Long beach newps and report
OriginalDan
Posts: 3,748 ✭✭✭✭✭
This is a quickly written report so it sort of rambles. Hope it's enjoyable enough to read.
Attended the show with my friends Andy and Shiela. They live near me, Andy is also interested in Trade Dollars (number one variety set on the PCGS Registry) and Shiela is a great sport who has fun attending shows to learn about coins and to look at jewelry and other interesting items on display.
I don’t get to attend coins shows frequently and I spend enough time in traffic here in the bay area, so took Thursday off so that we could leave early enough to beat the major LA after-work traffic. This ended up working out nicely.
Stayed at the Marriott which has a great restaurant for breakfast and they serve Stumptown coffee. Wonderful way to wake up in the morning before the show. The Marriott is walking distance from the convention center, so on Friday morning we arrived for early bird. Only about half the dealers were even there before 10, so I headed over to PCGS.
Submitted a big group of chopmarked coins, a silver coin with some milk spots for conservation (prior to selling), and a few reholders, one to attach the James A. Stack pedigree because I love the coin and the pedigree.
Met up with forum member @bidask , sold him 3 Cap ‘n Rays 8 Reales. First time we met but he was a great buyer and all around nice guy. These 8 Reales were really high end, but I’ve decided to go in a different direction. Sad to see them go but I know they will be enjoyed.
At this point most of the dealers had arrived so I went over to see a Southern California dealer who sometimes has neat chopped stuff. My main set has become a type set of Chinese chopmarked coins, and is coming along nicely to the point where it’s hard to add anything new. Surprisingly he had a couple I don’t have yet and so I picked those up.
1814-Ga MR Mexico War of Independence 4 Reales with a small obverse chopmark. This is a really scarce coin with chops, especially being a minor.
1800-NG M Guatemala 8 Reales with a single reverse chop located in the crown. Another one you don't see every day, and I liked the very original condition of this one.
By now it was almost 10:30, time for “Meet the Expert” with the new president of PCGS. The line was only about 6 people deep so I didn’t have to wait long. I brought up two topics with Brett, variety attribution and the removal of coinfacts images. About variety attribution, I’ve sent in the same coin 3 times without the correct result, so he was very open to listening. He also seemed open to me sending documentation that could help them do better. I really hope this area improves at PCGS. Regarding the coinfacts images, he didn’t promise a timeframe but made it sound like they would be returning soon (maybe in about a month?) after they work out a few things. Actions will speak loud on this one.
After finishing up there I met with John at CRO, had a really nice chat with his wife and sold and consigned a few coins with them. Always a pleasure.
Sold a few portrait Mexican 8 Reales to NEN. At first they weren’t interested, but then a different guy asked what I wanted he became interested and ended up buying 6. I’ve found that some of these dealers have multiple folks working the table, and sometimes you’ll get totally different responses from one person vs. another, as in this case. Next time I would go straight to the guy who bought the coins. I'm learning.
Visited The Penny Lady to get my picture taken and update her on the progress of my 7 year old daughters “penny” collection. Charmy was very generous and sent me on my way with a ziplock bag of wheat cents! My daughter has already gone through half of them, filling a bunch of early date Lincoln holes in her blue Whitman folder. Thank you Charmy, I think we have a new lover of the pennies on our hands here.
Walked around some more, saw a lot of Morgan and Peace Dollars. Said Hi to Todd who is always nice to talk to.
Throughout the day there was a nasty smell drifting around. The best I can’t describe it as is a dead animal. (seriously). Just when I thought I had narrowed it down to a specific location, I would smell it somewhere else. I wonder if it was in the ventilation system. In talking with others, I wasn't the only one to notice. Yes I checked, no I hadn't stepped in something.
In the afternoon I stopped by Kagins to chat with @Regulated . As usual I had fun talking coins and the overall business, always learning a ton. I’m thankful for such knowledgeable yet down to earth guys like David. I looked over his awesome inventory and once again decided not to collect Bechtlers even though he has so many amazing pieces at the moment. I was able to pick up a beautiful little coin from him, this 1854-S one dollar to go in my gold rush set. It’s the first gold dollar I’ve ever purchased and I quite like the little thing.
Near the end of the day I sat down with my friends Andy and Shiela. Earlier in the day Shiela had asked me "if I owned only one coin, what would it be?" So I took her over to the U.S. Coins table and showed her a few of the 1857-S double eagles from the SSCA wreck in 66+. She saw why they might be a good candidate, to answer her question. Her husband Andy gave me a look when we came back from that adventure and heard about her new interest.
Overall a fun show, looked to be decently attended and I only felt rain drop once from the leaky roof, as opposed to the waterfall through the roof of 2 years ago! Going to shows is exhausting, but such a treat for me since it's a once or twice a year thing.
Comments
Great write up and experiences that you shared! Good to hear about the Penny Lady and her influence on your daughter.
Love the Reales.
Thanks for the great report, I have many fond memories of the LB show when I attended several times many years ago.
Wow - that gold dollar GLOWS! Wonderful coin and nice show report. Thank you.
"Got a flaming heart, can't get my fill"
Doesn’t it? I felt like it was the perfect combo of eye appeal vs value as an AU58. Thanks for reading.
Nice chopmarked pieces, the portrait Guatemala is really well preserved. Didn't notice the chop initially.
Nice report, Dan.
Wish I could have gotten a shot at those Cap & Rays!
Super, informatative report. Wish could have attended.
Nice report. Great looking 1854-S Gold Dollar.
Really nice show report Dan. Good luck with the chopmarked grades!
Jeff
It was great seeing you! I wish I'd had a chance to meet your friends - I would have convinced them that the gem Humbert $50 was the one to put back.
What is now proved was once only imagined. - William Blake
Well, to be honest the SSCA gold was my second choice, only because that gem Humbert $50 was MIA when I stopped by. What could have been!
You definitely need to share the photo and story behind that when, if/when you are able to. Incredible piece of history.
Is there a method of conservation that can effectively remove milk spots now?
Dan, it was great to see you, nice write up of your experiences at the show. I too smelled that odor, thought it was "fishy" but couldn't put my finger on it. So nice to see your daughter interested in coins, especially pennies! I love encouraging young ones to get interested in the hobby! Look forward to seeing you at the Santa Clara show in a couple months!
The Penny Lady®
@OriginalDan...Great report and that is a sweet gold coin.... nice acquisition. You mentioned giving coins to PCGS to 'remove milk spots'. Last I knew, they could not be removed... please let us know if this is now possible. I would think it would be big news on this forum. Thanks for the show report. Cheers, RickO
It’s possible they can’t be helped, and it’s also possible they aren’t milk spots. We’ll see how it goes.
count me in for next year
11.5$ Southern Dollars, The little “Big Easy” set
Cool, what day you gunna be there
Ill let you know so you can avoid that day and the physical ramifications of being you
11.5$ Southern Dollars, The little “Big Easy” set
Great write-up, with great coin pics illustrating your narrative! I am going to have to get back to Long Beach some day.
Complete Set of Chopmarked Trade Dollars
Carson City Silver Dollars Complete 1870-1893http://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/showcase.aspx?sc=2722"
Already am buddy.
Sounds like a great show, and it's always better with friends! Glad you were able to have a good time, and nice coins!
Minor Variety Trade dollar's with chop marks set:
More Than It's Chopped Up To Be
cool report, I like
Great report!
@OriginalDan I am curious about your Gold Rush Set that you are building. What does that set include? I have always enjoyed how you architect your own sets so I am curious about this one.
Jason
I like the idea of an early SF gold denomination set. So far it's just the SSCA $20 and this new $1. Also considering how far I might delve into California pioneer gold without selling a kidney. This was my motivation for selling a few coins at the show. I've lived in and around gold rush central in California for most of my life, and it's an area I've always thought I'd end up collecting. Thanks for asking.
lol...the smell. hahaha. i was there and i know what you are talking about. it was baaaaad. i would try to describe it, but i don't want to offend.
i also enjoyed kagins table. they have great coins and i always enjoy talking with david about some of the pieces on display. in particular, he wowed me with some nice original branch mint gold he recently acquired and a tin-type photograph on a 1898 $20. very interesting!
nice report!
Enjoyed the report Dan. Glad you picked up some nice chopped reales. I checked out the Bechtlers on the Kagins site.. OMG! Would love to own one also but there is that matter of wanting to keep both kidneys, LOL. Thanks for taking the time to do the writeup.
What a super-great CA Gold Rush coin! Any 1854-S anything is A-OK with me!
Super report and great coin...I need to ask @Regulated if he has any more!!! If you are interested in CA pioneer gold you should probably start with a Moffett....they are a pretty common and not crazy expensive...I love the pioneer gold too...
Thank you for the detail insight @OriginalDan ........ I almost see myself floating thru the show reading your report.
you are always so graceful with your upmost kindness 
here is the warmest regards from HI
@ThePennyLady ......
Thanks for the great report @OriginalDan!