Balt. Misc.

I can not feel sorry for a hobby that bemoans the lack of young people and at te same time tells them that they should be buying only FDC coins or slabbed items starting at $50 of which $40 is for the plastic. When I was in high school, dealers at shops had dishes of 50 cent bronzes and $2 denarii of a grade now worth ten times those numbers but considered uncollectable by so many. I am proud of our young people who can find interest in the 5th century AE4's and tell the rottens from the Ricimers or the really scrungy lead shards that conditions snobs like me don't even like. It is unlikely that we will have 20 year old experts in Pescennius Niger or third century gold multiples but we will have a crop of students with 50 years in the hobby in 2066 only if we get them going now.

 

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Small shows and coin clubs tend to have quite a few kid-friendly activities. Baltimore is a different story - if you've paid $300 rent on your table, you can't afford to cater to kids. You've got to sell some real coins to people with real money for real profits.

 

Anyway, ancient coins will always be interesting to lovers of history and numismatics. If we perpetually remain a small crowd, so be it. Do we really need our neck of the hobby to fill up with speculators turning coins into mere commodities? I say less is more.

 

They just might become like they once were... I know at least one guy that would sell a comic book for a denarii.

 

Don't forget that it's a big world out there, guys. This past weekend at the Singapore Coin Fair, I was standing at one of perhaps two or three tables with any ancients at all and was heartened to see a little 9-year old Chinese girl drag her mother over to admire an Alexander tet, declaring to the dealer that she enjoyed Greek history.

 

I believe that price was current for Baltimore over a decade ago. I am always amazed at how little trouble it is to find a chair at the table of a high price dealer and how busy the cheap guys are. Everyone has to decide if they are going to try to sell a million units from the dollar menu or one big deal coin. A couple of the big dealers were my friends 10-20 years ago so I still stop and say Hi but I usually buy from the same four dealers at Baltimore. They are the ones with busy chairs and time for kids. Was that beautiful aes grave as still there? I first saw it at least three years ago. I expect someone will buy it soon.

 

Yes, it was there - whoever owns it next will have to wipe off my drool, lol.

 

Aes Grave As... Mmmmmm... Dooonuts...