Does anyone ever find anything useful at a really, really local coin show?

Longacre

There is a really, really local coin show coming up in the town next to Longacre's small country town. I usually do not attend this show, because it is usually the same stuff every month from the same retirees. However, it is always nice to walk around a coin show. To make matters worse, I am missing the show this month because in a momentary lapse of reason, I actually volunteered to paint my mother in law's living room ceiling.

Has anyone actually ever found any great rarities at a really, really local show? Please tell me I am not missing much by spending the morning with my mother in law, rather than scouring the bourse.

tightbudget

The best thing I've seen at a small local show was a 1911 Indian $2.5 in PR66. That and several AU 1893-S Morgans. But not much else.

Mercury10c

They are good if you like to put together date and mint sets of popular 20th century coins in circulated condition.
No "great" rarities, but you can find lots of key dates if you need 'em. At least at the shows around here you
can. I go to the local shows maybe about 6 times a year, even less now, and I hardly ever find much worth buying.

fc

i can tell you i have never found a half eagle worth buying in a brick
and mortar store. these local shows consist of these same stores
that i visit on occasion when in the right town.

basically that means to me you will be sorely disappointed if you
are looking for tough gold coins.

tradedollarnut

I've found 3 or 4 nice upgrades from old holders at little local coin shows ... and an 1875 trade dollar I purchased raw for MS60 money that graded MS64 at NGC.

DrPete

I once picked up a 3 legged buffalo in PCGS EF 40 that was really quite nice. Couldn't believe it and paid a fair and decent price. Otherwise, they mostly don't have much to offer, but you will never know if you never look.

speety

Our last local show had a table with a collector selling his coins. Included were two perfectly matched complete sets of SLQ in XF (including the overdate and the 1916). It was impressive. We go mostly just to chat with the local dealers and collectors. Whenever something cool comes in, they call us and we meet a few days later, so the shows aren't too productive most times but they are still fun....


Or at least more fun than painting your mother-in-laws ceiling!

TwoSides2aCoin

I was just checking a local auction company that I've bookmarked.

This is advertised for tomorrow at auction at 11 A.M CST :

1883 & 1884 Carson City GSA Morgan’s,
Certified Bust & Franklin Halves, Morgan & Peace Silver Dollars,
.2c & .3c Pieces, ½ Dollars (Walking Liberty Barber & Capped Bust), Large Cents,
Indian Cents, Confederate Notes, Silver Certificates, American Eagles, Proof
Sets, Mint Sets, Nickels, Dimes & More!



I think I'll go.

cladking

You can find rarities everywhere you look if you paint a sufficiently broad stroke.

RichieURich

Not really, unless you count an 1870-CC quarter in VG, an 1872-CC quarter in VG, 1804 cent in G-6 with a nice planchet, 1793 Wreath cent in VG-8 with a nice planchet, 1866 half dime in VF-35, 1863 dime in AU-50, etc.

RYK

While the hit rate is fairly low at the small local show, it is even lower on your mother-in-law's ceiling. I think it is time that you rediscover your hypersensitivity to paint fumes. I will write you a note if you need it.

IGWT

Appearances can be deceiving. The old unshaven guys in flannel shirts with a couple of missing teeth and common-date, circ Walkers on display sometimes have the absolutely coolest stuff stashed away.

COALPORTER

No, mostly, I find small one day shows to be a waste of time and money. Just a bad as most of the local coin shops.I was tought to buy the best coins you can afford; these will not turn up at small time shows. Save your money and attend regional and national shows- that way, if you spend all your money, at least you can bring home some really good coins (or coin).
Fortunatly, I consider Santa Clara to be my "local" show.

mozin

NO!

mightyhunter

I can't believe I am responding to two posts in one night. A couple of years ago at a tiny show of less than 10 tables, I purchased a raw 1903 Micro S Morgan Dollar. The previous year, I had actually passed on buying the coin at the same show. The coin came back from PCGS graded XF 45. The coin later ended up in a very high ranking PCGS registry set

roadrunner

Purchased an original 1900 proof set with orig wrappers and mailing envelope at a local show. Grades were PF65 to PF66. It had just been slabbed by the dealer who bought it from the family of the orig buyer. What was even more interesting was that the orig buyer purchased 2 extra minor sets (cent and nickel). So this set had 2 extra killer PF66RB cents that were 80% red with magenta toning. I do regret selling it 2 years ago. When will the next one come around??

roadrunner

mrearlygold

I think there's always something useful to be found at local shows, even if that something useful is just enjoying the comraderie of fellow collectors.

I wish I had more time.............

coindeuce

If you're disciplined enough to keep diverse interests and an open mind, it's rather difficult to come away empty handed from any show regardless of size. I love it when dealers at podunk shows who recognize me will say, "Gee, I didn't know you collected these". Usually it's something I don't collect, and if it makes me money then I don't certainly get emotionally attached to it. i.e. the PCGS-62 1877 Trade Dollar I bought a couple weeks ago. Knowing that it was an unattributed Doubled Die Obverse, I couldn't just walk away from it...

cmerlo1

The variety cherrypicking is usually good, if not better there...

ProofArtworkonCircs

Years ago I cherry picked a 1942 quarter at a local coin show. It was sold as a circulated business strike. I grabbed it because it had proof design characteristics on the reverse. Further exanination did not quite add up untill I realized it was a class III doubled die from both business strike and proof reverses.

Shortgapbob

Sometimes, great early Federal coinage will show up at a local show from old time collections. If super nice coins come along, they can sometimes be purchased cheap from a small time dealer who lives and dies by the Greysheet prices and does not understand the true market for some coins.

SkyMan

I found this NGC MS65FBL* 1949-S at a local show. Surprised the heck out of me.

FullStepJeffs

I usually find alot of coins I can cherrypick.

Steve

sommerj

Never been to a coin show but im looking forward to going soon! some day

jfoot13

<< <i>There is a really, really local coin show coming up in the town next to Longacre's small country town. I usually do not attend this show, because it is usually the same stuff every month from the same retirees. However, it is always nice to walk around a coin show. To make matters worse, I am missing the show this month because in a momentary lapse of reason, I actually volunteered to paint my mother in law's living room ceiling.

Has anyone actually ever found any great rarities at a really, really local show? Please tell me I am not missing much by spending the morning with my mother in law, rather than scouring the bourse. >>



well last week at the New Haven Ct. show I picked up a 1943/2 ms65 Jefferson for a touch over 400 and a 1921S buff 2 feather vg+ for 4.00 not great rarities but rare to find at those prices... but the thing that made the day was I got out of cleaning the spare room closet

BECOKA

Depends on what you collect.

I find a lot of nice album fillers. On occasion something nice turns up, it just depends on who walked on to some of the dealers stores the previous week to sell stuff.

Barndog

small shows are all there are in San Antonio (one later today in fact, T-2 hours). The show will have 20 or so dealers, same people all the time. Nonetheless, this show has produced some really nice half dimes for my set. They weren't in PCGS holders when I bought them, but they are now: 1837 LM-1 PCGS MS-63; 1833 LM-7 PCGS MS-63; 1834 LM-5 PCGS AU-58; and 1829 LM-7.3 PCGS XF-40 with reverse cud ... to name but a few. Also cherried an R-7 half dime at the show last year. It's a good use of an hour of my time.

coinkat

small shows are entertaining and if your net is big enough, there is something to be found

bushmaster8

As several have already stated, the cherries are often ripe on them thar trees!

And there is always the possibility of "fresh meat" showing up on occasion. At the Lemont, IL show a couple yrs ago, a father-son team from Indiana showed up with new inventory, which appeared to consist of mostly their own album collections now 2X2'ed up. I found a whole bunch of quite profitable items there.

The best was the kids 1974-P IKE @ $3, which was a PCGS mS66. (The kid was about 30yrs old, lest anyone get the idea that I took advantage of a YN!)

On the same day, another local yokel daler had a Tube of 54-S/D Jeffs that he had cherried from a group of original rolls. He offered me pick at $35/ea.
I grabbed 4 for $100 and 3 of those became PCGS MS65's.

And I almost skipped the show that day... I was subsequently very glad I did not.

VTCoins

The small Burlington, VT show happens only four times a year and usually has about 10 dealers. Quite often Babe Binette comes over from Maine, and he has incredible coins (at incredible prices).

I find a lot of stuff at small shows.

Barry

Rarely.

I'm surprised a world traveler, high-end gold collector like yourself would stoop (or stretch) to painting ceilings.

BTW, when your done, I have some leaves that still need to be raked...

BigRed

There is a show in Greenshills,Ohio every month and it advertises 55 tables I think. I go to it 6 or 8 times a year and it is by far the best show around. They have a lot of coins and some pretty good stuff , Lot of generic certified gold, type coins, some key date coins but not many, and some tokens but thier prices seem to be on the high side. I have not found any great buys there but its well worth the 53 mile drive on a sleepy winter Sunday. It may be mostly my problem to because I am not a specialist in any area I just collect type and better date coins and there are probably a lot that escapes me.

MrHalfDime

"Not really, unless you count an 1870-CC quarter in VG, an 1872-CC quarter in VG, 1804 cent in G-6 with a nice planchet, 1793 Wreath cent in VG-8 with a nice planchet, 1866 half dime in VF-35, 1863 dime in AU-50, etc."



That pretty much sums up my take on this question, although I have never been quite that successful. Your success at "really really local" coin shows is increased dramatically if you apply several significant factors to your advantage, including an in-depth knowledge of your series, extreme patience, and lots of time spent at many such shows. Over many years of attending "really really local" shows (and yes, as hard as it may be to believe, we do have some small shows here in rural Maine), I have cherried numerous R5, R6, and R7 half dime die marriages, and even one R8 (second known example at the time), but in all honesty, those opportunities are few and far between.

Even a bad day at a coin show is way better than even the best day spent painting a ceiling, however.

ricko

I have found several excellent items at local shows... and I know Russ has (since he turned me on to a few )..... There are definitely treasures to be found. Cheers, RickO

19Lyds

In a nutshell.......................if you don't look, you'll never really know!

That's my philosophy. Have I ever found anything really great? Not really, but then I'm not kicking myself for not looking.

ColonialCoinUnion

Anything can show up anywhere.

My best recent small show purchase was an original copy of Crosby in superb condition.

RegistryCoin

Once in a while there will be a dealer with high graded slabbed coins, a few of which may be of interest, or, if necessary, one can just switch gears, and look for a really neat hobo nickel and be happy.

Michigan

Very little, mostly it is seems to be the same old tired coins over and over again. I think the better stuff goes on Ebay for many
local dealers leaving less desirable coins for the beginning collectors at local shows.

RedneckHB

At my small local show--20 dealers-- I found a 1909 matte proof lincoln in a 2x2 in a dealers case. He had $12.75 marked on it. I bought it for $12. Now in a PCGS PR65BN slab.

coindeuce

<< <i>At my small local show--20 dealers-- I found a 1909 matte proof lincoln in a 2x2 in a dealers case. He had $12.75 marked on it. I bought it for $12. Now in a PCGS PR65BN slab. >>



From the same show $45

Baker 91. U.S. Mint struck, 1861. Obverse engraver William Kneass. Reverse engraver Anthony Paquet.

TwoSides2aCoin

$30 in relatively active bidding in the local auction scene.
I thought it was a good dog.

WaterSport

Four 1909 VDB MS 63 R&B DDO Type 2 Cents at two differant dealers and I paid a total of $75 for all of them...they are at the plastic factory now and should bring $250-$300 a piece. I think you just need to go and LOOK!

WS

Frankcoins

Never eliminate any unlikely source for coins. I found an AU 1936-D quarter for $25 at a flea market dealer, and some nice cleaned
XF Indian cents from 1866 through 1872 at $35 each at a small show with mostly elderly dealers.

Ronyahski

Bought a nice 1954 mint set at a local show for about $225. Got it home and plucked out the 1954-S Jeff Nickel, sent it in for a PCGS 65FS grade. I think its value is about $10k.

garsmith

<< Does anyone ever find anything useful at a really, really local coin show? >>

The local coin show here is usualy help in conjunction with an antique car show and smoehow I always get distracted by the cars and spend the day there