DEALERS: How can the ANA to improve their shows?

I have been asked to chair a new ANA "Dealer Relations Committee" with a directive - from the dealer's perspective - to provide the ANA Board with feedback on and suggestions-recommendations-concerns involving the bourse, show, venue, security, hotels, dealer star rating system, and other matters at the Association's National Money Show and World’s Fair of Money.

I realize the collectors also have a lot of good ideas on how to improve the ANA shows from their perspective, and of course that is an important aspect that the ANA greatly cares about (and perhaps that can be - and I believe has been - the subject of a separate thread). However, this committee is specifically geared towards trying to make improvements from the dealer's perspective, which will in turn make a better show for all the collectors who attend.

We will be holding our first meeting at the FUN show in January, so I would like to gather any ideas and suggestions the dealer's may have to discuss at our meeting. Thank you!

 

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If they had more fascinating sellers like Charmy Harker - they would attract even non-collectors who enjoy great personalities.

 

How about a large (60+") entrance monitor where each dealer or company could show an eye catching item, or special coin, currently on sale at their location. A slideshow format with out sound would be adequate. (No annoying commentary added to the general volume of the selling floor.) A booth number could be matched up to the bourse floor plan for location. I know I would watch it. Many times I attended shows and found out afterwards, that I missed something worth seeing or buying. In lieu of a large monitor, a smaller one could be used at the beginning of each aisle, showing the same items and dealers found in it.

 

Thank you Scottishmoney!

Saltysam, thank you for your suggestion, I will add it to our agenda.

If you don't want to post, feel free to pm or email me at charmy@thepennylady.com.

 

Too many dealers leave their booth during the show. I know they need a break and have to eat, etc. But at least one loses my business every time I go to a show because they're gone for longer than 15-20 minutes, with no one attending to their coins. I am one of a large group of people who only attend the shows for a day or two (usually only one). If a dealer is not present, I typically leave and check back one time after about 15 minutes to see if the dealer has returned. If they have not returned, I lose interest or just forget about it and move on.
Two dealers at the ANA show in Chicago left a paper at their booth with their cell phone number to call if no one was there. While not the most professional method, it did at least give me an option as a potential buyer to call someone back to their booth. Additionally, I heard an announcement over the P.A. system in Chicago asking for dealers to return to their booths. Apparently some other buyer(s) went to the information tables and informed them that some dealers were not available. While not certain of a realistic and cost-effective fix for this issue, if one could be found and implemented it would mean more business for the dealer, and more purchases I could make as a buyer.

John

 

As a collector, I can't think of much the ANA could do to help me. I always have a great time at shows. It would be cool if name badges could show an avatar and user name of forum members if they wished. That might not work for some but I know I walk by folks all the time that I have known for years and miss the chance to chat. At the last January Fun Show, I met several forum members face to face for the first time that I have knows for many years. The cost of making badges like this is probably not workable.

For dealers I feel the most important thing is to get people in the door. Local news media could help but it takes something really special to bring them in. In my area the gun shows run quick TV ads and it brings people into the show.

 

How about: Ask the collectors how to improve the shows?

 

SaltySam, FYI, PCGS has a monitor near the entrance of the Long Beach show where dealers can register and customers can look up what dealers have certain coins.

John, Doug is right. I'm usually a "one-woman show" so when I need to get something to eat or freshen up, or look for coins on my customers' want lists, it is necessary for me to leave my table unattended. I try and wait until the afternoon when thing slow down since I definitely don't want to miss any potential customers/sals, but we can only do what we can do.

Treashunt, as mentioned in my original post, the specific directive for this committee is how to improve shows from the dealer's perspective. I'm sure the collectors have some great ideas on how to improve the shows, so that might be a subject you can address in another post.

 

Something I did not know nor have I ever seen. That maybe the problem however. Rather it be in a general location, it's at the PCGS booth. If I have no specific business there, I would never see it. I wonder if there are restrictions on it's use. Must you be a certified PCGS dealer to benefit? I think it would work even better if it is under the control of the show organizer.

 

I didn't say it was at the PCGS booth, I said it was at the entrance of the bourse floor of the Long Beach show - in a very prominent location, right when you walk in. By the way, Collectors Universe/PCGS owns and runs the Long Beach show.

 

Salty, the problem with that monitor idea is that if you have one coin shown for each table at the ANA show and it is on the screen for 10 seconds it will take two hours to run through the whole slideshow cycle. You may watch it for awhile but no one will stand there watching it for two hours just in case something of interest to them might come up.

 

I'd like to see a major ANA show return to Boston.

 

That's why I also mentioned a smaller monitor at the begining of each aisle. It would make this issue more managable. You could eliminate the larger monitor or use it to show some of the exhibits or features on display.

 

Whether it is one big monitor showing the whole cycle, or 10 monitors each showing a 12 min segment for that aisle, you still come up with two hours looking at the slide show and not looking at the dealers offerings.

 

But you have that option. What option do you have now but to go down every aisle which takes even more time. And with no gaurantee of seeing the dealers best wares. It may even cause more collectors to spend more time at the show itself. That's a good thing from the dealer's perspective. If you think it's a waste of your time, walk on by.

 

AGREED!

 

As a member of the club committee that helped with the last Boston Show I would tell you don't hold your breath. Despite everything that the ANA and the Boston Numismatic Society did to try to make the show successful, when it came time to actually set up the show we were at odds with the local unions every step of the way. An example of this was that the Australia mint had to spend more to get there booth from the loading dock to the bourse floor than they did getting it from Australia to Boston.

I tried to move an 8' banquet table over three feet and was told by the union goon whose only job was to watch for such things that I needed to find a union member to move it. The union gave the ANA team such a headache that I would be surprised if they ever came back to Boston.

 

Yes I have read on other forums about the union problems other shows have had. One or two ideas surfaced that suggested moving to a place where the union was not involved.

 

I've been to the Baltimore Whitman coin show and was completely lost. I couldn't find anything. Sure there was a sheet with a list of dealers and their tables, but if I recall correctly, there was no map layout of the where the tables were and nothing telling you how it was all set up.

I took a coin there last time, and took it to several dealers and got a different opinion each time. After awhile I felt I was just being lied to about the coin I had and it's real value. One person said it was worth forty dollars, another said it was a slider, an other said it was worth only melt. It gave me the impression no one knew what they were talking about, and if they did, they were lying to me.

Another problem I encountered was, when I would approach a table more often than not I was completely ignored. It seemed the dealers I came in contact with were only helping long time customers, old buddies, etc, I felt it was a good ol' buddy system. Of the tables I went to, only one seller was completely, at least to me very helpful and I didn't feel rushed. I felt they had my best interest at heart when deciding to purchase, at least for me, an expensive coin.

Maybe it's me. Maybe I don't know what I am doing when I come to these shows. It would be nice if there was a greeter at the entrance to help out with directions, like a concierge of sorts. If I came in and wanted to find a reputable dealer on Barber coins. Where would I go? What is the fastest route to that table? Reading the info they had before and trying to locate tables for me was a nightmare.

Where to meet up with other CT'ers? and those on CT who have tables at the show. It's much different buying at your LCS, at a show, you don't know anything about the sellers if you're new to that way of searching for and buying coins.