So I checked to see if there are any coin shows by me coming up. Turns out there is a pretty big one in January 2012 in New York. But here's the thing, with me been new to coins, is this a good idea? Right now I don't really know whats a fair price for the rarer coins. Nor do I know what to really look for. The last thing I want to do is buy something in haste thats overpriced or even worse, fake. I'm trying to educate myself by going to coin stores, checking out articles online, and reading posts in the forum. But I still feel a bit uncomfortable going to a show with only a months knowledge. Is it wise to go and start buying or is it too soon? Also what can I expect? Are there going to be dealers trying to rip me off when I tell them "I'm a new collector" ? Thanks for any advice.
Going to a show doesn't mean you have to buy. Attending can be a rewarding experience. Meet some dealers, or other collectors. Feel out how the show runs and get your feet wet without diving in head first.
Possibly this one? http://www.nyinc.info/ If so, that show is mainly an international one with very little in the way of domestic fare. If you love ancients and foreign coins, it's the coin show gathering of the year, but if you are primarily a US collector, you may be disappointed. Still, it's a marvelous show and worth a trip if only for the experience of attending your first show. Don't let the fact that you've only been collecting for a short period of time deprive you of such an experience. You can always "window shop". Nobody says you have to buy anything. Besides, go for the "freebees". There is a lot of literature, that is given away at this show, that is gratis.
Thats the one. Thanks for the advice guys, I'm going to look around at the show. Though I'm not that heavily into world coins yet, I do find myself finding a lot of interesting ones. And because I got my parents small collection of world coins I'm trying to find some missing years to make a mini run. Maybe I will find some there.
Hey, I'm going too, and It'll also be my first time at a major show as well. I'm not exactly new to coins, but I've generally avoided traveling to coin show fora different reasons. You may want to skip the major auctions, but the previews are cool if you just want to see the rare stuff in person. I'm trying to figure out which day I should go to catch the usual dealer mall, rather than the major auctions.
