Spring PNNA Show (Seattle) Report for Friday, April 8, 2022
airplanenut
Posts: 22,245 ✭✭✭✭✭
Seattle doesn't have many shows in general, but the PNNA is by far the largest and best attended by local/regional dealers and even a few from a bit further away. It has been a good show for all the years I can remember, with the 2020 and 2021 shows being canceled (there was a Fall 2021 show, usually in Portland, held in Seattle, and it was also a great show).
I arrived shortly before 10am (dealer setup began at 9, non-dealer/early-bird entry at noon) and found quite a few tables mostly if not fully set up. I walked the floor to see what was already up, stopping to chat with a few friends I hadn't seen since the Fall 2021 or Boeing (January) show. With those conversations, it took the better part of an hour to see everything once (bearing in mind not every table was ready yet), and by the time I got to the far corner from where I started, I found a paper money dealer with an extensive inventory of interest.
While for the most part I buy type coins that catch my eye and thus I'm not looking for something in particular (I do have general want lists of types/dates that present a good value for the type, but for the most part I'm just looking for something that speaks to me, whatever it may be), I am working on a specific colonial paper set, so stacks of such notes are an exciting proposition for me. After looking through a few hundred notes, I picked out three that fit my set, and confirming I didn't have any of them yet, got a price and bought them all. I also found a $10 national bank note issued by the bank in my home town. While the bank has changed names many times since that note was issued, that bank was the first one where I ever had an account, and I have lots of childhood memories of walking in the doors to see a vast art-deco lobby of marble and, at the end of the lobby, stairs leading down to a giant vault door. I've been looking for a note from that bank for a long time, and while my end goal is to get a higher grade example, the price was right so I got that one, too.
By the time I was done exchanging a lot of paper money for a small amount of paper money, the show was mostly set up, and I walked the show once more to see everything. Even before the general public was allowed in, the show was bustling, and by the time noon rolled around, it got a lot busier, with packed aisles and many dealers handling multiple customers at once.
Among the forum members I saw, it was nice to catch up with @Lakesammman, @ThePennyLady, and @PonyExpress8. If you see the sign behind Charmy's table and think, "wow, what a great job hanging that up!" just remember, I played a large role in that. Tim has some rare plastic on display, and in talking about one slab he was showing, I was able to point him to a related one I had seen earlier. On a later pass, he let me know he didn't have that one yet and had purchased it, so he owes me. And just before I left, @Bochiman finally showed up with Tim's lunch, so I had a chance to say hi before having to get back home.
In all, a very enjoyable day, and a really good show. I didn't get anything other than the paper, but that's fine. I'm happy with what I got, and there are lots of great coins available, just not quite what I was looking for. I'm happy to go to shows just to see some friends, so if I walk away with anything, it's a bonus.
One note for anyone going over the weekend. The bridge by the show is currently one-way LEAVING the show, so there's a detour on Interurban up to 115th. If you're coming on I-5 from the south, that's fine--take the detour. If you're coming from the north, get off I-5 at 158 (Boeing Field) and you'll hit the detour route from the north, rather than have to go a few extra miles.
Comments
Cool beans, glad you got some notes. Hope to swing by tomorrow. Thanks for the heads up about the detour. 👍🏻
I lived in the Seattle area so long 25 years ago I thought I would never miss it. I was wrong. Everyday day I left for work Mount Rainier was right in front of me (in the distance) it became invisible after seeing it hundreds of times. Pikes Market was somewhere to go to kill an afternoon. Miss all of it even those coin shows where 90% of inventory was the same stuff I saw before.
It’s always a pleasure seeing the Pacific Northwest folks and forum members, and a big thank you to Jeremy for helping me put up my sign. He arrived just at the right time as it had fallen down before I found some gorilla tape.
The Penny Lady®
Thanks for the navigation tip Jeremy
It's great to hear that Uber Eats is now employing coin nerds
"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working" Pablo Picasso
Mt. Rainier is great when it is visible, but remember, it's Seattle and most of the time it is truly invisible because there are clouds in the way!
Great to catch up with you at the show. Congrats on the notes you bought and the tip on the collectible plastic was MUCH appreciated. I owe you $3 (10%) for the finders fee.
@airplanenut... Thanks for the show report Jeremy. Good to hear the forum people were there... That show - and the Boeing show - is where I met those members many years ago.
Cheers, RickO
Nice work on Charmy's sign...
I have wanted to do the show, mainly as a table holder but would be happy to just walk the bourse. A friend is there too this time and is having a blast. Always heard it is the best show of its weight class. I mainly would like it for the regional dealers to see good fresh material that isn't seen at the big shows.
Thanks for your report.
Thanks for the show report, @airplanenut.
@Lakesammman - Inquiring minds (and old plastic collectors) want to know - what was this find?
Tim
Thanks for the super report.
I had really hoped, and planned on attending, but other challenges got in the way this time.
Dang!
Sounds like a very fun and vibrant gathering!
Hopefully next year
Happy, humble, honored and proud recipient of the “You Suck” award 10/22/2014
Fun that was. Thanks.
Good report- Dave Madden would like the play by play and graphics associated with the detour
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Was in Seattle once. Saw Mt.Rainier and went to the Longacres Horse race track. Mt. still there, track is long gone. Glad you picked up those notes for your collection.
Spring PNNA Show (Seattle) Report for Friday, April 8, 2022
So it is spring somewhere. 39 and cloudy here.
Thanks for the report, really enjoyed it!
Jeremy great to finally meet you in person I appreciate you stopping by .
I give away money. I collect money.
I don’t love money . I do love the Lord God.
As always, a terrific report. You write it like we were there.
peacockcoins
Airplanenut was going to turn right, but then, WHOA! Outta nowhere comes a detour. ROAD CLOSED. He can't go that way! He finds an opening and just goes. Way longer than he expected, but he made it. Found a way to come back around and make it to the show. And that's important, because you can't be at the show if you drive somewhere else. You'd just get out of your car and go, "hey, where's the show?!"
well played...
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Nice report Airplanenut!
Dave
Pick of the national???
Did the PNNA issue a medal this year?
The following page ends at 2015:
http://pnna.org/catalog/
That I don't know--it's not in my area of interest, so I didn't go looking for one (that said, I also didn't see any advertising for one, but I could have just missed that).
I’ll get real pictures eventually, but here’s a cellphone shot from my desk.
Saturday was my best day, lots of traffic on the floor. I didn’t have the big dealer sales for the show, collector’s were the majority of my sales.