What are some of your BEST coin show experiences?

Ahrensdad

While I enjoyed reading the thread about the worst experiences, I thought this might be a little uplifting. I don't mean what's the best score or rip you've made. Everyone has one of those. Here are a couple of mine.

1. When I started setting up at coin shows, my then 12 year old brother would help me. There were also a couple of other dealers that set up with kids in tow. One had his son, about my brothers age. Another had his grandson also around the same age. 10 years later, the grandson is now a County Deputy Sheriff. The son graduated college last year with an engineering degree and is working at a local engineering firm. My brother graduated college this year with a finance degree and will be starting with a fortune 100 firm in July. I'm not sure if coins had anything to do with it, but I'm certain sustained positive attention from a respected adult did and coins (a shared interest) are a great way to build a positive connection across generations.

2. The first time walking into the FUN show in January 2006. I had never been to a "big show". My pulse was pumping and I didn't know where to start. What a blast! Not to mention that I was able to escape Minnesota in the middle of January. It's a little cold here that time of year.

3. In the early years I was set up at a show when I totally screwed up a bullion deal with a customer. I realized what I did about 5 minutes after he left my table. I managed to find him on the floor and explained what happened. I told him that he didn't have to undo the transaction, but that I'd appreciate it if he did, and that I'd make sure he was treated well if he did. He didn't hesitate in saying he'd help me out. He still got a great deal that day and it's been years, but that gentleman always gets special pricing from me when I see him.

Your turn.

Edited for slight change in wording.

littlebear

My best show experiences involve the friendships I have made and which have endured for over 30 years. They provide an additional reason for going to a show. One can buy and sell coins, but not friendships.


Larry L.

Barndog

<< <i>My best show experiences involve the friendships I have made and which have endured for over 30 years. They provide an additional reason for going to a show. One can buy and sell coins, but not friendships.


Larry L.


>>





I get "skunked" at a show more often than not, but always have a great time seeing friends

erickso1

Only been to one so far, houston dec 2011. Met and chatted with charmy, talked a bit with ponyexpress8, gawked at enzio romaro's commems (especially his.Spanish trail), then spent a good hour+ talking commems and coins with Gregg Bingham (monsterman). Got to check out his 68* cincinnati (wow) and learn a lot in a short time. I am very happy to this day that I made that trip, and that they all stuck around the show and were able to shape my collecting in some way. Will definitely go to more shows in the near future.

coinkat

If you don't attend- you will never find out-

Go and make it a great experience

RedTiger

Some of my best learning experiences have been at some of the free club meetings or seminars. Some of the top dealers and collectors take a break from the bourse and present. While advanced collectors may well be in the inner circle and can chat up these top experts at any time. The average collector, would likely be more comfortable at a club meeting where they can mostly listen and ask a question or two. It is bewildering to me, that many of the club meetings and seminars are so poorly attended, when they usually are free and a person almost always can learn something, often quite a lot.

Best show experience was when I got to meet and have lunch with the late forum member Bear (aka Abe). He showed my some So-called dollars from his private collection, and told a couple of great stories. One story was about how he made one of the first MS68 Morgan dollars. A dealer friend showed it to him raw, they agreed to a fair but steep price for common Morgan. Bear submitted it, it came back as 68. He flipped it at auction for a handsome profit, giving the first dealer a percentage in return for talking up the coin on the circuit. The auction buyer flipped it after about another year, for a higher price still. Bear often played a jester on the forum, but his numismatic skills and dealer connections were top notch.

kranky

Going to an ANA at the opening and hearing the announcement they found the 5th 1913 Liberty nickel, then getting to see all 5 on display.
Meeting boiler78 at one of the first big shows I went to and being able to check out some of his awesome patterns. I will always remember how generous he was with his time and knowledge.
Meeting njcoincrank and being thankful for how eager he was to help me learn more (plus, he said I wasn't a monkey, so that has to be good) and getting to see some of the his "stuff kept behind and under the table". I doubt I'll ever see another original US Mint proof coin price list from the early 1900's.
Being invited to work with PTVETTER at his table at the PAN show. It's been 10 years already!
That forum member dinner in Baltimore with about 50 people at the crab joint. I sat across from Anaconda - wow, that guy can talk. A lot of members were there I only got to meet that one time.
The forum member dinner in Pittsburgh where I got my leg humped by FC57coins. That was the show where Coppercoins brought copies of his first book hoping to find buyers. Next thing you know, a book dealer is buying cartons of them.
Meeting Walter Breen at an ANA and having him sign my copy of his Encyclopedia.
Stopping saintguru in the aisle at a show and him letting me check out his St. Gaudens set. Wow, just wow.
Going to lot viewing at an ANA and getting to hold an example of J-115, a pattern gold $1 that was hand-engraved (not struck) by James Longacre.

Every interaction with forum members I've had the chance to meet has been pleasant.
There are so many more people-related ones I can't even begin to type them all out.

Really, almost every memorable show experience for me was all about meeting people.

TwoSides2aCoin

My best experiences at coin shows is going home broke with newps.

WTCG

The ANA convention that I went 16 for 16 in walk through grading followed by the ANA that I went 25 for 28.

crypto79

Displaying my set at seated fest and meeting many of the LSCC, The amount of collective knowledge in just this photo is staggering and I am in their debt for letting me tag along. Pretty cool gentlemen too

EVillageProwler

Getting a personal tour of The Pentagon. Seeing Wolf Blitzer at table next to us at dinner same evening kind of cool too.

DaveG

My best show experience(s) have been meeting a lot of really expert numismatists and authors, all of whom have been very generous with their time. Some of the standouts have been:

QDB, who, when asked "How should I start doing numismatic research?" (or something even more awkward) replied "You should start by reading Fractional Money by Carothers."

Doug Winter, who took the time to show a couple of relative novices a set of Civil War half eagles and explain about "original surfaces."

njcoincrank, who has been astonishingly willing to share the museum-quality items he calls his inventory and his wealth of numismatic knowledge.

TomB, who has also been very willing to share his wealth of numismatic knowledge.

and many, many others, some of whom are still active and some of whom aren't.


Oh, and I've bought some nice coins, currency and exonumia over the years, too.

Walkerguy21D

Tough to decide, but certainly meeting Q. David Bowers and having him autograph my copy of Adventures with Rare Coins at the 1994 ANA in Detroit is near the top.....unfortunately I was rather tongue tied being in his presence, in spite of having a million questions to ask

Also, at my first FUN show, I had my first edition copy of the PCGS Grading and Counterfeit Detection with me, when I spotted David Hall on the bourse. I dared ask the great man to autograph my book, and not only did he drop everything to do that, but then proceeded to walk me back 'behind the scenes' at the PCGS booth, meet the grading team, and get more autographs! Here was an important fellow that probably had a million things going on, but still took the time to make me feel special - talk about a positive impression

cmerlo1

Just recently- having lunch at the ANACS boothat the TNA show with my VAMmer friend Ray, and Emory Ledoux from ANACS. He's into VAMs and Ike dollars, so we had a lot to talk about. Also, any out-of-town show with my friend Harry Cabluck. He's a retired AP photographer, and his stories covering presidents and sporting events make the trip go by too fast.

Broadstruck

Having had the chance to spend some time with SeaEagleCoins prior to him leaving the business and securing one of the prestigious CRO hats for him...

It was a successful stealth covert mission of sweet talking DW out of one without purchase while JA the guardian of the hats was nowhere to be seen!