Who else is going? What should I look for/at? Any suggestions or tips? Any and all help would be appreciated. This will be my second "major". I went to the Whitman show in Philly last year and was overwhelmed & disappointed at the same time, and I would like to improve for this time (which should be much bigger, right?) Thanks.
The ANA will be significantly larger than the Whitman Philly show. Unfortunately, the Whitman Philly show has not yet taken off and it has been very lightly attended and has felt a bit "small" when compared to the ANA, FUN and Baltimore. If the largest show you have ever been to is the Whitman Philly show then this show will seem much larger and busier. I will be there for several days and will be selling the new book that I helped write on Reeded Edge half dollars as well as having coins with me, too.
Very cool, and thanks. The reeded edge half is actually a coin that I do own, as I inherited the 1839 from my grandfather. Any tips? I'm looking to upgrade my (graded) Peace dollar set and work on my (raw) Swiss Francs. I'm also thinking of going for a pattern/pre '36 proof (quarter or larger) if I can find one within my price range (probably not).
There is a bourse map produced for the show and you may want to pick one up at the registration table. This will make it much easier to find folks whom you know you want to meet at the show. Also, you may want to make little notes on the map about where some coins are that deserve a second look. Before you go to the show it would also be wise to search the web to find potential sellers who have material that interests you so that you can find them quickly at the show. Proof quarters pre-1936 aren't tough to find, but if you don't know what you want it will be much tougher. Off the top of my head you may want to visit Larry Shapiro for quality Peace dollars.
Thank you. Do you know if there will be separate sections for different types of sellers (such as foreign, currency, US), or is it usually just a big mix?
Sellers of currency are normally grouped together while sellers of foreign are also grouped together in a different area. Lastly, sellers who specialize in "budget" coins, which they define as something like sub $500 coins, go in the back of the bourse.