I plan to attend my first large coin show next week (Whitman Expo - Atlanta) and would appreciate any advice or tips -- do's and don'ts. I'll primarily be browsing and looking (and learning) but buying is very possible if I see something I like -- mainly world coins, old and new. My questions are pretty basic. Do dealers negotiate prices? How to get good deals? Does one take a pricing guide with them? What's good buying etiquette? Can you assume most dealers attending are reputable? Are credit cards OK? Do the large national mints attending offer discounted show prices?
Have a list of what you want to purchase with price you would pay. Look carefully at the coin to decide its grade. You can always ask if they have any leeway on the price or even say I'll give you such-and-such ammount for this. They will either take it-leave it-or counter offer. (Just don't say a price that would be an insult.) The more you buy from the dealer, the better the prices. Usually. Good luck!
I would also say at these big shows don't allow your "want list" to be too big. I also learned at these big shows it is difficult to keep your focus, so much to see and look at. Make a decision to either browse first and then get down to serious looking to purchase or visaversa.
I agree with the Noost, also check out this thread Need tips for first coin show - Coin Talk, it has some good tips. I would say don't rush, and just have fun. Good luck.:thumb:
I am in the same boat as you, going to the Denver Coin Expo next week and was wondering about some of the same things. This thread has some good security tips, but I was wondering about, for lack of a better word, bargains or deals. I plan to look for some v-nickels and possibly some Walking half dollars, but I also plan to bring some extra in case I see a good deal. Are there any types of coins, like just a random box of common dates etc., that are usually marked down at events such as this to look for?
One way to 'mark down' a common date coin or coins is to buy something more expensive from the dealer and see if you can get it thrown in. This is much more feasible if you have a history with the dealer. Or if you just happen to hit it off well with them.
Yes and no and some - My questions are pretty basic. Do dealers negotiate prices? How to get good deals? Does one take a pricing guide with them? What's good buying etiquette? Can you assume most dealers attending are reputable? Are credit cards OK? Do the large national mints attending offer discounted show prices? Yes and no and some - Dealers do negotiate, The way to get good deals is study, study, study, look at coins, look at coins, look at coins, make mistakes, learn, learn, learn, try again, try again, try again and after five to ten years you will get better deals than you can get today - No shortcuts in anything worth pursuing in life! You can take the guild with you or not, doesn't much matter - they know what they want for a coin and you should know what you want to pay. Good buying etiquette is being polite, considerate, asking if you may see that coin, hold that coin etc. You can assume some dealers are reputable and some are not - just like in any business or walk of life. And I do not understand the last question but I will add, buy the book, buy the book, buy the book, buy the book, buy the book, buy the book, buy the book, meaning your very best bargain at a coin show for the first time or if you are new to the hobby is buy the book. The books will pay you back 100 fold - no coin will ever give you a better bargain than a book - you say World Coins is what you like so you need to get the Krause World Coin Books right off the bat. You need at least 3 1700's, 1800's and 1900 to date - it's been quite awhile since I bought them but I think they are around $50 or $60 each.
