Nice report. Really enjoyed reading it. For big shows, I try to schedule at least one full day followed by at least a partial day. This gives one night to think about and research "maybes". This has saved me from more than one bad purchase as well as confirming some that were genuinely good buys. Viewing auction lots is a great way to get a feel for grading as well as seeing those special interest lots with real eyes. Cal
It used to be the shows it in on Sunday, but the dealers started leaving Saturday night and early Sunday and most of the day on Sunday the show was empty. So they dropped the Sunday. Problem is that made Saturday the last day and a dealer started leaving Friday night and early Saturday. Whatever day is the last day of the show tends to be poorly attended by the dealers because they will start leaving the night before. You stopped getting reminders about the international show in Chicago because it folded two years ago. Harlan Berk did start another international show two years ago, but his show is in downtown Chicago instead of out by O'Hare at the Rosemont area. And I doubt if Harlan's international show next year will go on because he goofed on selecting the weekend to have it. Next year it's on the same weekend as the Central States show.
Yes it's definitely a great way to practice grading. I would have a box of slabs with only one coin on my list to see and end up looking at them all instead. I found out why certain coins on Heritage go for crazy amounts sometimes though - their pictures do them no justice and people see them in hand and have an edge. All of the coins I picked out as winners went for crazy money - multiples over what I'd have bid on them from pictures and even a chunk more than I was willing to pay having seen how great they were in hand. An MS63 Isabella quarter went for $1,100 with a giant fingerprint on the reverse because the obverse is that spectacular in hand for example. Looking at that picture I'd have not even bid on the coin and wondered what psychopaths bid it up to $1,100.
Yeah, I know that one stopped and the one in Chicago replaced it instead. A lot of people find the Chicago location more convenient but I live in the northwest suburbs and Rosemont was really easy for me to get to. I'm not commuting to the city to attend a coin show. It's too bad because I liked going.
I was at the show. Neat write up. I like how you went after 2 "big" coins. Me? I spent $3750, but spread it out and purchased about 100 coins, only 4 of which were certified. Guess I went for quantity over quality, LOL. Couple of tips: 1. Heritage provides free dinner (and alcohol on Platinum night... just tip the bartender), if you stick around and watch the auctions. They break out the food and drinks about 7:30 every night. 2. The show is at the Renaissance, which costs $200+ per night, but 1 block away you can stay at the Wyndam Garden for $75/night AFTER taxes and fees! And parking is free at the convention center if you don't feel safe walking back and forth with lots of money and/or coins.
Nice work filling up your inventory! Any new additions to the free 7070 going to come from pickups at the show? And yeah, my goal is 1 coin a month and I didn't buy one for a few months. Bricked heritage which I set aside budget for so bought another one of CU yesterday and now I'm done for awhile.
Haha, I sold the "free" 7070 to pay for a cruise for my family. Gonna probably start another one later this year.
Thanks for the review. I have been to several CSNS conventions. You write as if you have been in the business for a long time. With phrases such as "moon money" you sound like a dealer from the 1970s. Just to note about Heritage: With a large firm like that the people whose turn it is to staff the table can come from anywhere in the company. Their best grader of Seated Dimes might not know the actual order of events on the floor and might have been uninformed or misinformed. You don't always get Jim Halperin. (And if you did, would you know about his science fiction works -- or would you know talk coins?) Anyway, I am glad that you had a good time and I trust that you will visit CSNS again, wherever it might be.