San Francisco Coin Show Report

SethChandler

Much different than ANY other local show I've ever been to.

I spoke to our founder, Dean Witter, a few days before the show to get the scoop. Apparently, the shop was a big deal in the 1960's and 1970's when it closed down. Ancients and Foreign. It was in a different location - the Jack Tar Hotel.....but close to the current location. We still get people telling us "there used to be a great coin show in SF at the Jack Tar Hotel".

Fast forward to today, Scott Griffin, has restarted the show, and what a great inaugural show. Scott, for those of you that do not know, organizes the two local shows for the San Francisco area. South San Francisco and Santa Clara - to be clear not in SF, but close. These two shows are what you would expect for a small local show.

I really didn't know what to expect with the SF show. My store primarily works with US Coins - and I know very little about foreign and ancients. But we do have a lot of it. We brought some US, but probably 60% was foreign and ancients as that is the theme of the show.

The bourse floor, was very intimate and not a large wide open space. I kept coming back and forth to the show over two days....I am currently monitoring demolition work at our new location. My Father and a great friend "Perfection" on the boards were with me as well. We had the first table on to right as soon as you walk in. I think we spent the first fews hours just laughing, telling jokes, and messing with people I knew as they would walk in. We had a blast! Luis and Sean did a great job manning the table and we sold way more coins that I thought we would. Many Ancients and Foreign coins, dozens, and a handful of nice US Coins---collector coins, like a PCGS 1799 Bust Dollar PCGS XF45 CAC, and a few rarer gold coins. Bought a lot a coins like I normally do at small shows from the dealers that I know. One really neat monster... a Five Indian PCGS MS66 CAC OGH. Rare.

The show was different in the sense that is was FULL of numismatists. People were very passionate about coins. It was nice to walk around and have pleasant conversations about coins of all kinds. There wasn't stacks of Morgans, nor bullion, and most coins were raw. The public that came in were folks that were serious about coins. The show reminded me of a PCGS show. A little more seriousness about coins within a inmate venue....but without the mid afternoon ice cream, and grading.

Its always a pleasure to see my peeps here...David McCarthy, Don Kagin, Andy Lustig, and a few others.....

San Francisco IS a coin town, a serious one. There are a lot of coins here...its the only city with three mints, and there are many, many collectors in this town. I have witnessed it all firsthand.

Kudos to Scott for putting on a great show, It so nice to have a coin show in my town!

Seth

bidask

Nice report .

Do you list ancients and foreign on your website?

golden

Thanks for your show report.

yosclimber

@bidask said:
Nice report .

Do you list ancients and foreign on your website?

Found from the front page under "Our Coins":
https://www.wittercoin.com/coins/ancients.html
https://www.wittercoin.com/coins/world-coins.html

coinlieutenant

Thanks for the report. Really sorry I was out of town during the show. Next year....

Hemispherical

Thank you for the report @SethChandler.

alohagary

Great and detailed report
Wish I could have attended

coinhack

Thank you for the report. I would love to have been there.

ricko

Very nice report, thank you.... It sounds like an interesting show, would like to attend one like that. Cheers, RickO

MilkmanDan

Great report Seth. I had written off the local shows because every year they seemed like a repeat of the last. Same dealers with mostly the same coins, little energy and very few nice coins. The new SF show sounds like a totally different thing and right up my alley with high end world stuff. I'll definitely make an effort to show up next time.

SethChandler

@OriginalDan said:
Great report Seth. I had written off the local shows because every year they seemed like a repeat of the last. Same dealers with mostly the same coins, little energy and very few nice coins. The new SF show sounds like a totally different thing and right up my alley with high end world stuff. I'll definitely make an effort to show up next time.

Hi Dan, yes it was totally different. I, too, have somewhat boxed in local shows as one type. This show blew my stereotype out of the water.

blu62vette

Good news. Glad to hear the show was well, I was real curious how it was going to go.

Walkerfan

Thanks for the report!

Glad you had such a good show!

SanctionII

I stopped by the show on Friday morning and was surprised to find it was not at all like every other show I have ever been to.

I posted a separate thread giving my show report.