Charmy's March/April 2011 BALTIMORE SHOW Report with lots of pics!

Well I guess my pictorial show reports are becoming somewhat popular since even forum lurkers have come up to me to tell me how much they enjoy reading them, and asked if I'm going to do another one for this show. So here it is!

My hubby dropped me off at the airport Wednesday at 5:30 am (he was so sweet to get up that early just for me!). I arrived in Baltimore around 4pm, waited for Todd's plane so we could take a taxi together since we are staying at the same hotel. After we checked in, we discovered that they placed us both in the "step child" tower which was probably half a block away by the time we went down numerous hallways, through multiple single doors (that were very difficult to maneuver while hauling 3 suitcases each), then waited quite a while for one of two elevators to our floors! When I asked why they put us in that tower, they said they were getting in a large group of cheerleaders and felt the business people wouldn't want to be on the same floors as 100 loud and noisy teenage girls! Well, for me that is absolutely the case, but I'm not so sure Todd would agree. Todd informed me that he would be eating dinner in the lobby tomorrow (when they are scheduled to check in).

So after we dropped our stuff off at the convention security, a group of us went over to our favorite crabcake place - G&Ms - UMMMMMMM! Each of us ordered the double crabcake special just so we could have leftovers for lunch today! I took this photo while we were in the bar waiting to be seated. The whole place was completely packed, and the waitress said it was like that every night - I can believe it!




Me and Todd and our table (#1751)


Here are two usual suspects (Wei and Ian)


More usual suspects (Julian)


Tony (Northern Nevada Coin)


View from my table towards the middle of the show, late Thursday afternoon


View towards the back of the room


Our hosts (Barbara/Whitman)


Lot viewing at Stacks Bowers table




PCGS


Matt/NGC (their table looked sparce because it was late in the day and I waited for their customers to leave before I interrupted to take a photo)


And last but not least, Mr. Sparty!


Friday was amazing! I went out to get coffee abut 10:15 am after the public was let in and I couldn't even get out the door because they were still streaming in! This show has been a great show for Todd and me all day on Friday and didn't slow down til late in the day.

Also, I asked about the Mr. Sparty - apparently the dealer bought him for his store and got tired of seeing him sitting around, so he brought it to the show in the hopes of selling it. He's asking $450 for it and it is extremely heavy, but really cool looking - I think it would make a great Halloween costume.

So.... here are some photos from last night. First, we went to dinner at a wonderful Italian restaurant in Little Italy (Chipparelli's) where we had some very yummy Italian wine before we went to Howl at the Moon -a very fun dueling piano bar. We had a few yummy Irish Carbombs while listening to some great piano music! (I've been trying to hold my phone camera more steady so the photos don't turn out so blurry, but I'm still pretty pathetic at photo taking so please bear with me.)

The Howl at the Moon sign


The piano guys



They have this message board next to the stage where you can pay a dollar more than the last person who posted a message to have your message on the board. People had posted messages about the local sports teams here, so of course I had to post one for my favorite SoCal team, which of course received a few "boos" from the audience!


One of my usual "partners in crime"


And the waitress doing the Time Warp dance


I did manage to get around and take a couple photos of Coinosaurous (a PCGS forum member who wrote this really great book) while he signed my copy of the book.





So, as I said, this show has been crazy busy, both buying and selling. I bought one of the most amazing proofs I've ever had! Wow, is all I can say when I look at this coin. It's PF66 and completely blue cameo! I can't wait to see Todd's photograph of this beauty. I also bought a nice group of very pretty Lincolns, a couple of which I will keep for my own collection.

Many forum members have stopped by and said hi, several of whom I hadn't met before, and it has been a lot of fun meeting and chatting with them. Kanga, MercCrazy, Merlin, PennyGuy, and several others stopped by - it was really and sincerely great seeing all of you!

Larry Steve, who had the all time highest Indian cent variety set, came by and introduced himself. What a pleasure it was to meet him.

I managed to get Larry/Little Bear's picture (from PCGS forum) but forgot to take photos of some of the other forum members.


This is David who does a great job helping put this show on for Whitman


And here are more photos of the bourse taken from my table during the peak hours



It seriously was a really great day, both business-wise, and meeting forum members!

Then we went back to Little Italy and had dinner at another wonderful Italian restaurant (La Travola) with more great Italian wine (Primitivo). We thought this restaurant was sort of a neat undiscovered wonder, and low and behold, we ran into about 10 other coin dealers there!

Then it was time to call it a night since last night we stayed out so late, we were all worn out and tired, and our comfy cozy beds seemed more appealing than another night "howling at the moon"!

So that's it for Friday. Tomorrow Todd and I will be packing up and on our way to the airport by late afternoon, and on our way back to our respective WARM California cities! It has been in the 40's (highs) which is extremely cold for this warmblooded gal!

Then, believe it or not, I actually have to set up my local show early Sunday morning! I am not looking forward to that since traveling back east always wears me out and it will be hard getting up that early on Sunday.

And even more, on Thursday, I have to pack up and head up to Washington state for another show! At least there I will be staying with my brother whom I don't' get to see very often, so that will be a big plus! That's it for now. I'll post more either tomorrow or later on Sunday!

 

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Always enjoy your writeups and photos!

 

Hi Charmy,
Another fine report as usual. It was an absolute pleasure meeting you today. I only wish I could have spent more time looking at your inventory. I was on a mission and you were very busy, (which was good to see).
Anyway, next time I'll be able to take a better look. You really have some down right impressive Lincolns. Have a safe trip home, hopefully you'll be out here in June?

Thanks Again!
Mark

 

Fantastic Charmy.....really great!

 

Kudos! Love your stories!

 

Yep, it was nice meeting you. Can't wait to see that new proof that you got. Have a good one.

 

I'm sorry I left out meeting Texas - what a nice guy you are, and I really enjoyed meeting you as well. There were so many forum members who stopped by for both me and Todd, from the CU forum and here on CT. I was really busy yesterday and it was hard at times being able to chat, so I thank you for being patient and coming back. I think today is going to be just as busy!

 

I'm always being teased when I see these posts! I wish there were coin shows held here.

 

Love these posts young lady! Thanks

 

Great write up Charmy as usual , are you going to the Central States show in Chicago this year ? If you are hopefully I can stop by to meet you in person and to meet the lady who killed me in Poker 2 times , maybe this Sunday I'll get even . LOL
Rusty

 

Rusty, you certainly are a challenge at the poker table! And sorry, I don't have plans to do the Central States show this year but will be at the ANA in Chicago in August, so perhaps we can meet there!

Here's my final show update!

Yesterday morning I took a couple photos of Mr. Lincoln and his wife Mary who were set up near the kids' area in the back. They look so authentic!




Sunday was our last day, and again it was really busy! Todd didn't expect to be that busy, but he was - also, I had just bought a certified Lincoln collection and had him photograph several pieces from this set. I also sold a bunch of nice Indian cents today, while yesterday I seemed to be selling mostly Lincoln cents. I also bought four more Conder tokens for my collection, including a very unique and rare white metal donkey ("rents and taxes") Conder as well as very rare terminal die state Conder. Any way, it has been a very very successful show, and once again we've had a great time in Baltimore (even though it was a bit too cold for this SoCal gal!).

After the show I was once again sitting at an airport bar waiting for my flight, talking to a couple other coin dealers who were also headed back to OC like me. A couple of the PCGS folks were our plane too.

Here's me, very tired, waiting for my flight and having a tasty Mai Tai at the airport bar!


And here are my new airport drinking buddies: David Hunt from Century Coin Group and David Halpin from On the Rocks Jewelry & Rare Coins


I finally got home about 10pm last night, but had to get up early this morning to set up at my local show - ugggg! That was hard, though it was worth it. That's the life of a coin dealer!

Now I'm home, taking it easy, checking email, updating this report, then I'm going to dinner with my hubby for some yummy Mexican food and a big fat tasty margarita, then it will be off to bed early tonight for some much needed SLEEP!

 

Charmy, It was good to fianally meet you and Tod on Saturday and thanks for taking a few minutes from your busy booth to talk.
You have a very busy booth stocked with great coins but you know that!

Midas1

 

i kno what book im going to buy now =)

 

"And the waitress doing the Time Warp dance"

Hey Charmy,
I love reading your coin show stories! Both educational and funny, WTG!! :thumb:
​

 

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I bought one of the most gorgeous BLUE proofs I've seen, and Todd just sent me the photo he took. Todd's photo brings out the pretty blue and shows how deep the mirrors are, and in hand, this coin is even more amazing with a full cameo cobalt blue!

 

Beautiful coin. Why does it have that nice blue tint?