oh, the stories I could tell from the mid 80s that wonderful lost weekend back in '84 that began at a Thursday night Ozzy concert and ended the following Sunday afternoon....good times * wicked smile*
There wasn’t anything in my post for you to agree or disagree with. I was passing on an observation from attending coin shows around here.
What a shame you could never be a collector as some geniuses claim. If only teenagers were to grow up and be older with changing interests lol. On a more serious note sounds like you had a great time there and made a lot of memories
It is good to know that there are shows with more slabbed examples. I will see about getting to an event in Chicago or similar. It is nice to see what you are interested in buying. I am here to tell you that there are some very poorly represented coins (mostly truly rotten photography) on the internet. I simply don't buy if the image leaves any question. Why buy a low grade ultra cameo coin when you can have one with spectacular cameo? It is also fair to point out that I started with coins long before there were third party grading services. I don't just buy the label. I can grade - and I am quite good with those things that are of particular interest. I will bet that the same is true of most truly engaged collectors. I know slabbed coins are harder to store and display. Third party grading came about because of abuse and the need for those using coins as an investment to have a consistent rating. If you take a collection of raw coins to be evaluated for sale, the evaluation is pretty general and it will yield a lowball value. There is a little less question about the general value when they are in a third party slab (not that you won't get a lowball value). Just like digital photography, digital music, digital magazines and so much more... Radical change brings both opportunity and disappointment. But we must move on. I don't know the difference between a proof silver eagle or an anniversary silver eagle (if they are produced at the same mint, there probably is none) - yet people seem to be willing to invest in those "micro-markets". Cheers.
At our local show there's many different types of dealers. Some sell mostly loose. Some sell a mix. Some sell all slabs or almost all slabs. Depends on what the dealer wants to deal in. The show doesn't control what the dealer feels like dealing in. I'm starting to get put off by loose coins. Last show there was a batch of ungraded coins in a tray. Then I saw the bright shiny object in the middle. It was a 1917 Standing Liberty quarter that looked like it was minted yesterday. I looked at it hard. It was blast white. Probably dipped but I didn't see any noticeable cleaning marks on it. All rivets there. Not FH but decent strike. Luster looked good. Was thinking MS64 maybe 65 if lucky.... Long story short, it's on it's way back from NGC now. AU details Cleaned. Over paid for the gamble. Now I'll have to decide whether to sell it and try to get half my money back or just keep it. It wouldn't surprise me if it had been through one of the TPGs before and somebody cracked it out.
Perhaps those that are disappointed in coins for personal reasons, have too few hobbies. If you put all of your hobby time in coins or even worse , only one aspect of coins, you might be very boriiiinnnnggggg. Some of the happier seeming people on board have coins, cars, and astronomy, others have fossils and mineral. others have guns, metal detectors, hats. Some have cats, some think they are cats, some are old and complain of their medical problems, other truely believe there are human zombies and silver coins purify milk....With so much variation around, laugh and enjoy the reminder of one's life. even if you prefer slabbed coins over bare-nakkid ancient coins. Its a wonderous day, !! Jim