Coin Show Report - Parsippany, NJ

DaveG

I just got back from the monthly, 80-dealer, show in Parsippany. As usual, the floor was crowded and buzzing with activity. As I've mentioned before, this show has been getting more and more crowded over the past several years (it's very hard to get down the aisles) and dealers have been featuring more extensive (and higher quality) inventories. The usual wholesalers were there, with a lot of inventory on their handcarts. I saw Kleinman buying as usual and Jules Karp was walking around. (I haven't seen Laura there yet. We'll know the show's made the big time when she comes!)

As far as tasty items, I saw a lot of proof Indian head cents, three or so high relief Saints (all slabbed), a couple of pieces of old tenor gold (including a Capped Bust to Left half eagle in a PCGS-55 holder) and several slabbed Bust dollars. The "usual stuff" was there in significant quantities - slabbed Morgan and Peace dollars, slabbed Walkers, MS with-motto slabbed gold, Saints, etc. The book and supplies dealer (Harco) was there with a very good inventory of US numismatic books - all the current (Red Book, Krause, etc.) books and a nice selection of older books (Breen, Reiver, Logan/McCloskey, Browning/Breen, etc.)

There was also a dealer who has recently (in the past six months or so) started carrying a large inventory of so-called dollars (Wihlborg has bought a few from him that he's posted either here or across the street). He has them both slabbed and raw and has a lot of them. In a "nice, fraternal moment" another (national-type) dealer stopped by to observe "you're coming late to this game, a lot of guys are way ahead of you on this." The dealer who received this shot to the ribs absorbed it manfully and shrugged it off.

I also stopped by the table of Ira Meltzer (who I believe was the subject of a recent thread here). Ira has a very nice display of desirable 19th and early 20th century coins - almost all raw. While I, myself, am not that comfortable buying an expensive Draped Bust half or dollar raw, his coins, to my casual examination, looked generally un-messed with - perhaps he's just a traditionalist. Ira's got a crusty, somewhat pugnacious, exterior and I suspect that he's not above jerking someone's chain if he feels he's being jerked with. I did pick up a decent, raw 1924-D Mercury dime in XF from him. He had some nice mintmarked Mercuries from the teens and twenties - perfect for my Dansco album. His prices, while not cheap, seemed appropriate - I thought that many of the coins I looked at were conservatively graded.

I didn't see the usual crowd (TomB, Jeremy or Wihlborg), but I had a nice chat with Jon Lerner (Scarsdale Coins), who starting setting up at Parsippany last month and spoke briefly with njcoincrank, who was driving out of the parking lot as I arrived.

In conclusion, it's a great local show, to which you should not come, because it's already too crowded (unless you're selling something that I want to buy, that is!)

gemini12398

Appreciate your post, just what I wanted to know.

David

RYK

tonphil1960

I made it to the show too, as Dave said it's getting so you can't even walk around and getting in front of a table is difficult at best.

I got to meet Dan/Barber 55, talked coins for a while and managed to buy/trade some.

Picked up 5 Large Cents and 1 Barber dime I need for those sets. Good show as usual. The crowding is getting too much though.

Regards Tony

mommam17

Dave, Does Vince Blume do that show?

DaveG

No, I only see Vince at White Plains.

Barberman55

I really enjoy the Parsippany show, I just wish there was a better supply of Barber coins at the show. I bought a nice, original VF, 1902 Barber half, from Ira, at last month's Parsippany show. Most of his coins (all of them raw), do appear to be original. His nicer Barbers, were out of my price range, at today's show.

I did meet Tonphil1960, (both of us are new members to the forums), at today's show. We were both on our way out, but ended up talking about coins, for about 20 minutes anyway. It's always fun to meet other collectors, especially when they have an interest in Barber coinage.

At today's show, I picked up a really nice, 1893-o, Barber quarter, grading a solid AU-58, in raw state. The coin has pristine surfaces, and has nice, original toning. Originally, my intention was to work on a set of Barber quarters in VF-XF grade. I have since, decided to include nice AU coins in my set.

mercurynut

Thanks for the report.

airplanenut

Sorry to have missed it I was away for the weekend. On the bright side, I did buy 4 morgans this weekend already

Bustman

For the first time at this show I noticed a lot more high end items. Many flowing hair and draped bust dollars, early gold, a real nice MS 66 red 1909-svdb. I must have seen at least 5 or 6 High relief saints graded from au58 to 64. Prices are sooooooo high on HR's right now, my guess is the majority of those 5 or 6 will still be there next month. Met Jon Lerner of Scarsdale today, a real nice guy. I purchased a beautiful PCGS au55 37-D 3 legger from Jon. I don't usually collect au material, but the coin was so original with VERY pretty color.... I couldn't pass it up. You don't see very many that look like this piece.
Of course the show was not the same without Jeremy!!

FYI,
Laura has been to the Parsippany show before. I caught her hiding there a few months ago. She was not participating, she just came with someone else "for the drive".

oreville

I did not go.

I needed extra sleep this morning!

DaveG

Bustman,

We may need a ruling from the judges on this one, but if Laura just "came for the drive" and wasn't participating, I'd have to say that that doesn't count.

While I certainly don't expect Legend to set up a table at Parsippany (unless it triples in size!) I have to say that only "active, willing participation" counts.