If Baltimore is 50% bigger this year, does that mean quality wise, or just more schlock to wade thro

Longacre

I was trading some PMs with a board member and he raised an interesting point. I heard that the Baltimore show is going to be 50% larger and he confirmed that fact. However, does this mean that there will be an increase in quality of the offerings, or is it a bad thing for collectors because there will be 50% more schlock floating around the floor that you have to waste your time wading through? Or are all shows generally filled with schlock, and it will just take a little bit of extra effort at this show to get through it all?

Tootawl

I see it as 50% more stuff and 50% better chance to find what I'm looking for.

kranky

I figure the show already attracts 80-90% of all high-end dealers who set up at shows. I don't know how expanding the show could bring in any additional high-end coins.

RedTiger

I vote mostly more schlock. A squirrel might find an acorn here or there, but the odds are the most of the 50% extra capacity will probably be a little lower in quality than the established dealers already in. The bright side, is that if this is the only show that a person goes to, those dealers will have many coins that that particular person hasn't seen before. If someone goes to most of the shows, that will not be true and it will mean a lot more wading time for not much reward.

RYK

Has the supply of desirable coins also increased by 50%?

xbob

On my budget, sometimes I am looking for some schlock and get discouraged by all the top coins for sale. I'll get my waders ready.

elwood

<< <i>Has the supply of desirable coins also increased by 50%? >>



Decreased is more like it.

ksteelheader

Hopefully there is 50% more Canadian stuff!!

ColonialCoinUnion

All the established dealers were already going - so 50% bigger must mean many additional tables manned by Wannabes*.












* Sarcasm.

RYK

All the established dealers were already going - so 50% bigger must mean many additional tables manned by Wannabes*.

That is a step from being a Neverbe™, as they were last year.

Myqqy

Perhaps people should define what they mean by "schlock"........

Michigan

<< <i>Perhaps people should define what they mean by "schlock"........ >>




The kind of coins you usually see at a 20 table coin show at the local VFW hall?

BlindedByEgo

<< <i>Perhaps people should define what they mean by "schlock"........ >>



One man's schlock is another man's treasure.

PhillyJoe

The dealers pay hundreds, if not thousands, to man a table at the show. There usually is a "budget" section. A 50% larger show would mean I would spend 50% more time browsing; although the March show usually conflicts with wife's birthday. She stills holds a grudge when she had to take herself out to dinner that one year I went to Baltimore. I'll never understand it; I left her a $20 so it's not like she had to pay or anything.

Joe

291fifth

The Baltimore show seems to be replacing Long Beach as a "must do" show. It's where the dealers think business will be done.

Michigan

<< <i>The Baltimore show seems to be replacing Long Beach as a "must do" show. It's where the dealers think business will be done. >>




Makes sense. Less travel costs involved for midwest, south and east coast dealers. I consider it the east coast version of Long Beach.

Tootawl

<< <i>The dealers pay hundreds, if not thousands, to man a table at the show. There usually is a "budget" section. A 50% larger show would mean I would spend 50% more time browsing; although the March show usually conflicts with wife's birthday. She stills holds a grudge when she had to take herself out to dinner that one year I went to Baltimore. I'll never understand it; I left her a $20 so it's not like she had to pay or anything.

Joe >>


Some people just don't appreciate your generosity.

BillJones

<< <i>

<< <i>Perhaps people should define what they mean by "schlock"........ >>




The kind of coins you usually see at a 20 table coin show at the local VFW hall? >>



The trouble is given the price of "schlock" you have to bring and sell a lot of it to cover the high fixed costs of setting up at a Baltimore show. Even if your mark-up is higher in "Schlock" than it is on good stuff (and quite often it is) you often have to carry a lot of it long distances to get it to a major show like Baltimore. And to top things off, the Baltimore buyers tend to know more than people who come to 20 table shows at the VFW. In short I'm not sure how long this expanded show might last.

As a bourse dealer I think that shows reach a critical size, and after that dealers tend to eat each other up. There are a finite number of good buyers who come to shows who have a finite amount of money. If you spread the available money around among too many dealers, many will end up with a poorer show.

Bigger DOES NOT necessarily translate into better.

keets

there are certain reasons why Baltimore is a successful location for a coin show. part of that is because it's accessible to perhaps 1/3 to 1/2 the country's population with a reasonable drive-time. personally, i can make it in about six hours from the Cleveland/Pittsburgh area. that translates to more dealers, more collectors and more potential Numismatic items. the East Coast also has the advantage of claim to more historical events which have ties to the hobby and that means more potential new material which might not be grouped in the schlock arena.

i always try to remember one thing when considering the "80-90% of all the high end dealers" list----Numismatics can be a very back-biting and competitive hobby. just who makes up the list and decides who's high-end and when someone qualifies?? there are so many dealers who don't make the trip to these shows that are quality dealers; some may have decided now is the time to get their feet wet.

Bear

Perhaps the 50% increase takes into account

many dealers getting heavier and thus taking

up more space.

robertpr

<< <i>Perhaps the 50% increase takes into account

many dealers getting heavier and thus taking

up more space. >>



Hopefully that's just the wannabe's, I'd hate to see certain "real dealers" get 50% heavier