I was at the FUN show all day and hadn't had an opportunity to read this thread until now. I thought about a long rebuttal covering every point expressed but I've decided to keep it short and sweet.
I've always labelled RYK as a Pittsburgh guy. I never would have imagined him to take up the defense of St. Louis. Next thing you know he'll be cheering for the Rams.
I never said St. Louis was a bad coin town although I stand by the sentiment that St. Louis is definitely not an exciting place to visit. Regardless of which numismatists hail from the area or what coins are kept in a vault there, I don't ever hear about kids wishing to the stars about wanting their parents taking them on a magical getaway to St. Louis. Kids would get just as excited about a dogsledding trip to Cambodia.
God forbid a coin show is ever held in downtown St. Louis ever again. The area's favorite quote: "I won't ever go downtown". 'Nuff said.
The airport has a lot of history but calling it a dingy, depressing place would be an understatement.
Everything else has already been stated on previous reply threads so I won't regurgitate those points.
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<< <i>In all seriousness I was born in St. Louis and have lived not far from the airport my entire 28 years of existence. I have a son with severe medical issues and living in the nation's hotbed for Medical research has been a godsend. St. Louis Children's Hospital and the doctors from the Washington University School of Medicine have not only saved his life, but continue to work with us everyday to try and improve the quality of his life.
I am now permanently rooted in the community through my son, my family, and my running and coaching. I cannot imagine living anywhere else. Not too say that St. Louis is the most amazing city in the world, but as RYK and others have pointed out we have the St. Louis Cardinals, Blues, plenty of museums, attractions, parks to run in(including Forest Park which is one of the nation's largest municipal parks), and a very low and manageable cost of living.
And a major plus is we are only about a 30 minute drive from some of the best "Wine Country" the middle part of the United States has to offer.
Take it or leave it but I will probably never be leaving. >>
Oh man, you aren't kidding about the luxury of having some of the best hospitals in the US right there. When I had my aortic dissection in 2008 it was nice having Barnes just 90 minutes away. They saved my life.
<< <i>Coinosaurus knows that East St. Louis is actually in his state, Illinois. >>
Actually, I live in the state of Chicago. East St. Louis is about 300 miles from us, but only zero miles from St. Louis
If you didn't have interstate going through E. St. Louis, no one would access St. Louis from Illinois. It would be like Berlin after the war, the only way to get in would be to fly in.....just like Snake Pliskin
<< <i>In another thread, WTCG takes some shots (again) at my current city of residence, St. Louis.
Besides, if the traveling mostly for a vacation were really true, we wouldn't be taking so many trips to places like St. Louis, Houston (or anywhere in Texas) or even Baltimore. Believe me, St. Louis (or any other CSNS convention city) are some of the last places I would ever go for vacation.
I have heard, over and over again, why St. Louis and other midwestern cities are lousy coin towns.
Let me offer a few points to support St. Louis (and many of these apply to other midwestern cities) as an excellent coin town:
1. Home of Eric P. Newman and the Newman Money Museum. (How many other cities boast a numismatic museum?) 2. Rich coin tradition including the fact that all of the 1913 Liberty Nickels once resided in St. Louis, at the same time. 3. The Silver Dollar Show brings national dealers, Heritage, and PCGS to St. Louis every year. 4. Additional winter and summer coin shows which bring regional and quite a few national dealers to St. Louis every year. (I have run into Wei at St. Louis shows.) 5. Low cost of living and low taxes, compared to many other metropolitan areas, which mean more money to spend on your collection. 6. Ease of travel in metropolitan area with good highways and shorter commuting times, which mean more time to spend on your hobbies. 7. Relatively inexpensive and hassle-free travel on Southwest Airlines to Baltimore and Orlando for national coin shows, Dallas for Heritage lot viewing, and Chicago for future ANA shows. 8. No sales tax on coins and bullion. 9. The finest collection of Liberty $20's lives in St. Louis and has for at least 10 years. 10. Riverboat gambling (which is popular among coin folks--but not me) 11. You will not have a conflict between going to an NFL home playoff game and the FUN show (except for a a three year aberration from 1999-2001). 12. You will not run into Wei Chang vacationing here.
I am obviously poking fun at Wei, but to be serious, while not glamorous or exciting, St. Louis is truly an excellent place to live as a coin collector.
Other midwesterners (and let's include Pittsburghers in that group), feel free to chime in. >>
It's late and I'm bored and I've received some hate PM's so here's cynical me with another two cents...
1. Nobody outside of the numismatic community cares. 2. Nobody outside of the numismatic community cares. 3. Attendance at the SDS has chronically sucked. You can go bowling down the aisles on Thursday afternoon and not hit a person. 4. The only reasons to travel to St. Louis. 5. Demand creates premiums. It's cheap because demand is low. 6. You win this one. 7. Southwest isn't always as cheap as they'd have you believe. Unassigned seats, all economy class cabins, corny cabin crew who think they're funny but are actually annoying as hell and a symphony of crying children (especially on those Florida flights) make it flying at its worst. 8. You win this one although a bunch of other states don't have sales tax on coins either. 9. Doesn't matter if they're kept in a bank safe the whole time. 10. Las Vegas. 'Nuff said. Those Missouri casinos are pathetic compared to anything in Nevada (or even California for that matter). 11. You said it. 12. Never say never.
Okay, I'm still bored and itching for some excitement...
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<< <i> I can't say anything about St. Louis good or bad...but isn't that in prime Tornado area? >>
If you grew up with them they aren't horrifying unless you actually have one which the chances are VER VERY slim that you are affected by one. We usually get 2-4 tornado warnings per year. You get used to them. The warnings sound and the neighbors all go outside to see if they can spot a funnel cloud. Watching people from the northeast and west coast in these is entertaining though. Their panic is like slapstick humor. Had an inlaw from California here for one and I was at a gas station when we had another warning and a traveler from Maine was there and their panic was knee-slppin' funny. >>
A few years back (2003) I was in Toledo, eating at the Steak N Shake there, and the wind whipped up, the sky turned slightly greenish, and the sirens went off. It was, literally, my first day there after getting into town around 11 PM the night before. The waitress said it was a daily test, she probably knew that being from NY we would not react well.
I'll never forget seeing the pine trees all leaning almost perpendicular to the ground at the same time.
Anyway, we finished our lunch and went about our day.
Later that night we watched the local news and found out that it really WAS a tornado, which set down about 2 miles away from where we were. I'm kind of glad I didn't know at the time. I'm not sure if I would have freaked out or tried to film it, though I'm guessing it would have been a combination of the two. I am pretty sure it was a F0 that was only on the ground in a field, and didn't cause any damage, but still.
I don't think I could live in a place where there is a constant, regular threat that everything could literally be blown away at any time...I'll keep the occasional ice storm here in NY, thanks!
<< <i>You can thank a couple of dealers in KC for the no tax on coins thing... >>
If memory serves me, the folks at Scotsman in St. Louis spearheaded played a big role in that effort. I remember getting mail from them and ICTA to contact my representative. Their website says the owner's son, "was an intern for the Missouri State House of Representatives, where he successfully lobbied to exempt coins and precious metals from sales tax..." It was probably a team effort, so I wouldn't give all the credit to any one area of the State, and I'd like to think the letters my representative received from a few friends and I played a part
Comments
I've always labelled RYK as a Pittsburgh guy. I never would have imagined him to take up the defense of St. Louis. Next thing you know he'll be cheering for the Rams.
I never said St. Louis was a bad coin town although I stand by the sentiment that St. Louis is definitely not an exciting place to visit. Regardless of which numismatists hail from the area or what coins are kept in a vault there, I don't ever hear about kids wishing to the stars about wanting their parents taking them on a magical getaway to St. Louis. Kids would get just as excited about a dogsledding trip to Cambodia.
God forbid a coin show is ever held in downtown St. Louis ever again. The area's favorite quote: "I won't ever go downtown". 'Nuff said.
The airport has a lot of history but calling it a dingy, depressing place would be an understatement.
Everything else has already been stated on previous reply threads so I won't regurgitate those points.
Authorized dealer for PCGS, PCGS Currency, NGC, NCS, PMG, CAC. Member of the PNG, ANA. Member dealer of CoinPlex and CCE/FACTS as "CH5"
<< <i>No its not. >>
I agree, St. Luis has the Blues
EAC 6024
<< <i>In all seriousness I was born in St. Louis and have lived not far from the airport my entire 28 years of existence. I have a son with severe medical issues and living in the nation's hotbed for Medical research has been a godsend. St. Louis Children's Hospital and the doctors from the Washington University School of Medicine have not only saved his life, but continue to work with us everyday to try and improve the quality of his life.
I am now permanently rooted in the community through my son, my family, and my running and coaching. I cannot imagine living anywhere else. Not too say that St. Louis is the most amazing city in the world, but as RYK and others have pointed out we have the St. Louis Cardinals, Blues, plenty of museums, attractions, parks to run in(including Forest Park which is one of the nation's largest municipal parks), and a very low and manageable cost of living.
And a major plus is we are only about a 30 minute drive from some of the best "Wine Country" the middle part of the United States has to offer.
Take it or leave it but I will probably never be leaving. >>
Oh man, you aren't kidding about the luxury of having some of the best hospitals in the US right there. When I had my aortic dissection in 2008 it was nice having Barnes just 90 minutes away. They saved my life.
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<< <i>Coinosaurus knows that East St. Louis is actually in his state, Illinois.
Actually, I live in the state of Chicago. East St. Louis is about 300 miles from us, but only zero miles from St. Louis
If you didn't have interstate going through E. St. Louis, no one would access St. Louis from Illinois. It would be like Berlin after the war, the only way to get in would be to fly in.....just like Snake Pliskin
<< <i>In another thread, WTCG takes some shots (again) at my current city of residence, St. Louis.
Besides, if the traveling mostly for a vacation were really true, we wouldn't be taking so many trips to places like St. Louis, Houston (or anywhere in Texas) or even Baltimore. Believe me, St. Louis (or any other CSNS convention city) are some of the last places I would ever go for vacation.
I have heard, over and over again, why St. Louis and other midwestern cities are lousy coin towns.
Let me offer a few points to support St. Louis (and many of these apply to other midwestern cities) as an excellent coin town:
1. Home of Eric P. Newman and the Newman Money Museum. (How many other cities boast a numismatic museum?)
2. Rich coin tradition including the fact that all of the 1913 Liberty Nickels once resided in St. Louis, at the same time.
3. The Silver Dollar Show brings national dealers, Heritage, and PCGS to St. Louis every year.
4. Additional winter and summer coin shows which bring regional and quite a few national dealers to St. Louis every year. (I have run into Wei at St. Louis shows.)
5. Low cost of living and low taxes, compared to many other metropolitan areas, which mean more money to spend on your collection.
6. Ease of travel in metropolitan area with good highways and shorter commuting times, which mean more time to spend on your hobbies.
7. Relatively inexpensive and hassle-free travel on Southwest Airlines to Baltimore and Orlando for national coin shows, Dallas for Heritage lot viewing, and Chicago for future ANA shows.
8. No sales tax on coins and bullion.
9. The finest collection of Liberty $20's lives in St. Louis and has for at least 10 years.
10. Riverboat gambling (which is popular among coin folks--but not me)
11. You will not have a conflict between going to an NFL home playoff game and the FUN show (except for a a three year aberration from 1999-2001).
12. You will not run into Wei Chang vacationing here.
I am obviously poking fun at Wei, but to be serious, while not glamorous or exciting, St. Louis is truly an excellent place to live as a coin collector.
Other midwesterners (and let's include Pittsburghers in that group), feel free to chime in. >>
It's late and I'm bored and I've received some hate PM's so here's cynical me with another two cents...
1. Nobody outside of the numismatic community cares.
2. Nobody outside of the numismatic community cares.
3. Attendance at the SDS has chronically sucked. You can go bowling down the aisles on Thursday afternoon and not hit a person.
4. The only reasons to travel to St. Louis.
5. Demand creates premiums. It's cheap because demand is low.
6. You win this one.
7. Southwest isn't always as cheap as they'd have you believe. Unassigned seats, all economy class cabins, corny cabin crew who think they're funny but are actually annoying as hell and a symphony of crying children (especially on those Florida flights) make it flying at its worst.
8. You win this one although a bunch of other states don't have sales tax on coins either.
9. Doesn't matter if they're kept in a bank safe the whole time.
10. Las Vegas. 'Nuff said. Those Missouri casinos are pathetic compared to anything in Nevada (or even California for that matter).
11. You said it.
12. Never say never.
Okay, I'm still bored and itching for some excitement...
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<< <i>
<< <i> I can't say anything about St. Louis good or bad...but isn't that in prime Tornado area? >>
If you grew up with them they aren't horrifying unless you actually have one which the chances are VER VERY slim that you are affected by one. We usually get 2-4 tornado warnings per year. You get used to them. The warnings sound and the neighbors all go outside to see if they can spot a funnel cloud. Watching people from the northeast and west coast in these is entertaining though. Their panic is like slapstick humor. Had an inlaw from California here for one and I was at a gas station when we had another warning and a traveler from Maine was there and their panic was knee-slppin' funny.
A few years back (2003) I was in Toledo, eating at the Steak N Shake there, and the wind whipped up, the sky turned slightly greenish, and the sirens went off. It was, literally, my first day there after getting into town around 11 PM the night before. The waitress said it was a daily test, she probably knew that being from NY we would not react well.
I'll never forget seeing the pine trees all leaning almost perpendicular to the ground at the same time.
Anyway, we finished our lunch and went about our day.
Later that night we watched the local news and found out that it really WAS a tornado, which set down about 2 miles away from where we were. I'm kind of glad I didn't know at the time. I'm not sure if I would have freaked out or tried to film it, though I'm guessing it would have been a combination of the two. I am pretty sure it was a F0 that was only on the ground in a field, and didn't cause any damage, but still.
I don't think I could live in a place where there is a constant, regular threat that everything could literally be blown away at any time...I'll keep the occasional ice storm here in NY, thanks!
<< <i>St Louis is a neat town, but god they CANNOT make a Pizza.... I used to have to drive 30 miles to find an edible pie. >>
I guess you never went to Fortel's ...
Whatever you are, be a good one. ---- Abraham Lincoln
<< <i>You can thank a couple of dealers in KC for the no tax on coins thing...
If memory serves me, the folks at Scotsman in St. Louis spearheaded played a big role in that effort. I remember getting mail from them and ICTA to contact my representative. Their website says the owner's son, "was an intern for the Missouri State House of Representatives, where he successfully lobbied to exempt coins and precious metals from sales tax..." It was probably a team effort, so I wouldn't give all the credit to any one area of the State, and I'd like to think the letters my representative received from a few friends and I played a part
I knew it would happen.