My first coin show

Today was the big day... my first coin show. It is also the first day of the show so it was quite crowded and I had a difficult time elbowing my way through the crowd which was continuous from the front door and winded around several aisles and back out the front door. It felt almost like a chow line in the military... grab what you want the first time or get left out.

I managed to find Lincolns: 1909 vdb, 1916s, 1931d, 1933d, 1937p, 1938s, 1940d, 1942s, and a 1945p, all in very nice condition. The total cost was $80.00. The gentleman who owned this booth was very kind and understanding about my newbieness.

I also found two silver roosevelts, 1949d and 1950s, both uncirculated for just under $50.00. These roosies fill two of the last five spots necessary to complete my Roosevelt album which is filled entirely of uncirculated and proof coins.

The lady that helped me with the dimes said she doesn't know anything about coins so I had to be very specific about what I wanted. She handed me three 49d's, one was labeled as having a die-crack on the obverse and the other on the reverse. I checked all three and the third one had a die-crack across the head. When I said it outloud the dealer immediately stopped what he as doing, grabbed his loupe and said 'let me see that'.
I almost started laughing because it was obvious he is a variety specialist and I had just gotten one up on him. Fortunately he didn't charge me the extra premium value of the die-crack. I also told him I would be happy to check some more of his coins to see if he had missed anything else. You can guess the sort of look I got after that.

It was fun for my very first coin show experience.

jeankay

 

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Much different than Ebay, wasn't it? Did they have anything special for show? What about an auction? Tell us more!

Ribbit :smile

 

first coin show

Yes, definitely different than ebay. And a bit overwhelming.
( I actually have an anxiety problem called agoraphobia which makes it doubly difficult to go to these kinds of events. Sometimes I break out in a drenching sweat and people around me start backing away like I have the plague or something else contagious).

The coin show only happens here once a year. It is fourty plus miles from my home.
The sponsor is the Redwood Empire Coin Club, being its 40th annual coin show, in Santa Rosa CA. The admission was $1, which I paid with an Ike, and they gave me back a wooden Redwood Coin Club coin. They are to have drawings for different gold coins tomorrow (Sunday), but I won't be there to see who wins. There were also drawings for silver if you had bought some tickets, but I stayed away from those.

Should I dare list the dealers?
Arrowhead Coin, Bruce Berman, Jack Beymer, Bruce Braga, Eugene Bruder, Castro Valley Coin, Clayton Valley Coins, CONECA, Allen Covarrubias, Sal Falcone, Famini's, Fremont Coin Gallery, G & D Gold and Silver, Griffin Coins, K.C. Herrmann, Livermore Coin Co., Marathon LTD Collectibles, Marconi Coin Exchange, Art McBride Rare Coins, McIntosh Collectibles, Larry Mochizuki, Pacific Numismatics, Patina, Charles Richesin, Don Rinkor Rare Coins, Rogue Valley Coin, Ben Rosenthal/Don Wagner, Alistair Skinner, Silver Eagle II Coin,
S & T Coins, Tahoe Coin, Trader Sam's Coins, VAMS and More, Frank Villalon Rare Coins, Wargo Enterprises, World Wide Notaphilic Service, Wuller International, and Tim Yager.

Almost all of the dealers had signs up to buy your coins. There must have been nearly a ton of silver up for sale, and a couple hundred pounds of gold. Not a lot of rummage boxes to search, Besides, I could not get close enough to one to see what was in it. Some people seem to actually camp out in front of some displays and dare you to get between them and the box. I thought better of doing the famous boardinghouse reach because I figured I would get nailed.

When I finally found a dealer who seemed a bit lonely I looked at all the displays he had, and started to search through some cardboard flip encased Lincolns. I had brought three of my Dansco Lincoln wheats pages and wanted to try to fill some of the empty spots with the best coins I could afford. He finally looked around and said he had much better ones than those and handed me a mighty nice stack of wheats. From these I chose the ones I bought (like I listed in my first post). He gave up on trying to tempt me into more expensive coins when I told him I wanted to keep the coins close to similar grading for each page.

There was an auction going on in a corner. I wasn't able to see anything from my vantage point, and I did not dare turn around and go against the traffic. Much too dangerous. Some people were rude enough to practically push me away from what I was trying to see.

I really did not get any other chances to take a good look at most of the displays. I know there was at least one stamp dealer, and a few dealers selling banknotes, a couple dealers with a good selection of US proof sets, a couple dealers that had almost all foreign coins. There was a great display in a glass case with an outline of the world and ancient coins identified and correlated with the countries. Very nice display.

I only saw a few adults with kids in tow who appeared to be interested in what was going on. This could change tomorrow because Sunday seems to be the day a lot of families get out and about at major events in our county.

The one very bad problem that worked against the show was the building and its very bad lighting. Even though all the dealers had lights at their displays it was difficult to reach the lights so one could get a better view of the coins they wanted to see. I am quite short so it was twice as far to reach.

There was one very striking display though. The dealer had color decorated coins of different denominations. He also had ASE's in the blue velvet mint boxes which had holograms on the smooth raised parts of the coin. If I had the extra money to toss away I would likely have bought one of them just for the fun of it.

All in all it was a pretty good day for me. I wish I had taken more money with me so I could have gotten twice as many coins as I was able to purchase.

Thanks for letting me share my experience with you all.

jeankay

 

Jeankay,

Thank you for that. For those of us who don't get to coin shows very much, you give a very vivid description.

I'm not happy to see that these things are becoming pushing matches. Maybe one day should be for speculators and the other day for collectors. Good luck on THAT one!

 

Excellent, and glad you were able to get your first coin show under your belt !!!!

Also, these show reports should be regular, from all our members around the country ( and world ) , they add a "feel" to the hobby, and make for some great insight and reading.

 

Great report on your first time at a show.

Some advice for anyone else about to go to their first show and may be worried about the pushing or reaching:

Depending on the show, yes, attendance has picked up.

BUT, so have the table fees and every dealer is there to sell. If you're interested in seeing a coin just ASK. Every dealer will make space for you somehow because they'd rather hand a coin over the head of a 'camper' to a potential buyer then miss a sale.

The other reason the pushing and traffic seems to have increased is actually because 'SOME' (not referring to this show) show promoters are getting GREEDY and shoving 80 table shows in rooms with 40 table capacity. I was talking to a dealer recently at a show and he told me 'actually, the fire department threatened to shut this show down because of the small aisles - it's a total risk here.'

Sometimes at shows the dealers behind the tables are wrapped up in their personal conversations and ignore the person standing at their table. I used to think 'hey, if they don't want to wait on me, I'll find another table." THEN, I remind myself *I* have paid my gas and taken my time to go THERE, and if it's an uncommon coin I'm seeking that 'they' have ... it's not like I'm at Walmart where I have a choice. So I remind myself to make the most of my day and say, "HI! May I see that coin, please?" It helps remind them of why they are there.... breaks them out of the lull they slip in after the 1000th person passed their table and said 'oh, just looking, thank you'.

While I can certainly appreciate the YN's at the shows ~ I DO get a little bothered by being banged by strollers. I can appreciate starting them out young but geez.. I recall one day watching a 'Dad' let his baby chew on a coin in a 2x2. I kept wondering which would happen first.. the child rip her lip on a staple or swallow the coin.

Congratulations again on your first show. Hope you get a chance to do it again real soon.

 

Jeankay,
Sounds like all in all you enjoyed the experience. That's good.

My first show was a large show in Milwaukee and it was a bit hectic, but exciting at the same time.
Now I don't go to many shows and most are smaller.
I've met some very nice dealers at both large and small shows and once they know you you're a valued customer. It takes some time and patience no doubt but worth it in the long run.

Pulling out a glass and looking at a coin versus looking at a pic on the computer is a world of difference.

Great description of your experience by the way and keep on going. I think you'll get more comfortable every time as it's something you enjoy!

clembo

 

Wow! I thought I asked too many questions but for once, I got more than I asked for and I loved it!

Your Comment - "I thought better of doing the famous boardinghouse reach because I figured I would get nailed." - reminded me of a old joke that goes something like this and pertains to explaining to a child why they should eat the food they put on their plate:

When I was growing up, we, my mom & dad and four brother's & sisters, didn't have a lot of money and there wasn't a lot of food on the table so we always ate what we put on our plates cause it wasn't a whole lot. But one Sunday, after we had all eaten, there was one piece of chicken left and everyone was eyeballing it but no one had the nerve to go for it. Then, at that very moment, the lights went out and there was this blood curdling scream . . . . When the lights came back on, there was my little brother, who was sitting closest to the chicken platter, holding the last piece of chicken in his hand, with 6 forks sticking out of it.

That's what I pictured with your boardinghouse comment.

Thanks for taking us to the coin show with you!

Ribbit,
Toad

 

You got that right. There's no substitute to looking at a coin in hand.

 

Congrats JK on your first of what I hope will be many shows and I also applaud your courage in going to it :hail: Never be afraid to ask to see a coin or to ask a dealer a question 9 out of 10 will be quite happy to accomodate you I hate to say this though but i too have found that you do get a number of very rude people at shows, not the majority I hasaten to add just a few but they can spoil it for others.
Good luck with your collection and I hope that you continue attending shows now that you have your first under your belt.

 

The joy and rewards of the personal experience. Try finding that on ebay!

 

lol, I imagine you'd all get boared of my reports if I did them for each of our shows, lol

 

Man, seems like you had a good time! Only thing missing though is pics. :whistle: Hint, hint. Lol. Thanks for sharing! :thumb:

Phoenix

 

I also went to my first coin show yesterday. It was a local show with about 35 dealers and a pretty large crowd of buyers. As this was my first show, I went about it pretty cautiously. One dealer spend a good amout of time talking to me, and I purchased two common date morgans from him. More importantly [to me], I brought several things to sell. I'd never sold anything before and wanted to test the waters, so to speak, and learn how the market works. You never know what something is really worth until someone hands you cash for it. Anyway, I was able to sell a few things I accumulated over the years, but don't really collect. Needless to say, you can throw out your Redbook and if anyone out there thinks their set is worth what the book says, you have a big surprise coming. Prices at the show were all over the place, with some surprisingly low and others surprisingly high compared to what I expected. The biggest surprise for me was that there was very little gold or silver bullion for sale. Most of the action seemed to be at a couple of tables with very high-end coins; and a few other tables with very inexpensive coins and bargain bins. The tables with the least amount of activity seemed to be everything in between. It's a completely different atmosphere from buying in coin shops or from internet dealers.

 

Congradulations to our new coin show goers. I can't even start to remember my first coin show. Probably longer ago than the ages of most of the members here. I go to about 2 to 4 coin shows a month and I used to post somethings about them but since now so many I feel it would just get boring.
jeankay: you sure sounded like you enjoyed that show. Thought you mentioned your in Ca. If so I thought they had shows all over the place there but maybe I'm wrong. Kind of a large state and I've never been there so not aware of some of the distances between shows. I'm lucky there. 3 of the shows I go to are about 10 to 15 miles from me. Parking is free, entrances are free. Usually only on a Sunday. Middle of April we are having a multi day show at a place called The Rosemont Convention Center, in Rosemont Illinois and about 4 miles from my house. Most of the shows I go to are about 20 to 100 dealers. This one in April should be in the hundreds of dealers and from all over the country and last about 3 or 4 days. I used to go to this one a lot but now stay away. The last time I went there it cost $5 to get in, $11 to park, food was outrageously expensive. Had to walk what seamed like a miles to go from the parking lot to the show. Mostly due to going the wrong direction inside the gigantic building. Prices of all coins are more than normal. This is due to the dealers having to stay at the hotel accross the street, also very expensive, eating and dringking food in the area, also expensive. All this is taked on to thier coin prices.
Most of the shows I go to are basically full of elderly people and although I'm old, many are older than me. Makes me feel young sometimes. Seldom a female buyer unless with a man that is the interested one. Seldom any kids also. Only at one show is there a female dealer.
So my suggestion is on giving your next coin show report, include items such as amount of women, kids, cost to get in, cost to park, distance you had to go, amount of shows you go to, how many dealers, ages of dealers and ages of buyers, types of items being sold there. By items I've found that at almost every show I go to someone is selling books, stamps, cameras, coin supplies, arrow heads, currency, belt buckels, watches ands other jewlery. That always amazes me but there it is. Then there is the food quality, cost and my pet peive is the prices on very, very, very bad coffee.
You noted how crowded it was. I've found that at most shows if you go as soon as they open the crowdes are minimal. Most people just can't get up early I guess. If you do go early, you may find some of the prices lower since dealers are not sure of the upcoming crowd. Of course on the other side of the coin if you wait until near the end of the show, the prices also should be dropping due to the dealers knowing it is almost all over. If early, lots of coins to pick from. If you go late, most good coins are gone.
Like I said I go to so many it is almost as common as going shopping at Walmart. Now that I think of it I go to more coin shows than Walmart.

 

Chris,
Actually, of all the folks here, you have your hands in the industry/trade more then most, and I think you probably travel to more shows than anybody here, so your posts could be a reg thread, just update it whenever you think it needs it. I know I for one would really be interested in your thoughts.......

 

Can't agree more with this statement. I've already learned that it's just as important to shop around when looking to sell as it is to shop around when buying in terms of getting the most out of the situation. I've already made a few mistakes in terms of selling items too cheaply when a little shopping around could've brought me substantially more money.

 

I inquired at a couple of tables about what I could get for the items I sold, but I would definitely recommend doing a lot more than I did for a substantial sale - as you already stated. This was more of an experiment for me to begin learning about selling a few coins in the real world instead of just imagining what they are worth. I have to say that all of the dealers I spoke to were very polite and professional about the transactions. Nobody tried to tell me the coins had problems or were graded incorrectly or any of the other "stuff" that sometimes occurs. They just told me what they could afford to pay and why.

My son couldn't go with me yesterday, but next time I'll definitely bring him along for the experience. Selling is nearly as much fun as buying.:smile

 

Actually, ACW, I have 'met' and become acquainted with a few of the sellers on ebay.
We have struck up a good rapport and I can count on them to be fair and honest in the quality of their wares.This may well be the exception. But if I contact someone who is a smart-aleck or doesn't answer my query about a certain coin or numismatic supply then they go on my 'forget them' list. I don't care if they would want to sell me a perfect 1909s VDB for three dollars, they won't get my three dollars.

The main thing about all of it is having as pleasant of an attitude as you are able to muster up. Saying 'please' and 'thank you' and 'I understand', etc., can still go a long ways in most situations.

Yep, I've gotten stung on ebay like any beginner, and will likely get stung again. But like most of us I am using these events as learning tools.

Yet, the face to face and hand to hand experience of the coin show was much better than most I have encountered on ebay.

jeankay

 

As far as the floor space at this show is concerned there is more than they really needed. If I had designed the layout I think the dealers could have had more space and the buyers and lookers more chance to see the treasures. I would guesstimate that one third or more of the floor space was taken up with resting tables and chairs.
I seriously doubt there were that many people in the building who would be seated at one time. Maybe the guys should leave it up to the ladies to design a layout that is more sensible and easier to navigate.

There were no food or drink booths in the building. Which is very very smart. I sure wouldn't want anyone hanging around my display with drinks or drippy food.
There was only one food wagon outside the building and I could hear the dealers and their entourages complaining about 'oh that same old junk again'. And where the fairgrounds is located one would have to drive quite some distance to find a decent place to eat... providing you knew your way around that area of town.

jeankay