Lakeland, FL Coin Show Report + Bonus Coin-Life Lesson
keyman64
Posts: 15,532 ✭✭✭✭✭
July 1-3, 2021 (Attended Thursday)
I started my day by going to the PO Box to pick up a package from PCGS and a package from Great Collections. That was a pleasant experience. 
Then I made the 1 hour drive and got there about 10:15, just 15 minutes after the open. I stopped at the first table that interested me. The table had some cool toners, stacks of slabbed varieties and I asked if the dealer was hiding Mercury Dimes. Yup, he was and he pulled out a couple piles of slabs for me to look through. I also looked at some of his toners (non-Mercs). After 20 minutes or so, I decided on three Mercs. They were all high grade varieties but not varieties blessed by the current Cherrypickers’ Guide or PCGS Merc Complete Variety Set. These are expensive gambles just in case these make it in the next CPG, if it ever freaking comes out. Ugh. Now, these weren’t cherrypicks. They were full on high priced gambles. What the heck? I had a few hundred in cash but needed much more for this deal, much more than a max ATM cash withdrawal. No big deal, right? Pay Pal…the dealer’s account was frozen recently for some unknown reason after having it for 20+ years. He called them trying to resolve the issue for over an hour. No dice. They wanted blood type, hair sample, 7 generations of family history, 412 most recent power bills, copy of driver’s license, social security card, passport and agreement to donate his first born to scientific study. To say the least, verifying the dealer’s identity was not going to happen right away. Still, no problem. I have Cash App, Zelle, Venmo and the dealer had a couple of those too. Sweet! Over an hour later, failures of all types, payments returned, my bank locking up due to security protocols, my calling the fraud department for 30 minutes, waiting and getting hung up on, then I called my local branch and got someone to assist and clear any transactions I wanted. By then it was the money sending apps that had flagged us and prevented the sending or receiving of money. OMG! The year 2021 and I can’t sent a guy money. Way too much time was spent on this. Patience is one thing but by this time I was hating my day off from work. Yes, this was allllllllll my fault! I left my checkbook at home. Coin-Life Lesson - In the year 2021, don’t leave your checkbook at home! We discussed other payment arrangements and the fact the dealer would be at Summer FUN the following week but none of those options put the coins I wanted into my hands on THIS day. I left the show, drove 1 hour home, made a sandwich for the drive back, dusted off 3 inches of dust from my checkbook that hasn’t been used in forever and then drove 1 hour back to the show. Nightmare! My windshield now has a giant crack in it after being hit by a rock on the drive. I paid the dealer, collected the coins and now sprinted through the show looking for more coins. The show was supposed to run from 10-6. At 10:15 when I got there, several dealers weren’t even at their tables yet. At 3:30, the show was slow and some dealers were tossing cloths over their cases and leaving for the day. I made the best of it, bought another Merc, a cherry-pick, that I shouldn’t have and will just dump it at Summer FUN. Fortunately, I was able to buy this one right so I will be fine. During my time I stopped at a dealer’s table that had a bunch of Canadian toners and looked through them. Pretty cool but I avoided adding another distraction to my current focus. I talked to a few dealers I recognized from other shows said bye to the dealer I spent so much freaking time with and then drove the 1 hour home. I was pleasantly surprised that my teenage daughter made dinner for me. Such a blessing after an insane day. I spent the evening relaxing with my two teenagers and trying to wind down while attempting to make sense of the day.
While hanging out with this one dealer, I also struck up conversation with a dealer next to him that had some amazing toys in his two cases. Lots of high grade gold from 1795 to the 1920s, along with a few other things for good measure. Here are two pics…and no, I did not buy these items.
Next up, Summer FUN on July 8th which will include lots of great conversations with friends, searching for elusive treasures and submitting a pile of coins to PCGS so I can save a lot of money on shipping/insurance. I won’t forget my checkbook when going to a coin show ever again. 
Looking for Top Pop Mercury Dime Varieties & High Grade Mercury Dime Toners.
Comments
I love the gold and there 2 good scores there, congrats
Nice report !
Forget the checkbook, an attaché full of cash usually works for me......
Sorry I missed you, and sorry for your experience! I probably could have helped you with the dilemma since I had my checkbook with me.
I did see BillJones up there.
I picked up a few odds and ends but nothing really for my collection. I was hoping to find more, but heard a lot of better stuff got scooped up at dealer day on Wednesday. Also with FUN next week, no one was really incentivized to discount anything this week. But there were some cool things to ogle in the deep end of the pool, and dealers were generally in a good mood.
Interesting report.... That mess with the money sure sounded like a major frustration. Glad to hear it worked out, and the end of the day sounded pleasant. Cheers, RickO
Yeah, sorry to have missed you. It would have been nice to make the rounds better and to have been able to socialize more. Oh well, I learned a good Coin-Life Lesson and will be all ready for a FUN day next week.
Looking for Top Pop Mercury Dime Varieties & High Grade Mercury Dime Toners.
Thanks for the report, will be sure I have my checkbook when I start going to shows again!
cool report. Glad you were able to see some and even buy some cool coins.
Love the "They wanted blood type, hair sample, 7 generations of family history, 412 most recent power bills, copy of driver’s license, social security card, passport and agreement to donate his first born to scientific study."
Glad you finally got the coins and ended the day on a good note.
@keyman64 Cash is King
Successful BST with ad4400, Kccoin, lablover, pointfivezero, koynekwest, jwitten, coin22lover, HalfDimeDude, erwindoc, jyzskowsi, COINS MAKE CENTS, AlanSki, BryceM
I'm just not a fan of carrying several thousands of dollars in cash with me. But yes, under $2K, I would say cash is king.
Looking for Top Pop Mercury Dime Varieties & High Grade Mercury Dime Toners.
That's why I always carry the checkbook - no security issues and, at any show, I can always find at least a dozen dealers to vouch for me and my bank account. Too much of a hassle, and risk, to carry any serious amount of cash.
Member ANA, SPMC, SCNA, FUN, CONECA
Sounds super frustrating. Out of curiosity, was credit card an option? I understand there’s a fee but might have been worth the 3% to avoid the hell you went through.
LIBERTY SEATED DIMES WITH MAJOR VARIETIES CIRCULATION STRIKES (1837-1891) digital album
I wonder if coin dealers and drug dealers are the only ones left who are expecting to handle thousand dollar transactions in cash.
LIBERTY SEATED DIMES WITH MAJOR VARIETIES CIRCULATION STRIKES (1837-1891) digital album
I remember large coin shows in the 1960's and seeing coin transactions involving payment using several thousand dollar bills. These bills now sell for a premium in the collectable paper money market.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
People carry thousands of dollars in collectable coins. Not much difference.
Successful BST with ad4400, Kccoin, lablover, pointfivezero, koynekwest, jwitten, coin22lover, HalfDimeDude, erwindoc, jyzskowsi, COINS MAKE CENTS, AlanSki, BryceM
They tried Paypal!
Yup, he didn’t have a CC machine or mobile one connected to his phone…the square thing.
It was a tough day. Happy it’s over and I can look forward to the next show knowing I have a valuable Coin-Life Lesson under my belt.
Looking for Top Pop Mercury Dime Varieties & High Grade Mercury Dime Toners.
These days, not as much as it used to be. Lots of dealers would prefer a check from a trusted buyer.
@MasonG i haven't been to a coin show in over 20 years. Not likely to get my check accepted. Plus when technology fails you cash will always work.
Successful BST with ad4400, Kccoin, lablover, pointfivezero, koynekwest, jwitten, coin22lover, HalfDimeDude, erwindoc, jyzskowsi, COINS MAKE CENTS, AlanSki, BryceM
One word: BITCOIN!
Thank you for the report. I always to have as much cash as possible. Then i have a backup check to the dealers that know im good for it.
I learned a long time ago to always bring my checkbook. I remember several times years ago I would leave my checkbook at home so I would stay within my set budget. Every time I did that I would find a deal I couldn't pass and end up driving home to get my checkbook!