Small shows making a big comeback

IrishMike

This is the title of a very interesting article in this weeks Coin World written by Tom Becker and I urge everyone to read it. As fun as it is to buy coins online or to travel to major shows, nothing is more satisfying to me than to visit a small local show. As Tom points out, you get the chance to see the collectors and dealers on a monthly basis, to get to know them an talk shop. If you haven't attended a major show before, it can be an intimidating experience. If you don't arrive the first day or so you are dealing the possibility that many dealers have bailed or have become jaded after 3 or 4 days sitting behind a table. Good luck trying to find a dealer that will let you inspect his entire inventory, that is, if you can find a place to sit down.

He talked to a dealer in N.H who runs a successful local show that averages 400-500 and is growing, with half the attendees being new collectors. What could be a better place for beginning collectors to learn the hobby or for us old guys, who sometimes find the internet boring, even the chat sites to feel invigorated about the hobby.

It's also a timely article for me as I will be attending the local show this morning. To me it will be a great diversion from the 14 hour work days the past month (please let mortgage rates rise). What a great day, cool crisp morning, a coin show and ND vs Michigan. It doesn't get any better than that. Well it could if ND wins, but that is doubtful.

BigD5

I haven't had a chance to read the Coin World article, but I'm lucky enough to be able to attend a local show any weekend of the month here where I am (N.H.). You can't beat the frequent interaction with the local dealers and the "air" of a coin show. Headed to one tomorrow morning, although I will be in a bit of a rush. Already have some coins I know I will be picking up, and 3 different dealers have some other coins "put aside" for me to take a peak at. Gotta love the local shows!!

Gemini

At local shows I find myself looking at coins I normally not interested in. Oooo! I got bit by some darkside coins and now collect them as well. I also got to meet some other collectors there struck up some friendships (no pun intended) and have bought coins from them as well. Its a nice collecting atmosphere and I enjoy it.

jhar

Mike, I read the same article and I agree with you. The shows I go to are all small. I'm looking forward to going to a small show in Ft. Walton Beach, FL at the end of this month. I miss the Collectors show that used go come to my local Mall. The organizer got into some Money trouble here and now avoids coming back here.

IrishMike

Gemini, good point I have picked up several coins that I thought were terrific, that I wouldn't have thought of buying.

MICHAELDIXON

Good article! And...I invite anybody in the Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania area to attend the show I am putting on the first weekend of January.

DaveG

I've been going to the monthly show in Clifton, NJ for the past nine years or so. It usually has about 25-30 dealers.

I noticed this past Spring that about five new dealers appeared and there seemed to be more floor traffic than in past years.

Tomorrow is the first Clifton show since June (no shows in July and August), so I'll let you know how the crowd is.

I agree that small shows give you a chance to look at material you might not otherwise look at. Also, the table fees are lower than at bigger shows, so there's usually a decent amount of inexpensive material. There's a check and currency dealer at Clifton and I've bought a few interesting checks from him over the past few years, for a few dollars each. I also browse the postcard dealer.

I don't see either dealer at Parsippany, which is a (roughly) 80 dealer monthly show. Of course, I don't usually see higher-end material at Clifton, either. (Except for Carl Bombara's currency - nice stuff!)

IrishMike

One of the observations I made Saturday at the small local show was the lack of slabbed coins versus raw, a comment made by someone else in another thread. Hey people there is a whole other coin collecting hobby out there that doesn't buy coins of the internet, could care less about Ebay or slabs. I have yet to go to that show and see more than a few slabs sell. These dealers cater to collectors who could care less what grading companies think about their coins. It's fun to sit down with them and share a box of coins, looking for ones that we want. (btw they actually take checks).

At Leo's table, he has my list of raw IHC's and travels the midwest weekly to shows, I had about ten nice xf-au eye-appealing coins out on his pad, doing the 5X on them when another guy sat down next to me. I asked him if he wanted to look at these too and he said yes, looked about 35 or so in age. He was hesistating because of some of the prices, a $165 for a 1867 that had that yellow copper look to it. Leo was looking at 3 of my recent purchases of 64 PCGS reds ( he is 65-70 and my best critic). As he handed them back to me, the guy sitting next to me asked if he could see them. He said he liked them but why did I have them in plastic containersI spent a couple of minutes explaining to him what this was all about. He about fell out of his chair when I told him how the prices escalated by one grade then two. He picked out a nice 89 for his collection, asked me to grade it, I wrote down au-50, handed it to Leo and said he is the owner, please grade this, Leo was quick to say au. The guy bought the coin, looked at me and said I need to go my wife's been waiting for me and I hope she doesn't find out about the price I paid for this coin ($27.00). I just smiled.

My point in all of this is that there are hundreds of collectors who go to these small shows, who enjoy the hobby as much as we do. They just like the coins. Food for thought.

DaveG

I went to Clifton today and although a couple of the regular dealers were missing, there were a couple of new guys and pretty good foot traffic. It looked like most of the crowd were newbies looking for proof sets, Proof Eagles, etc.

As usual, there wasn't anything for my "regular" collection, but I just missed a Napoleon I 20 Franc piece for $68! (The guy ahead of me bought it, so I didn't get to see how nice the coin was.)

As usual, most of the dealers' inventory was either raw classic coins or slabbed moderns, but it looked like they were doing a brisk business.