Best Of

I left home early Tuesday morning for the long drive to the CSNS show in Schaumburg, Illinois. I left a day early this year because I wanted to do a little sightseeing. After a stop for gas and for lunch at Fazoli's, I arrived in Urbana, Illinois in late afternoon. I checked into my hotel and then went to dinner at Cracker Barrel.

On Wednesday morning after a light breakfast at the hotel, I got back on the road. I crossed into Indiana to visit the Indiana Dunes National Park. I had never been there before. It was cool and windy but, I really enjoyed it. Back on the road I stopped at the Chicago Portage National Historic Site. Not a lot to see there, but I did walk the trail. I arrived in the Schaumburg area in early afternoon. I went to my favorite restaurant anywhere, the Rose Garden Cafe for a late lunch. I had the 2 large pork chops, chicken and rice soup ( that is so good ) , baked potato and rolls. All for only $16.95! That has got to be the best bargain anywhere. I took one of the chops back to the hotel.

Thursday morning, I had the pork chop from last night for breakfast. After breakfast I headed to the convention center. I got my badge and waited for the 10 AM opening. There was a very large crowd waiting to enter. There was a very long line at the PCGS booth. I first went to see a coin that had been on Ebay. One of the dealers had it with several other boxes of coins out on the floor. They said to come back in 20 minutes. I did and the coin was there. I took a quick look and bought it. Paid too much but I needed the coin and I liked it.

I next went to see David Kahn to sell him 4 coins. It was a quick transaction. I then went to see a $20 Liberty that a dealer had on their website. It was nice but we were too far apart. Said hello to Liz. She did not have anything for me. Next, I went to look at a 1799 Large Cent in PCGS VG 8 at HLRC. It was sold but he let me take a look at it. I would have had to think about it if it was not already sold.

I saw complete Proof sets except for the gold from 1857,1866,1867 and 1891. So cool! One dealer had 11 1916-D dimes in PCGS G-4. He had a few others graded 3 and 6.

The floor was very crowded until about 2PM when it thinned out. I left in late afternoon.

I went back to the Rose Garden Cafe for dinner. I had a steak ( the biggest that I have ever seen ) and 4 jumbo shrimp with chicken and rice soup, baked potato and rolls for $19.95. I took half of the steak and a roll back to the hotel.

Friday morning, I had the steak and roll for breakfast. I arrived at the show just before it opened. I continued looking for coins that I needed. I saw a 1793 Wreath Large Cent in PCGS 65 Brown with a CAC sticker. Holy crap. One dealer had a complete Classic Head $2 1/2 and $5 variety set in PCGS holders. Wow! I saw American Eagles for spot plus $4.

Said hello to Ken Goldman, Dan Decker and had a nice chat with Cliff Mishler.

The concession stand had hot dogs for $8, chips for $4 and soft drinks for $6. The show was much less crowded on Friday. I consigned a Flying Eagle Cent to Great Collections. I left the show in late afternoon.

I went back to the Rose Garden Cafe for dinner. I had the fried Ocean Perch, fries and the chicken and rice soup for $16.25.

On Saturday morning after breakfast at the hotel, I got on the road for home. I had to make more stops than normal because my right knee was killing me. Not sure why. I arrived home around 6 PM.

I had a great time at the show even though I only bought one coin, but I sold all of the coins that I had brought with me.
Next up the ANA in Pittsburgh.

Good Morning, this for the late coffee drinkers....

Here ya go, ex-Norweb but British.
Only graded specimen of any grade and a 1934 Shilling just back from hosts at Proof 67 Cameo:

AU58 PCGS CAC

ADDED NEWPS in separate post below.

So where to begin. Call me Ishmael. No wait, wrong story. Right. Okay this is supposed to be about how CSNS turned out. So…………….
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So everyone around the room at FUN said they were having their best show ever and that included me. Now everyone around the room at CSNS are saying they had their best show ever. How on Earth could you one up FUN? Somehow, it did happen, at least for me. There were not as many folks on the floor although more than OKC ANA last year. Yet people were spending money. Moola. Gold, Silver, er, Platinum? But you get the picture. Friday was much more active than the previous past 2 CSNS shows. I kept writing out invoices, collectors and some dealers, my inventory in the cases kept shrinking. The last invoice was Friday about 4 pm. @copperindian relieved me at my table a couple times so I could roam the room. Each time I found more coins to buy. My philosophy for this show was to buy the best possible coins I could find for the types I was interested in, in the grades I was interested in. I managed to buy 5 dozen + 1, all CAC/CACG except that 1. The 1 is on its way to New Jersey for Green Bean consideration. Let’s all pray to the key lime gods for a little green oval on the slab when it returns. I sold over 4 dozen including several big boy and big girl coins. Now that is called a show. For coins and coinees having fun.
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I roamed the floor with @Kliao on Friday just after lunch, and discovered a new dealer (for me). @Kliao told me he always visited that table and they had good stuff, good prices. And they had a coin of my childhood dreams that will be presented as a Cool Coin Showcase in the near future. As a kid, collecting was from pocket change and there was a dream of somehow striking it rich with a key Fair to Very Good copper penny. Well, I finally found one that as a dealer a half century later, I am willing to have in my case and it was at a price that I can resell. And it is not F to VG but MS………. So I started looking at their other offerings and bought 2 more. Said dealer will be seeing me at their table every show for now on. By Friday on my roams a couple dealers where I was raiding their coolest stuff every time I had a break were by then devoid of such largess. Was it me? Or was it just the hot activity on the floor? One of these dealers, on Friday at 5 pm pulled me in, brought me to his back table, and said, hey DM look at this one that just came up to the table 5 minutes ago. And then proceeded to show me a perfect coin for my case. I said ‘write it up’, he said ‘DM’ I’ve only just got it and I would like to think about it and study it for a while, you got to leave me something. But (in sympathy?), come back first thing tomorrow and I will think about it. More about that below.
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Some of the stories. @messydesk came to my table during a lull on Friday afternoon for some show and tell. He showed me not one, but two, seriously cool broadstruck Morgans, both MS and gorgeous. Whoa there is such a thing? Well yes, Sir Messy just demonstrated that there is. Yeowza.
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There is a very senior guy who roams the floor at some of the shows I go to. He stops at dealer tables and then goes on for hours about his coins and what he should do with them, what he should buy, what is good in your case and yada yada yada. But of course, never buys a thing. After a while, like more than 10 minutes, it gets tough to stay polite and attentive. While sure, we should be doing public service and educational stuff, er, but not this. He was at the table where I bought my childhood dream coin while I was there perusing and buying and you could tell by the look on the dealer faces he had already been there a while. So when he got to my table 3 aisles over I was ready. Here he comes, he stops at my table (!), starts putting his face right to the glass to look in. I know his routine and suffered for hours with it at prior shows. I immediately pull up my phone and say ‘I have to take this’ and run for the hills. I went to the next aisle over and went to Sir Messy’s table and kept an eye out. The plus was, more time to converse with Sir Messy and while I waited it out until this guy went for greener pastures. In about 10 minutes, with no one at my table to talk to, he left. So then I headed back ready to man the table for folks who want to really see my coins and possibly buy them. I know I know, it sounds cold hearted, but I really don’t have an hour or two to listen to his ramblings, we are there for business after all.
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On Friday at 5 pm I packed up the table, feeling charged up for a great evening of paperwork, and left for the pub in the Renaissance for some nice greasy pub food, a nice ale to go with it, and an after dinner Grand Marnier in celebration of a great show. Best laid plans of mice and men. I did get a chicken sandwich and fries, I did have a local craft IPA, but lo and behold, just about the time my Grand Marnier shows up, @PeakRarities, @Rarity7 @Davidk7, and another young gentleman I did not know (but do now) sit down at the next table over along the back side of the bar where there is a long cushioned and continuous seat with tables lined up along it, with about 18 inches between tables. @Davidk7 says DM, let’s move your table over and join us. So we pulled the table over and ‘CRASH!XX?**’. Oops, we er, at the moment forgot to realize my table was two tables and as we moved the segment close to their table, we managed to split it so the condiment glass tray was, that was, well, right in the middle of the two tables, gleefully fell right down to the floor. Who would have thought it? So glass all over the floor, a ketchup bottle exploded and covering the glass, one of the bar attendants immediately rushing over with a broom and dust pan (side note – quick reaction time, has this happened before?), and just like that efficiently cleaned up. With my deep apologies and embarrassment. Nevertheless, we had bourse and dealer stories for about an hour and then we all dispersed. At that point I thought, okay, now, the paperwork. I am a numbers guy I can’t wait to get at them. But @Davidk7 said, ‘DM, @copperndian and some others are over in the Gathering Bar next door do you want to go over with me and join the group?’. Well he was speaking my language. So we go over there, @copperindian’s wife is ordering me a Grand Marnier before I can even sit down. Then we all talked and talked and next thing I know it is 11:30 pm! Paperwork gone astray!
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So Saturday, today, I woke up at 4 am, and worked diligently for 4 hours prior to packing and heading for the bourse at 9 am. I had 75 minutes to hang out, first stop, CAC to deliver 5 coins for crossing and beaning, then to GC to deliver 4 coins for auctions and conversing, and bam, I still had an hour. So I started going to table for folks still present to say goodbyes and for last minute looks to see something to buy. I first went over to the table I was promised a decision from yesterday about the coin my dealer friend was considering over the evening. I came up and he said ‘DM, I just can’t do it, I need to have something to take home’. I said ‘no worries’ and we both laughed about it. I went to a few more tables of extant dealers, did not find anything, and finally ended up at Rarity 7. My goal was to find my way to Peak Rarities to say goodbye to Dan and David, but the stop at R7 had me perusing some very neat coins. And some were copper. And one was the sibling of my childhood dream coin I bought yesterday at the other table I discuss above. And it also met my standards but a different grade. I asked Noah and company for their best price, and dang it was doable with some room left for me. So last 2 coins, I walked away with a very red Randall Hoard large cent and another childhood dream coin. Numbers 60 and 61 for the show.
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By that time it was 5 minutes until my taxi arrived for O’Hare. So alas I never made it to the outer reaches of the bourse where the Peak Rarities table was as I headed straight to the front of the hotel to wait. I opened my phone and the message from the taxi company was that I was already picked up. What? Uh-oh, my taxi appointment time was 15 minutes earlier than when I had recorded in my mind. So I literally sprinted up to the lobby on the escalator dragging a heavy suitcase full of coins in panic and rushed right up to one of the front desk attendants. I said ‘I messed up and missed my taxi can you get me another’. Immediately she got on her computer and said ‘okay you should get your message about one about now’. Phone vibrated, message pops up, ‘your driver is 4 minutes out, track him on the map’. So I am sprinting in reverse down the escalator, rushed out to the front just as he pulls up. Whew! So here I am flying to Denver and the world is saved.
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In summary, a great show, successful in selling and buying beyond anything I could have expected, I got to hang out with a lot of great folks, and, my paperwork still got done!
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Thanks for reading, DM

I once saved $25,000 by stating simply “I’m going to buy this coin anyway but can you do anything on the price”?

Newest addition to my small Proof Indian collection.

Photographed yesterday