Help me get through my first coin show without doing something dumb...

airplanenut

Hi,

This sunday, I will be attending my first coin show ever (YAY!!!!!!) It is the Parsipanny, NJ show, so if you are in the area... come (and PM me so I can meet you... already gonna meet TomB)

Here is what I plan on bringing:

1- Coins that I want to use in a trade/to sell
2- Coins I would like to have someone look at and give me their grade on it
3- Want list of coins (in order from most wanted down, so I know what to focus on)
4- A red book if I need a general price of something
5- ANA grading standards if I am unsure of a grade (won't use it in front of the dealer, of course)
6- A list of what is in my collection so I don't buy anything only to find that it is a duplicate
7- Graysheet (if it came; mail was stopped, so I won't get any until tomorrow)
8- My dad and his money
9- A friend of mine (hopefully)
10- A pad/paper to write down locations of dealers who have a coin in which I have interest
11- A backpack to hold #1-7 and 10 NOTE***NOT MY DAD***

Is all of this necessary/should I bring anything else?

Also, when I see a coin that I want, do I jump on it, or wait until I have seen many other dealers' offerings (the coin could then be sold)? The coin I am most after is a slabbed, MS (65ish/64 PQ+) buff. Since my main goal is to have an even trade for it, should I jump at the seller who will offer the trade since some may not be interested in the coin I have to get rid of?

Next also, what is proper procedure for haggling/bargaining in a trade/grading opinions? Say I am selling a coin and I think the price is a little to low... do I give a slightly higher price, or do I walk away?

Thanks for your help!

Jeremy, back until december (when I go to london )

kranky

You need to bring a loupe!

Don't haggle grades, just price. If your coins are raw, don't get your hopes up.

airplanenut

sorry... forgot to mention that i put the loupe in the box of coins that is going with me

ClarkOfKent

So, you're really gonna put your dad in the backpack?

littlewicher

You're going away again? My girlfriend just got back from spending a month in Europe, she went to all the major cities in all the major countries. Well, have fun anyways.

You basically have everything covered.

jtryka

you're going to put your dad and his money in a backpack?

airplanenut

just the money... he can stay out in case i need a check written

lordmarcovan

You're gonna have a blast. If it is even a moderate-sized show, you'll be the proverbial "kid in a candy store".

Do you have Scott Travers' Coin Collector's Survival Manual, by any chance, or are you able to pick one up in time for the show? He has a good section in there on shows.

Expect to see some awesome Darkside stuff, too. Even the smaller shows I've been to have pretty good selections, and even with a modest budget, you should be able to find some cool stuff.

If you think about it, and don't mind, dig up my Irish coin wantlist off BST or the Darkside forum and print or write it out. If you pick up some of the stuff I need (by no means all expensive stuff- much of it is cheap and or common), you will have some swapping leverage with me later on. I have had trouble finding some of the common stuff on eBay because I suspect a lot of it is not worth a seller's time to list it individually.

IrishMike

Well you seemed to be all geared up for it. May I make a suggestion? Find a coin within your budget or coins, that when you look at them, and inner voice explodes inside your head and tells you I have got to have this coin. Forget the bluesheet, redbook etc. loupe the coin and if it excites you buy it. You will forever admire it and to me that is what coin collecting is all about. Don't worry if someone tells you things like you paid too much for it or I could have got one cheaper. Enjoy the coin and pay for it within reason.

Bear

Listen to Irish Mike, he hit the nail on the head. Dont go totally crazy price wise, but you can stretch for a great coin. Bear Good luck and happy hunting.

lordmarcovan

If you like, and don't have the Travers book, I can PM or post you some excerpts from it tomorrow, in return for your Irish coin shopping for me... ?

airplanenut

Lordy... I do have the survival manual, and it will come with me... according to TomB, this is the largest regularly scheduled show (once/month) in the country I do expect to buy some old/proof darkside (GASP!) but that is lower on my list since I can get it easily here, whereas the buff is harder to get in a trade)... I am going to list some eBay stuff (not coins) as fundage for the show

Jeremy

PS- Lordy... let me find your Irish want list and I'll go print it out for you

JD

I usually bring some business cards with my email address to hand out. Never know when you might hit it off with a dealer who's willing to communicate new stuff to you in advance of offering it to the general public. Have fun.

TWQG

Bring some CASH!

And get your shots before Europe and take a really long shower when you get back

airplanenut

cash is an of course I will probably make some "business" cards... sounds like a good idea

MartyF

I'll be there airplanenut,
<-----I'll be the guy with the finger stuck to his head

nucklehead

Shows are great fun, if not for the coins themselves it's great to go just to meet fellow board members, have fun!

TomB

Try to get there early in the day. The show officially begins at 9:00 am and ends at 4:00 pm, however, many folks are already there by 9:00 am and most dealers are packed up and gone by 3:00 pm. Since this is the attendance dynamic it means that much of the best or freshest material is gone fairly early in the day. Don't be afraid to ask a dealer if he/she has a specific item and it isn't in their case. Also don't be afraid to ask to see coins that you clearly can't afford; a show can be a great learning place similar to a hands-on museum. Just make certain that you make it clear you can't afford to buy that MS63 1796 quarter but that you would still like to hold it. The parking lot may (probably will) be full so park across the street. If you get there early enough there are usually free copies of Numismatic News, Coins magazine and several other publications at a table by the door. When you want to get the best price for a coin I typically would tell you to ask something like "What do you need for this coin" or "What can you do on this piece" instead of something like "How much". If you see a table where someone is selling the types of coins that you are looking to buy then chances are that they also buy coins of that type, grade or price range. It's how they keep their stock up. Don't be in a rush, unless the coin is singing to you you aren't obligated to buy it immediately. The food at this show sucks to eat beforehand. Lastly, have fun! I look forward to meeting you.

airplanenut

I'll tell my dad to leave early ... Last time I was in Parsipanny was... today... (I drove through it) I also look forward to meeting you (and that Jefferson you said you'd bring )

MastaHanky

Without doing something dumb? OK, don't try to grab a tray of coins and make a mad dash out of there.

Oh, and if you plan on buying anything, pay with cash. You need to build up a reputation with the dealer before they'll take a check.

DMWJR

Want to avoid doing something dumb? Don't buy anything. We've all made mistakes, and will continue to do so. It's part of the learning curve. You will have to make some mistakes. Buy some coins!!!!

I noticed your by-line about London. When you go in December, be sure to check out the harshly cleaned coins at the British Museum. Gadzooks, there are some scary coins in there.

airplanenut

By not do anything dumb, I mean I don't want to make a fool of myself/do something "improper"

I'll see if I can check out the coins in London... got family there

Jeremy

PS- will they take a check from my old man?

ARCO

You'll do fine...Uh....Just remember to put on pants, it can be super embarrassing to be cruising the bourse floor only to look down and realize you are naked to the world.

As long as you remember to wear pants I predict a successful, fun coin show experience.

Tyler

DMWJR

You will be surprised if you use your intuition and look for older dealers who might spend a little time answering questions. Live, look, and learn. No need to pretend that you are a babe in the woods. Only buy coins that you are comfortable with, regardless of what the dealer says about the coin. Ask about other coins and tell them that you are NOT interested in buying the piece right now, but want to learn. There are still dealers out there who know that it is good business to develop relationships with customers, and I (even though not a dealer) enjoy helping others with a series I might know a little about. You can't be totally paranoid.

Have FUN!!!!!!! That's what it's all about. Younger collectors need to learn how to grade first. I know two young board members who scout proof sets and have come up with some fantastic early proofs, one of which was a thousand dollar coin! He went through some pretty good knocks in the process, but it was really a cheap way to learn about grading. He doesn't have a job, but supports his habit rather nicely. And this is just one example of how to do it.

Pick up PCGS slabbed coins at the same table (I recommend Morgans because of their size) and compare the grades and the coins. It's about as close as you will get before you develop your own eye.

airplanenut

ARCO...

Heavy, green cargo shorts or khaki cargo pants for me... anything with LOTS 'O POCKETS is what I like

Hellion

You could really simplify things by modifying your want list. For example, write down the mintage next to the date of the coin(s) you want, along with their prices in the grades you are interested in. That way, you can leave the redbook (it's not really good for pricing anyway), and some other reference materials home and just have one legal pad or notebook to carry around.

I would suggest going to the Heritage site and looking up coins in their auction archives. That will give you a range of more realistic prices that you can expect to pay for the pieces you are interested in. One bonus to coin shows is that you will find dealers who are selling some stuff at bid, or slightly above.

In other words, do your homework before you leave for the show.

Finally, remember this:
1. All slabbed coins are NOT created equal. Be picky; buy the coin, not the slab.
2. Don't buy on an impulse. You'll probably find several examples of the coins you are looking for.
3. Don't be insulted when a dealer doesn't offer what you want for your coins.
4. Don't eat the hot dogs
5. Look for the dealer wearing the $2000 suit. He'll have a really HOT babe behind his table. Find his
most expensive coin and ask him if he'll take your coins on trade and let you put his on lay-away
for $10 a week!!
That's always good for a chuckle!

I remember my first coin Show. I hope you have as much of a good time as I did!!

crito

Show up wearing a ski mask and London Fog raincoat. Immediately upon entering, take a seat at the closest table to the door, reach into your coat and quickly pull out a Taco Bell bag full of burritos. Then proceed to eat lunch on the dealer's display case. That always gets them in the right mood... fantastic deals are sure to follow.

airplanenut

Can't do that... Taco Bell meat isn't kosher...

Hellion

Crito,

Don't you mean BEAN burritos?? Homemade weapons of mass destruction......chemical warfare in its most basic form

kieferscoins

<< <i>5. Look for the dealer wearing the $2000 suit. He'll have a really HOT babe behind his table. >>



Thisn thread is getting funny. Don't bring food onto dealers cases. Take a quick walk around and look in each case and then go back to the ones you are interested in looking at. Everyones suggestions are great, but there are so many things to remember/do, you will have to see what works for you.

Cameron Kiefer

gsaguy

APN,

Good luck young man! You'll have fun.

My suggestion, if you're going to meet TomB there, is to hire him to show you the ropes. He definitely knows what he's doing and how to do it.

GSAGUY

UncleJoe

Since when does Taco Bell use meat?

Enjoy the show. But look alot first, then buy.

Joe.

gemtone65

Be sure to ask if the dealer could extend you a return priviledge, say for 24 hours, so you could view the coin in more natural light. Owing to the unusually strong overhead lighting at shows, most coins, especially brilliant white ones, look far better at a dealer's table then they do when you get home.

If you love the coin, but simply are not sure whether perhaps a better one might be available at the show, either based on price or quality, you could ask the dealer if he would hold the coin for you for, say, an hour or two. Then, return with your decision in the allotted time.

airplanenut

Of course I will always be buying the coin, not the slab... what i want tends to be pretty common... and I will do lookin... LOTS of it

airplanenut

Would a flashlight of some sort be a good idea to bring... for better lighting?

kieferscoins

No flashlight. If the dealer does not have good lighting ask him if you can take it to the next table over and look at it under proper lighting (ask the other dealer if you can use his light for a second). That way you can see the coin and the dealer can still watch you at the next table over. If he says no, pass.

Cameron Kiefer

airplanenut

OK... next question about lighting...

The main coins I want are an MS buff (slabbed) and some old copper. If the buff is off-white, I don't care too much, and I can't afford old copper in anything above G-4 right now... will I be able to see a cleaned coin in the light (will it look weird enough) or is that where this is all important?

Jeremy

kieferscoins

<< <i>If the buff is off-white, I don't care too much, and I can't afford old copper in anything above G-4 right now... will I be able to see a cleaned coin in the light (will it look weird enough) or is that where this is all important? >>



If you know what a cleaned coin looks like for the series, or have a good idea, you wil be able to tell. Low grade cleaned copper is obvious and you should be able to tell. As for the buffalo nickels, you will have to go by what you know. If it strikes you as "odd" and dosen't look "right" pass.

Everybody has good ideas on things to bring, but you are going to get tired of lugging it around. At least your dad will help. I bring a small backpack with one book, priceguide, a few coins and a loupe. Not to heavy, but the essentials. Bringing your whole library is not advised.

Cameron Kiefer

airplanenut

Just remember... I am used to a mile-long walk home from school every day with a 25-lb. backpack... I couldn't bring that much with me unless I brought the entire safe
I have found that slabbed and raw UNC buffs tend to be about the same price, so I am going to be safer and see to it that the coin is in plastic (although the coin has to look good, as well, since the plastic is the insurance, but the coin is what I will treasure)

BlueCole

man, all this talk about shows is making me jealous!! I'm still waiting to get to a good one. (or any one!) Airplane, give us a good report!!

B.

airplanenut

I certainly will!

Flash

Many times a dealer will be working with several different people at the same time. He'll hand you the coin you've asked to look at and then will proceed to chat with somebody else while you're checking it out. Make sure that, when you're done looking at the coin, that you make sure that you personally hand the coin back to the dealer, or at least that he sees you set the coin down and that he acknowledges the fact that you are through with it. NEVER just set it down and walk away!

Have fun!

airplanenut

thanks, flash... that seems like something i definitely needed to know!

Russ

Bump for an excellent thread.

Russ, NCNE

airplanenut

<< <i>Bump for an excellent thread. Russ, NCNE >>


started by moi

Bear

Airplnenut -L' Shanah Tova to you and your family. Bear

airplanenut

Thank you, Bear