Another Central States show is in the books and below are some of my observations: ~Registration was quick with no line at a few minutes before opening; there was a decent crowd waiting to get in though….in general, attendance seemed comparable to a Friday at Central States in prior years ~The show included a few aisles in the end that were world and currency…there were enough of these tables to whet the appetite but probably would be disappointing if someone came to the show that was not interested in US coins. The world selection included different denominations from Mexico, China, Japan, Germany/Prussia/Austria...there are also a few dealers that have Cuban coins...other countries are not as well represented ~For those wondering about gold bullion, it appeared that dealers were cautious. I saw someone unsuccessfully trying to find a buyer for 70 graded gold at spot; another transaction for some US modern gold commemoratives was completed at a number around 10% under melt. ~Oddball slabs were not too plentiful. Plenty of dealers did have PCGS rattlers and small white Anacs holders. I also saw the occasional ACG, PCI, and self slab. There were no Compugrade or other rarer slabs ~Dan Carr items were present at a few tables (with one having the bulk of all that I saw) and I added a new one to my collection. ~I actually saw a few coins from Kazakhstan at a table that had bins with all sorts of world coins in 2x2s but all were base metal and priced higher than I’ve paid for mine. My search for a silver coin from Uzbekistan continues (I did not expect to find one here but you never know what might show up) ~Toned coins are prevalent and many dealers tend to have at least one nowadays (of course there are still plenty that don’t). The prices are all over the place-from fair (which still means a premium over standard guide) to insane (which means the dealer took the standard toning premium and then multiplied by 10 or more!) One dealer that I bought from at a previous show again had some nice Morgans at fair prices and I picked one up. There was a second that had a fantastic reverse but the obverse was a negative (in my opinion). If that obverse was untoned or lightly toned, it would have been worth above the asking price but as it was, I knew it would bother me every time I flipped the coin over. Plus I continue to work on not buying coins that I will later regret or struggle to sell (here I was successful in doing that). ~I was able to sell a few toned coins that were not moving on the online venues. As usual, it took a few attempts for some until the right buyer was found but I was satisfied with the results. ~A few tables were emptying out by the afternoon but the majority of the dealers were still there. Thursday is the best day in my experiences and Friday (if you get there at open) is the next best option. ~There was a free Anacs sample (show) slab being handed out that celebrates Nebraska (last year it was Iowa)
This was a neat surprise! On Thursday, while giving away the Nebraska quarters, they were also selling some of last year's remaining Iowa quarters at $2 each.
Was there a line on Thursday to get the free samples? I recall last year there was but this year only one other person was in line with me (last year I went on Thursday).
I came in ~11 AM Thursday and there were 2x gentlemen exploring the CSNS table, but no line and no crowd. I'm going back tomorrow to pick up my PCGS order. If there's no line and supplies last, going to grab another Nebraska one.
I would probably have been disappointed. I tend to look for Canadian (sometimes seen) and Thai (never seen) coins at the local shows. Endless cases filled with Morgans gets boring, but I realize that's what sells. Thanks for the report.
I have only seen a handful of Thai coins at this show and the ANA show but they tended to be modern silver proofs. Canadian coins are more widely available although I don't recall seeing many yesterday (was not looking for any though). As far as endless cases of Morgans, I have wondered about that. I know that is one of the most widely collected coins and I expect plenty to be available. However, how do dealers expect to stand out and make money when they have the same inventory as half or more of the other dealers? And on top of that, many price those common Morgans at levels above eBay. Having at least some toned coins or world coins to me seems like a good way to make your case stand out and lead to more people stopping (which could mean more sales).
I agree about the Morgans too. I don't even stop to look. I think a lot of people don't buy on eBay so they don't have that sense of "I can get this cheaper somewhere else." I know I'm aware that much of the stuff there is overpriced.
That is a good point about people not buying online; I've seen people mention it on the forums. To some degree, I understand that but then one is missing out on a lot of opportunities.
