Important tips on having a good coin show experience. Your feedback also sought

wingedliberty

Since safety and security were already covered in my prior post. I thought I would touch on a lighter subject and post some important tips on enhancing your enjoyment at a show. This is a accumulation of personal experience and feedback from fellow collectors and friends.

1. Sneakers, yes, very simply, sneakers!. Footwear is very, very , very important, why? Think about the average bourse floor and how many times you go back and forth between aisles and dealers that may be located in different sections. One dealer here, another a quarter of a mile
away. Grading services another quarter mile back. The fun show bourse is like two football fields!
Use good walking or tennis shoes, like New Balance, which I prefer or Nike or another quality brand.

2. Grading, grading, grading. Obviously grading is probably the most important aspect of numismatics. So why would you spend thousands of dollars on coins, but have a low quality loope.
I am always surprised at how some collectors scrutinize coins for twenty minutes at a time with
a three dollar loope. My suggestion, take $40, buy a Bausch and Lomb or Zeiss, 7-10x is best for
grading. Again, thousands of dollars on coins, why not grade properly with the best field of vision
and the lowest distortion. If you are prone to loosing them, put it around your neck or attach to
a key chain.



3. WANTLIST!!!!!!!!, Why wonder aimlessly?, its nice to browse, but ultimatly you will part with money, so make a budget, write down the series, dates, mintmarks, grades,and the max you will spend on each, prioritize! You cant have everything, unless you have Lucy's budget, (just kidding!)
It boils down to this. Dealers will take you more seriously if you tell them what you are looking for,
and you are more likely to negotiate a better deal if they know they are dealing with a serious collector rather than a "window shopper". I also like to prioritize.


4. Take a break every now and then, go to the cafe or local eatery. Have a bottle of water, or
snack. You need to be alert and not famished. I do better at a show on a full stomach.



5.Have fun!!!!



I welcome other suggestions,


Best regards,
Brian.

Catch22

....and........bring cash! Lots and lots of cash! Leave the wife at home! Lie about how much you paid! In other words, pretend like you are in Las Vegas.

wingedliberty

Catch22:
Yes, Oh my God, you are so right!!, "LEAVE THE WIFE AT HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
You are a man of true wisdom!


Brian.

LucyBop

I had a blast at Long Beach in my Short shorts and saddle shoes! Saddle shoes Daddy-o, it's the only way to go!

LucyBop

<< <i>Leave the wife at home! >>



But what if your wife is the HepKitty?

wingedliberty

Oh yeah, only one person is allowed to wear red shorts.



Brian.

wingedliberty

Lucy:
As long as you are comfortable is those shoes?


Brian.

Clankeye

If you see that coin, you know "the one" don't take an extra walk around the bourse floor talking to yourself. Get it. You'll be glad you did.

Clankeye

LucyBop

I have done lots of Boppin' in Vegas in these ORIGINAL 1957 date buckle Saddles!!!! They are the MOST Daddy-o!

Russ

Keep only you're "I'm sorry Mr. Dealer, but this is all I have" money in your wallet. Keep the real money somewhere else. After you've scoped prices on coins you're interested in, transfer only what is necessary in to the wallet.

Also, bring a friend along who's prepped ahead of time, so when you want to slice a few bucks off the dealer's last price you can look at your friend and say "I've only got $50 left, can I borrow $10?". To which he, of course, responds "Sorry, I'm tapped out."

Russ, NCNE

g097103

I take the wife with me and she plays the straight man for me.

wingedliberty

Great feedback everyone.



Brian.

LucyBop

Also, wear your hair in a Ponytail, that way when you swing by those dealers, your hair will really sail!

wingedliberty

One dealer told me that he has fathers bring their kids to play the YN sympathy card to get free
coins, usually cheap world stuff, but free anyway. Now thats cheap!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Brian.

CLASSICS

dont flash around a lot of money, or draw to much attention to yourself. if you have some expensive coins to sell, dont stand out like a billboard to strangers, as you dont know who they are , as an example, i use to know a man...always flashing his cash, telling the whole world what he had with him, well, after one of the big ana shows, he was driving home, stopped for gas and you guessed it he got robbed, the thieves got away, and his items were never recovered.... remember to have fun, but just use common sense

fantasiize

Catch22 summarized it, act like you are in Vegas (or A.C. for those of us on the right coast). Don't forget that poker face, don't forget to remove the Rolex, gold chains etc. (it is sort of like going to divorce court, you want to show that you are have less overall, so you end up losing less).

When you do bring cash (let's use $500 as an example) place it in 5 different locations $100 in each of the front 2, back 2 pockets and $100 in the wallet, that, once you open it, does not show any ATM or credit cards.

LucyBop

<< <i>act like you are in Vegas >>



This comes very natural to me.....Strange.....Hmmmmmm

airplanenut

Take me! Take me! I can be quiet, whiney, loud, put on a sad puppy dog face... whatever! Just take me!

Libertad

Shows out here in The Nuthin' of the Great Plains are few/far between. It plays on my mind like a circus when one comes to town.

Take a break when you find you have forgotten everything you ever knew, and that bust dollar is looking pretty good even though you don't collect them, and it's been cleaned more times than you can count.

I can usually tell I need a break when I find myself drawn to circulated stuff that I wouldn't bother to save on My eBay.

Go to the parking lot, walk around, feel the sunshine and find your center again. Take a couple of deep, cleansing breaths and review your list and the coins you just bought. If they make you smile, then...

Re-enter and shop til your cash is tapped out.