This is a twice-a-year show in Manchester New Hampshire. I enjoy this show and have previously written (on CoinTalk) about going. I went to the show Friday and Saturday. It was well attended but not crowded. Every dealer I spoke to said they had a good show. So sales went well. I went with the expectation of selling some of my silver. I am in the market (buying) for only a few things right now. It's not uncommon for me to go to a show and walk out - having bought nothing. I enjoy browsing and talking to dealers. Friday I met @ToughCOINS and we had a great conversation. He had a table set up at the show. We even talked about coins for a while. I walked around for a bit and sold nothing/bought nothing. I had came in with some silver (dimes and quarters) that I bought 15 - 20 years ago. I also had some ATB 5oz silver I wanted to sell. I did find a damaged 1914D cent (it was in a NGC "damaged" holder) that I would have bought with the silver I brought in, but the dealer who had it did not want my silver and the price was higher than I wanted to pay for with cash. I went back late Saturday, about an hour before the end of the show (not open Sunday). Many dealers had already packed up. @ToughCOINS was still set up so he and I chatted a bit. He pointed me in the direction of a potential buyer of my silver. I went over to that table and did sell my dimes/quarters. It was close to $1000 so I was happy I went back.
Thanks @fox. It's nice to see how coin collecting is prevailing in other parts of the country. It's also nice to see a bourse not saturated with white heads, LOL. I guess New Hampsire's not a big locale for retirees? Still, it's nice to see a mixed crowd. Did you by chance see Bethany Danielle, formerly known as @Mainebill when you were there?
Yes, there are quite a few coin shows in this Southern NH/Northern MA area. The two big ones are this one I wrote about and the Bay State show in Marlborough, MA. I'd say the NH show is a bit bigger than the Bay State. But even the smaller, monthly shows are pretty big. You can find one within a 90 minute drive just about every weekend. And then, of course, there's the road trip to the CT shows... I did not see @Mainebill when I was there...
I started doing the NH Coin & Currency Expo in the early oughts, but stopped in late 2019 because a change in employment cut into my annual time off and forced me to choose between Baltimore and Manchester. Baltimore won . . . Until 2024 when I gave it up over safety concerns. Then back to Manchester I went! While I was away the show had grown considerably, and the momentum is obvious. The once cavernous room with dealer tables along the interior glass wall has been replaced by a well-planned layout of 200+ dealer tables and generous access. The relative quiet of an upstart show has given way to the impressively bustling din of a major convention. I had a very good show, selling primarily better Seated, Barber, Commemoratives and Gold coinage. It was not all repeat business, as I logged transactions with 6 new customers, and expanding the customer base is always the most important part of doing shows. In retrospect, considering my failure to bring a box of 20 newps the first day, the show was actually great. While I only bought 4 coins, they were all high on my To Do List. Centrally-located in New England, in tax-free New Hampshire, Manchester is a great location for regional collectors. With its with its easy-in, easy-out international airport, it is also an attractive destination for those willing to visit from afar. Moreover, the deciduous foliage in full glory this time of year adds another reason to travel to the area. I recommend this show wholeheartedly, and will continue to support it with my attendance going forward.
FWIW, I follow Bethany on IG... she's mostly focused on her Antiques business (and rescue cats) and she was in Texas on the 20th at a major antique show in the middle of nowhere. That's a LONG two day drive back home. She hasn't been here since June.
