Coppercoins' Pittsburgh ANA report..

coppercoins

To start, this was the first time I have ever been out in the real coin market with my book and as a board member here. Prior to this event, I was an unknown collector who liked to go to shows and cherrypick die varieties...nothing too exciting. So, with all that happened at this show I still have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming!

Day one (Wednesday) was a get to know my surroundings day. Not much happened, I did the best I could not to trip on myself looking at all the pretty little round things all around me. I also managed to sell a case of books to the first dealer I spoke to there. In fact, I sold about three cases worth that day. I also got ahold of Fred Weinberg and arranged our dinner out.

Day two was a work day. I scoured parts of the floor systematically for underslabbed Lincolns and raw die varieties...picked up a 1956D and S Lincoln in 64 red (raw) at a dealer's table for 50 cents. The coin is at least a $125 coin. I also sold about a dozen books for dealers to use as store copies. Today was also my first official national book signing. I sat at the ANA table at the front of the convention center and signed about a dozen books. After the show I went to dinner with Fred Weinberg, Arnie Margolis, Rich Schemmer, and Fred's Secretary. Really nice group of people, and we had a good time.

Day three...I continued to work the floor, but after a break outside for a bit I met up with James Wiles at the CONECA table. He and I discussed a lot of things, then I showed him my 1956D Lincoln I had picked up. He entered me into the contest for the cherrypickers' award for which the winner would be announced Saturday. I did another book signing that afternoon and had the owner of Trans Line supply sit down and front of me and proceed to tell me that he wanted to be the one to print and distribute the second edition of the book. Barnes and Noble, Amazon, the works! We swapped cards, shook hands, and I still have yet to get home to recontact him and start setting up the negotiations. Anyhow, I met up with a couple of nice dealers out of Colorado who wanted to carry the book on their tables under consignment for the show, then wanted to order cases after the show was over. After the show I happened to walk out at the same time as the owner of Trans Line, so we went across the street and had a few beers together...A really good guy! I had to break that meeting up to get to the CU board members dinner. I met a lot of folks there and shared coin stories with as many as I could manage to talk to. I believe I spent the most time with MadMarty (really funny and great guy), Tassa (beautiful and nice lady), and Clark of Kent (another really great guy). I'm sure someone else has posted all the names of the folks who were there, so I won't duplicate the effort.

Day four...I went back to the CONECA table, now interested to see what other people were picking up. Dr. Wiles told me that it was a brutal show, hardly anything was being cherried and reported. I also went back to the ANA table and found out that there was a signing open in the afternoon, so I did that too. Let me tell you...all of the people at the ANA table were super people to talk to, and all of them were really interested in my work. After talking to them for a while, they asked if I would consider teaching at the Summer seminar next year....You betcha!! After the signing I went to the ANACS table and spoke to Mr. Fahey about the book, my effort, the attribution system, and whether or not they would oblige to slab coins with my system if the collectors asked for it. He told me that he was really impressed with my work and that he would be glad to work with me to get the die system I developed on their slabs! MAJOR SCORE!!! I talked to ICG and didn't get the same warm response. Anyhow, that evening was supposed to be rest evening, but as I sat at the Colorado table cherrying a 1955D DDO cent, a nice gentleman by the name of Bill came up to the table. He asked Steve, the dealer, if he wanted a free ticket to the ANA awards dinner that evening. Steve said he was tired and didn't really want to go, so he introduced Bill to me. After talking to Bill for a while, he asked if I wanted to go. You betcha!!! So I went to the dinner with Bill. Really nice guy, a really good and memorable dinner...plus it was free.

Day five (Sunday)...last day in Pittsburgh, went back to the show to settle up with the dealers who had been selling the book (45 copies altogether), and delivered SIX cases to Jim H. (sorry, don't remember the last name right off) from Northern Illinois....a major show supplies and numismatic book dealer. I then walked to the front of the show and noticed David Lange sitting at the NGC table alone, so I took the opportunity to sit with him and discuss his book about Lincolns, my book about Lincolns, the market, coins in general, etc. We had a really nice discussion. Well....since that table was in the front of the show, a little old lady of 81 years of age (she offered that info) came up and wanted to sell some coins. They were slabbed, three MS62 Lib eagles and two Morgans. She didn't know what to do with them and didn't understand how to get around and sell them. So what does Chuck do? He walks Ms. Halla around the show and plays intermediary while she sells the coins. We got 10% back of bid for what were essentially common date slabbed junk coins, and Ms. Halla walked away from the convention center with good money for the coins in her purse blessing me all the way for my help. I refused tip, kick back, etc. I told her that I saw she needed guidance, not a rip-off. I helped her, she got far less than she had payed the shysters at some metals brokerage for them, but she got a good, fair deal and was happy.

Left Pittsburgh at 3PM and headed North. Stopped in Akron overnight to rest up for a trip the next morning...

Day six, drove through Ohio, Indiana, and Chicago to Fon du Lac, Wisconsin. Spent the night there, but first met up with a guy I met on my site in Appleton for dinner and a peek through his fantastic collection. Really cool!

Day seven, met up with another collector who posts here and took a look through his collection, talked with him about the market, the future of my site, and what was to come of things in general. I left having sold him a case of my books to sell online, signed them all for him. Took off from there to Madison, Wisconsin, where I sit now typing this post. I'm on a slow trip back to Missouri with the CDN dealer guide in hand, looking up every coin shop between here and there, planning to spend the next two days stopping at every one of them.

Back to the show, I should not let it go without mention that I also met Mike Diamond, Mike Ellis, Bill Fivas, Paul Funiaole, the editors for Coin World and Numismatic News (both of whom I spoke with about writing articles for publication), Michael Fey, Alan Herbert, and a whole host of other "who's who" people in the industry...I can't begin to list them all, and I can't begin to express the gratitude I have toward this board and the market in general at the show for the overall interest in my book and what I do. I had never thought I really did all that much - I just jotted down stuff I knew and accompanied it with photos, and it turned into a book. I never thought nationally recognized numismatists would be treating me as an equal and offering to help out wherever they could. It's a dream world!!!

The End.

Forgot to mention that Sunday on my way back from walking Ms. Halla outside I met up with Mike Diamond who praised my work and congratulated me for winning the CONECA cherrypicker's award for the 2004 Pittsburgh ANA show....like I knew I had won it. Just another "pinch myself" moment. I had been recognized as the #1 cherrypicker of the national convention....Wow!

kieferscoins

Awesome report! I am so glad you sold so many cases of books!

Cameron Kiefer

JRocco

Great report Chuck. I am really glad things worked out well for you. Just hope you realize that your hard work and research are greatly appreciated and I, for one, look forward to your future works.

Bear

C.D., that was a heck of a good report. It was well worth waiting for.

Thank you. Bear

seanq

Sounds like a great week. Congrats on getting the richly deserved accolates and business.


Sean Reynolds

Zulan

Good for you. I love your website, and next payday I am buying your book. It is sites like yours that got me back into the world of coin collecting (or numastics.. numerastics... numastisism...). The obvious joy you get from this really shines through in your site, and I am hoping your book will be the same.

coppercoins

<< <i>Good for you. I love your website, and next payday I am buying your book. It is sites like yours that got me back into the world of coin collecting (or numastics.. numerastics... numastisism...). The obvious joy you get from this really shines through in your site, and I am hoping your book will be the same. >>



Although all of the above messages of praise are really appreciated, yours really hit me...I am happy to be a part of the growth of the hobby and am happy to see that my work is going into bringing people into it. That's the first and foremost reason why I am doing it.

From what a large number of other people have told me, you should enjoy the book.

Just to let everyone know, I published this book with a 1,500 copy run on April 30th of this year and am down to under 400 copies left, and many of those will likely be spoken for within the next three to six weeks. I am running out and might actually need a second printing by the end of September!

numobri

Congrats,

Would you sign EVERY page,if I buy another one of your books?

Nice meeting you.

Brian

golddustin

Hello again Chuck...I was the first person you signed for on Saturday afternoon, just as you were arriving at the table, and I look forward to cracking open the book and starting to replace the shambles of my Lincoln collection...you mentioned that that is what you wrote the book for - helping us put together the most interesting set of cents we could, with the varieties that exsist out there. With your research, it should be alot easier.........Thanks! And here's to nice cherry-pick!

ashmore

Chuck,
I really enjoyed meeting you at the board members' dinner on Friday. I appreciate the tip on going by CONECA with your cherrypicks. I never knew to do that. I "cherried" the following (as if you care about Morgans):

1880 P VAM 1A Knobbed 8 VG8
1880-O VAM 1A Hangnail Eagle AU53
1880-O VAM 1A Hangnail Eagle AU58+
1880-O VAM 6A Spikes XF45
1880-O VAM 6A Spikes AU55
1896-O VAM 4 Micro O ! VG8
1886-O VAM 1A E on Reverse "7 clash" ! AU55
1878 8TF VAM 14-3 AU55
1878 8TF VAM 14-4 Concave Reverse MS62
1900 O/CC VAM 9 VG8
1900 O/CC VAM 11 VG8
1900 O/CC VAM 12 VF20
1895-S VAM 4 S/Horiz S. VF25
1893 P VAM 4 Doubled Stars AU58
1884-O VAM 10 "So-called O/CC"
1888-O Oval O

Sorry about the short story, but I guess the moral is "Knowledge is King" and you knew about the CONECA challenge! I have been trying to cherrypick the Knobbed 8 and the "7 clash" 1886-O for years. I was very lucky to find the 96-O and the O/CC VAM9 and the concave reverse as well

In any case, I had a great time meeting you and oreville and I hope to get to know some of the other folks in the group in the near term.

Ash Harrison

PS thanks for signing my book!

coppercoins

<< <i>Congrats,

Would you sign EVERY page,if I buy another one of your books?

Nice meeting you.

Brian >>



Of course I will! But like I said, I sign my name as a big red X.

It was indeed one of the big highlights of the trip to meet the board members and finally put names and faces to the nicknames we use here. Some of those people I had been communicating with for five years or more and had never met in person. Really cool!!

coppercoins

Ash...I can say that I respect what you do with Morgans although I know painfully little about them. I hope the ones you did find made the trip worthwhile. I know my picks, new contacts, sales, and potential business leads more than payed for the trip...in fact it would have been really stupid for me to not make the trip. I'm glad I made the choice I did.

merz2

Chuck
I knew you had it in you.LOL!!!
Seriously,I am very pleased with your report and I have all the confidence in you.After reading your book,and our many PM's and E-mails.Keep up the good work.As I told you a long time ago,or so it seems.People will come to you and your site for knowledge.

comoncents

Great report. And an awesome cherry pick. I haven't really read too much of your book yet, but what I have read is good information and I don't think you should wait very long to order another run of them. Good luck and please keep us informed about your other "project" the big book.
comoncents

Tassa

Good report Chuck. It was a pleasure meeting you and I'm looking forward to reading your book.

oreville

Chuck: It has indeed been a pleasure to have met you after 6 years of chatting with you on the internet on ebay your web site emails and here.

Too bad I was so tired at that dinner. The noise in that restaurant made it nearly impossible for me to hear you let alone anyone.

We have been through good and bad times on the internet as virtual band of brothers and it has been a great learning experience for both of us. We will hopefully meet again and meanwhile continue our internet journey together as brothers!

MadMarty

Chuck,
It was great meeting and chatting with you. Hell, I might even start back on Lincolns now!!! I hope you get your book deal and maybe we'll see you at the FUN show.

cladking

...and it's good to have you back.

RYK

Great report and congratulations on the success of your new book.

rottnrog

Great report Chuck. I can't think of a more deserving guy to have all the good things happen for him!!

Someday we will meet and I am looking forward to that day!!!!

kranky

Great report, Chuck! Enjoyed meeting you at the ANA, hope to get another opportunity to talk in person in the future. And thanks for the opinion on my 1960 LD/SD proof Lincoln. Best wishes for continued success with your book.

PhillyJoe

It was a pleasure to meet Coppercoins at the show and dinner. His experiences are the kind that most of us dream about. They were a dream for him, too, until he decided to put his knowledge on paper to share with others. How much stuff does he know about Lincolns? It only took him about 40 DAYS to put his book together. Reseach? Didn't have to; he's spent years doing it as a hobby. As previously mentioned, he told us at dinner the date of an error coin simply by looking at the reverse - by candlelight. Years from now, I'm sure the memories of this show will still be fresh for our newest numismatic author.

Joe

Shamika

CHUCK!


WAKE UP!


YOU'RE DREAMING!




















Congratulations on your success. It's well deserved.

ScarsdaleCoin

Chuck I enjoyed meeting you and the book is grand....

however how come you cherrypicked a coin for 50 cents at a dealer table that is worth $125

yet you make it sound like dealers would buy the little old lady coin junk coins at a low price instead of a fair 10% back of bid

are you saying its ok to rip a dealer because he should know better but not a little old lady because she will be taken advantage of... .......I dont know I dont get the warm fuzzy feeling

zenny

<< <i>
are you saying its ok to rip a dealer because he should know better but not a little old lady because she will be taken advantage of... .......I dont know I dont get the warm fuzzy feeling >>





Exactly what should one do in that case, Jon?

a. pay the full $125, while also instructing the dealer how he should have known, (what the heck, give him a free copy of the book while you're at it);

b. pay a "reasonable amount (perhaps 65-80% of the value)," while also instructing the dealer how he should have known, (charge him only wholesale for the book);

c. pay the full $125 and call the paramedics because the dealer has fainted and hit his head on the corner of one of his display cases on the way down;

d. pay a "reasonable amount" and call the paramedics because the dealer has fainted and hit his head on the corner of one of his display cases on the way down;

e. pay the full dealer's asking price;

f. haggle with the dealer until he's almost paying you for taking the nasty coin away.


Dealer-to-dealer, dealer-to-collector and collector-to-dealer sales very often have completely different dynamics to them. In most cases dealers do have the upper hand, (to put it diplomatically). This is why collectors are often advised to "find one or a few dealers that you trust" and cultivate relationships with them. I know that i get the best prices, both buying and selling, from the dealers i work with the most.

When you factor in the "person off the street" scenario you know very well how unfortunately these transactions can turn out. It was nice of Chuck to try to get the woman a decent return for her coins, just as it would have been rather ridiculous for him to have advised the dealer that he was charging far too little for the coin and negotiate upward until a fair and happy medium was located.


On another note: it was great to meet you at dinner Chuck, and i was as impressed by your "dating the dateless coin by candlelight trick" as everyone who witnessed it! good luck with the tour and the book.


z

ScarsdaleCoin

When you factor in the "person off the street" scenario you know very well how unfortunately these transactions can turn out. It was nice of Chuck to try to get the woman a decent return for her coins, just as it would have been rather ridiculous for him to have advised the dealer that he was charging far too little for the coin and negotiate upward until a fair and happy medium was located.


sounds like rips are ok if its a collector, but shame on a dealer.....

see to me what works one way should apply both ways....yes might be nice to educate the dealer and split the profits.....its ok I am sure you dont agree with this....I dont feel right about taking advantage of anyone....dealer or collector

zenny

Come on, Jon.

When you buy something from a dealer for less than it's "worth" do you actually split the profits with him when you end up making a bunch of money? If you do, i'm quite sure you are one of very few. And i'm not even sure i should congratulate you, at that.

The point i was trying to make, albeit somewhat humorously, was that "The Dealer" generally has the upper hand in a transaction. They have put the time, the capital, the energy, all of that and more into it and they derive a certain benefit, the profit margin. They usually have a greater knowledge of the coin/situation, and they, more often than not, take every advantage of said knowledge. Unfortunately when the dealer has 99.9% of the knowledge and the collector, or more likely "person off the street" has .1%, that's when the nasty shenanigans seem to occur.

On the very few occasions that "The Collector" actually has a greater knowledge of the coin/situation, i see no problem whatsoever with the dealer "being ripped." It generally doesn't happen in anything greater than the hundreds or perhaps, just perhaps, the thousands of dollars.

Don't you think that holding ones self out as a professional should both create a certain standard of integrity, yet also an understanding that one may not perhaps know everything.


Who knows, maybe the dealer only paid face value for the coin in the first place and had it marked up 5000% already!


z

mgoodm3

Glad to hear that the Coppercoins world tour worked out well.

ksteelheader

Chuck, It was a pleasure for my wife and I to finally meet you! I can't wait until your next book is published!

Ken

cladking

I wanna hear about that candlelight thing...

PhillyJoe

One of the book signings happened at the forum dinner. If you would like to see a picture of the author, go to the dinner pictures posted on the open forum. Mr. Coppercoins is wearing a red shirt with "New York" on the front.

Joe

dpoole

Sincere congratulations, Chuck. I can't imagine anyone working harder on a book, and I can't imagine anyone more knowledgeable about Lincoln varieties than you! Couldn't be happening to a better guy!

jtwax

Chuck,

Glad to hear that you had a terriffic time! Congrats on distributing your book so well also! Keep up the good work in all you are doing for the hobby!

Lakesammman

Great report. Sounds like a dream week! Can't wait to get the book.

coppercoins

Thanks to all who responded. I am really happy that I now can put names and faces with the nicknames and icons here. The dinner last Friday was one of the very high points of the whole trip...very enjoyable.

Two things to clarify...first, the coin I cherried is going into my collection. Not for sale. End of story.

Second, the little old lady was uneasy about offering her coins to dealers - she didn't trust the market because she had been screwed over before. My part in it was to be an intermediary for her comfort sake, not to make sure the "evil dealers" didn't take advantage of her. She felt more comfortable having someone else deal with her coins who knew more about it...that's all. She came alone because she had heard about the convention on TV and didn't have local family to go with her. My walking around with her wasn't an effort to ensure she wouldn't get hosed. Both David Lange and I explained to her that the market in the show was a fair market, but she was still uneasy. It was obvious she had no clue, so I walked around with her playing surrogate grandson. I gained nothing but satisfaction in helping someone, and she got a good shake for her coins from Harlan Berk and another dealer from Chicago. Everyone was happy.

I think there's a bit of apples and oranges comparing going on - I guess it is safe to assume that you can't please everyone all the time. Se la vie, or however you spell it.