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Message:: [QUOTE="GoldFinger1969, post: 3995962, member: 73489"]FUN Thoughts:  Well, it IS appropriately named, because I had LOTS of FUN. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> After a rocky 1st day (see above), I really had a great time on Friday and Saturday, seeing lots of good stuff, and also opening my wallet.  Then I just did some clean-up buying and scouring on Sunday.  Finally left the bourse at about 1 PM Sunday and just hung out and read before heading to the airport. I'll give my thoughts as a 1st-timer especially geared to those of you who are on the bubble about coming to FUN for your first time ever (do it, you won't regret it !). On a personal level, I found and purchased my 1923-D Saint-Gaudens (PhysicsFan and JohnMilton both liked it and I sure as hell value their expertiese on grading and Saints).  Thanks also to PF for alerting me to Saint dealers on Day 2 after I struck out on Day 1.<img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> Elsewhere, I purchased everything from Disney stuff to overpriced silver in slabs to Russian gold to bullion.  I'll post pics and stuff in all the relevent threads in coming days.  My review of FUN in general: The Good:<ul> <li>Plenty of stuff to peruse once I learned my way about the bourse. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></li> <li>Took detailed notes on what the best dealers for the stuff I am interested in have.  Will definitely help me next year.</li> <li>Enjoyed having the auctions on-site.  Was great being in the audience for the 1927-D Saint.  Good thing I didn't lift my recording smartphone any higher...the auctioneer may have thought I was bidding at $1.9 million or so !! <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></li> <li>No need for a car unless you want to visit people or places on your own schedule more than a few miles from the hotel.  The shuttles and cabs are omnipresent and very reasonably priced.  </li> <li>Diverse group of speakers.  Especially liked Randy Campells's talk on the best Silver Dollars to invest in. Would love to see an annual wrap up in the middle of the day (when things slow down) that covers Saints, Morgans, Barbers, SLQ's, etc. for the year ahead.  Either individually or all in one talk.</li> <li>Fantastic meeting all the CoinTalk people and hanging out with ldhair Saturday night.</li> <li>Saw something for everyone at FUN.  Unless you have been going for years and/or need a very very specific niche, there's going to be stuff there that interests you.  Maybe not for 4 days like me, but certainly 1 or 2 days.</li> <li>Much more ancients and foreign than I thought -- even had a dedicated section for them.  Lots of other dealers also had Ancients or Foreign coins (esp. gold ones).  I'd say about 20-25 Ancient dealers in the dedicated section, and a few dozen others had some kind of foreign/ancient stuff.</li> <li>Finally, impressed that the FUN people (mostly or all volunteers, I believe) can put this huge event gogether.  As a member of a club that does something similar, I know the work that goes into such an event.  Can't believe they do it all again (a bit smaller) in 5 months -- we have a year off in my club ! <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></li> <li>Plenty of stuff to peruse once you know where to look.</li> <li>Great exhibition layout.  Congrats to JohnMilton of CT for his excellent display !</li> <li>Congrats to MessyDesk and PhysicsFan on their performance in the grading contest !  </li> </ul>The Needs Improvement Section:<ul> <li>KNOW THE LAYOUT:  I wasted lots of time forgetting where dealers where.  Learn how to use your smartphone to take pics and/or notes (or both) rather than taking out a notepad and pen every few stations like I did.</li> <li>If you book early, you can get those $200/night hotel rooms for half price, so do it.<img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie7" alt=":p" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></li> <li>A dealer had a 2009 UHR MS70 at $3,400.   An MS69 at $2,750.  Those figures are 60% and 50% over recent sales and Ebay for this widely-available coin.  Why have something so grossly over market ? But for the most part, I thought prices for the stuff I know was fairly priced.</li> <li>Can't have 8 AM talks. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie4" alt=":mad:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> People stay out at night, especially Opening Thursday which is a travel day for most and you need Thurs/Friday to recuperate.  The Paper Money talk was at 8 AM Friday and attended by only 6 or 7 people.  I'm sure they would have had more if it were scheduled later in the day.</li> <li>Wouldn't mind a night-time ANA educational event.</li> <li>There was a difference in attendance on Saturday when the working public could attend.  But I think there could be even MORE non-coin collectors who would come, get interested in the hobby, and most importantly spend $$$ and increase the dealers profits.  We have the same problem in my club that hosts a big annual convention.  I think the solution for both of us is dedicated, persistent, social media presence and advertising.  That's how all the folks under 50 years of age learn about things nowadays -- and they have the $$$ to spend.</li> <li>Would love to be able to do the grading contest alongside the pros.  Better yet, maybe a short 30-minute separate contest with mostly U.S. coins (since that's what most of those at FUN collect) in a room and then have someone rate the graders.  Create a grading scale and then let us know how we did.</li> </ul>All-in-all, I give FUN a solid "A" for Absolutely Astounding FUN. Definitely going back next year and will look forward to seeing more of you on the bourse and also in the after-hours hotel hangouts and dinners that I may have missed this year. Given my off-again, on-again interest in this hobby over the years, I doubt I would have ever gone (or learned about it) without CoinTalk and all of you who gave valuable insight over the last year or so -- THANKS !<img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie33" alt=":cigar:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> If anybody considers going in the future and needs any specific answers and I can help out, just PM me.  If I can't help you, I'll let you know someone who can.[/QUOTE]

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