Coin Shows

So, as a dealer who has had tables at coin shows since 1987 I am wondering as to the future of that venue. I know that this group is composed of many age groups, income levels, etc. I would love to hear any input as to what people have to say on shows. Do you attend? If not, why? What do you like? What dont you like? Just general input. I ask as I still do some shows, but attendance is declining exponentially and the costs are really high (and only getting higher). Any input is greatly appreciated!

 

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I set up at coin shows from the late 1980's until about 2005 when I sold off all my stock. We knew each other well back then, Ken, and perhaps my screen name tells you who I am.
Since my only interest is ancients, I currently attend only the SF bourse in December, although I'm not certain that it will continue to be held. I have thought of attending some of the shows at which I used to set up, such as Santa Clara and San Jose. Turning your question around on you, Ken, are there enough ancients dealers at those shows now to make them worth attending?

 

I have only attended Long Beach 4 times & for the most part, my ancient experience is pretty blah. Majority of the coins are way out of my budget range. I usually go with $500 and I mind as well have $5 total.

There isn't many ancient dealers around. I have bought from Jencek a few times, about it.

I do enjoy seeing many coins in-person but I tend to get dismissed many times or get goto hell looks when I am just looking. Maybe it's cause I am brown skinned & not full white, or maybe it's due to being a "kid" at 36 years old. But some World and U.S. dealers just make me feel I am a gnat.

I have also had some old men get hostile or say something under their breath when I am sitting & browsing through world coin long boxes cause they're impatient and want to look.

My first Long Beach in 2010 I almost got into a fight due to a old turd calling me a "wetback" and to go back to Wilmington *which is a neighboring town thats mainly latin*.

I was thinking of going to ANA in Anaheim in August, depending how some family situations that have come up go. I know a few VC dealers were gonna go that normally don't do west coast shows.

But really I prefer the net. Retired asshole show goers have turned me off for the most part. Rest is either high cost or all slabbed U.S. coins.

 

I would go to them if I were able to get there by car in a reasonable timeframe. Unfortunately I live >1000 miles from any coin show locales, so getting there (and staying there) would significantly decrease the coin budget.

At best I hope to attend one big show every year or two. So far I've only been to one. It was a wonderful experience but I treated it more as a vacation and entertainment. It certainly wasn't cost-effective from an acquisition standpoint.

At that show, assessing whether or not a coin was a good deal was difficult. At home I quickly look through various archives and sales venues for comparisons. The venue didn't have good internet and using a phone for such tasks is not very speedy. I went home with several things I probably shouldn't have purchased.

Meeting various dealers was definitely worthwhile. A few who were memorable: Barry Murphy (wicked sense of humor, knowledgable), Perry Siegel (friendly and fun), John Jencek (patient and nice).

 

No, I dont know, though I can postulate (JG). Santa Clara is a bust, new owners who dont know what they are doing. No advertising, the list goes on. San Francisco, well, John failed and fled to Europe. Tom died, so, who knows what will happen there? Always a place for a San Francisco show if one knows how to do it. I am sure someone will pick up the torch.

There are more ancient dealers now than ever before. Many more. Back in the old days there were maybe 50 of us worldwide. Now I figure thousands if one counts all the vest pocket dealers. But, do they go to coin shows? I dont know. Thats one of the reasons I started the thread.

 

Yes, Ken, I am JG and my table partner was DS. It's a real shame that John Jencek moved to Europe. When I returned to the hobby, I bought my first two coins from John at the SF Bourse in December, 2013. John was very pleasant and knowledgable and a good friend.

 

Mat,

Sorry you had that experience. What can one say? I grew up partly in southern California (Riverside, mostly Hispanic). There was a family who lived across the street, good friends, who passed on a recipe they called 'Wetback Stew'. No, dont call me a racist, they were Mexican! That's what they called it! Man, did I have a crush on that Mexican girl! Alas, we moved away.

 

John,

Ah, good memories! I probably will do the next Sacramento show. Rich Pearlman may be there as well, and I am trying to convince Lou Balesteri to go as well.

 

I have not noticed attendance declining at the shows I attend but central Virginia and Baltimore are hardly typical venues. At least half of my yearly expenditure on coins is at coin shows. Last year that was about 50 coins ranging from $7 to $1200. At shows, I see more dealer to dealer dealing than high dollar sales (meaning coins over $1k) to people I do not recognize as dealers. I do see a lot of empty chairs at tables at Baltimore but not at dealers that I know to be competitive or serious. JA mentioned the fun at NYINC of going through boxes and bags of pick-outs. That is what I like best. Shows are a venue where a dealer can sell coins in my lower price brackets and not have to deal with the expenses and troubles of photography or complete ID which costs as much to do for a $5 coin as for a $5000 one. The other thing I like about shows is the chance to meet and greet dealers that I might want to patronize outside the show but prefer to know who they are and what they know about my areas of interest. Other than Baltimore, the shows I attend are small and attract five or so dealers who have ancients. I seriously doubt that those shows would be worthwhile to dealers who buy coins at Triton for resale.

At almost every show I sit next to someone who is obviously new to the hobby and probably not on the standard mailing lists. At the last Baltimore show, I saw one of that group buy several $300-500 coins but most are looking through the junk with me. I'm not at all clear on how some dealers profit considering where they choose to stay and eat not to mention flying in from everywhere. I understand why shows are in big cities but I'm less sure why so many pick expensive venues. A well known California dealer was always at Baltimore but rarely had a crowd looking at stock. I never understood the attraction of that trip unless it was to buy/trade with dealers.

The main reason I see for shows is to offer entry to the hobby or a place to sell grandpa's coins. Many people there know little but a few might become serious collectors. Compared to their other choice (everyone knows about eBay) the shows appeal to the new crowd.

Small shows always seem to have a new dealer who knows little and seems to have bought sock at retail. The Internet and cheap business cards seems to have made dealers out of everyone with ten coins they don't want. Most will fail and blame the shows for the fact that no one bought their junk.

 

I enjoy coin shows, but usually there are only about 3-4 dealers who have any ancients. I have been lucky however. The first show I attended I met a dealer who spent lots of time answering my questions and providing advice. He is now my go to dealer and seems to be at most shows I go to. He has also recommended other dealers who are part of the show circuit.

I can honestly say that I have picked up something interesting at every coin show i have attended.

 

It's not a problem. I grew up in Wilmington. Spend 21 years of my life there. I'm sure you've heard of it and the kind of area it is, lol.

I have done LB 3 times since that incident. I also attend the comic book shows twice a year in Long Beach. I just don't seem to do well for ancients at LB but walk away with a nice assortment of world silver, occasioan medieval and currency.

But I have never been to an ANA coin show so Anahem looks intriguing, even if it's a bit of a drive for me.

 

I've been to a couple of local shows (Red Rose) which had little to speak of as far as ancients were concerned, but US dealers usually have a selection of Civil War and Hard Times Tokens, which also interest me.

Recent additions to my local shows include the Gettysburg show, which does attract a handful of dealers in ancients, so I hope they continue. I've been to Baltimore several times, which is only an hour's drive and I found many wonderful coins at good prices. My biggest regret is spending $13 for a sandwich at the Expo concessions because I didn't want to waste time finding something cheaper. (Note to self: bring tuna sandwiches from home. Spend the money I save getting a back rub from that cute masseuse in the lobby.)

I attended NYINC for the first time this year, which is basically the crack cocaine of coin shows if you collect ancient. I'm permanently addicted. The only way I won't be returning to NYINC is if I've gone to the great bourse in the sky.

 

I'm a bit out of the way at the moment ... maybe one day when I return to civilization I'll try to attend an actual live coin-show (ummm, I'll have to trick my wife somehow and convince her that it's a museum ... a kinda coin museum, honey)

 

I attend the yearly show here every year but haven't really had the cash flow to make any purchases. The ancients tend to be poor quality late Romans for a price I am not willing to pay. One dealer has some pretty sweet coins but they are all well out of my budget. I tend to go to the show here to fill some holes in my modern collections, look at the awesome banknotes the one dealer has that if I have a lot of money I will buy on day, and look at the displays.

We also have a monthly meeting of 3 - 4 dealers at a hotel down the street from my apartment. Only one has ancient coins but he is the same guy from the yearly show with poor quality late Romans he is just more willing to negotiate even lower because he doesn't see the same amount of people as he does at the bigger show.

I hope to go to one of the big shows in the States one day or the RCNA show if it is in range. I missed it when it was here due to responsibilities with the SO. Hopefully the Canadian dollar rebounds a little bit by then.

 

Tell her it's a metallurgical conference you're required to attend for work.

 

hmmm, well played

 

i've only been to a handful of small coin shows, i'm pretty far away from larger town.

at last one i went to in evansville IN, there was a hj berk representative that has a small set up with just a couple slabbed ancients. i asked him if he had anything else and he did pull out a small box of stuff. i did buy a coin, but like TIF, without the internet to back me up, i had to estimate a good value for the coin. made me nervous, but i came out ok.

i did see another dealer i had purchased ancients from before and asked if he had anything, he didn't. he said there just wasn't a market for it in the area. the dude actually remembered me from two years before, "oh yeah...your the ancients guy".

in my area i am THE ancients guy.

kind of lonely out here.

 

I don't attend shows because I work weekends, and big shows aren't held in my area (Cincinnati). I would love to go to one, but to travel to NY, Baltimore, LA, would cost me vacation time, a hotel, and many other factors. Plus, from what I've seen that people buy at shows, it's all MS/AU, which doesn't interest me, or it's some super rare variety that costs way beyond my budget.

 

In spite of the competing NYINC, I found the ancients section at the recent F.U.N. show in Tampa to be lively. According to the Feb. 2 issue of Numismatic News, there were 1,010 dealer tables and more than 10,500 registered attendees. I do enjoy hobnobbing at large convention-type shows, preferably in interesting locales. A good coin show is an experience in itself, not simply an alternative to shopping online.

 

Simple answer: I like them. The last show was the FUN show in Orlando and it was packed. Only problem: not enough Ancients and way too many moderns for my taste. However, I understand why.