For those of you who live in Southern California, I'd like your comments on which shows to attend. I live a couple of hours from downtown LA and can't go to every show that occurs in the lower half of the state. I have been going to Long Beach maybe twice a year. I have not been to Anaheim or Ontario, but did make the ANA show this year. I've heard grips about the relative high prices that dealers have to get at Long Beach to pay for their booths. Are there other shows that have close to the number of dealers at Long Beach, but might offer better pricing (I am on a limited budget)? Are there as many dealers as at long beach? Are the dealers at the other shows the same as at Long Beach or are they a different group altogether, and if so what type(s)? If you could only go to one show per year in Southern California, which one would it be?
If you can only go to one show, then one of the Long Beach shows would still be the way to go. They are by far the biggest shows with the widest variety of material. Here's the list of all of the other SoCal shows if you don't have this link already, it's very handy and kept up to date. If you have questions about any of the shows on the list, I go to most and can sort of give you a rough estimate of the number of dealers of most of them. http://home.earthlink.net/~beedon/calshows.htm
coin shows in Southern California Next to Long Beach, which would be the next best (2 or 3) shows you like?
Well, if you're only going to 2-3 all year, I'd probably go to all 3 Long Beach shows. But other than that, I like the August Arcadia show, not a huge show, but it's the annual show for the state-wide coin clubs and some of the members do displays and it just seems to be a fun show. Probably 40-50 tables I'd guess. The March and October Buena Park shows are pretty good too. At least 50-75 tables and seems to be a well organized show and seems to have a good variety of dealers and coins. The Ontario show is a good one too, but I couldn't make it this year because it was just too close to the Holidays. They also have it in June too. It's a bigger show too, maybe 75-100 dealers???
SoCal shows Thanks for the complement. After many years, I got back into collecting and put together a complete 20th century mint set (copper & silver), all 1,401 of them. The key coins (1901-S 25¢, etc.) are in low grade, but that allowed me to complete the mint set in less than 5 years without spending what a single 1796 half cent in good condition would cost. I've now decided to put together a half cent collection in VF - AU condition (most likely excluding the 1796) and chose a picture that would remind me of my goal. My guess is that it will take me another 5 years, but as Aesop alluded, the race goes to the one whose eye is always on the goal. Merry Christmas to all of you.
Not being a fan of California, I suggest you move to Illinois. Just outside Chicago there are 4 coin shows a Month, every Month, all year long.
Gee thanks, Carl. While four shows a month are attractive for me (but definitely not my wife), I'm sitting in Southern California in near 70° weather in December. Chicago? in December? Please take my response as humorous. I used to live in Oak Park and spent two lovely winters in the Chicago area before moving to the French Alps (for the most mediocre winter I've ever experienced). Bob
