FUN observations

Mark

While I was wondering around the FUN show on Firday and Saturday, I saw/heard three interesting things:

1) I saw very few PCGS slabbed clad coins for sale on the bourse. There were a few IKEs, but not much else. For instance, I saw very few, if any, slabbed statehood quarters, no clad dimes, and no clad quarters. I saw some slabbed high-grade modern cents, both MS and PR. Did anyone see large quantities of PCGS slabbed clad coins on the bourse floor? Or is interest in these coins confined to e-bay?

2) I saw some, but not many, ACG coins. I saw many more Numistrust slabs. ACG was not slabbing coins on the floor, but Mr. Hager was accepting coins to be slabbed. (And he was NOT eating behind the table!) A general observation: Some dealers generally have ACG, Numistrust, and/or PCI slabs, while other dealers generally have PCGS, NGC, and/or ANACS slabs. I don't recall seeing a dealer with, say, 50% PCGS slabs and 50% ACG slabs. Most of the SEGS slabs I saw were in cases with ACG, Numistrust, and/or PCI slabs. Most of the ICG slabs I saw were in cases with PCGS, NGC, and ANACS slabs. Do these general impressions agree with what others saw?

3) I hung around Mr. Hager's table for 15 minutes or so on Friday. Why? Because my wife and kids were buying a gold nugget from a dealer immediately next to his table. So, I wasn't at his table, just next to it. Whilst there, I heard Mr. Hager make several interesting comments to a customer. The most amusing was his comment to a customer. I believe that Mr. Hager said that on Saturday, he (Mr. Hager) was going to take his gold to the NGC booth to have it graded. I don't collect ACG coins, so perhaps ACG doesn't grade gold? Does anyone here know if ACG grades gold?

Mark

airplanenut

<< <i>I don't collect ACG coins, so perhaps ACG doesn't grade gold? Does anyone here know if ACG grades gold? >>



In reality, they are so bad, they really don't grade anything Really, though, they grade any coin 1600 and up... Hagar just knows that his slabs are to PCGS and NGC was SPAM is to a golden, honey-glazed ham (I think- I don't eat pig )

Jeremy

IrishMike

Mark, I think your observations are correct on the clad coins. I too saw very little, but that was also true in Indy at the Central States Show. Was that you and your son I saw Friday at Eagle Eye. I was the bearded salt and pepper guy sitting next to Shylock in a state of shock looking at the varities in Steve's case.

Mark

Mike:

I think we did see each other because I remember you sitting next to Shylock. You saw me if you saw a person who should probably lose about 35 pounds eyeing the patterns in Rick's case. Darn, I wish I had seized the opportunity to interupt Shylock to ask who he was! If I had, you would have heard and I'd have formally met you, too. Darn, darn, darn!!!

And my son actually was well behaved during the show, as was my daughter. But, aside from a commemorative and a dime, my kids made sure that my other major show purchase was a stuffed rat....

Mark

boiler78

Mark
I bet you were coveting the same small cent patterns that I was. Last I knew you needed 5 of the 6 that I am lacking. Are you sure your not getting tired of them?
just kidding (sorta)
Mark

Mark

Mark:

I know you and I are competing for the same patterns...in the same sense that a football team from a high school for blind girls (me) competes against an NFL team (you).

More seriously, have those 1858 small cent patterns become much scarcer in the past few years? What's your opinion? I think they have become less common and have been thinking of switching to gathering a group of the mid-1850 cent patterns, that is the patterns that preceeded the 1858 patterns.

Mark

boiler78

I haven't seen a nice 1858 small cent pattern ( for sale) on a bourse floor in 2 years and I go to most of the larger shows. I know of 4 guys besides you and me that are collecting them. I kick myself for not being more aggressive on the Eliasberg set but at that time you would see half a dozen (different varieties) at any given show. In the mean time I am still searching.

Johnscoin

You know I noticed the same things about who had what slabs. I did notice one self-slabber through the ACG deal and that was quite humerous.
I saw the stuffed rats too on Sunday. My mom made it a point to show them to me...They were quite cute strangely enough...

IrishMike

Mark (boiler) I thought we were going to have to pry you away from that pattern case.

boiler78

Mike
I made no less than 10 trips back to the Eagle Eye table on Thursday and I had to leave at 3:00

Lakesammman

Same observation - the patterns are getting hard to find. I scoured the floor and didn't see a single one worth buying...only those on display at the EERC table...none for sale.

Mark

Mike:

Mark (boiler) wasn't the only Mark that needed to be pried from that pattern case.

Mark (not boiler and not of Pinnacle)

IrishMike

Did you guys get a chance to see the Civil War tokens too?

boiler78

Too many Marks around here! Those tokens were really neat but I don't know the first thing about them. Very impressive collection!

Mark

Mike:

I was trying to shove Shylock aside to get a better look at the tokens. I kept wiggling the table when he was lining up his shots, but he didn't take the hint.

In truth, I think those tokens are extremely cool. I am planning to buy one for my wife because she, too, thinks they are neat. And for her to think anything coin related is neat is remarkable!

Mark