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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;aubade21, post: 1862843, member: 44104&quot;]I just got done looking at a current calendar for upcoming coin shows in my region and got to thinking…should I attend, or not.</p><p><br /></p><p>Years ago, this would have been a no-brainer. I’d attend any show within a two hour radius, often saving up for a month or two just for the event. However, over the past two years or so, I’ve noticed I’ve brought back less and less from shows and kept more money in my pocket. (Money I wanted to spend!) Indeed, over the past five coin shows I’ve attended, I haven’t bought <i>anything</i>. Now I’ll admit, I’ve narrowed my collection and focused on just a few series of coins. And prior to the show, I do my research and know what I can get my target coins for at online retailers. But when I attend a show, what has disheartened me are the prices I’m being quoted, specifically the lack of what l’d consider “good deals.” At times, these prices are the same, <i>or higher</i>, than they are selling for in the dealers shops. When I asked local dealer I know about it, he sort of shrugged and said, “I need to pay for the table somehow.”</p><p><br /></p><p>Now I realize this could just be me, and my somewhat narrowly focused collection. Also, these are not huge coin shows, mostly between 50-100 dealers. So, I don’t want to come off as a complainer (well, not much anyway) because I know that these dealers need to make a profit and pay expenses. I also know that being able to meet other dealers and collectors is a wonderful experience and an opportunity to learn. But what I am wondering is if the experience of being able to hold a coin in hand is worth the distance travelled and potential admission fee into an event, especially if that coin is 5-10% more expensive than online. Also, do coin shows still hold the cache in your area, and do you find that the deals you’re getting are superior to what is being offer in shops and online.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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