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Baltimore - two days later

sadysta1sadysta1 Posts: 1,307 ✭✭✭
It was a fin show, however the way I feel lately I prefer smaller regional shows than a big national show like this one. The drive was fun with the exception of the tunnel, which is still being repaired resulting in longer than expected drive to the convention center. Hyatt got smart and they are charging a flat $20 parking fee, ouch. But it was a short walk to Halls A&B and it is my favorite parking.

As usual I met some fellow board members and we had a fun lunch (I had very expensive crab cakes). I forgot how much fun it was to tease and get on nerves of the fellow board member. I was trying to convince (unsuccessfully) Merz2 that the 2 cent collectors are twice as important as the Lincoln cent collectors. He flatly refused to listen to any of my arguments.image

Show wise it was very slow, although the dealers I talked to had a good show overall. They wee saying it's a first show so it wasn't bad. The number of empty tables was staggering, although I had no problems with it because it meant less walking for me. I thing almost every major numismatic company was gone before the door opened on Saturday. I can understand that but dealers a word of advice, remove your name from the table before you leave. To add an insult to an injury, some of them proudly left business cards scattered on the empty table, grr...

The word of the day was PVC. I have never seen so many PVC contaminated coins!!!

Do dealers even look at their inventory after thy buy coins? There were some coins I would love to buy but the green spotting was unacceptable. I'm very sensitive about PVC since the grading competition. Three of the 50 coins I graded in the spring clearly had PVC on them. I marked them as such but the points were deducted from me because the coins had actual grades assigned to them. I tried to talk to David but I got no replay image grr.... image

I decided to start circulated barber halves set in vg/f range and I was able to purchase several coins for my album (also brand new). I bought (rescued) 1911 proof cent, looks recolored and I saved it from PVC hell too. I mailed it to SEGS today along with some raw Kennedy halves (yea I know but they looked nice) I submitted some coins to NGC as well. I have 5 invoices with them now - this should be fun!!!

Speaking of NGC do they have a grade guarantee like PCGS??? I bought an 1870 IHC in AU58 (it's also pick axe variety) at a reasonable price, but if this coin is AU58 I'll eat tootawl habaneras.

I was trying to play with the pic but I messed it up. Sorry, no better pic available.

By the afternoon the show was almost empty. the only dealers left were the local dealers from PA, DC and MD. the hall was at least 75-80% empty.

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    Catch22Catch22 Posts: 1,086 ✭✭
    I think the toll of the grueling summer show schedule finally reared it's head at Baltimore. Dealers are starting to skip shows and scale back and I think Baltimore suffered because of it. Let's see what Pittsburgh looks like...should be sizzling if this market is continuing it's forward advance.


    When we are planning for posterity, we ought to remember that virtue is not hereditary.

    Thomas Paine
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    Wolf359Wolf359 Posts: 7,653 ✭✭✭
    Park on Howard Street, $11 all day with a one block walk.
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    cohodkcohodk Posts: 18,622 ✭✭✭✭✭
    That IHC looks ok to me
    Excuses are tools of the ignorant

    Knowledge is the enemy of fear

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