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Baltimore: My first show... A Newbs Report (pic added)
ecos
Posts: 391 ✭
Just thought I would share my 2 cents about the show.
Got a late start (2.5 hours of locksmithing to get a broken key out of the ignition!!!), left Philadelphia and it was HOT!
Arrived in Baltimore:
When I walked onto the bourse floor, I almost fainted. How could there be so many coins in one place and how was I supposed to look at them all???
Two immediate realizations:
1) I have no idea what I am looking for.
2) I don't have enough money to buy it if I find it (these aren't the flea market coins I have seen before!).
Since it was 11:45 I decided to move first to the PCGS table to say hello to the other CU forum members on thier way to lunch. I stopped by and got to meet JrGamn, Ksteelheader, Halfnut, Barry, tcmitssr,and Philly Joe. Very nice guys. I have never met people that I am familiar with on-line before. It was easy to put the face with the online handle. No lunch for me though, I was on a mission.
In my search for a low grade 04-s Barber dime and any US-Phil material, I got to see the whole floor a few times. I have nothing to compare it to, but this had to be one of the larger shows. I would figure you could fit a football field in that room, it was huge. There were more coins than I could possibly comprehend. Tons of slabbed stuff, raw stufff, and stuff in books and bins. Some people had prices marked, some do not. In general most prices marked seemed a bit high, but not like road-side antique store high. Every dealer was willing to budge. ( I quickly realized that if you put a bunch of 2x2's in a bin and mark it "Bargain" I will spend time and money at your table. I feel ashamed to admit it.)
I met a bunch of dealers from the boards. I met tonelover (Jon Rosenthal) from Rare Coins of New Hampshire, Wayne Herndon from his self titled debut, Wayne Herndon Rare Coins, John from Scarsdale Coin, Julian Leidman (who, by the way, stopped in the middle of a conversation and came over just to shake my hand and say hello after he overheard me say I was a board member. Super nice guy and a Class Act!), stopped by Jade Rare Coins, and finally I sent some mojo over Laura's way, but her Legends henchmen kept my at bay. All I wanted to do was buy a cetain nickel from 1913.
I searched the floor, bough my 04-s and a bunch of late date US-Phile stuff (boy was quality US-Phil in short supply), and came back to bug John at Scarsdale. We had a great conversation and he very partiently showed me some 3 cent Silvers. He isa great guy and has fantastic coins!!! Finally, I went back to talk to Jon R at Rare coins of New Hampshire and was join by the super knowledgable Jeremy (airplanenut). Jon and I got a detailed lesson on the mechanics of airplane flaps from Jeremey. He really knows his stuff! He showed Jon and I a number of incredibly fine coins, some of which have been on the forum before. Before I left, I bought a gorgeous 1908 MS64 RB Indian Cent (pictures to come) from Jon and got on my way.
All in all, it was an amazing show. I got to meet many new faces and my experience with all of the dealers (those on the board and others as well) was fantastic! It seemed to me that there was a good deal of foot traffic. They announced that Fridays attendance numbers broke the previous record. I do not kow if the material was fresh or not, but it all looked good to me. Most dealers I talked to said it had been a decent show so far, hopefully today picked up for them.
Well, if you read this far, I hope it was worth while. From a newbs point of view, it was a truly postive experience!
Thanks,
~Matt
PCGS MS64 RB from Rare Coins of New Hampshire
Got a late start (2.5 hours of locksmithing to get a broken key out of the ignition!!!), left Philadelphia and it was HOT!
Arrived in Baltimore:
When I walked onto the bourse floor, I almost fainted. How could there be so many coins in one place and how was I supposed to look at them all???
Two immediate realizations:
1) I have no idea what I am looking for.
2) I don't have enough money to buy it if I find it (these aren't the flea market coins I have seen before!).
Since it was 11:45 I decided to move first to the PCGS table to say hello to the other CU forum members on thier way to lunch. I stopped by and got to meet JrGamn, Ksteelheader, Halfnut, Barry, tcmitssr,and Philly Joe. Very nice guys. I have never met people that I am familiar with on-line before. It was easy to put the face with the online handle. No lunch for me though, I was on a mission.
In my search for a low grade 04-s Barber dime and any US-Phil material, I got to see the whole floor a few times. I have nothing to compare it to, but this had to be one of the larger shows. I would figure you could fit a football field in that room, it was huge. There were more coins than I could possibly comprehend. Tons of slabbed stuff, raw stufff, and stuff in books and bins. Some people had prices marked, some do not. In general most prices marked seemed a bit high, but not like road-side antique store high. Every dealer was willing to budge. ( I quickly realized that if you put a bunch of 2x2's in a bin and mark it "Bargain" I will spend time and money at your table. I feel ashamed to admit it.)
I met a bunch of dealers from the boards. I met tonelover (Jon Rosenthal) from Rare Coins of New Hampshire, Wayne Herndon from his self titled debut, Wayne Herndon Rare Coins, John from Scarsdale Coin, Julian Leidman (who, by the way, stopped in the middle of a conversation and came over just to shake my hand and say hello after he overheard me say I was a board member. Super nice guy and a Class Act!), stopped by Jade Rare Coins, and finally I sent some mojo over Laura's way, but her Legends henchmen kept my at bay. All I wanted to do was buy a cetain nickel from 1913.
I searched the floor, bough my 04-s and a bunch of late date US-Phile stuff (boy was quality US-Phil in short supply), and came back to bug John at Scarsdale. We had a great conversation and he very partiently showed me some 3 cent Silvers. He isa great guy and has fantastic coins!!! Finally, I went back to talk to Jon R at Rare coins of New Hampshire and was join by the super knowledgable Jeremy (airplanenut). Jon and I got a detailed lesson on the mechanics of airplane flaps from Jeremey. He really knows his stuff! He showed Jon and I a number of incredibly fine coins, some of which have been on the forum before. Before I left, I bought a gorgeous 1908 MS64 RB Indian Cent (pictures to come) from Jon and got on my way.
All in all, it was an amazing show. I got to meet many new faces and my experience with all of the dealers (those on the board and others as well) was fantastic! It seemed to me that there was a good deal of foot traffic. They announced that Fridays attendance numbers broke the previous record. I do not kow if the material was fresh or not, but it all looked good to me. Most dealers I talked to said it had been a decent show so far, hopefully today picked up for them.
Well, if you read this far, I hope it was worth while. From a newbs point of view, it was a truly postive experience!
Thanks,
~Matt
PCGS MS64 RB from Rare Coins of New Hampshire
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Comments
I wish I was there.
6024 N. 9th Ave #5
Pensacola, FL 32504
HTTP://WWW.AACoinCo.Com
Sorry you didn't make it to lunch with the group of us at the Wharf Rat. I kniow what it's like to "be on a mission." It was a lot of fun. We had a group of about 20 that went over.
I missed alot of ya at lunch...My time was spent making fun of George
">"http://www.cashcrate.com/5663377"
Dan
<< <i>You were there too!?!
I missed alot of ya at lunch...My time was spent making fun of George
He went yesterday (Friday)
">"http://www.cashcrate.com/5663377"
Besides being great to talk to, he was burning his hands on lamps and getting his fingers pinched in loupes.