What was the first ANA World's Fair of Money convention you attended? What do you remember about it?

Do you remember the first ANA summer convention you attended? What was the venue? Do you like some locations better than others? If so, why?

 

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The first one I attended was in New Orleans in 1972. The reason I remember it is that it was the summer my daughter was born. In fact, my mother-in-law came to our house to help out with the new infant and our then 2-year-old son. She planned to cook for our budding family so I, as the cook, wasn't really needed. Instead, I went to New Orleans for the convention and stayed in my mother-in-law's house.

 

2018 - Philadelphia - World's Fair of Money
Pennsylvania Convention Center

All the neat items on display..



With my wife



Fred Weinberg

 

2010 Boston. It marked my foray into the world of classic commemoratives and the fulfillment of a childhood dream. I sold a bit of silver (eagles) to accomplish that.......

 

I remember what I bought because, like an idiot, I bought only one coin, a Fine 1916-S Walking Liberty half dollar. I went to the table of a large East Coast dealer and asked him if he had a 1916-S half in Fine condition. In response, he pulled out a brown envelop with at least a half dozen of the coin I wanted. My pick for $20. Why didn't I ask for a lot price?

Do I still have the coin? Of course not. No telling what happened to it.

 

2016 Anaheim. I was completely overwhelmed. It was the first big show I attended. I know I came home broke (spent every dime of my budget) but also convinced I needed to get more involved with the social side of the hobby.

 

Thank goodness for forums like this one......

 

1980 Cincinnati. Walked around in amazement. Stopped at several
tables including Julian Leidman's table. He had a velvet tray with
a dozen or so proof Trade dollars. He saw me admiring and he pulled
the entire tray out. Some of the most beautiful DCAM I had ever
seen. The 80 and 81 had really nice reverses. Over the intercom
he was paiged to the info desk, about 3 rows away, for a message.
He looked at me and said, "I'll be right back". Left me there with
the tray of Trade dollars. I was dumbfound. After about 10 minutes
he returns and we carry on the conversation. Still one of my best
experiences.

 

Ft. Lauderdale 2000. Bought a 1918 Lincoln, Brown Unc.

All I really wanted to do was tell Dave Bowers: "you da man." But everytime I went past his table someone was talking to him.

 

Is there more to this? What did you accomplish with classic commems? A full 50-coin type set?

 

My first big ANA show was in 1976. It was held in New York City at the Americana Hotel. Stacks' held the auction.

I had two big purchases. The first an original 1909 Proof set, which had the Indian Cent through the Barber Half Dollar. I sold that set several years later as part of the down payment on my first house.

The other big purchase was this Bust dollar.



This is now tied as the finest known of the 1800 Bolender 20 die variety. At the time I bought it, it was finest known. The obverse is the plate coin in Bolender's book and it was his discovery specimen. Back in those days a coin like this carried a modest premium, a couple hundred dollars, for the rarity and pedigree.

As commentary on grades, when I bought this piece is was officially an EF-45 in silver dollar variety census. Today it is in an NGC AU-58 holder.

After doing some research on the Newman Portal, I learned that this 1837 $5 gold piece was sold in the 1976 Stacks' ANA auction. It was graded "AU" back then. Today it's in an MS-61 holder.

 

Have never attended but it's on my bucket list along with the FUN Show. I attended the CSNS show in Minneapolis back in 2000 and RCNA show in Winnipeg in 2013. Those are my only major conventions.