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FUN Show report - January 4 & 5, 2024

GotTheBugGotTheBug Posts: 1,674 ✭✭✭✭✭
in U.S. Coin Forum

Here's my experience at this year's FUN Show. It was another fun show, if you'll pardon the play on words, if you don't count the eastbound traffic on I-4 - stacked up as usual from well-before U.S. 27 all the way to Exit 62. I've grown accustomed to this but it is still a major drag. A friend of mine showed me the back way in to International Drive via Exit 67 a few years ago so I enjoyed avoiding the bottleneck that usually forms from Exit 67 down into town.

This year I treated myself and stayed over at the Rosen Inn at Pointe Orlando for two nights - no frills but clean and convenient. Usually I drive home after the show and drive back the next day but I decided to enjoy the convenience of staying over. The FUN shuttle bus picks you up in front of the hotel and drops off directly at the show's front entrance. Also, the Inn lets you park in their lot before your actual check-in time, so I did not have to pay for show parking. It ain't the Ritz but for the non-1% class it serves the purpose well. I was amused by the number of people who were actually using the pool, even with evening temperatures in the 50's. I have lost my tolerance for the cold since moving to Florida nearly 12 years ago.

My show goals were:

  1. Trade or sell a couple of duplicate Canadian fifty-cent pieces - achieved. Broke even on one piece and traded the other for a Canadian nickel at somewhat of a loss, but I'm glad to have finally moved those two coins along.

  2. Acquire some Barber halves for my fledgling registry set - achieved. Actually, one coin had been purchased from Gerry Fortin prior to the show so it was just a pickup. The other two were purchased from a fellow board member who was also in attendance. I did not purchase any Barbers from any of the show's dealers, mainly due to my desire to stay within my modest budget. See my newps on the Michael Hayes Barber megathread.

  3. Find some PCGS-graded Canadian fifty cents and the remaining 3 coins, raw or certified, needed to complete my Victoria twenty-five cent set - no luck there. I located three Canadian halves in total at the show. Two (one Newfoundland) were not up to standards and the other was a coin I already own, but in a lower grade. Finding certified Canadian half dollars at a U.S. show is a 'needle in a haystack' search. It does happen, but not this year.

  4. Acquire some Liberty Seated halves for type - achieved. Found a couple of suitable examples - 1854 Arrows, PCGS XF40 and 1853 Arrows & Rays, PCGS AU50. I used to collect Seated halves but sold off my collection a few years ago without keeping any, which I should have done. I'm making up for that oversight when suitable coins come along. These are posted in the Seated half megathread.

  5. Spend two and a half days enjoying myself and, as a sidebar, challenge myself to locate two tough Capped Bust dimes - 1809 and 1822. I had no plans to actually purchase these dates but I probably would have if I had actually found any. This was for my personal enjoyment more than anything. There were plenty of other 'rarities' on hand including a large assortment of 1916-D Mercury dimes and 1913-S Barber quarters. Some things that are priced as rare simply aren't. The 1909-S VDB cent also comes to mind.

  6. Meet up with a fellow board member, with whom I have become acquainted via PM the last couple of years - check. We had a great time doing photo show-and-tell regarding our mutual fondness for Canadian and Newfoundland fifty-cent pieces. It's amazing how quickly the time passes when discussing coins. Next thing we knew it was nearly 11 PM!

I left on Saturday as opposed to going back for a half-day, so as to be able to take my time getting back to the Gulf Coast in the rain storm that blew in during the early morning hours. It was a white-knuckle drive during a couple of heavy downpours but the trip home was uneventful otherwise. The good news is, the drought that has been affecting the state for the last year has finally been broken.

Overall it was an excellent show as usual. Now, if I could only pick 6 good lotto numbers! I could finally afford a Pan Pac slug or some PQ early U.S. gold....

Comments

  • bidaskbidask Posts: 14,017 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Great write up

    Sounds like you have a blast 😄

    I manage money. I earn money. I save money .
    I give away money. I collect money.
    I don’t love money . I do love the Lord God.




  • EddiEddi Posts: 509 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited January 7, 2024 2:18AM

    It was fun reading your write-up, your description of your goals for the show ,and how much enjoyment you had.

    As a Bust Dime collector I also found interesting your comment about lack of success locating an 1809 or 1822. This is actually a bit surprising considering how big the FUN show is - I would have imagined one of the many dealers there would have had one of these on offer, but this is probably a testament as to how scarce these two dates really are.

    I can also sympathise with your comment about the traffic. I drive up from Bonita Springs when I am in the US, and can attend the show - It can take anything from 3 to 5 hours depending on the traffic....that part is not so much fun.

  • coinhackcoinhack Posts: 1,162 ✭✭✭✭

    Thank you for the report. It was a very interesting read.

  • Walkerguy21DWalkerguy21D Posts: 11,521 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thanks for posting your report, and sorry I missed you.
    I’ll drop you a PM later, re: my interest in the post-1936 Canadian halves.

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  • GotTheBugGotTheBug Posts: 1,674 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Walkerguy21D said:
    Thanks for posting your report, and sorry I missed you.
    I’ll drop you a PM later, re: my interest in the post-1936 Canadian halves.

    I haven't done a very good job in keeping in touch with board members that I've met in the past. I look forward to reestablishing our past ties.

    Post-1936 halves of decent quality are as rare as the older stuff. eBay has a few but they tend to be unaffordable for me in grades higher than MS64.

  • LakesammmanLakesammman Posts: 17,409 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thanks for the report! Much busier Th/Fr than I expected - nice to see the crowds - hard to get to most tables!

    "My friends who see my collection sometimes ask what something costs. I tell them and they are in awe at my stupidity." (Baccaruda, 12/03).I find it hard to believe that he (Trump) rushed to some hotel to meet girls of loose morals, although ours are undoubtedly the best in the world. (Putin 1/17) Gone but not forgotten. IGWT, Speedy, Bear, BigE, HokieFore, John Burns, Russ, TahoeDale, Dahlonega, Astrorat, Stewart Blay, Oldhoopster, Broadstruck, Ricko, Big Moose.
  • divecchiadivecchia Posts: 6,680 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thanks for the show report and taking the time to share your experience.

    Donato

    Hobbyist & Collector (not an investor).
    Donato's Complete US Type Set ---- Donato's Dansco 7070 Modified Type Set ---- Donato's Basic U.S. Coin Design Set

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  • 1TwoBits1TwoBits Posts: 460 ✭✭✭✭

    Thank you for posting your experience, and the heads up on the Rosen, it was nice to read. It sounds like you had a good show.

    1TwoBits

    Searching for bust quarters.....counterstamps, errors, and AU-MS varieties, please let me know if you can help.
  • BarberianBarberian Posts: 3,708 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @GotTheBug said:
    Here's my experience at this year's FUN Show.

    My show goals were:

    1. Acquire some Barber halves for my fledgling registry set - achieved. Actually, one coin had been purchased from Gerry Fortin prior to the show so it was just a pickup. The other two were purchased from a fellow board member who was also in attendance. I did not purchase any Barbers from any of the show's dealers, mainly due to my desire to stay within my modest budget. See my newps on the Michael Hayes Barber megathread.

    2. Find some PCGS-graded Canadian fifty cents and the remaining 3 coins, raw or certified, needed to complete my Victoria twenty-five cent set - no luck there. I located three Canadian halves in total at the show. Two (one Newfoundland) were not up to standards and the other was a coin I already own, but in a lower grade. Finding certified Canadian half dollars at a U.S. show is a 'needle in a haystack' search. It does happen, but not this year.

    3. Meet up with a fellow board member, with whom I have become acquainted via PM the last couple of years - check. We had a great time doing photo show-and-tell regarding our mutual fondness for Canadian and Newfoundland fifty-cent pieces. It's amazing how quickly the time passes when discussing coins. Next thing we knew it was nearly 11 PM!

    Overall it was an excellent show as usual.

    @GotTheBug Finally meeting you and talking coins non-stop for a few hours was great fun. The show-and-tell really made the entire show memorable for me, it was something I hadn't done in many years.

    I didn't spot many Canadian coins either, but I didn't do an extensive search. Good to know I didn't miss much by leaving Orlando Saturday.

    3 rim nicks away from Good
  • LukeMarshallLukeMarshall Posts: 1,986 ✭✭✭✭✭

    That really does sound like a fun show!
    Thanks for sharing!!

    It's all about what the people want...

  • Namvet69Namvet69 Posts: 9,069 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thanks for sharing. Felt like I was there with you. Peace Roy

    BST: endeavor1967, synchr, kliao, Outhaul, Donttellthewife, U1Chicago, ajaan, mCarney1173, SurfinHi, MWallace, Sandman70gt, mustanggt, Pittstate03, Lazybones, Walkerguy21D, coinandcurrency242 , thebigeng, Collectorcoins, JimTyler, USMarine6, Elkevvo, Coll3ctor, Yorkshireman, CUKevin, ranshdow, CoinHunter4, bennybravo, Centsearcher, braddick, Windycity, ZoidMeister, mirabela, JJM, RichURich, Bullsitter, jmski52, LukeMarshall, coinsarefun, MichaelDixon, NickPatton, ProfLiz, Twobitcollector,Jesbroken oih82w8, DCW

  • EastonCollectionEastonCollection Posts: 1,431 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @gotthebug- I actually found 2 dealers with 1809 dimes being offered (pcgs VG & P64) both nice coins - forgot the dealer's name - Sorry. I didnt but them but they looked nice. Also did see only 1 1822 CBD. Sorry you missed viewing them.
    Glad you enjoyed the show.

    Easton Collection
  • GotTheBugGotTheBug Posts: 1,674 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @EastonCollection said:
    @gotthebug- I actually found 2 dealers with 1809 dimes being offered (pcgs VG & P64) both nice coins - forgot the dealer's name - Sorry. I didnt but them but they looked nice. Also did see only 1 1822 CBD. Sorry you missed viewing them.
    Glad you enjoyed the show.

    You found the needles in the haystack :)

    I think I've only seen two or three 1822's in the wild since I started paying any attention. One was a raw coin, a nice good, at the Sarasota show several years ago. I slept on it overnight, decided to pull the trigger, and went back the next day to find that the dealer had packed up and left early. It was a $1,200 coin in those days.

  • SmudgeSmudge Posts: 9,592 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thanks for your report.

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