Coin Shows

Welcome MarcosX

 

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Glad you came by, hopefully you'll stay!

 

Hello and welcome! I am an Ancients collector from the Carolinas and travel to many of the local shows. Perhaps we have met. I look forward to the upcoming Charlotte Show at the Metrolina!

 

I think this was the summer ANA in Los Angeles, so August 2009. And I think I met you there! I was interning with Victor that summer.

 

Hello actually I will have a table at Charlotte club show in a couple weeks,
see you there-

 

I don't think so. But every year we get new dealers that come to our show.
Also, collecting interests change.

 

Ocala is a long drive if there turns out to be nothing of interest.

 

The Bellaire, TX Coin Club will have a show this month, February 27 & 28. We will have one full time ancient dealer and several who have ancient coins along with US and / or foreign coins. I'd love to see anyone of this group attend. We have a few tables open to dealers (we are missing one of our normal ancient dealers at this show). At our last club show, in August, we had 22 attendees per table for about 40 tables. I am told this is a pretty ratio. I have picked up (and posted) some nice pieces from the show. PM me for info, or go to our web site:
http://www.bellairecoinclub.com/

 

I collect mostly 1690-1859 Sicilian & Italian silver coins and I seldom ever see any at coin shows. And on the rare occasion when I do see one they are way over priced.
I find most of my coins on American Ebay and Italian Ebay.

However, I still go to coin shows to buy American junk silver coins.

 

@dougsmit, this is my lament as well. The youngest dealer I've seen at some of the regional coin shows I'm able to make it to is in his 40's. He and his wife (who's also learning the business!) are great and I always stop by and look at what he has to offer. He's not always selling what I want to buy at the time, but he's always good for a conversation and a little show and tell. His prices are a touch higher than some other dealers I buy from, but not too much.

Besides him, I would say most of the dealers I see are over 60, and many are over 70. Most of the collectors I see are over 40 as well, but there are some YNs (usually brought by a parent who collects). I got a nice opportunity to show off a nice Buffalo nickel with a bit of a die rotation to a dad and his son at a show once, and explained toning to the son. But, those experiences are fairly few and far between.

Also, the shows I go to, for the most part, don't have much in the way of ancients, and that makes me sad. Last show I was at, the only thing I would have been remotely interested in was a slabbed tribute penny, which I might have gone for if it were in a bit higher grade. Other than that, I see a lot of crusty, low grade stuff that mostly isn't all that interesting to me. Vcoins and cointalk can show me more coins in an hour than I'd see all day at a typical show in the area.

I would love if the coin shows in the area were better. I've done overall better in terms of quality and price when I can buy in person than on the internet. Coin shows are great for me, because it's like going to a bunch of different coin shops, all at once. (And, unfortunately, I haven't found a good coin shop within a 30 minute drive of me that I actually like. *sigh*)

So, yeah, Doug. I hear you, and I agree.

 

A problem with ancients in the non specialty market is too many dealers have bought absolute junk and can't sell them for the prices they want. They are not likely to buy more let alone better. If a specialty dealer buys a table at a small local show he might not see anyone there who even looks at ancients. I will attend a small show next month and may find one dealer who has one ancient. Where there is no interest it is hard to build interest. I could buy a table for $90 but doubt I would see half a dozen people who know you can collect ancients.

 

That is our job as ancient coin collectors, to encourage new collectors. We have youth auctions at all of our coin shows in Bellaire, TX. I enjoy having ancients at our kids auctions. I do not collect LRB, but they are the easiest starting place for young collectors on a budget. I buy inexpensive Sear and Seaby books to go with the coins offered.

 

I attend only large shows.
I have to because dealers at the smaller shows rarely have what I'm after.

In my case the three Baltimore Whitman Shows each year generally do the job.
But on at least two occasions over the years I've left with nothing.

And the three yearly Baltimore Whitman Shows are generally well noted for drawing the crowds.

 

I just cant seem to do as well at a coin show as I can online or privately.