Just back home from Pittsburgh show...
goose3
Posts: 11,471 ✭✭✭
I picked up ClarkofKent (of open forum fame) Friday morning and we headed to Pittsburgh. We got into town and must have driven past the area of our hotel at least 3-4 times before stopping at a parking gargage and asking and old codger. He quickly pointed to a large building with a reddish roof (about 1 block away) and said that was it. We didn't feel too smart but luckily he didn't know that we had driven by it a few times.
We parked in between the Conv. Center and the hotel and walked to the show. This was THE very first coin show that Clark has ever been to. What a way to start!
I walked all over the floor. There were fantastic coins to be had everywhere if you had pockets deep enough. I would estimate that at least 95% of the slabs that I saw were of ANACS/PCGS/NGC. It seems (at least to me) that each show I go to, the numbers of the others dwindles even further. I saw tons and tons of nice key date material which is generally what I look for.
Most of the dealers were very friendly and the show did not seem "Packed" to me but certain tables were such as Dick Osburn's when I went by one time. I managed to yell a "hi" at him from about 3 rows deep. It was nice to finally meet Tonelover!
I saw David Bowers at the ANR table and an absolutely incredible nearly 100 percent complete set of RAW large cents at their table. They were unbelievable to say the least. I believe he was only missing the one chain cent and the strawberry leaf cent. Most of the coins were finest knowns of in the top 5......and ALL RAW.
Pinnacle had an awesome display of a complete set of Walkers. All of them were in PCGS AU58. Rick Kay had a nice case of fascinating patterns. I also liked the display at the PCGS table of the dollars. Oh, and we also checked out the DuPont coins, the 1804 dollar, the King of Siam set, and the 1913 lib niks. Neat stuff but the lighting on those sure sucked. With all the trouble that they went through to make displays for those items, what would have been so difficult about adding a light in each one?
I met numerous board members at the show. I don't want to mention them for fear of definitely forgetting some of them.
We walked around all day and I don't think either of us bought a thing. We both got some sample slabs and I got one of those puzzles of the 1794 dollar for my boy. It's very neat. It's 2 sided. (Obv/Rev!)
We left there and Kranky was nice enough to taxi some of us to dinner at an old church turned into a large brewhouse/bar and grill. The menu, as far as choices, was a bit "out there" and pricing on some of the items was equally as "out there". Me, I'm more of a person that likes to eat things I can pronounce and things that I don't have to ask someone or the waitress "what is this?".
We had 3 tables full of people there. I will make a lame attempt at naming some of the people (forgive me if I forget most of you but I should have taken notes!). Me, Clark, Boiler, RKay, FOdude, Wil Rossman, Oreville, Ken, Ken's wife, tootawl, Hartlandman, Tassa, MDWoods, Kranky, Coppercoin, and about 25 others!
Got up Saturday morning and went to the show and checked in with Heritage to see if I had won the 1799c I was bidding on. Turns out I did not so I was somewhat relieved and now was more comfortable looking and actually spending some money. I attempted to trade my PCGS G6 Chain on 2 different items but was not willing to let someone get my coin and make an easy 1000.00 or more PLUS the money on the coin I was trading on. I did run across a very neat NGC G4 1799 dollar and was very tempted but ultimately passed after Tonelover gave me his opinion of it.
I did, however, find a difficult token that I had been wanting and spoke with the dealer a few times about it and his price(1,000). He was somewhat coarse with me from the get-go like I was bothering him over a measly 1,000.00 or something but I was willing to tolerate him because I had been looking for one of those but had been told that they don't usually sell for that much(hence why I wished to get another opinion). I asked to take the token and get another opinion on it and he seemed peeved by this. I took it and got an opinion and he asked what that was and I told him. He didn't agree with that opinion but hey he asked. I offered him 900.00 just wanting him to budge a Bit and thinking he'd say 950. (I would have bought it at 950.)! He was not budging on his price and ultimately told me that he wouldn't sell for less before he offered it to a well known dealer in those first. Before Clark and I left for the day, I wrote my name, addy, phone, email, etc...on a paper and politely handed it to him and told him if he had a change of heart to contact me (or in other words if the Dealer didn't want to pay that amount either that he should contact me). He got very snotty and Rudely said something about his price and throwing my info away. I told him to go ahead and toss it and that I wouldn't pay him (Half) of that amount and left the show. I love clowns like that. There's always at least one at each show.
I left without spending 1c for nearly 2 days of browsing.
We parked in between the Conv. Center and the hotel and walked to the show. This was THE very first coin show that Clark has ever been to. What a way to start!
I walked all over the floor. There were fantastic coins to be had everywhere if you had pockets deep enough. I would estimate that at least 95% of the slabs that I saw were of ANACS/PCGS/NGC. It seems (at least to me) that each show I go to, the numbers of the others dwindles even further. I saw tons and tons of nice key date material which is generally what I look for.
Most of the dealers were very friendly and the show did not seem "Packed" to me but certain tables were such as Dick Osburn's when I went by one time. I managed to yell a "hi" at him from about 3 rows deep. It was nice to finally meet Tonelover!
I saw David Bowers at the ANR table and an absolutely incredible nearly 100 percent complete set of RAW large cents at their table. They were unbelievable to say the least. I believe he was only missing the one chain cent and the strawberry leaf cent. Most of the coins were finest knowns of in the top 5......and ALL RAW.
Pinnacle had an awesome display of a complete set of Walkers. All of them were in PCGS AU58. Rick Kay had a nice case of fascinating patterns. I also liked the display at the PCGS table of the dollars. Oh, and we also checked out the DuPont coins, the 1804 dollar, the King of Siam set, and the 1913 lib niks. Neat stuff but the lighting on those sure sucked. With all the trouble that they went through to make displays for those items, what would have been so difficult about adding a light in each one?
I met numerous board members at the show. I don't want to mention them for fear of definitely forgetting some of them.
We walked around all day and I don't think either of us bought a thing. We both got some sample slabs and I got one of those puzzles of the 1794 dollar for my boy. It's very neat. It's 2 sided. (Obv/Rev!)
We left there and Kranky was nice enough to taxi some of us to dinner at an old church turned into a large brewhouse/bar and grill. The menu, as far as choices, was a bit "out there" and pricing on some of the items was equally as "out there". Me, I'm more of a person that likes to eat things I can pronounce and things that I don't have to ask someone or the waitress "what is this?".
We had 3 tables full of people there. I will make a lame attempt at naming some of the people (forgive me if I forget most of you but I should have taken notes!). Me, Clark, Boiler, RKay, FOdude, Wil Rossman, Oreville, Ken, Ken's wife, tootawl, Hartlandman, Tassa, MDWoods, Kranky, Coppercoin, and about 25 others!
Got up Saturday morning and went to the show and checked in with Heritage to see if I had won the 1799c I was bidding on. Turns out I did not so I was somewhat relieved and now was more comfortable looking and actually spending some money. I attempted to trade my PCGS G6 Chain on 2 different items but was not willing to let someone get my coin and make an easy 1000.00 or more PLUS the money on the coin I was trading on. I did run across a very neat NGC G4 1799 dollar and was very tempted but ultimately passed after Tonelover gave me his opinion of it.
I did, however, find a difficult token that I had been wanting and spoke with the dealer a few times about it and his price(1,000). He was somewhat coarse with me from the get-go like I was bothering him over a measly 1,000.00 or something but I was willing to tolerate him because I had been looking for one of those but had been told that they don't usually sell for that much(hence why I wished to get another opinion). I asked to take the token and get another opinion on it and he seemed peeved by this. I took it and got an opinion and he asked what that was and I told him. He didn't agree with that opinion but hey he asked. I offered him 900.00 just wanting him to budge a Bit and thinking he'd say 950. (I would have bought it at 950.)! He was not budging on his price and ultimately told me that he wouldn't sell for less before he offered it to a well known dealer in those first. Before Clark and I left for the day, I wrote my name, addy, phone, email, etc...on a paper and politely handed it to him and told him if he had a change of heart to contact me (or in other words if the Dealer didn't want to pay that amount either that he should contact me). He got very snotty and Rudely said something about his price and throwing my info away. I told him to go ahead and toss it and that I wouldn't pay him (Half) of that amount and left the show. I love clowns like that. There's always at least one at each show.
I left without spending 1c for nearly 2 days of browsing.
0
Comments
Does Tassa have a southern accent?
I recently paid $975 for a really nice 1857 FE in NGC MS64. I was asking $1025 firm. One guy busted my chops for a while but eventually came back and bought it. I made $50 after holding the coin a month. The real kicker was when he came back the following month and bragged how he had sold it for $1200 at his coin club.
roadrunner
Cameron Kiefer
<< <i>Does Tassa have a southern accent? >>
Not in the least. She sounded rather normal.
Camelot
Camelot
It was good to see you again.....even though you didn't have the "little goose" with you
Check out my PQ selection of Morgan & Peace Dollars, and more at:
WWW.PQDOLLARS.COM or WWW.GILBERTCOINS.COM
As always a great report.You are tough as nails on what you want.Getting lost ? Hmmmmmm !
Registry 1909-1958 Proof Lincolns
sounds like the dealer also knew how difficult it was as well.....
maybe it's us Ohio guys that'll knock some sense into the market by not budging on an item we like and need/want but perceive as being overpriced. too often i hear of "strong money" and then lamenting about price increases by the same person. i understand one thing to be true, there aren't very many coins i'm after that will never been seen again. patience, always patience. i passed on some very choice and rare medals at this show along with some nice high grade early Jefferson Proofs. i'm not kicking myself, either. the tide will turn.
al h.