FUN show report, Days 2, 3, and epilogue

mongoose · January 11, 2004 2:29PM

Day 2
Friday morning the floor was busy. I stopped by NorthEast Numismatics to give my phone number and ask about the Victorian copper 1/4d, and was handed 3 nice 1/4ds.

I selected a brown 1840, with blue toning rolling under FULL luster throughout the legends. It is a nice coin, and I'm glad I saw it before anyone else looking for a similar coin.

One dealer had a double row, full sized stock box filled with Maundy sets. Many, many dates and mostly high quality, some truly exceptional. I wasn't looking to buy, but did find a very appealing 1905 set that was on the lower priced end for the box. Nicely toned and very well matched in color.

I asked a few dealers if they had a good day and all said yes, it was a good show for them so far.

Friday passed very quickly, and I never did get to meet 2labmom or Boz, I had hoped to. I did meet up with rhound, Aethelred, milord, spinaker, ajaan, and mrs ajaan. We took a group photo that may be suitable for release. Had a Darkside swap meet and a quite a show and tell session. There were some really nice coins in the room.

We pooled up the eye-popper give away coins and took a few photos. There will be some happy recipients soon.

Day three and a few eye popper pics to come.

Eye popper samples a sample of poor pics taken quickly, but the new owners will like them all.

Day three to come.

oldshep · January 11, 2004 3:23PM

Wow - those are eye poppers.
Shep

cosmicdebris · January 11, 2004 7:08PM

Nice coins!

Who had the maundy sets?

theboz11 · January 11, 2004 7:13PM

Very nice coins, I am sorry I did not make it back down to the show again to meet with you. I did get to meet with danglen, 2labmom and spinnaker, and picked up a couple of coins that I posted Already.

mongoose · January 11, 2004 11:04PM

Bill, American Heritage had the box full of Maundy sets. They were all in safe flips, though many had a note that they did have the case for the coins. The same dealer also had some top notch coins from most milled era monarchs (particularly Vic young head coinage) but their prices exceeded current Spink levels. Coin prices in general (on the bourse) were strong, but collectors seemed willing to pay.

mongoose · January 12, 2004 12:01AM

Day 3 and epilogue
Day three was a light buying day for me. The bourse was busy, crowded, but not as frantic as Day 2. I didn't have to wait for a table seat at anyplace I visited to take a last look at coins.

I spent the first part of the day making a group submission of 33 coins for the folks involved with the previous swap meet/show and tell. I sat and worked through the submission with Dave Lange of NGC. I discussed their previous handling of a Canadian cased specimen dollar, specifically that the coin was returned to me as PR rather than an SP. I sensed that I was barking up the wrong tree, and that he wasn't really familiar with that series of coins. I aso found it amusing that he wasn't aware that NGC had raised their per coin submission cost a dollar per coin at the the tier I submitted under. He did give me two free slab boxes and a sample slab though. The submission was a nice group of coins, varying from coppers to gilded, milled and hammereds, classics to moderns, uncircs to specimens to proofs. The individuals owning the coins can speak on the specifics.

I did sell a bit of gold, and the headed back to the Foreign section for one last breeze through. I picked up a nice 1827 1/3 farthing, Geo IIII, to upgrade that particluar coin in my set of fractionals. The coin is full luster with a nice blue tint over the entire portrait. It was a six coin deal/trade basically (2 in, 4 out)and only $25 changed hands. He was very willing to take some of my extra type coins at the price I wanted for them.

I was pretty much burned out after two full days, and was ready to quit after eating lunch. We were trying to organize dinner with anyone that wanted to attend, and we all planned with Dan to meet for dinner around 7PM. Spinaker, rhound, and I left the bourse early afternoon to head back to our room and relax.

We closed the adventure with a nice group dinner. Dan, Dan's friend, tootawl, ajaan, mrs ajaan, Aethelred, milord, spinaker, rhound and I hung out for a few hours over a good meal.

Epilogue
The weather for the show was cold except for Thursday, and it sucked the energy out of me. Parking at the Convention center was insufficient and overflow parking extended into the surrounding hotels.

Two full days at a major show is sufficient for me, three days is as much as I would ever want to tackle.

Dealers are buying, collectors are buying, and everyone is busy looking for the next deal.

There is still a shortage of quality British copper type material, and prices are still rising.

British material in general is priced optimistically, but it is selling.

Spink pricing was the standard among Brit specialists.

The trip was 5 days and almost 1500 miles.

I don't know how many coins I looked at, but it was THOUSANDS.

I'm glad I went, but I'm glad it's done.

I found 2 of 5 coins I needed, and upgraded one that I had.

Laptop computers and cellphones were everywhere on the bourse.

Final note
While it is fun to attend shows, look at tons of material, and buy some coins, the highlights of the trip are in the conversations, coins, and stories with friends. We had some good laughs at each others expense (mostly ajaan's), and enjoyed each other's coins and knowledge. Attend shows with like minded friends if possible!

laurentyvan · January 12, 2004 12:07AM

Great follow-up to the show Mongoose! Was there any one thing you saw at the show (not a coin) that particularly surprised you?

mongoose · January 12, 2004 12:09AM

Laurent, I'll give that one some additional thought, and will post this afternoon...good question!

1jester · January 12, 2004 12:53AM

Great run-down of the FUN show, Mongoose. I'm glad y'all had a good time.

cosmicdebris · January 12, 2004 1:08AM

Thanks for sharing. It almost feels like I was there with you.

SYRACUSIAN · January 12, 2004 1:14AM

Great report but the essence lies in the epilogue I think. It makes no sense for collectors to start calculating the total cost of attending a show and then add it to the coins' cost to see if it was worth it. What matters most ,is these moments with friends, the amount of coins that are available to see, and the overall experience of attending.Some or all of the coins might be resold one day, but the nice memories stay forever.

Aethelred · January 12, 2004 10:33AM

<< Great report but the essence lies in the epilogue I think. It makes no sense for collectors to start calculating the total cost of attending a show and then add it to the coins' cost to see if it was worth it. What matters most ,is these moments with friends, the amount of coins that are available to see, and the overall experience of attending.Some or all of the coins might be resold one day, but the nice memories stay forever.

>>

Well said Dimitri, while I had fun at the show and am very happy with the coins I bought, the time spent with friends is what I really went for and what I'll always remember.

Great account of the show Joe!

ajaan · January 12, 2004 10:35AM

Anyone up for Baltimore 9-11 July?

Aethelred · January 12, 2004 12:16PM

<< Anyone up for Baltimore 9-11 July? >>

Perhaps, but it is too early for me to think about it!

rhound1977 · January 12, 2004 12:19PM

<< 

<< Anyone up for Baltimore 9-11 July? >>

Perhaps, but it is too early for me to think about it! >>

There is no way I can rule it out right now.......

mongoose · January 12, 2004 1:26PM

Was there any one thing you saw at the show (not a coin) that particularly surprised you?

Laurent, no real surprises, but I'm still thinking.

Baltimore looks good for now.

spinaker2000 · January 12, 2004 1:59PM

LM came back with a big chunk of copper, muttering something about "plate money"??

Aethelred · January 12, 2004 10:08PM

<< LM came back with a big chunk of copper, muttering something about "plate money"??

>>

I think he bought some kind of old copper roofing tile!

lordmarcovan · January 13, 2004 1:55AM

Be quiet, you, or I shall drop it on your toe!

coinkat · January 13, 2004 10:17AM

The Baltimore Show is always worth attending... This year the ANA is in Pittsburgh in August so just keep that in mind for future planning

mongoose · July 25, 2019 6:35AM

I used to love the hobby, hope many , many people still do

TwoKopeiki · July 25, 2019 7:01AM

@mongoose Many of us still do! Where have you been?

Stork · July 25, 2019 10:51AM

@mongoose said:
I used to love the hobby, hope many , many people still do

It waxes and wanes, and there can be an occasional hiatus. It's good to brush off the log-in once in awhile and keep tabs

coinkat · July 26, 2019 12:40PM

So events have been resurrected 15 years later... Not sure what to write other than I still enjoy the hobby while dodging some of the inconveniences that exist with anything worthwhile.

FUN show report, Days 2, 3, and epilogue

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