IMEX: The good, the bad and the ugly

Pnies20

Good:

• I expected there to not be many people waiting to get in. There was a very healthy crowd of folks and it was more than the summer FUN show when I went this year. I’m not sure how many people total came throughout the day but I thought it was a good sign for the community as a whole.
• There was a good mix of dealers. Although I didn’t find anything to buy, there was a ton of type coins and stuff I like. Prices were just very high and I think that will not be the case for long.
• I really like the venue for a coin show. It’s newer and instead of a lot of walking you go straight up two escalators and you’re there. It’s centrally located and I’m sure lots of folks took advantage of the restaurants and bars close by.
• Met @pcgscacgold who was on the hunt for some bust halves. Had several folks come visit including @habaraca, @BustDMs and Glenn Peterson. We walked around the show all day. Went to Amerigo after for dinner and then my house. It was worth it for $10.

BUT

The bad:

• The dual lines to pay were not ran well and took forever. Everyone was confused and immediately heard griping about it through the crowd. It would just be so much easier to not charge the entrance fee.
• Several dealers told me that when they got in, lots of things were missing: some didn’t have lamps, some were missing a table, some had tables moved without being notified, they were laying carpet as they were trying to set up. Annoying.
• I did not like the layout of the bourse. It started out as aisles and then there were blocks of tables and wide areas and it kind of became a maze. There were green partitions between tables that were ugly and not necessary.

All of these could be fixed. These are things that could be considered growing pains. Get them right, get a few more dealers in and it could be a great show.

The Ugly:

• The really unfortunate part of the show was the fact that many prominent people in numismatics talked directly to the organizers and expressed their concerns. He stated that they were not going to consider changing any of the issues people had. That’s unbelievable.

In order for this show to survive and even become a good show (which it definitely can with good leadership), they’ve got to swallow their pride and make the easy changes. Otherwise I don’t know if it will make it past a few more years.

lermish

@Pnies20 said:

The Ugly:

• The really unfortunate part of the show was the fact that many prominent people in numismatics talked directly to the organizers and expressed their concerns. He stated that they were not going to consider changing any of the issues people had. That’s unbelievable.

In order for this show to survive and even become a good show (which it definitely can with good leadership), they’ve got to swallow their pride and make the easy changes. Otherwise I don’t know if it will make it past a few more years.

Thanks for a nice report.

Many people in numismatics, I think more than average, have very strong opinions and they are not afraid to share. It seems like the promoter had an awful lot of wise but unsolicited advice re the show. I wonder if the deluge of constructive criticism combined with the stress and ambitiousness of starting a new show has made the promoter a bit recalcitrant.

Hopefully they reconsider some of the proposed changes prior to next year

pruebas

@Pnies20 said:

• The really unfortunate part of the show was the fact that many prominent people in numismatics talked directly to the organizers and expressed their concerns. He stated that they were not going to consider changing any of the issues people had. That’s unbelievable.

In order for this show to survive and even become a good show (which it definitely can with good leadership), they’ve got to swallow their pride and make the easy changes. Otherwise I don’t know if it will make it past a few more years.

Knowing the reputation of the show owner, this is exactly what I would have expected. Sad, but true.

Catbert

Excellent and informative show report. Thanks for the detail and opinion!

kaz

Thanks for taking the time to write the report. I hope the show organizers listen to some of the well-informed feedback.

yspsales

Thanks for the report.

Could see making it next year.

Hopefully they can manage some changes, and avoid competing with the SC show.

Why split the potential dealer pool?

NJCoin

@Pnies20 said:
Good:

• I expected there to not be many people waiting to get in. There was a very healthy crowd of folks and it was more than the summer FUN show when I went this year. I’m not sure how many people total came throughout the day but I thought it was a good sign for the community as a whole.
• There was a good mix of dealers. Although I didn’t find anything to buy, there was a ton of type coins and stuff I like. Prices were just very high and I think that will not be the case for long.
• I really like the venue for a coin show. It’s newer and instead of a lot of walking you go straight up two escalators and you’re there. It’s centrally located and I’m sure lots of folks took advantage of the restaurants and bars close by.
• Met @pcgscacgold who was on the hunt for some bust halves. Had several folks come visit including @habaraca, @BustDMs and Glenn Peterson. We walked around the show all day. Went to Amerigo after for dinner and then my house. It was worth it for $10.

BUT

The bad:

• The dual lines to pay were not ran well and took forever. Everyone was confused and immediately heard griping about it through the crowd. It would just be so much easier to not charge the entrance fee.
• Several dealers told me that when they got in, lots of things were missing: some didn’t have lamps, some were missing a table, some had tables moved without being notified, they were laying carpet as they were trying to set up. Annoying.
• I did not like the layout of the bourse. It started out as aisles and then there were blocks of tables and wide areas and it kind of became a maze. There were green partitions between tables that were ugly and not necessary.

All of these could be fixed. These are things that could be considered growing pains. Get them right, get a few more dealers in and it could be a great show.

The Ugly:

• The really unfortunate part of the show was the fact that many prominent people in numismatics talked directly to the organizers and expressed their concerns. He stated that they were not going to consider changing any of the issues people had. That’s unbelievable.

In order for this show to survive and even become a good show (which it definitely can with good leadership), they’ve got to swallow their pride and make the easy changes. Otherwise I don’t know if it will make it past a few more years.

Thank you very much for the honest review. The ugly isn't shocking, given the reluctance to publish basic information like dealer lists, and the insistence on the admission fee, to separate hard core collectors from casual members of the public.

It's clearly the promoters' sandbox, and they are going to reap precisely what they sow. Whitman is a commercial enterprise that has figured out how to run a successful show while not charging an admission fee. Most of the non-profits, large and small, have very successful shows without charging admission, either to their members, or to anyone.

I assure you, based on what you have relayed and on the arrogant response to the critiques, the show will not survive. Pissed off dealers will not return. And few, if any, collectors will make the trip from out of the area.

Give them credit for taking a shot. Beat them up for being too prideful to do more than relent and ultimately publish a dealer list.

Depending on whether or not the $10 helped them cover their nut, you might not even have a Round 2 next year. If you do, it will be the last, because the people who matter are not going to react well to not having their concerns addressed. Not when these guys are not the only game in town. Even if they are, literally, the only game in Nashville. Believe me, no one outside of Nashville cares.

Pnies20

@NJCoin most of what you said is correct but the one thing I will say is that there was enthusiasm overall about being in Nashville. The buyers seemed fine. They bought coins and enjoyed the city.

That being said, upset dealers = no show.

NJCoin

@Pnies20 said:
@NJCoin most of what you said is correct but the one thing I will say is that there was enthusiasm overall about being in Nashville. The buyers seemed fine. They bought coins and enjoyed the city.

That being said, upset dealers = no show.

No doubt. Nashville is beautiful, new and exciting. My only comment, from weeks ago, was that it was expensive, and an expensive trip for people not from the area. And that it was therefore a lot to ask people to make the commitment to attend something brand new without knowing what they would be getting, in terms of a bourse listing. And they fixed that.

The $10, IMHO, is just petty and unnecessary, based on what others do. I'm not saying they shouldn't look to cover their costs, or even make a few bucks. I'm saying, again, based on what others do, that the path to success is to build that revenue into dealer fees, with the expectation that dealers make it back through increased foot traffic.

But, no. These guys know better. So, you had lines to get in, and then little to no foot traffic once inside. Congratulations. The promoters got exactly what they bargained for, with the bonus that they are right and anyone with a critique is wrong.

NJCoin

@yspsales said:
Thanks for the report.

Could see making it next year.

Hopefully they can manage some changes, and avoid competing with the SC show.

Why split the potential dealer pool?

Probably because they had a needle to thread between spacing between other major shows, and then availability of the venue. Everyone else already has their established slot, and there are always going to be issues and compromises with a new player muscling in and creating a space for themselves.

I'm sure it was less than ideal for them, and that it was probably something they felt they needed to do. Going forward, what are they going to do? Have it the week before Baltimore, or the week after Long Beach, in order to avoid a conflict with South Carolina? Based on my previous post, I honestly don't think it's going to be an issue beyond the next year or two, if that.

Project Numismatics

@yspsales said:
Thanks for the report.

Could see making it next year.

Hopefully they can manage some changes, and avoid competing with the SC show.

Why split the potential dealer pool?

And competing with the New Hampshire show (it appears that GFRC and CRO both stuck with NH).

coinbuf

Thanks for the report, interestingly Gerry Fortin had a very different perspective on attendance in his blog.

Pnies20

@coinbuf said:
Thanks for the report, interestingly Gerry Fortin had a very different perspective on attendance in his blog.

He wasn’t there I don’t believe

keyman64

What category did hotel prices next to the venue fall into? Good, Bad or Ugly? Lol

Pnies20

@keyman64 said:
What category did hotel prices next to the venue fall into? Good, Bad or Ugly? Lol

The ones that were reserved as blocks for the show were significantly cheaper than normal.

coinbuf

@Pnies20 said:

@coinbuf said:
Thanks for the report, interestingly Gerry Fortin had a very different perspective on attendance in his blog.

He wasn’t there I don’t believe

You are correct, but I would assume that he knows dealers that are there and had communications with them, from his blog:

Maybe you wish to contact him and share your perspective on attendance.

NJCoin

@coinbuf said:
Thanks for the report, interestingly Gerry Fortin had a very different perspective on attendance in his blog.

I'm not sure that's the case. A bottleneck at the entrance due to a lack of organization with respect to collecting fees and processing people is not the same as healthy attendance.

As I suggested early on, an admission fee when most shows don't charge them, in addition to lack of early transparency on a multitude of show features, plus an expensive location, were bound to hold down attendance. That's likely precisely what happened.

The exact opposite of "build it and they will come." In fact, unless there was a robust dealer-to-dealer market, it is likely the expensive location and lack of retail traffic is precisely what will kill the show, since there will be no reason for dealers to spend the money to attend.

Yes, $10 admission fees are brilliant, because, well other things cost money, so no reason for people not to be willing to spend to walk in a door. Nothing but gravy for the promoters, so, why not? Except, when other doors are free and there is nothing special about one particular door.

@habaraca in the other thread reported something similar with respect to attendance. I cannot wait to read @DeplorableDan's report.

Pnies20

@coinbuf said:

@Pnies20 said:

@coinbuf said:
Thanks for the report, interestingly Gerry Fortin had a very different perspective on attendance in his blog.

He wasn’t there I don’t believe

You are correct, but I would assume that he knows dealers that are there and had communications with them, from his blog:

Maybe you wish to contact him and share your perspective on attendance.

I offered my opinion. I’d say it was Average in terms of attendance for a “large” show. Which is better than I expected. Those are somewhat vague terms but I don’t have an actual count. Like I said previously, the amount of people waiting to get in was fairly large. I’d say say at least several hundred at opening.

Pnies20

@NJCoin said:

@coinbuf said:
Thanks for the report, interestingly Gerry Fortin had a very different perspective on attendance in his blog.

I'm not sure that's the case. A bottleneck at the entrance due to a lack of organization with respect to collecting fees and processing people is not the same as healthy attendance.

As I suggested early on, an admission fee when most shows don't charge them, in addition to lack of early transparency on a multitude of show features, plus an expensive location, were bound to hold down attendance. That's likely precisely what happened.

The exact opposite of "build it and they will come." In fact, unless there was a robust dealer-to-dealer market, it is likely the expensive location and lack of retail traffic is precisely what will kill the show, since there will be no reason for dealers to spend the money to attend.

Yes, $10 admission fees are brilliant, because, well other things cost money, so no reason for people not to be willing to spend to walk in a door. Nothing but gravy for the promoters, so, why not? Except, when other doors are free and there is nothing special about one particular door.

@habaraca in the other thread reported something similar with respect to attendance. I cannot wait to read @DeplorableDan's report.

You’re beating a dead horse again.

It wasn’t a good show by any means but you’re using semantics to prove a point no one is arguing with you about.

The bottom line is, things can be fixed to make it better. People came to give it a chance and if they don’t fix things, it’ll die.

Whether or not there were retail sales has more to do with a declining market and high prices, imo. I was ready to buy and couldn’t find anything I liked for a price I was comfortable with.

NJCoin

@Pnies20 said:

@NJCoin said:

@coinbuf said:
Thanks for the report, interestingly Gerry Fortin had a very different perspective on attendance in his blog.

I'm not sure that's the case. A bottleneck at the entrance due to a lack of organization with respect to collecting fees and processing people is not the same as healthy attendance.

As I suggested early on, an admission fee when most shows don't charge them, in addition to lack of early transparency on a multitude of show features, plus an expensive location, were bound to hold down attendance. That's likely precisely what happened.

The exact opposite of "build it and they will come." In fact, unless there was a robust dealer-to-dealer market, it is likely the expensive location and lack of retail traffic is precisely what will kill the show, since there will be no reason for dealers to spend the money to attend.

Yes, $10 admission fees are brilliant, because, well other things cost money, so no reason for people not to be willing to spend to walk in a door. Nothing but gravy for the promoters, so, why not? Except, when other doors are free and there is nothing special about one particular door.

@habaraca in the other thread reported something similar with respect to attendance. I cannot wait to read @DeplorableDan's report.

You’re beating a dead horse again.

It wasn’t a good show by any means but you’re using semantics to prove a point no one is arguing with you about.

The bottom line is, things can be fixed to make it better. People came to give it a chance and if they don’t fix things, it’ll die.

Whether or not there were retail sales has more to do with a declining market and high prices, imo. I was ready to buy and couldn’t find anything I liked for a price I was comfortable with.

Fair enough, and I honestly didn't mean to beat the dead horse, although sometimes I seem unable to help myself. What made this show special with respect to high prices? Did you go to summer FUN, or the ANA, and find the same thing? Because I didn't find that to be a widespread complaint.

Has the market turned that much in the past 2-3 months? Or, were dealers more optimistic in Nashville in an attempt to recover their relatively higher cost of attendance? Not trying to be a wiseguy or anything. I'm genuinely curious as to why you think the pricing was the way it was, specifically at this show.

For whatever reason, as nice as Nashville is as a place to visit, there is a reason it has not had a coin show in forever. Sales taxes on coins and Steve Forbes notwithstanding, I think the dead horse has spoken.

Pnies20

@NJCoin said:

@Pnies20 said:

@NJCoin said:

@coinbuf said:
Thanks for the report, interestingly Gerry Fortin had a very different perspective on attendance in his blog.

I'm not sure that's the case. A bottleneck at the entrance due to a lack of organization with respect to collecting fees and processing people is not the same as healthy attendance.

As I suggested early on, an admission fee when most shows don't charge them, in addition to lack of early transparency on a multitude of show features, plus an expensive location, were bound to hold down attendance. That's likely precisely what happened.

The exact opposite of "build it and they will come." In fact, unless there was a robust dealer-to-dealer market, it is likely the expensive location and lack of retail traffic is precisely what will kill the show, since there will be no reason for dealers to spend the money to attend.

Yes, $10 admission fees are brilliant, because, well other things cost money, so no reason for people not to be willing to spend to walk in a door. Nothing but gravy for the promoters, so, why not? Except, when other doors are free and there is nothing special about one particular door.

@habaraca in the other thread reported something similar with respect to attendance. I cannot wait to read @DeplorableDan's report.

You’re beating a dead horse again.

It wasn’t a good show by any means but you’re using semantics to prove a point no one is arguing with you about.

The bottom line is, things can be fixed to make it better. People came to give it a chance and if they don’t fix things, it’ll die.

Whether or not there were retail sales has more to do with a declining market and high prices, imo. I was ready to buy and couldn’t find anything I liked for a price I was comfortable with.

Fair enough, and I honestly didn't mean to beat the dead horse, although sometimes I seem unable to help myself. What made this show special with respect to high prices? Did you go to summer FUN, or the ANA, and find the same thing? Because I didn't find that to be a widespread complaint.

Has the market turned that much in the past 2-3 months? Or, were dealers more optimistic in Nashville in an attempt to recover their relatively higher cost of attendance? Not trying to be a wiseguy or anything. I'm genuinely curious as to why you think the pricing was the way it was, specifically at this show.

For whatever reason, as nice as Nashville is as a place to visit, there is a reason it has not had a coin show in forever. Sales taxes on coins and Steve Forbes notwithstanding, I think the dead horse has spoken.

I can only speak for what I collect, which are bust halves. I think dealers were able to offer more to vest pocket folks and people offloading parts of their collection over the last year. Now they are unable to give much wiggle room in pricing or are forced to price higher to not take a loss in a market that is softening a little bit.

I am very conscious of the fact that if I’m not careful with the prices I pay at this point in time, I may be stuck with that particular coin for a long time. Makes me even more selective than I already am.

CoinRaritiesOnline

@Project Numismatics said:
And competing with the New Hampshire show (it appears that GFRC and CRO both stuck with NH).

We did the New Hampshire show because it has historically been a good show for us, it's extremely convenient, it's very reasonable priced from a dealer perspective and I like to support show organizer Ernie Botte who has done a great job hosting events in New England through the years.

If Nashville did not conflict with NH I'd certainly consider doing it going forward.

leothelyon

I like the idea, create a huge maze with all the tables where people get trapped, lost and not allowed to leave until they're pennyless! 🤣

Leo

Herb_T

Paul, the Ugly really is very ugly! Whoever that was lets hope they aren’t in charge of anything next year, and that includes the bathrooms!

I should have asked you to look for 1886 PCGS MS64 Liberty 5C……need one!

Pnies20

@Herb_T said:
Paul, the Ugly really is very ugly! Whoever that was lets hope they aren’t in charge of anything next year, and that includes the bathrooms!

I should have asked you to look for 1886 PCGS MS64 Liberty 5C……need one!

I actually remembered you needed one and did. I didn’t see one.

I’m always thinking of you herb 😂

Herb_T

@Pnies20 said:

@Herb_T said:
Paul, the Ugly really is very ugly! Whoever that was lets hope they aren’t in charge of anything next year, and that includes the bathrooms!

I should have asked you to look for 1886 PCGS MS64 Liberty 5C……need one!

I actually remembered you needed one and did. I didn’t see one.

I’m always thinking of you herb 😂

Thanks Paul, I know you have my back….

UpGrayedd

Thanks for the report.

BStrauss3

@Pnies20 said:
You’re beating a dead horse again.

Caning deceased equines is only allowed on Friday afternoons after 4pm - ask the VaultBox person!

PeakRarities

My report will be coming soon, a lot of agreement with @Pnies20 observations but I will be able to add some additional insights for sure. The green partitions really bugged me.

habaraca

With regards to attendance, sometime around 3 or so, while out front I heard the person giving out the wristbands for admission, telling someone he had handed out 400 and something. so give or take 25%, 450 attended the show that paid for
entry.....
I have no idea what other shows do in attendance.

ScarsdaleCoin

@habaraca said:
With regards to attendance, sometime around 3 or so, while out front I heard the person giving out the wristbands for admission, telling someone he had handed out 400 and something. so give or take 25%, 450 attended the show that paid for
entry.....
I have no idea what other shows do in attendance.

That would be a very low number. I did a very small local show out in Long Island NY with just 8 dealers and we had 450 people show up

Manifest_Destiny

I was there today. Observations:

1. I haven't been to a big coin show in years but I have NEVER had to show ID and register with an address. What kind of intrusive crap was that?

2. The $10 cover charge was annoying.

3. Only about 2/3rds of the tables were occupied.

4. Lots of great dealers/coins were there though. I found one upgrade for my seated quarter set and got to talk to a couple of dealers for awhile, so that made it worth it for me.

5. US Mint had armed guards, lol. I guarantee some of the dealers had more value in their inventory than the US Mint.

6. Got to see the Farouk 1870-s dollar. Super cool.

BustDMs

Paul, A great show report. I would like to add my 2 cent piece worth.

I attended with two mobility challenged collectors. The floor was a good three city blocks worth of walking from where we parked in the event center parking garage. This was a major inconvenience for one of us. I did not see a much better solution. If we knew the very closest place to park it would still have been a two block walk.

The most disappointing part of the show was the registration process. Two lines and a half hour of waiting was frustrating. Management needed to do something but just let the process play out. I remember the proactive decisions made at CSNS a couple years ago to fix a similar problem. As new promoters who have setup at a gazillion shows in their careers I suspect changes for the better are in the works.

As I have said before, the entrance fee should only deter those too cheap to pay it. The venues charge a higher price every year for the facilities and you can’t expect the dealers to continually foot the bill. I agree that free admission for YN’s is a good idea. As stated by someone else, gun shows, antique shows, car shows, home improvement shows etc all charge admission. We should understand it is inevitable that most (all) coin shows will eventually. I can also see free admission for life members for club shows such as ANA and FUN. By the way, have you seen the cost of early bird badges to some of these shows? There is a significant number of collectors willing to hand over a C note or more for that privilege.

The floor setup was not “standard” which took some getting used to. The aisles were wide and accessible for everyone including wheelchairs.

Business for me was OK, not great but pretty much what I expected. I did not hear the word GREAT from anyone but I’m sure there were some dealers or collectors that would rate it that way.

It was a lot more relaxed than a FUN or ANA but in line with other regional shows I have attended. I truly believe Steve and Gary tried their best to make it a success. I would blame most, maybe all, of the problems on their being “rookies” in promoting a show. There are a million things that need to be done and some slip through the cracks, especially if you are not used to doing them. IE: missing some lamp clamps and the use of drilled boards held in place by the display cases. I’m sure that will never happen again!

On the way home I asked my car mates how they would grade the show. The most mobility challenged gave it a D minus. There NEEDS to be a solution for mobility challenged attendees. The other rates it a C minus for the distance from parking to bourse and the excessive wait at registration. I will give it a C. I also hated the walk to the bourse, the wait to get in and the cold temperature on the floor. Business was, as I said, OK for me. I did business with my usual suspects and visited with a number of old, and some new, friends.

I will be back to give them another chance next year. We will see how much they learned from this years mistakes. Everyone deserves at least another chance to prove their abilities to evolve and build a successful show from nothing. After all, we all began somewhere. It is not fair to compare a first effort against shows with decades of experience, even for seasoned dealers. Life is definitely different on the other side of the equation.

So, if you weren’t there quit bashing something you didn’t experience. If you were there give the promoters useful feedback to make the show better next time.

NJCoin

@Manifest_Destiny said:
I was there today. Observations:

1. I haven't been to a big coin show in years but I have NEVER had to show ID and register with an address. What kind of intrusive crap was that?

2. The $10 cover charge was annoying.

3. Only about 2/3rds of the tables were occupied.

4. Lots of great dealers/coins were there though. I found one upgrade for my seated quarter set and got to talk to a couple of dealers for awhile, so that made it worth it for me.

5. US Mint had armed guards, lol. I guarantee some of the dealers had more value in their inventory than the US Mint.

6. Got to see the Farouk 1870-s dollar. Super cool.

"1." That's everywhere nowadays. It's a response to all the thefts. They need to know who is wandering around.

"5." Dealers and show promoters take care of their security, and the US government takes care of its own. They don't outsource to the Music City Convention Center and the Colonel, and clearly have a much larger security budget than the rest of the room combined.

pcgscacgold

We enjoyed Nashville a lot. The show was in a great venue. Two thumbs up. Tough to find a door to enter though. Walked a city block trying many doors. Fix that please.

Waited a good 30 mins to get in and that was after it was open an hour. Crazy set up. Fix that for sure. The central states show did.

Spent about 3 hours walking the floor. Met a few dealers I had bought from recently. That was great. Phil at eye appealing coins spent a lot of time with the newby. He had some great coins I may be buying soon.

Liz was busy. She also had some great CBHs. One I want for sure.

No good gold to complete my needs. However, there were some great gold coins.

Held an 1804 proof. Dealer was great. Just wanted to get it in our hands. He knew we couldn’t afford it. Just wanted to let us enjoy the moment. Much appreciated.

Met up with @BustDMs to get a few raw Bust Halves. I love the raw stuff.

Met up with @Pnies20 that was great. Bought an 1807 from him last month. Enjoy that coin a lot.

Headed out after 3 hours. Unfortunately when my girlfriend went out on her own to look at jewelry and currency she got a few inappropriate comments so it cut the day short.

9 hour drive. Spent enough to buy an early date half in AU. Would do it again.

Cheers.

Project Numismatics

@pcgscacgold said:
We enjoyed Nashville a lot. The show was in a great venue. Two thumbs up. Tough to find a door to enter though. Walked a city block trying many doors. Fix that please.

Waited a good 30 mins to get in and that was after it was open an hour. Crazy set up. Fix that for sure. The central states show did.

Spent about 3 hours walking the floor. Met a few dealers I had bought from recently. That was great. Phil at eye appealing coins spent a lot of time with the newby. He had some great coins I may be buying soon.

Liz was busy. She also had some great CBHs. One I want for sure.

No good gold to complete my needs. However, there were some great gold coins.

Held an 1804 proof. Dealer was great. Just wanted to get it in our hands. He knew we couldn’t afford it. Just wanted to let us enjoy the moment. Much appreciated.

Met up with @BustDMs to get a few raw Bust Halves. I love the raw stuff.

Met up with @Pnies20 that was great. Bought an 1807 from him last month. Enjoy that coin a lot.

Headed out after 3 hours. Unfortunately when my girlfriend went out on her own to look at jewelry and currency she got a few inappropriate comments so it cut the day short.

9 hour drive. Spent enough to buy an early date half in AU. Would do it again.

Cheers.

It’s horrible that your girlfriend experienced that.

RoundTable recently kicked a dealer out of their organization for harassing women.

I hope that IMEX would kick out a dealer or customer who made such comments if they learned of the behavior.

yspsales

My baseball tickets and concert tickets are all purchased and scanned by phone.

Maybe this can all be done electronically for those regulars who attend.

Like the idea of signup for walkups for added security.

NJCoin

@yspsales said:
My baseball tickets and concert tickets are all purchased and scanned by phone.

Maybe this can all be done electronically for those regulars who attend.

Like the idea of signup for walkups for added security.

Yeah, except these guys are nowhere near as big as your baseball team or concert performers in terms of being able to absorb the cost of the technology. And then there is still the security risk profile, which is far different for millions of dollars of rare coins out in the open than for a bunch of rowdy or drunk fans or concertgoers.

All the baseball team or concert performer knows is that the person entering paid for the admission. They have no idea exactly who is in the venue. Nor do they care. Very different for a coin show, given all the recent incidents.

You have to match a face and photo ID to a person. And you can only do that in person, at the gate. Until they get face recognition technology at a turnstile, as some professional sports teams are experimenting with. Like at the airport. It's not cheap, and these guys couldn't even afford to make admission free.

No, the answer is not electronic signups. It's having adequate staffing at the door. It costs a few bucks, but you spend it if you care about the user experience. Otherwise, you charge $10 and let them eat cake.

habaraca

""" It's having adequate staffing at the door. It costs a few bucks, but you spend it if you care about the user experience. Otherwise, you charge $10 and let them eat cake.""""

as with every show I have attended in the past 20 years, the workers are all club members of sponsoring or supporting clubs so no cost there.......

NJCoin

@habaraca said:
""" It's having adequate staffing at the door. It costs a few bucks, but you spend it if you care about the user experience. Otherwise, you charge $10 and let them eat cake.""""

as with every show I have attended in the past 20 years, the workers are all club members of sponsoring or supporting clubs so no cost there.......

Except this show wasn't sponsored by a club. Was the door staffed by volunteers, and did they still not have adequate staffing?

I'm 99.99% sure Whitman pays people to staff the entrance at its shows. AND, they don't charge an admission fee. Because they understand it's not a gun show, or Comic Con, and they actually want people to show up. Both highly motivated hard core collectors and casual members of the general public. The shows are almost always well attended, and I've never had to wait more than 5-10 minutes to go in once the doors opened.

I recognize that running a coin show is an endeavor matched in complexity only by landing a man on the moon. And that it's never been attempted before, so allowances must be made. But, still. 😀

MICHAELDIXON

"The really unfortunate part of the show was the fact that many prominent people in numismatics talked directly to the organizers and expressed their concerns. He stated that they were not going to consider changing any of the issues people had. That’s unbelievable."

I have dealt with the major organizer for years and would never say anything bad about him. Arrogance is his strong suit!

habaraca

Deleted

winesteven

@MICHAELDIXON said:
"The really unfortunate part of the show was the fact that many prominent people in numismatics talked directly to the organizers and expressed their concerns. He stated that they were not going to consider changing any of the issues people had. That’s unbelievable."

I have dealt with the major organizer for years and would never say anything bad about him. Arrogance is his strong suit!

Your comment reminds me of an incident that happened to my neighbor about a week ago. He was driving with his wife on I-95 and got pulled over for not wearing his seatbelt. As the Police Officer approached the car, my neighbor said, “Officer, I was wearing my seatbelt, but only unhooked it now so I can retrieve my wallet to be able to show you my Drivers License and Registration.” The Police Officer shook his head, and said to the wife, “That doesn’t sound true, but you have an honest face, and I know you’ll tell me the truth! Is your husband correct?” She then said, “I make it a policy to never disagree with him when he’s been drinking!”

As noted, you would never say anything bad about the show organizer, lol.

Steve

jerseyben

@Manifest_Destiny said:
I was there today. Observations:

1. I haven't been to a big coin show in years but I have NEVER had to show ID and register with an address. What kind of intrusive crap was that?

2. The $10 cover charge was annoying.

3. Only about 2/3rds of the tables were occupied.

4. Lots of great dealers/coins were there though. I found one upgrade for my seated quarter set and got to talk to a couple of dealers for awhile, so that made it worth it for me.

5. US Mint had armed guards, lol. I guarantee some of the dealers had more value in their inventory than the US Mint.

6. Got to see the Farouk 1870-s dollar. Super cool.

Almost every show I have ever attended (above a club level show) requires you to show ID and get a name badge. They are shooting themselves in the foot with that $10 entrance fee. My suggestion would be only charge $10 for the first hour. Then $5 for the next hour. Then free admission after that.

Custerlost

Considering the $250 to get a nosebleed seat at a concert or ball game, $10 is a bargain.

NJCoin

@Custerlost said:
Considering the $250 to get a nosebleed seat at a concert or ball game, $10 is a bargain.

And considering the FUN show is free, it isn't.

All things are relative. Based on the reports, it really doesn't sound like it was anything worth paying to attend.

You don't need a coin show to visit Nashville, and you don't need Nashville to go to a coin show. We've all heard nothing but great things about the town, and primarily not so great things about the show.

It wasn't a ball game or superstar concert. It was a very glitchy, sparsely attended coin show. Based on this year's reports, let's see how many go back next year at $10 a pop for Round 2. I bet they'll drop the $10, assuming there even is a Round 2 after this year.

Given all their collective years of experience in the hobby, it's a little surprising they didn't make more of an investment and pull out all the stops to make sure it was a roaring, glitch free success. But, they didn't.

Momentum tends to build on itself, so I think it's more likely than not that next year will be even less well attended than this year, no matter what they do going forward to try to fix what was broken this year. As you probably know, we all get one chance to make a first impression.

People in the area will no doubt support it as long as it exists. The key to success, though, will be pulling in people, and dealers, from across the country and, to the extent they have international ambitions, from around the world. Based on all the reports, it's difficult to see how anyone will be able to financially justify making the trip again. Some might use it as an excuse to vacation in Nashville, but that won't be enough to make it a success in future years any more than it did this year. JMHO.

Pnies20

🤦‍♂️

BustDMs

@Pnies20 said:
🤦‍♂️

I agree……..

willy

@NJCoin what is your obsession with this show is it the town or the promoters. I have no dog in this show did not attend, do not know the promoters. Just tell us why you hated this show from day one and it is not the admission fee or lack of a dealers list.

willy

x

Catbert

From a Liz Coggan email today:

_"We'd like to report that the Nashville show was robust, but sadly, it was anything but! From the start, this show was doomed to fail. On dealer setup day, there was a delay entering the bourse floor because the room was not set up. Once we gained entrance it went from bad to worse. No clamps to hold the lamps to the tables, chairs missing, power supply woefully inadequate, yada yada yada. FRUSTRATION GALORE!

Add insult to injury, there were reported to be only 300 collectors through the doors on Thursday, if my understanding was correct.

We were able to buy some nice coins which are listed below, but as far as the coin show goes, it was a one and done for us. Sad, because the city of Nashville is very nice."_