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<p>[QUOTE="V. Kurt Bellman, post: 3192089, member: 71723"]What's better than a Pennsylvania ANA show? Well..., maybe a PAN fall show in the Pittsburgh suburb of Monroeville. After work last Wednesday, I pointed the ol' horseless buggy west (sans Turnpike tolls, by way of State College) to Monroeville. After arriving dead tired and needing to use a rest room (Buy the SMALL drink next time!), I hunkered down for a nice night's sleep at my hotel chain of choice to maximize the benefit of points earnings, yet still a respectable distance from the Monroeville Convention Center. The Official Show Hotel room rate was a little salty even with the show price discount.</p><p><br /></p><p>The show opened for the public at noon on Thursday, but I am a PAN member so got the 1/2 hour jump, and they outfitted me with a Volunteer badge anyway, so I was at their disposal. As it turns out, they were overstaffed with volunteers. Before going to the Convention Center, I strolled through the Monroeville Mall to locate an ATM. The mall is attractive, but WOW, TOO MANY VACANT STORES!! The recovery has NOT hit Pittsburgh's eastern suburbs yet, goys and birls! Vacant free-standing sites like bank branches and restaurants too. There is work to be done in that area.</p><p><br /></p><p>Inside the bourse, it was a different story. Wall to wall dealers, thick with inventory, wheeling and dealing. Like most multi-day shows, dealers got more aggressive as the days ticked by. And ALL the dealers were HIGHLY personable; no surly super-dealers or elite auction companies. The first day, it was a little difficult to find deals, but not impossible. I spent A LOT of time viewing the exhibits, reading each and every one in full. Good quality stuff but NO ONE exhibiting in U.S. coins, the area in which I am certified, so I was not needed to judge.</p><p><br /></p><p>I picked up a few British pieces (my new passion) including an 1820 shilling, and stumbled across an NGC (black insert) SP70 Enhanced Uncirculated 2014 Silver Kennedy half from the 4-coin set at a price too reasonable to turn down. I retired early to return to my hotel and charge my electronic gear for the evening's festivities at LeMont Restaurant up on the hill side overlooking the Golden Triangle downtown, which was to be my first ever PAN banquet. I opted for the PAN shuttle bus, because I've seen downtown Pittsburgh driving and I am afraid of it - genuine FEAR.</p><p><br /></p><p>Long story short - the 33-passenger shuttle bus broke down and I got the far left rear seat (the one you put the smallest kid in) in the 11-passenger replacement they sent, to be augmented with a couple of Ubers. David Lisot, ANA Governor and Butternut Coin guy Steve Ellsworth, and exhibiting savant Simcha Kuritsky were all on the same shuttle, but in seats much easier to exit the vehicle in case of emergency. I was in the "only one guy burned to death" seat. But the driver got us there no problem.</p><p><br /></p><p>The food at LeMont was superb, I had opted for the salmon (nod to cardiologist), but the company at the table was even better. I ended up with our good friends from Coinzip.com, who opted for Monroeville rather than his own Gettysburg show.</p><p><br /></p><p>The program was given by Bob Evans. No, not the "down on the farm" guy who makes sausages and has restaurants, but the guy who discovered the wreck of the S.S. Central America. He gave a somewhat shortened version of the talk there at LeMont, to be augmented the following afternoon at the Convention Center, but what Bob gave "up there" about what they had done "down there" was enthralling enough. Always leave 'em wanting more.</p><p><br /></p><p>A return trip to Monroeville again in the "only one guy died" seat ended the first day successfully.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="V. Kurt Bellman, post: 3192089, member: 71723"]What's better than a Pennsylvania ANA show? Well..., maybe a PAN fall show in the Pittsburgh suburb of Monroeville. After work last Wednesday, I pointed the ol' horseless buggy west (sans Turnpike tolls, by way of State College) to Monroeville. After arriving dead tired and needing to use a rest room (Buy the SMALL drink next time!), I hunkered down for a nice night's sleep at my hotel chain of choice to maximize the benefit of points earnings, yet still a respectable distance from the Monroeville Convention Center. The Official Show Hotel room rate was a little salty even with the show price discount. The show opened for the public at noon on Thursday, but I am a PAN member so got the 1/2 hour jump, and they outfitted me with a Volunteer badge anyway, so I was at their disposal. As it turns out, they were overstaffed with volunteers. Before going to the Convention Center, I strolled through the Monroeville Mall to locate an ATM. The mall is attractive, but WOW, TOO MANY VACANT STORES!! The recovery has NOT hit Pittsburgh's eastern suburbs yet, goys and birls! Vacant free-standing sites like bank branches and restaurants too. There is work to be done in that area. Inside the bourse, it was a different story. Wall to wall dealers, thick with inventory, wheeling and dealing. Like most multi-day shows, dealers got more aggressive as the days ticked by. And ALL the dealers were HIGHLY personable; no surly super-dealers or elite auction companies. The first day, it was a little difficult to find deals, but not impossible. I spent A LOT of time viewing the exhibits, reading each and every one in full. Good quality stuff but NO ONE exhibiting in U.S. coins, the area in which I am certified, so I was not needed to judge. I picked up a few British pieces (my new passion) including an 1820 shilling, and stumbled across an NGC (black insert) SP70 Enhanced Uncirculated 2014 Silver Kennedy half from the 4-coin set at a price too reasonable to turn down. I retired early to return to my hotel and charge my electronic gear for the evening's festivities at LeMont Restaurant up on the hill side overlooking the Golden Triangle downtown, which was to be my first ever PAN banquet. I opted for the PAN shuttle bus, because I've seen downtown Pittsburgh driving and I am afraid of it - genuine FEAR. Long story short - the 33-passenger shuttle bus broke down and I got the far left rear seat (the one you put the smallest kid in) in the 11-passenger replacement they sent, to be augmented with a couple of Ubers. David Lisot, ANA Governor and Butternut Coin guy Steve Ellsworth, and exhibiting savant Simcha Kuritsky were all on the same shuttle, but in seats much easier to exit the vehicle in case of emergency. I was in the "only one guy burned to death" seat. But the driver got us there no problem. The food at LeMont was superb, I had opted for the salmon (nod to cardiologist), but the company at the table was even better. I ended up with our good friends from Coinzip.com, who opted for Monroeville rather than his own Gettysburg show. The program was given by Bob Evans. No, not the "down on the farm" guy who makes sausages and has restaurants, but the guy who discovered the wreck of the S.S. Central America. He gave a somewhat shortened version of the talk there at LeMont, to be augmented the following afternoon at the Convention Center, but what Bob gave "up there" about what they had done "down there" was enthralling enough. Always leave 'em wanting more. A return trip to Monroeville again in the "only one guy died" seat ended the first day successfully.[/QUOTE]
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