Brief ANA Show Report with a few dozen pics (not just the Gold Kennedy!)
illini420
Posts: 11,466 ✭✭✭✭✭
This was my first time travelling to an ANA World's Fair of Money, but I did attend the 2009 show in Los Angeles which was not far from home.
I had been vacationing with family in Missouri and had planned to end the trip to the Midwest by driving up to Chicago to see some family and friends and also to go to the big show.
Anyways, I did have a good time at the show, despite all of the craziness surrounding the gold Kennedy half release and the few greedy dealers who made all dealers at the show look like scum. I was able to sell several coins I brought to the show and I also bought a few cool pieces too. Will not be including details/photos on that though as I don't want to be spamming the U.S. Coin Forum.
Here's a shot of the lobby just before the show opened up at 10am on Tuesday 8/5. And another shot of ANA President Walt Ostromecki giving the opening remarks.
Here are several photos of some of the neat items that were part of the ANA Museum exhibit:
Here are several shots of some of the cooler items I saw around the bourse floor.
Some interesting items from the Collectors' exhibits.
The Low-Ball Morgan Set @ PCGS
So yeah, my sister and I drove up to the show from Missouri and just happened to get to Chicago around 6am, which was advertised as the starting time for the line for the gold Kennedy. It was also advertised that only those ANA members who had pre-registered for badges would be permitted to be in that line and those without pre-registration would have to wait in a separate line for registration. Since we had both pre-registered, we decided to head straight to the show to get the new coins instead of checking into our hotel. Well when we arrived at 6am the line was already down the block from the convention center and full of folks that didn't even know what they were in line to buy. Many didn't have badges until the big shot dealers showed up with bags of badges for their buyers. Pretty disappointing and really gave my sister a bad introduction to the ANA show and the hobby itself as it was only her second ever coin show (haven't been able to drag her to others and after this will be unlikely to do so again now!). Here's our spot in line the first morning (there were about 525 people in front of us we found out later). The start of the line is near the bridge in the distance.
I still wanted a coin though, mostly to bring back to my coin club meeting to show off on August 8. So I went back that night to wait in line for day 2. Fortunately, I was in line next to a forum member I know so the long wait through the night went pretty fast. Even though it was very disorganized and crazy, and sometimes even scary given the people in the line, I did make it in with the first 500. This was the holding line to buy the coins after the 500 tickets were handed out.
Here's the Mint counter inside the bourse.
Here's the coin that only took about 11 hours of waiting to get!!!! I was probably one of the only ones who actually opened the box and look at the coin before completing my purchase. I looked at three different examples and all three had minor issues, either light spotting or small marks in the fields. The Mint would not let me look at any others so I had to pick what I thought was the best of the three. I quickly got it graded by NGC since the label is the only thing that makes the coin "special" from those not bought at the show... pretty silly (and it graded 69 as I expected given the issues - even though I overheard some of the dealers buying for huge prices that they knew they would all come back 70). I did turn down $3300 for the coin just seconds after I bought it at the Mint counter (probably not the best financial move I've made), but everyone at my coin club really liked seeing it Friday evening at our meeting, so that is worth something, haha
The Mint also had a prototype set of the 2014 silver Kennedy set on display, pretty neat.
Finally, here's the front door of the Convention Center on Thursday afternoon after the announcement was made!
I had been vacationing with family in Missouri and had planned to end the trip to the Midwest by driving up to Chicago to see some family and friends and also to go to the big show.
Anyways, I did have a good time at the show, despite all of the craziness surrounding the gold Kennedy half release and the few greedy dealers who made all dealers at the show look like scum. I was able to sell several coins I brought to the show and I also bought a few cool pieces too. Will not be including details/photos on that though as I don't want to be spamming the U.S. Coin Forum.
Here's a shot of the lobby just before the show opened up at 10am on Tuesday 8/5. And another shot of ANA President Walt Ostromecki giving the opening remarks.
Here are several photos of some of the neat items that were part of the ANA Museum exhibit:
Here are several shots of some of the cooler items I saw around the bourse floor.
Some interesting items from the Collectors' exhibits.
The Low-Ball Morgan Set @ PCGS
So yeah, my sister and I drove up to the show from Missouri and just happened to get to Chicago around 6am, which was advertised as the starting time for the line for the gold Kennedy. It was also advertised that only those ANA members who had pre-registered for badges would be permitted to be in that line and those without pre-registration would have to wait in a separate line for registration. Since we had both pre-registered, we decided to head straight to the show to get the new coins instead of checking into our hotel. Well when we arrived at 6am the line was already down the block from the convention center and full of folks that didn't even know what they were in line to buy. Many didn't have badges until the big shot dealers showed up with bags of badges for their buyers. Pretty disappointing and really gave my sister a bad introduction to the ANA show and the hobby itself as it was only her second ever coin show (haven't been able to drag her to others and after this will be unlikely to do so again now!). Here's our spot in line the first morning (there were about 525 people in front of us we found out later). The start of the line is near the bridge in the distance.
I still wanted a coin though, mostly to bring back to my coin club meeting to show off on August 8. So I went back that night to wait in line for day 2. Fortunately, I was in line next to a forum member I know so the long wait through the night went pretty fast. Even though it was very disorganized and crazy, and sometimes even scary given the people in the line, I did make it in with the first 500. This was the holding line to buy the coins after the 500 tickets were handed out.
Here's the Mint counter inside the bourse.
Here's the coin that only took about 11 hours of waiting to get!!!! I was probably one of the only ones who actually opened the box and look at the coin before completing my purchase. I looked at three different examples and all three had minor issues, either light spotting or small marks in the fields. The Mint would not let me look at any others so I had to pick what I thought was the best of the three. I quickly got it graded by NGC since the label is the only thing that makes the coin "special" from those not bought at the show... pretty silly (and it graded 69 as I expected given the issues - even though I overheard some of the dealers buying for huge prices that they knew they would all come back 70). I did turn down $3300 for the coin just seconds after I bought it at the Mint counter (probably not the best financial move I've made), but everyone at my coin club really liked seeing it Friday evening at our meeting, so that is worth something, haha
The Mint also had a prototype set of the 2014 silver Kennedy set on display, pretty neat.
Finally, here's the front door of the Convention Center on Thursday afternoon after the announcement was made!
Michael Kittle Rare Coins --- 1908-S Indian Head Cent Grading Set --- No. 1 1909 Mint Set --- Kittlecoins on Facebook --- Long Beach Table 448
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Comments
One poor dude is still sitting there waiting ...
Nice report!
I would have taken donations at the coin club to offset the $3300 you could have had...
I am really glad I am not into the Kennedy half madness.
Drunner
<< <i>Tell me about the Doily picture!!!!!!!!!
Drunner >>
Was a pretty cool partial-type set of mostly Doily slabs... not the easy ones though like Merc Dimes, Walkers, Franklins, Morgans, etc. But just the really tough coins that probably include many that are one of a kind. Like Morman Gold, Bust Dollar, hand cut sample label and more. And the black NGC slab was cool too. Many have been posted here on the forum before, but it was neat to see them in person. It was on display at the Numismatic Americana table.
Michael Kittle Rare Coins --- 1908-S Indian Head Cent Grading Set --- No. 1 1909 Mint Set --- Kittlecoins on Facebook --- Long Beach Table 448
<< <i>
I used to be famous now I just collect coins.
Link to My Registry Set.
https://pcgs.com/setregistry/quarters/washington-quarters-specialty-sets/washington-quarters-complete-variety-set-circulation-strikes-1932-1964/publishedset/78469
Varieties Are The Spice Of LIFE and Thanks to Those who teach us what to search For.
After seeing how heavily traveled it has become, and the various times it has been mentioned. I think I screwed up . . . just too early in the "Doily Hunt" for me to realize the significance.
I can say I was the first to have it in hand after the original owner though !!!
Drunner
Michael Kittle Rare Coins --- 1908-S Indian Head Cent Grading Set --- No. 1 1909 Mint Set --- Kittlecoins on Facebook --- Long Beach Table 448
How 'bout that Pan-Pac set?
"If I say something in the woods and my wife isn't there to hear it.....am I still wrong?"
My Washington Quarter Registry set...in progress
Why would someone think that a CAC bean is a good thing on a PO01 Morgan ?? ... talk about missing the point.
(1) Love the Sunnywood collection photo, especially the Sirna Moose shot
(2) Love the Ron Landis Doubloon minting photos. It does seem interesting the press also says "EB".
(3) The Pan Pac First Set Struck is nice. It's great to see it on the insert but the positioning of the octagonal is odd. Most octagonal slabs I see have a point at the bottom, not a flat edge.
Thanks as well for the pic of the gold Kennedy!
Dave
Seeing the Sunnywood set in person was pretty special as well... also at the Legend table.
Michael Kittle Rare Coins --- 1908-S Indian Head Cent Grading Set --- No. 1 1909 Mint Set --- Kittlecoins on Facebook --- Long Beach Table 448
The name is LEE!
RIP Mom- 1932-2012
<< <i>Nice to see a show report that is actually about the show and actually has pics of interesting things at the show... thanks! >>
Most welcome. There's just so much coin-related to see at the ANA World's Fair of Money. I could have taken 100 photos of just the collectors' exhibits and probably another 100 of just cool stuff at dealer tables. Then probably another 50-100 of the neat stuff at the World Mint Exhibits. Too bad the ANA doesn't just do this themselves to post on their website so that people who can't attend can at least attend a virtual coin show.
Michael Kittle Rare Coins --- 1908-S Indian Head Cent Grading Set --- No. 1 1909 Mint Set --- Kittlecoins on Facebook --- Long Beach Table 448
Thanks for taking the time posting this, it is very much appreciated.
Thank you
MJ
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......