Some observations from the coin show

Must have been the Raleigh, NC show.

 

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Thanks Vic. Looks like most these dealers are selling their wares online based on the pocket full of flyers and business cards I came home with. So what gives at the shows. The dealers out numbered the public the entire time I was there. It was a ghost town. I made multiple passes and viewed not only the Trade dollars 1876 and 1877 but also 1853 arrows and rays at least twice. Held the coin each time. I typically do not initiate price negotiation. Thinking this to be good etiquette. I ask and then hand back if high. The purpose of the second pass and look is to prompt the dealer to open negotiation. I left Sunday with nothin.

 

Sounds like the best financial decision you could have made.

 

You must have made a mistake on the good ettiquette guidelines somewhere, God knows, there are a lot of them to remember, especially for such a sparse crowd at these shows.

 

What are you ranting about? From the OP the thread was impartial, here's proof...

@GDJMSP We can do whatever we want, as long as we follow the CT rules, right? What is your interest or agenda in these posts. It's hard to believe you do not have one. Not a single decent, fair, transparent, ethical, polite, kind, human dealer has to defend himself in any of these threads. We would all love one of those. Who are you sticking up for, because from what I'm reading, we're not accusing or discussing any decent folks, we are happy to buy something from a dealer's online store or in person, if it is priced and we like it. Don't be so upset with the fact that we don't want to date the dealer, go steady or get to third base. Enjoy your relationships, revive them, maybe, other than popping in here to lecture and stand up for a subspecies of dealer that seems to have aligned itself with the car industry.

 

No 2 is debatable in that defining a "sucker" in the coin collecting hobby is difficult since the guy/girl doing the purchase knows what they want and they are willing to pay for it. Are they "suckers" because they may not agree with a common perception bantered about on coin boards? Or are they "suckers" because they are ignorant?

No 3 is spot on but then ownership adds a point (or two).

No 4 is relative to the current TPG environment. For example, just because a coin, which is accurately graded, resides in an ANACS Slab, should it command a lessor premium than the exact same coin in a PCGS Slab?

No 5 is spot on but then CAC coins do appear to attract premiums in the marketplace.

No 8 usually is because folks don't necessarily shop for Numismatic Books at coin shows unless they know exactly what they want. I always stop by the supply dealers tables to browse the books. Usually, what I am looking for isn't there.

No 11. Problem coins are either obvious of open to opinion. I have personally had occasion to disagree with a "cleaned" designation for a coin which I submitted that I believed full well had not been cleaned. A subsequent submission of the same coin garnered an MS grade. There are many album collectors out there that simply do not buy slabbed coins and better to sell to them than not sell at all as some don't really care, they only want to fill the hole in the book. I am not saying that its ethical to crack out an "obviously" problem coin but I am saying that I don't always agree with the assessment that some TPG's put on coins.

No 12. Good as until a collector has put out $1,000 for a table at a Major Show, they will never understand why some dealers have high mark ups at coin shows. They will never understand why dealers are asking price guide value for the items they are selling. Now, if table space were FREE at major coin shows, I might have a different opinion. But table space costs money and the way I look at it is I am getting the opportunity to "look" first hand and make my own opinions on whether or not I want to buy.


So often, coin talk is filled with negative opinions about coin dealers backed up with casual observations over some ethical issue. Granted, there are some dealers that you have to wonder what they are thinking but then, at a coin show, you have the option of simply moving to the next table. Unless, of course, you want to stand around and chat which is the other rewarding experience of attending a coin show.

For the record, No 6 is the primary reason I do not attend EVERY Local Coin Show.

I was at the Santa Clara Show this past weekend and was asking myself: "Did I look through this album at the Last Santa Clara Coin Show?" In some cases, I had, in other cases, I hadn't.

I came away with absolutely nothing to share for my time at the show.

 

GDJMSP,

I agree with your posts. That's why I continue to attend coin shows and if I can, I travel great distances to attend some. I attended a show this past weekend and purchased two of the four coins I had on my want list for that show.

I feel sometimes it's easier to remember what irks us rather than the positive. This is not a good trait, but it is a trait none the less. I know a lot of good decent dealers at shows that deserve respect and to be stood up for. I am guilty of complaining a time or two, and while some definitely deserve a lot more than a complaint, some deserve respect.

I attend coin shows and collect coins for fun, so I should work on focusing more on the fun.

 

I have been patronizing the Santa Clara show for many years. I have a special relationship developed over these years with a local shop. This last show my local guy was a no show. I like your comment with regards to standing around and chatting. I did just that. I also realize I need to pay for the knowledge I gain during my chat time. Maybe it's me, maybe because my guy was not there, maybe I need to work into another trust relation with another dealer. I don't know. I really left the show empty. Literally! I felt priced out. My humble opinion.

 

My apologies. I had a piece of Cindi's Carrot Birthday Cake.

 

Agreed. I just went to the Gettysburg coin show this past weekend with my wife, two sons and nephew. Many of the dealers were more than fair with their pricing, especially when they knew my kids were interested in coins. I heard multiple times "they are the next generation of this hobby, we need to keep them interested".

One dealer in particular was fantastic - we bought quite a bit in volume from him (many from his "junk" bins, and a few german coins for me). He was so nice to my boys and when I handed him all of the coins we wanted to buy, I simply said "I trust you will give me a fair price". He discounted it pretty heavily, and I was more than happy.

If its appropriate, I would be happy to list his name and info, but not sure if I am allowed to do that. Either way, he was great... and I don't think I or my boys would have had the same experience if we had all crowded around the computer to shop on ebay.

 

What?

The dealer was supposed to be a mind reader?

Ask, ask, and then ask again.

No one is going to guess what your thoughts are.

 

Is littleton coin an exception to that rule? They overprice stuff big time yet they have been around for what 60 years? if your theory is true then why didn't littleton coin go out of business?

 

They have a good reputation. If you order a unc morgan, you will get one.