My first show tomorrow in Vienna, Virginia!!!!!!:thumb: Not that this is rocket science, but any advise? )other than to keep my wallet home for the first one - I know that part:smile) - Will most dealers allow me to pick-up and observe their coins? - Are most dealers willing to educate a little, or is it a case of - if your not buying, get lost? - Are their certain types of dealers that are more friendly to newbies? etc., etc. Thanks!!
Don't jump at the first thing you see as a good deal and put yourself on a budget. Take in the big picture and then go back and make your purchase....:smile
Get some good sleep because it will likely be overwhelming. You almost can't go without a plan or something you're specifically looking for. If it's anything like the ones I've been to lately, it'll be shoulder to shoulder, you can't hardly move or get a spot at a table to actually look at anything unless you wait. For safety, most dealers have their higher dollar coins in cases that they can open from their side. If you want to look at something, they will take it out for you. Some will have several enormous albums you can flip through and you can pull anything out and look at it. Some cases are absolutely loaded with stacks of slabs. I don't know how the dealers even know what's in them. You're going to see thousands of coins. Some will catch your eye more than others. But it's a great place to see just about anything in person. Some dealers bring an unbelievable amount of inventory. Sometimes they are willing to negotiate a price, and sometimes not. Check online sales to get a feel for what particular items are going for before you go there so you have an idea of price ranges. I've gotten the best deals at shows. Some stuff I didn't even go there for but purchased because it was such a good deal. And no shipping. No tax. Take that into consideration as well. Cointalk has helped me identify problem coins at shows that I formerly wouldn't have noticed. You have to want to look for problems and know what you might come across. Such as a dipped 2 cent piece that has been re-colored brown. I ran across one of them at the last show. Most people would never notice. Just take your time and look. Try not to get overly anxious or excited. Sometimes not easy to do when you've got people trying to push you out of the way. Wish I was going too!
If you can, bring something to sell, and make sure you sell it. There are two sides to the market and selling things occasionally will give you a little more insight into the resale value of what you are buying.
Very interesting point. But a coin show is not the best place to try to sell something. Dealers are there to make money. So expect bottom dollar, if they'll give you anything at all. I've seen people get turned down over every little thing. So many excuses. One guy was selling proof sets. Dealer didn't want them. Another guy was trying to sell a slabbed, gold commemorative. Dealer wouldn't buy it. "Had too many in stock that weren't moving." Another guy was told his coin was cleaned. They wouldn't buy it. I saw an old guy bring in ziplock bags full of old standing liberty quarters. The dealer flipped through them with incredible speed. Ended up buying them dirt cheap off the guy. Could have been any key date in there. You'd be better off using Advanced Search on ebay to see what people are paying. What a dealer at a show is willing to pay isn't a very good base line. Just keep that in mind when considering their prices as well. They're really stingy when it comes to buying so you should be too. You can pretty much figure that anything you bring in they will say is a problem coin and if they do make an offer, it will be laughable. But, many people are desperate and don't know any better.
