FUN Wholesale Day Show Report

Desert Moon

Hi Folks,
This year I came to the FUN Show a day early to participate in the Pre-Show Dealer Wholesale event. So I get to do an extra pre-show report here on the PCGS boards and I have no doubt you are thrilled about that (LOL). First let me say that I have had an upgrade in technology, in that my phone is now linked to my laptop somehow (thanks to Apple for just having the software and doing it for me by linking the 2), and I can try to show pics. For the first time in a PCGS show report. How about that?

So let’s begin, at the beginning. On Monday I was at our local airport ready to fly towards Orlando about noon. In the good ole days before retirement, that meant driving to Bush in H-Town, hopping a flight to wherever in the world I was going and bing, there I was. Now it is a two hopper as we retired away from Texan country. Mostly our connections are still through Bush. That is a good thing since we know this monstrosity well. We have narrowed it down to one restaurant to eat at – Pappadeaux. Great location in Terminal E, one floor above the gate level and on its own. A place to relax between flights, or in the old days, before takeoff. Gates in that part of E are used for the big planes going to places like Amsterdam, Frankfurt, New York. So many is the time we have been sitting there waiting for a flight. After landing this time I had a nice plate of bacon wrapped, cheese filled, shrimp on dirty rice. Mmmmmm…………….

Then off to the gate to get the flight to MCO. All went routinely and on time, arrived at 9:40 pm Orlando time, was in a taxi by 9:50 pm, and amazingly at the hotel next to the Orange County Convention Center by 10:14 pm (yes I checked my watch) exactly 1 minute before I gave the hotel as my estimated check in time. Wow.

So yesterday (Tuesday) started off with me having breakfast, then meeting a PCGS board member to deliver 3 lovely quarters, then going to the nearby Walgreen’s for supplies. Then it was off to the Convention Center to go to the Dealer Wholesale event. I was hanging with @Catbert (CB), who is going to be behind my table from time to time during the week in between his other activities on the bourse. We went to Dealer Registration to get our credentials, then off towards the room. Before entering, we met with @Ultrahighrelief and he showed us what he was selling at the show. Keep in mind my reason for being a day early was to buy additional inventory if possible, so meeting UHR was a good start. I ended up buying 4 coins from him that fit with my inventory. Then to the Wholesale room. This was a room about 25-ish by 60-ish feet, and it had 2 rows of tables lined up close to the edges, with several tables in a middle 3rd row with gaps between the tables so folks could move around this inner table-enclosed area. Dealers were sitting at the tables with boxes of coins. We first talked to Noah and Owen from Rarity 7 at a middle row table, who were just hanging out and buying (not selling) like us. I had just seen the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pj_VGxRA4A

Where Noah told the story to the TheCoinGeek about their discovery of a unique 1851 $5 Schultz Counterstamp on 1847 Mexico 8 Reales. Noah brought the coin out for us to see. Pretty wild.

After talking to Noah and Owen we sat down at one of the middle tables and sellers roaming the floor began to pass by. Neither CB or I bought from anything from these folks but it was nice to look. Then Shannon from Paradime came by and sat down. We congratulated Shannon on his upcoming marriage which was pretty cool, then he showed us what he was selling. I found 2 great coins in his boxes for my inventory, my first Flying Eagle Cent (I get strongly outbid in auctions for these), and an Indian Quarter eagle in an OGH. The FE will compliment my group of Indian Cents at my table, the QE is showy and will enhance my table presentation as the more old-holdered coins I have in the cases, the more attention it brings. Cool.

Then CB and I sat down at another table manned by Rinkor Rare Coins. They mostly had Morgans, and many boxes worth, and a few type. Included in that was a full, double row box of DMPL’s. I found a gorgeous 1884-O PCGS/CAC MS65 DMPL. I don’t really sell Morgans but always loved the DMPL’s and never owned one. They told me their net and deal was done so the time is right for me to expand into another area of coins. We looked through the type, and a very wholesome 1916-D Merc in PCGS/CAC G04 appeared before my eyes. Another key date I had no chance of affording as a kid. I tend to scoop these up – I seem to buy every 1909-S VDB I see that I like, 1877s, etc. I guess I’m making up for my childhood lacking these. So there it was, my first 1916-D of my life to have at my table. Yippee!

At that point we had spent a few hours in the Wholesale room, so we then moved on to the Heritage Auction Viewing room. I looked at about 1000 coins, found maybe 2 to bid on. HA these days mostly sell coins in the few thousand on up range/levels at the big show auctions. >95% are typically not CAC and I don’t like paying up for big coins without a green sticker assurance, unless I am very sure said coin is uber pq for the grade. I confess though that I trust John Albanese et al. more than me as they have seen millions of coins and know surfaces far better than me. So green stickers R US. So it is good to see and study a lot of coins but just hard to find examples to bid on confidently from them most of the time.

Following HA viewing, we decided to call it a day, and to head out to the restaurant area about a mile away on International Drive. As we were walking in the hallway, CB saw a dealer whom he knows from Instagram. Said dealer sells wildly toned coins. He started pulling out breathtakingly colorful coins out of his boxes and holy smokes, mind boggling examples. All going for way over retail because of the eye appeal and color. CB looked through the boxes and pulled out a Proof Merc in an OGH with a Gold CAC sticker in 66. Thus at least a 67+ and maybe higher. The obverse toning was stunning and the colors exactly matched the celeste-green of the OGH label. CB pulled the trigger and it will go into his collection of drop-dead gorgeous coins.

Finally, we got to the restaurant area on I-drive, sat down at an outdoor table at the Orlando Pub and enjoyed the late afternoon ambiance. I had a pint of Rogue Double Chocolate Stout and their Shepard’s Pie. Excellent. As an Oregonian, I can never get enough of the Rogue, Deschutes, Full Sail, etc. brews and the DC Stout is a true legend. To have it on tap in Orlando, hey what a treat.

So that is it in the day of a pre-show wholesale event at FUN. Alot of dealers were roaming the hallways and the Wholesale Room, all looking to connect with fellow dealers and potentially do buis. Today we will start with another pass through the Wholesale Room, then it is full throttle at 2 pm when the bourse opens for dealer setup until 8 pm. We got to get set up, I need to pick up 5 coins for my cases, and dole out pre-show orders while getting the table ready. Oh what fun. I will do my best to report on all of this tomorrow here.

Thanks for reading!

Best, DM

Walkerguy21D

Thanks for taking the time to write up your experience at dealer wholesale day. It’s good to get some perspective on this part of the show.

MEJ7070

Great write up! Hoping for a great show for you DM. Really wish I could be there!

lermish

Great report! Can't wait to get there...

Walkerfan

Thank you so much for doing this! I’ve been looking forward to the show reports, so it’s very nice to see one a day early.

johnny9434

cool report and the meal even better

pcgscacgold

Great report Al. Enjoy the rest of the show. You are offering top notch coins so I know you will be busy when the doors open.

Catbert

Yesterday:

Today: The dealer hoard arrives to bourse set up:

BLUEJAYWAY

Enjoyed the read. Looking forward to ensuing recaps.

Kliao

Great read. Looking forward to the next one. Have FUN!

Copperindian

Great report Al! Looking forward to the show (& thanks for the menu tip)!

Coinscratch

Cool report sounds like a great time.
Would love to see CBs Merc!

U1chicago

Thanks for the report! It's always an enjoyable read and I look forward to the next installments.

Catbert

Here’s the Merc:

https://player.vimeo.com/video/1152092185

Coinscratch

@Catbert said:
Here’s the Merc:

https://player.vimeo.com/video/1152092185

Wow nice score!

Catbert

Here’s a very nice large cent at the Heritage auction of Ellsworth large cents. Check out the reverse due crack. Very cool. Always fun to do auction lot viewing. Can see premier coins, but also there are a lot of coins that sadly have been abused.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/1152387754

Cuprinkor

DM, do you currently live in the Great State of Oregon?

A fellow Oregonian

safari_dude

Bourse was pretty busy today, especially PCGS. CAC and NGC had literally no lines….and the staff at all the services were great. Got a couple of coins on my want list and a few that weren’t. Photos soon.

RichieURich

Wonderful report, thanks for posting it! And congrats to Shannon!