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Baltimore Show Report (Thursday-Saturday) LONG!
TomB
Posts: 22,982 ✭✭✭✭✭
Okay, folks, those of you who have been on the boards for a substantial length of time know that I often will write excruciatingly long post-show reports for those who have not been able to attend and this report for the recently concluded Baltimore show is no exception. I hope those who enjoy these long reports enjoy this one, too, and caution others who do not like to read such long reports that their time might be better spent on other threads.
I arrived first-thing Thursday morning for Dealer Day and paid the $100 admission fee for Thursday attendance. Until a few years ago this admission fee was a much more palatable $50, but the newly instituted $100 really hits you when you pay. The temperature was a relatively balmy mid-60s, but this would actually be the coolest day of the show. Believe it or not, this makes for easier navigation on the floor since folks weren’t wearing bulky coats. The floor was lightly populated at that time in the morning and immediately bigmoose was able to find me and we cruised the tables together. Those who do not know bigmoose should make the effort if you are in any way interested in wonderfully toned IHCs or would like an education in 1794 large cents. We shared some show-and-tell coins at his table and then I went my way to sell my inventory. I then chatted with Mark Feld and Mike Printz before heading to the B&M sale to view the lots. In my opinion, the B&M Mercs and SLQs were largely coins that would be won by internet bidders, take that as you may.
At this show I brought with me much more than typical to sell. This was not done because I think there is a severe correction, downturn, slide or whatever term you choose, but was done because I am a great believer in the constant reevaluation of a collection and the sale of those pieces that might benefit the remaining collection via their removal. This does not mean the pieces for sale are “bad” coins, it simply means that the money gained from their sale (even if sometimes sold at a minor loss) is better used to avoid the costs of lost opportunity. Two big-ticket coins immediately were sold to the first dealer I showed them to and we agreed verbally to a price and I said I would pick up a check on Friday. The quick sale meant I could look at the coins on the floor with a more proactive attitude, which is quite nice. Within a few hours I was entirely sold out of inventory, though I had not yet been paid by anyone, and from that moment on the show became one for social contact and coin procurement.
The food at the Baltimore show runs the gamut from quite tasty to terribly awful and Thursday’s fare was one of the better that I have seen. There was a turkey carving station in the food court and the two folks in front of me were quite abrupt with the carving chef, who looked eerily like Evander Holyfield, and they exited the line with turkey platters that had little meat and a single roll. However, I found the Evander Holyfield carving chef to be quite engaging and I could not help but chuckle when he handed me my platter covered with turkey, overlaid with mashed potatoes and gravy and topped with several rolls. Truly, I had approximately three fresh portions of food and it was quite good. Fueled up, I went back to the bourse.
Newmismatist was there and he shared with me an opinion of PL and DMPL toned Morgan dollars that was a new idea to me and one that I believe has significant merit. Briefly, Newmismatist thinks that the PL and DMPL surfaces reflect back more light to the viewer and this serves to backlight the toning on the coin, which makes the colors have a different feel. In my opinion this is entirely correct, but is a way of thinking that I had not come to previously and this shows the great value of attending shows, bringing coins to share with others and exchanging ideas. Rkfish and PQpeace were set up and this was the first chance I had to meet these fine gentlemen. They had some very nice coins and thought I looked little like my green demon PCGS icon. I also met up with ColonialCoinUnion and CoinRaritiesOnline, who were sharing a table, and found them to be most easy to speak with and in possession of some very intriguing coinage. Significant time was spent with njcoincrank, which is always an amazing experience, and he graciously agreed to critique three coins that I brought to him for his opinion. I stopped at all the “regulars” (Whitlow, Pinnacle, Larry Shepherd, Keystone, Legend) saw amazing pieces and made dinner plans. While at the Whitlow table I discussed the usage of 5x loupes with Larry Whitlow, who agrees with me that for 99% of the coinage out there this is sufficient, and who also agrees that those who believe more magnification (ie: 16x) is better for general viewing are largely mistaken. My informal survey of several dealers across a spectrum of inventory types revealed that Thursday was fairly slow, and that overall most were being more cautious with their cash positions.
The highlights and coins of note for Thursday were the sale of all my inventory, inspecting two Libertas Americanas medals that were both graded by NGC and housed individually in NGC multi-coin holders as PF58BN and PF64BN, viewing an otherwise MS nineteenth century type coin that was housed in a PCGS holder without the “counterstamp/chop mark” designation even though one was neatly placed onto the center of the coin, seeing a Trade dollar that had the eagle reverse carved to resemble a male member at attention, finding two very nicely toned Norse American medals both graded MS64 by PCGS (one thick and one thin) and purchasing one coin for my collection, an 1853 with arrows half dime graded by PCGS as MS65 that looks for all the world to be completely original. Thursday night was spent in a high-end steak house, as the guest of bigmoose, eating a fine dinner within a private salon. After that it was off to watch Rutgers vs. Louisville on ESPN. As a Rutgers alum I could not believe what was unfolding in front of me.
Friday began early and turned into the most socially oriented day of the show. I met up with airplanenut and we shared coins in the middle of an aisle. Later, while airplanenut was leaning over a case, I started to open his backpack and remove his coins-this is something that should not be done by anyone who is not totally familiar and friendly with the person they are doing it to!!! Airplanenut took it quite well once his blood pressure fell, and he returned the favor by attempting to make off with my box of coins during lunch! By the way, I believe airplanenut and I had the same volume of hair at this show, which will mean something to many members. Michael was with chinook and we also met up with Merc. This was my first meeting with Merc and it was nice to meet someone who had a similar occupational background. We monopolized a rather large area near one side of the bourse and passed around coins for perhaps an hour. Astonishing coins were examined, debated, hypothesized and eventually slipped through my fingers. This was coin geek paradise. During our exchange of coins there was an attempted snatch of a rather large cache of large sized currency. The dealers pounced, the crook attempted to flee but was physically restrained and battled and then security took over. Later, I ran into DaveG and he seemed to be in very high spirits; perhaps he found some New Orleans gold?
The bourse was much more active Friday and it appeared that most dealers were doing a brisk business. I noticed relatively few wildly toned Morgan dollars, but NGC graded GSA Morgans were plentiful and a certain number of them were even designated PL and DMPL. The TPG booths appeared very quiet, with PCGS and NGC having a light stream of folks while ANACS and ICG had no one approach them during the moments I observed them in the three days of the show. Mid-grade Barber half-dollars and early dated WLHs were quite scarce as were problem-free CBHs. Typically, there are a certain number of slabbed mid-grade CBHs, but not in this show. The original coins that were available were quite dark, just as I like them, and were priced well above Greysheet, which is where they should be priced, in my opinion. SC dollars were not as numerous and even though there were the customary two dozen mid-grade, PCGS/NGC slabbed 1893-S Morgans on the floor they were in this instance scattered about the floor instead of being concentrated within the inventories of one or two dealers. Two things that were available in seemingly endless supply were white Morgans and white classic commems. Gold appeared in most cases, but I didn’t feel a buzz on the floor about it.
I ended up finding a prohibitively scarce coin for my collection on Friday morning in the form of a completely original, mid-grade, small 3 1803 Draped Bust half. The coin was sitting in a case and as soon as I noticed it I made a beeline toward it, asked to see it and then told the dealer that I would take it. Only then did I ask the price. This is not what is known as smart negotiation, but in this case I was fortunate that the dealer was Sheridan Downey and that we know each other. He knocked some cash off the sales price and this original, crusty beauty formerly of the Jules Reiver collection is now mine. The coin thankfully looks nothing like the Heritage image from the Reiver sale, it is far more original and much darker. Friday wound down much too quickly, and I ended up with a mild headache and feeling lightheaded from not eating. This was a night spent eating takeout tacos and watching ESPN in my hotel room.
Saturday was an odd day in that I was only briefly at the show before heading to supertooth’s home to spend the night, but as I was walking the bourse a beauty of a Draped Bust half sought me out and landed in-hand. This would be an apparently original, or nearly so, 1806/5 overdate (under)graded by PCGS as EF45. The coin is nearly PL and the eye appeal is reminiscent of mid-nineteenth century proof coinage that had been stored in velvet to take on deep navy hues. Truly this is an interesting coin and one that I will struggle with the image. Goose3 also came by with his son and I believe Michael almost lost a Draped Bust dollar to Goose3’s son, Goose4. Also obtained Saturday was an AU55 Oregon half dollar for my Dansco 7070 and the most exquisite, beautiful and achingly original VF25 type one SLQ one could ever hope to see. This coin could make someone cry.
It was then off to supertooth’s (Bob’s) for dinner and to meet cpm9ball (Chris) for the first time. Bob and his wife have been generous hosts to me before, and this time was no exception, and it was a delight to meet Chris who seemed quite unassuming, studious of pleasant. Chris’s dedication to Morgans and VAMs is beyond me, but he did his patient best to teach me to view a Morgan in a new manner. Dinner was interesting, to say the least, with a cornucopia of crabs being cracked within feet of me while I ate a standing pot roast at an adjacent table. This was affectionately called the kids’ table and I was the only one populating it while the adults ate. We spoke late into the night, shared coins, stories, information and techniques and were also joined by Bob’s son Dave who is a collector. I tried in a subtle manner to convince Bob to cull one or two of his lowest graded, early WLHs. Veritably, this was for his collecting good, but he did not see the wisdom of my ways. If someone might help Bob understand how he might better his enjoyment of the hobby by divesting in his lowest graded 1916 and 1917 WLHs then I will do my part and dispose of the coins for him. Please send the private messages to Bob.
Finally, Sunday morning came and I took copious images of some of Bob’s WLHs before heading off on the long trek home to get back in time for my one-year old daughter’s birthday. Thankfully, I made it home about an hour before she and my three-year old daughter would have gone to bed. It was a fun show, filled with good coins and terrific company. This is something I would encourage others to do.
I arrived first-thing Thursday morning for Dealer Day and paid the $100 admission fee for Thursday attendance. Until a few years ago this admission fee was a much more palatable $50, but the newly instituted $100 really hits you when you pay. The temperature was a relatively balmy mid-60s, but this would actually be the coolest day of the show. Believe it or not, this makes for easier navigation on the floor since folks weren’t wearing bulky coats. The floor was lightly populated at that time in the morning and immediately bigmoose was able to find me and we cruised the tables together. Those who do not know bigmoose should make the effort if you are in any way interested in wonderfully toned IHCs or would like an education in 1794 large cents. We shared some show-and-tell coins at his table and then I went my way to sell my inventory. I then chatted with Mark Feld and Mike Printz before heading to the B&M sale to view the lots. In my opinion, the B&M Mercs and SLQs were largely coins that would be won by internet bidders, take that as you may.
At this show I brought with me much more than typical to sell. This was not done because I think there is a severe correction, downturn, slide or whatever term you choose, but was done because I am a great believer in the constant reevaluation of a collection and the sale of those pieces that might benefit the remaining collection via their removal. This does not mean the pieces for sale are “bad” coins, it simply means that the money gained from their sale (even if sometimes sold at a minor loss) is better used to avoid the costs of lost opportunity. Two big-ticket coins immediately were sold to the first dealer I showed them to and we agreed verbally to a price and I said I would pick up a check on Friday. The quick sale meant I could look at the coins on the floor with a more proactive attitude, which is quite nice. Within a few hours I was entirely sold out of inventory, though I had not yet been paid by anyone, and from that moment on the show became one for social contact and coin procurement.
The food at the Baltimore show runs the gamut from quite tasty to terribly awful and Thursday’s fare was one of the better that I have seen. There was a turkey carving station in the food court and the two folks in front of me were quite abrupt with the carving chef, who looked eerily like Evander Holyfield, and they exited the line with turkey platters that had little meat and a single roll. However, I found the Evander Holyfield carving chef to be quite engaging and I could not help but chuckle when he handed me my platter covered with turkey, overlaid with mashed potatoes and gravy and topped with several rolls. Truly, I had approximately three fresh portions of food and it was quite good. Fueled up, I went back to the bourse.
Newmismatist was there and he shared with me an opinion of PL and DMPL toned Morgan dollars that was a new idea to me and one that I believe has significant merit. Briefly, Newmismatist thinks that the PL and DMPL surfaces reflect back more light to the viewer and this serves to backlight the toning on the coin, which makes the colors have a different feel. In my opinion this is entirely correct, but is a way of thinking that I had not come to previously and this shows the great value of attending shows, bringing coins to share with others and exchanging ideas. Rkfish and PQpeace were set up and this was the first chance I had to meet these fine gentlemen. They had some very nice coins and thought I looked little like my green demon PCGS icon. I also met up with ColonialCoinUnion and CoinRaritiesOnline, who were sharing a table, and found them to be most easy to speak with and in possession of some very intriguing coinage. Significant time was spent with njcoincrank, which is always an amazing experience, and he graciously agreed to critique three coins that I brought to him for his opinion. I stopped at all the “regulars” (Whitlow, Pinnacle, Larry Shepherd, Keystone, Legend) saw amazing pieces and made dinner plans. While at the Whitlow table I discussed the usage of 5x loupes with Larry Whitlow, who agrees with me that for 99% of the coinage out there this is sufficient, and who also agrees that those who believe more magnification (ie: 16x) is better for general viewing are largely mistaken. My informal survey of several dealers across a spectrum of inventory types revealed that Thursday was fairly slow, and that overall most were being more cautious with their cash positions.
The highlights and coins of note for Thursday were the sale of all my inventory, inspecting two Libertas Americanas medals that were both graded by NGC and housed individually in NGC multi-coin holders as PF58BN and PF64BN, viewing an otherwise MS nineteenth century type coin that was housed in a PCGS holder without the “counterstamp/chop mark” designation even though one was neatly placed onto the center of the coin, seeing a Trade dollar that had the eagle reverse carved to resemble a male member at attention, finding two very nicely toned Norse American medals both graded MS64 by PCGS (one thick and one thin) and purchasing one coin for my collection, an 1853 with arrows half dime graded by PCGS as MS65 that looks for all the world to be completely original. Thursday night was spent in a high-end steak house, as the guest of bigmoose, eating a fine dinner within a private salon. After that it was off to watch Rutgers vs. Louisville on ESPN. As a Rutgers alum I could not believe what was unfolding in front of me.
Friday began early and turned into the most socially oriented day of the show. I met up with airplanenut and we shared coins in the middle of an aisle. Later, while airplanenut was leaning over a case, I started to open his backpack and remove his coins-this is something that should not be done by anyone who is not totally familiar and friendly with the person they are doing it to!!! Airplanenut took it quite well once his blood pressure fell, and he returned the favor by attempting to make off with my box of coins during lunch! By the way, I believe airplanenut and I had the same volume of hair at this show, which will mean something to many members. Michael was with chinook and we also met up with Merc. This was my first meeting with Merc and it was nice to meet someone who had a similar occupational background. We monopolized a rather large area near one side of the bourse and passed around coins for perhaps an hour. Astonishing coins were examined, debated, hypothesized and eventually slipped through my fingers. This was coin geek paradise. During our exchange of coins there was an attempted snatch of a rather large cache of large sized currency. The dealers pounced, the crook attempted to flee but was physically restrained and battled and then security took over. Later, I ran into DaveG and he seemed to be in very high spirits; perhaps he found some New Orleans gold?
The bourse was much more active Friday and it appeared that most dealers were doing a brisk business. I noticed relatively few wildly toned Morgan dollars, but NGC graded GSA Morgans were plentiful and a certain number of them were even designated PL and DMPL. The TPG booths appeared very quiet, with PCGS and NGC having a light stream of folks while ANACS and ICG had no one approach them during the moments I observed them in the three days of the show. Mid-grade Barber half-dollars and early dated WLHs were quite scarce as were problem-free CBHs. Typically, there are a certain number of slabbed mid-grade CBHs, but not in this show. The original coins that were available were quite dark, just as I like them, and were priced well above Greysheet, which is where they should be priced, in my opinion. SC dollars were not as numerous and even though there were the customary two dozen mid-grade, PCGS/NGC slabbed 1893-S Morgans on the floor they were in this instance scattered about the floor instead of being concentrated within the inventories of one or two dealers. Two things that were available in seemingly endless supply were white Morgans and white classic commems. Gold appeared in most cases, but I didn’t feel a buzz on the floor about it.
I ended up finding a prohibitively scarce coin for my collection on Friday morning in the form of a completely original, mid-grade, small 3 1803 Draped Bust half. The coin was sitting in a case and as soon as I noticed it I made a beeline toward it, asked to see it and then told the dealer that I would take it. Only then did I ask the price. This is not what is known as smart negotiation, but in this case I was fortunate that the dealer was Sheridan Downey and that we know each other. He knocked some cash off the sales price and this original, crusty beauty formerly of the Jules Reiver collection is now mine. The coin thankfully looks nothing like the Heritage image from the Reiver sale, it is far more original and much darker. Friday wound down much too quickly, and I ended up with a mild headache and feeling lightheaded from not eating. This was a night spent eating takeout tacos and watching ESPN in my hotel room.
Saturday was an odd day in that I was only briefly at the show before heading to supertooth’s home to spend the night, but as I was walking the bourse a beauty of a Draped Bust half sought me out and landed in-hand. This would be an apparently original, or nearly so, 1806/5 overdate (under)graded by PCGS as EF45. The coin is nearly PL and the eye appeal is reminiscent of mid-nineteenth century proof coinage that had been stored in velvet to take on deep navy hues. Truly this is an interesting coin and one that I will struggle with the image. Goose3 also came by with his son and I believe Michael almost lost a Draped Bust dollar to Goose3’s son, Goose4. Also obtained Saturday was an AU55 Oregon half dollar for my Dansco 7070 and the most exquisite, beautiful and achingly original VF25 type one SLQ one could ever hope to see. This coin could make someone cry.
It was then off to supertooth’s (Bob’s) for dinner and to meet cpm9ball (Chris) for the first time. Bob and his wife have been generous hosts to me before, and this time was no exception, and it was a delight to meet Chris who seemed quite unassuming, studious of pleasant. Chris’s dedication to Morgans and VAMs is beyond me, but he did his patient best to teach me to view a Morgan in a new manner. Dinner was interesting, to say the least, with a cornucopia of crabs being cracked within feet of me while I ate a standing pot roast at an adjacent table. This was affectionately called the kids’ table and I was the only one populating it while the adults ate. We spoke late into the night, shared coins, stories, information and techniques and were also joined by Bob’s son Dave who is a collector. I tried in a subtle manner to convince Bob to cull one or two of his lowest graded, early WLHs. Veritably, this was for his collecting good, but he did not see the wisdom of my ways. If someone might help Bob understand how he might better his enjoyment of the hobby by divesting in his lowest graded 1916 and 1917 WLHs then I will do my part and dispose of the coins for him. Please send the private messages to Bob.
Finally, Sunday morning came and I took copious images of some of Bob’s WLHs before heading off on the long trek home to get back in time for my one-year old daughter’s birthday. Thankfully, I made it home about an hour before she and my three-year old daughter would have gone to bed. It was a fun show, filled with good coins and terrific company. This is something I would encourage others to do.
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Comments
in the evening. The report was so detailed, that I
have heartburn from all the turkey you had for lunch.
Camelot
Check out my current listings: https://ebay.com/sch/khunt/m.html?_ipg=200&_sop=12&_rdc=1
One question.... Would you please provide details of this: Goose3 also came by with his son and I believe Michael almost lost a Draped Bust dollar to Goose3’s son, Goose4.
Take care...Mike
New collectors, please educate yourself before spending money on coins; there are people who believe that using numismatic knowledge to rip the naïve is what this hobby is all about.
that WAS funny when Michael handed him that bust dollar and my son said "Thank you".
I think Michael about fell over.
Didn't wanna get me no trade
Never want to be like papa
Working for the boss every night and day
--"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)
Didn't wanna get me no trade
Never want to be like papa
Working for the boss every night and day
--"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)
Rainbow Stars
Go BIG or GO HOME. ©Bill
I saw Tom's super MS68 toned Mercury dime. I have seen some toned ones, but this one had the most red. I think Tom was disappointed that I was not more excited after viewing the coin. Sorry, it was a really great coin. I am stuck in this 30 second or less grading mindset that I sometimes forget to admire the coin for its beauty or rariety.
I didn't buy any coins for myself, but bought some things for the coin club. I did view several raw coins for others. It was sad to see so many cleaned/retoned seated dollars.
FrederickCoinClub
<< <i>Good Read Tom, and I look forward to an image of that 1803 half!!!!Once in a while we just know it has our name on it and have to grab it without hesitation. Experience tells us if we come back, it's gone. >>
Nice report, Tom! Stman is prescient, as well. I was standing next to Tom when he bought this coin, after ignoring it in Sheridan's case for almost a year. When I noticed the coin was missing, Sheridan told me "the guy sitting there just bought it. Tough negotiator!". Oh well!