dangerously close to deserving a C'Mon Man!

 

hey a dreamer can dream. I said I wish I could go there this year. asking where would a good place to start be?

 

Add up all the estimated cost associated with the show and getting there. Figure out how much you would have to sell to cover those cost. If you think you can do it, go for it.

 

ebay

 

And I told you. Keep it local and keep it small. You've a ways to go young man. Experience comes in small measures. Gather them up as you go.

 

No, you go big or go home. You take 10 grand to the show, double it the first day, then double the 20k the next day, one more time on Saturday, you go home with 80k.

 

Me I'd start out doing some local low cost shows and get a feel for them then build clientele and work your way up is how I started as an antique dealer started doing cheap local shows where my cost was at most a couple hundred bucks and if I did $1500 I was doing good 20 years later I now do a few if the top Americana shows in the country but very few cause I don't enjoy doing them anymore and I'm busy with my woodworking business and I have a good customer base. I'm thinking real serious about selling coins as well. I'd start the same way I built my other 2 businesses slow and low key and work my way up I used to be young energetic and enthusiastic too but take my advice it's a lot of hard work!!! But it can be very rewarding!

 

Only in our dreams dear fellow. And only in our most lofty attempts to maximize like Lehigh.

 

There is a small coin show in ocean city nj on Thursday I think I might go to that. More so to see if I can get some good deals on coins than to sell stuff myself.

 

A goal without a plan is just a wish--Antoine de Saint Exupery

We know you want to be a coin dealer, but your unbridled enthusiasm has blinded you from the fact that you are years of hard work away from achieving your goal. And I do mean years. You are in college, you should be concentrating on getting your degree and learning as much as you can about numismatics in your spare time. You should not be concerned with being a numismatic professor or a coin dealer because you are simply not qualified for either at this point in your life.

 

Really? I live 10 minutes away from Ocean City.

 

if this was closer to me i would go...

 

Lower level, full time dealers do around $100k in gross sales at the Long Beach Show over the weekend. These are the dealers that are set up in the middle of the bourse. Some of the people that set up in this section sell several times more than this and they close up shop at 11am on Saturday. The big boys do 7 figures++.

If you have 3+ times this inventory, then you're good to go.

Maybe it would be a good idea to share a table with another dealer that is set up in the lower rent section of the show.

Probably best to try smaller local shows and learn the ropes that way.

 

Your "debut", seriously? Are you a debutante?

Without going into great detail, on numerous occasions I've explained what, in my opinion, separates a "seller" from a "dealer", and with all due respect, from everything that you've said and shown thus far on this forum, it's tough to place you even in the seller category. Basically, a "seller" simply sells coins, while a "dealer" offers something of value beyond just a physical coin to his customers/clients. This is not to say that my definitions are right, but ask yourself... at this time are you really in a position to do either?

As has been suggested before, start small and try to get your feet wet while learning. EBay, no matter your views or supposedly selling there "years ago", would give a fine start and much needed experience. If you really want to sell in-person (something I very much respect), hit a few small local shows and talk to some of the guys set up there, then, when ready and when you have at least a minimal worthwhile inventory, perhaps look into renting a table. It's not going to happen overnight, so slow it down, meet people and make your own connections. It seems you're dead set on jumping in face first, but the pool is empty, Josh. Please understand that this is not meant to be an insult, but there is more to being a dealer than simply labeling yourself one and then, maybe, buying and selling a few coins.

 

These recent threads do not give me a warm, fuzzy feeling about your immediate future.

 

What kind of stuff sells the best at small shows?

How much inventory do you need to start off?

 

I love going to a local show in the Dallas area. I pretty much just go to these local shows rather than my old fall back brick and mortar store in Plano. He was very proud of his coins and priced them that way. These local shows are at low end hotels and there are usually about 30 tables. I can always get some price breaks with these guys. I have always wondered if they make any money, which of course depends on what they paid their inventory. I will say one thing, most of these dealers know their stuff and have been to several rodeo's. If you were not prepared you could really lose some money.

 

yeah I know that I am a few years away from being a full blown dealer I just made this thread to gather some information.

Bookb4coins You are right about a lot of things