Charmy's 2017 FUN Show Report w/lots of pics!
ThePennyLady
Posts: 4,468 ✭✭✭✭✭
First, let me say that my prayers and thoughts go out to the families of those injured and killed during the shooting at the Ft. Lauderdale airport. Even though we were at the convention center which is only a couple miles away from the airport, everyone was shaken up and shocked by what happened. I know a couple dealers were at the airport and got caught up in the evacuation onto the tarmac, but luckily they were okay and eventually made their way home. I felt bad for all the folks who were stuck at the airport especially on Friday, but also those who had to travel home on Saturday. Even when I left on Sunday, the airport was packed, and luckily everyone seemed to be demonstrating lots of patience.
I'd never been to Ft. Lauderdale before so I had no idea whether this FUN show would be good or not. So let me start out by saying that, in spite of the terrible events, this was the best show I've ever had! I was so pleasantly surprised by how busy I was, and part of it was due to the fact that I had just acquired a beautiful collection of PCGS MS65 RB Indian cents, and they were selling like hot cakes. But there just seemed to be a lot of collectors looking for quality material and I was very pleased to be able to help them fill holes in their penny collections!
I had an early flight on Tuesday before the show so the sun just coming up when I left Orange County.
I flew through Dallas and arrived in Ft. Lauderdale around 4pm.
Having never been to Ft. Lauderdale, and forgetting to do my due diligence, I hadn't realized how warm and humid it would be. Ughh! It was almost 80 degrees with about that much humidity as well. I brought clothes like I would have for Orlando so as soon as I arrived in my room, I peeled off my jacket, tied my hair up, and turned up the air conditioning to cool off.
Then I headed to the restaurant bar to grab a bite to eat and something cold and refreshing. The atmosphere at the bar by the pool was very tropical with great music and a nice cool breeze coming off the marina, so I thought a tasty Mai Tai was in order, along with a flatbread pizza!
The Hilton hotel is directly across from the convention center and located right on the marina, so there were lots of beautiful yachts, along with huge palm trees swishing in the breeze.
This is the view from my hotel room in the day and the same one at night
Set up wasn't until 2pm on Wednesday so I had a chance to check out the area a little bit. I even found a Total Wine and More so I could buy some wine!
I went over to the convention center around 1pm and there was already a large crowd of dealers waiting to get in!
After we were let in and found our tables, everyone began unloading and setting up their booths. However, there was no air conditioning in the room until several hours later, so it was quite sweltering and humid and very uncomfortable. But eventually the air came on and everyone quit sweating!
Mostly through vest pocket dealers, I was able to pick up several nice coins on Wednesday and throughout the show.
After I set up my booth, I went over to the exhibit area and set up my exhibit, "Penny Pots and Pins Made by Offenders and Defenders."
I didn't have a chance to view all the exhibits, but this one, also in my category, caught my eye. I didn't know it at the time I took this photograph of the first case, but it went on to win Best in Show!
After set up day ended, Rick and I headed over to the Hard Rock Casino on the Seminole Indian Reservation and had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. I love looking at all the music memorabilia up on the walls!
On Thursday morning when I was getting ready for the show, I was pleased to see this ad for the show on the tv!
When the show opened to the public, there was a large crowd who just kept streaming in. From the beginning until almost the end of the show on Thursday, I was constantly busy. It was the one of the best selling days I ever had! I was so excited to have so many people stop by to buy my coins. I didn't even get a chance to open a bottle of wine until after 5pm!
One of my girlfriends brought me this late birthday gift!
After the show on Thursday, me and my usual posse went over to the Blue Moon Fish Company for dinner. It was right on the water in South Beach and was a very nice restaurant with some great seafood!
On Friday, several folks stopped by to say hi.
Carolina Gregorio, a new female coin dealer
Jim/CoinNut
David/DPoole
I also had to pick up a new Conder Token at NGC and saw my good buddy David Lange
While at the NGC table, I saw another dealer friend, Bob Campbell
I had to drop off a coin for reconsideration at the PCGS table and saw David who is always smiling!
PCGS also had these amazing dollars on display!
Rick showed me this new very rare 1864-L Proof that he bought at the show! It's not as nice as the one that was stolen last year, but it is a beauty!
Even though Friday was not nearly as busy as Thursday was, there was still quite a good crowd, even in the afternoon.
On my way to one of my meetings, I took a quick photo of the great folks who work so hard registering all the dealers and collectors for the show!
Then I headed over to the Fly-In Club meeting
Chris Pillod was discussing a new find when we heard about the shooting at the airport.
After the show on Friday, I went with my foreign coin dealer friends to a restaurant called Thursdays. It was a beautiful and very enjoyable evening with some great wine.
Saturday morning I had an early WIN meeting up on the second floor. The room we were in overlooked the convention floor.
Mark Leighterman gave a very interesting and fascinating presentation on historical Florida gaming chips and equipment.
This is what happens when I leave ex-FBI agents in charge of my table while I'm at a meeting!
Throughout the day on Saturday, a few more forum members stopped by my table. I really appreciate seeing familiar faces at these shows, chatting about their collections and new finds, their family, etc.
Chris/Cmpball and Larry/IDHair
Lance/lkeigwin
Two adorable hard working pages!
The very friendly and hardworking guys at ANACS!
Outside the convention center it was overcast but still really beautiful
At 4 pm on Saturday they held the exhibit awards reception. I got third place but as I mentioned earlier, the Best in Show exhibit was really excellent.
After the show on Saturday, I just went back to my room and sat out on the balcony for a few minutes.
Then I ended up having dinner back at the pool restaurant bar next to the marina where I ran into two forum members from the show. They are the nicest, funniest forum members!
Larry/IDHair and SaltySam!
Sunday was pretty much a ghost town at the show. There were several dealers still there but they were spread out all over the bourse floor. However, a customer who stopped by on Saturday returned and bought several nice Lincoln cents which really made my show that much better!
Soon it was time to pack up and head to the airport. I wanted to get these especially early due to the extra crowds and delays I kept hearing about. When I arrived at the airport, there were still several media vans and reporters doing interviews, lots of police, and long lines, especially in front of Delta (terminal 2).
After waiting in line for half an hour to check my bag, security went really fast, even with the private screening while they thoroughly searched my bags. Since I still have a couple hours before my flight, I went over to get some lunch and ran into Scott of Stacks Bowers who was on the same flight as me.
Soon it was time to board and once I was in my settled in my seat and the flight was ready to take off, I felt very fortunate that everything went very smoothly, including no delays in my flights. This is me so very happy to be heading home!
Bye-bye beautiful Ft. Lauderdale....
I changed planes in Dallas and right across from my gate was my very favorite store, Brighton!
Hello Orange County....
Oh, by the way, I also became a grandma for the first time a few weeks ago! So I was also very anxious to get back home to see my sweet little baby boy Ryder!
And of course my hubby and adorable lazy Penny who was happy to hang out with me while I put my feet up!
Next up: San Jose Show (January 19-22, PCGS Members Only Show (January 25-28), and Long Beach (February 15-18).
Comments
Another great show report.
Mike
Very nice report as always.
Some interesting exhibits. Beards on Coins seems like a cool idea.
My guess is that you swapped the photos for:
David/DPoole
with
Carolina Gregorio, a new female coin dealer
Unless there is something we don't know.
I discovered if you upload several photos at the same time, they upload in opposite order! So I went back and reordered the photos.
The Penny Lady®
Always a great report Charmy and thanks for the wine at your table!
Best, SH
Fantastic Report!!!!!! Did you see any of the huge cruise liners in FLL?
Not sure but I feel like a dial-upper. Electrons flowing slowly tonight......
Great show report! One of your pictures is of Steven Spielberg's 282 ft. yacht "The Seven Seas" which was docked at the marina across from the Hilton.
Is Steven a coin collector?
Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the park bench...
It's a report about a coin show. It covers the show venue, the people who attended the show, who worked the show and how those hardworking dealers filled the hours between your visits. Charmy also showed us some of the coins she bought to sell us next time we see her.
ANA 50 year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
Grandma Charmy????!!!!!!
Congrats!
Great report, as always.
PS, ignore the troll.
Great report as always!
Congrats on the grandchild!
My YouTube Channel
Love the posts, Charmy. Keep them coming!
Charmy, I always love and look forward to your show reports. They remind me that collecting is much mor than about colecting coins. It is special to spend time with people that share our passion. And if we share a nice glass of wine together, this is just part of the experience we share. May it always be so........
I'm always impressed by the restaurant menus and pictures of food
Great report Charmy as usual, glad to hear that you had a great show.
edited to add: Congrats also on becoming a new grandmother. Spoil'em and then send'em home.
Great report as always.
As always, Charmy, a great report. Also...CONGRATS on the Grandbaby !!!
Which Son's child is it ?!!
"also to keep this post legal" - as we now have a Forum Cop sniffing around...
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Coin collecting is not a hobby, it's an obsession !
New Barber Purchases
Thanks again for a great show report. Also appreciated your sharing of the sentiments related to the national tragedy at the airport just miles away from where you were located. Congratulations on being awarded another honor for another educational exhibit.
Craz4coins, just so you know, I've been doing these show reports for 7-8 years now, and they include all aspects of the coin shows I attend, both during and after the shows. As you can see from the photos I posted, they include the people I see, the dealers I work and socialize with, the youth who help with the shows, the customers and forum members who stop by my table, the employees and volunteers who run the shows, the interesting coins and exhibits I see, the pennies I find, the vendors who work the shows (including our own host, PCGS), the places we dine at, and some of the surrounding sites in the city where the show is held. And yes, even aerial photos from the airplane over the cities I travel to/from (specifically requested by a couple forum members).
Being a coin collector isn't just about coins, it's also about the people you buy from or sell to, the young numismatists learning about being a collector, being introduced to someone who specializes in that series, and then hunting for just the right coin. It's about the places, clubs and shows you go to find just the right coin, the knowledge you gain by attending clubs, meetings, and seeing exhibits.
And yes, these reports include photos of what I do in the evenings with other coin dealers, but that too is a big part of being involved in coins. Getting to know the people we work with, buy from and sell to, is also a very important part of the coin world. These are the people I will refer customers to if I don't have what they are looking for. It's a way of getting to know them and their specialties, their personalities, who we can trust. And yes, it's definitely a way we all unwind after a long day on the bourse floor, sharing drinks and wine, listening to music, or just hanging out together.
I am a collector as well as a dealer. I'm also an exhibitor, WIN club president, Chair of the ANA Dealer Relations Committee, speaker/presenter at clubs, and numismatic author. Coins and attending coin shows are a big part of my world, but I am also a parent, wife, and now grandmother. And those personal things sometimes affect my professional life, like last year when my husband was injured in a terrible accident. I was at a coin show when it happened, and my numismatic friends were so very kind and supportive during the entire 6-month ordeal.
We get to know each other on these forums and come to care about the ones we make connections with. They become our friends and even our surrogate family when we are away from our real family. I have personally come to cherish a great deal of the folks on these forums and am grateful to have had their caring and support over the years, both numismatically and personally. There are folks who are no longer able to attend shows and have written to me to let me know how important these reports are to them. They have told me they get a lot of joy reading and seeing all the photos because it makes them feel like they are there with me at the shows. That means everything to me, and is the big reason why I take the time to put these reports together.
I always hope there is a little something for everyone in these photo reports, but perhaps that is not so in your case. So if you disagree with the way I post these show reports, that is ok. But maybe it would be simpler and less disconcerting if we just to agree to disagree, and perhaps you can just pass them by rather than criticize them. I do wish you well, and hope you find what you're looking for on these forums.
The Penny Lady®
Thank you for another informative, illustrative and entertaining report Charmy.
There are many on this forum who appreciate what you do in the world of numismatics through your reports, both on and off the coin show floor...and you can count me among them and I look forward to your next report in it's present OP format.
Congratulations on your new family arrival!
BST transactions: dbldie55, jayPem, 78saen, UltraHighRelief, nibanny, liefgold, FallGuy, lkeigwin, mbogoman, Sandman70gt, keets, joeykoins, ianrussell (@GC), EagleEye, ThePennyLady, GRANDAM, Ilikecolor, Gluggo, okiedude, Voyageur, LJenkins11, fastfreddie, ms70, pursuitofliberty, ZoidMeister,Coin Finder, GotTheBug, edwardjulio, Coinnmore, Nickpatton, Namvet69,...
Wow.
Enjoyed your report, as always. Thanks for taking the time.
@ThePennyLady...Thank you for a great FUN report. Excellent wine selections .. especially the Cabernet's .....I totally appreciate your detailed show reports and look forward to them after each major show. Congratulations on your grandchild.... Cheers, RickO
Great report Charmy. It's always fun to see you. You do so much for this hobby and we all love you for it.
Thanks for the report and pics............Almost seems like I was there with such a detailed report.
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
Thanks for the report, Charmy!
Wow X 3 !
for PCGS. A 49+-Year PNG Member...A full numismatist since 1972, retired in 2022
Personally I would like to see a rigorous review of every exhibit. major rarity on display at the show as well as thorough background on various dealers who express their passion for numismatics and the historical relevance. But unpaid journalists usually don't last long.
Hi Charmy! I've never posted in response to your show reports and we've never met. However, I love your reports and I almost always read them in their entirety. I've always felt that coin collecting (and dealing) is as much about personal relationships as it is about coins and your report captures that sentiment perfectly. If someone has the time, energy, and skill to write a well-crafted and interesting report about a coin show, its characters and coins, I'll probably read it, especially if I don't attend the show. Several folks do it well, but it's a lot of work. I was working for a dealer at FUN all week and passed by your table a couple of times. I'll stop by next time to say hello.
Tom
I always enjoy your show reports and find them to a breath of fresh air desperately needed in this hobby. Please don't ever change or be discouraged by forum trolls.
Every couple of months some fool bounds onto forum .The avatar handle of craz is indeed appropriate .... Charmy's Coin Show reports are can't miss threads for years . ...the coin info , venues , photos of old friends are priceless..
Great job Charmy
Great report, as always, Charmy! Thank you for the report!
Great seeing you at the show, Charmy.
It was fun, too, (however unlikely) to be confused with Carolina Gregorio, if only for a few minutes!
Thanks for a great report, as usual.
Here's a warning parable for coin collectors...
Charmy - Thanks for a great show report.
Charms, thank you for your post and it was good to see you at the show. Carry on with your reports. To the lone dissenter just pass by and do not open her post. Problem solved
Rainbow Stars
Quoted from Charmy's responsive post:
"Being a coin collector isn't just about coins, it's also about the people you buy from or sell to, the young numismatists learning about being a collector, being introduced to someone who specializes in that series, and then hunting for just the right coin. It's about the places, clubs and shows you go to find just the right coin, the knowledge you gain by attending clubs, meetings, and seeing exhibits."
So true! You said it best.
Seeing you, your exhibit and table at the Santa Clara show years ago was a real treat. Those of you who can make to show after show whether as a dealer or collector have my admiration. Those of us who are not so fortunate definitely enjoy the vicarious experience through show reports such as yours.
Great report.
The show was indeed very busy. I think the reason we both had a great show is because we cater to collectors and are not reliant for grades from the grading services or the wholesale environment.
As for the people who feel slighted by the personal nature of the post - this is what we come to shows for. You can buy all the coins you want on the internet. You can only talk to other collectors and dealers one-to-one at shows. Your post might get some of the internet-only collectors up out of their chair and out to a show just to see what all the fun is about.
Her report is 100% about coins, a coin show and all the activities around it. Lotsa folks can't go to these and want to know others experiences, telling her to leave the peripheral activities at a coin show that she reports back to the collecting collective here, is well, offensive, IMO.
Why are you picking on Charmy, many of us wrote about the FUN show and not all of it is about a coin itself but instead what happens there.
Point of recommendation, joining a chat board and trying to dictate what should and should not be posted is not the way to gain credibility. Just sayin'
SH
Charmy, I think I may have posted only once or twice to your previous show reports, but I can honestly say I have always enjoyed them. Please do not ever change them! Frankly, while it is nice to see pictures of people's collections/coins, the personal interactions between collectors/dealers with each other, are what is to be most appreciated when going to a show. As someone else said here, if all you want is to buy a coin, you can simply do that over the internet, you don't have to wait for a show. We need more of the human interaction.....we would all then be better as a result! For those of us who can't get to a show, you are a valuable conduit for this. I for one, greatly appreciate your willingness to share your experiences with us!
Also, and most importantly, Congratulations on becoming a grandmother!
Steve
Great report as always, Charmy. Lovely seeing you there.
Lance.
I always enjoy reading these reports, thank you for posting.
Complete Set of Chopmarked Trade Dollars
Carson City Silver Dollars Complete 1870-1893http://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/showcase.aspx?sc=2722"
Charmy,
Thank you for your post. I enjoy your show reports. Please continue to give us a complete picture of the shows and all of the people involved in them. You also have fine looking coins on your website. I hope to be able to purchase one of them this year!
There's nothing more entertaining in Charmy's show report other than a little blather from a nattering nabob of negativity.
Rock on Charmy !
P.S. - I've already put her highness on my ignore list. Works fine for me.
"Everything is on its way to somewhere. Everything." - George Malley, Phenomenon
http://www.americanlegacycoins.com
When I logged on to the forum tonight, the first thing I saw was, "Charmy's 2017 FUN Show Report w/lots of pics!" I opened it with great anticipation and was not disappointed. As always. I have never been to a FUN show but I felt like I was there for just a little while tonight.
What a great deal of work you put into these reports. And I for one, really appreciate your effort. Thank you, Charmy for just a little taste of FUN.
P.S - Hope to see you in Long Beach
I always like reading Charmy's posts! Even if I don't care about the dinners or wine selection, she does post pretty much something for everyone. It does give a feel in the day of the life of a coin dealer at a major show.
As for the lone troll who doesn't deserve to be named (he'll probably will call us all thin-skinned), he's nothing more than those annoying flies at a picnic. And you know what many a fly is attracted to if dogs are around...
10-4,
My Instagram picturesErik
My registry sets
craZ, now that you have identified yourself as a woman, why the man avatar? Odd coming from one whose cause celebre is to educate the numismatic community that a cent is not a penny.
I have always enjoyed Charmy's show reports for as long as a I have been on the forum.
Great report as always Charmy. Truly BOB (best of boards). I enjoyed chatting at the show. Copper is far from my zone of expertise, but I still like to see some quality pennies.
I notice that due to some static, Charmy's report has gotten even more positive feedback and support than usual, and caused a few mostly-lurkers to speak up. Her threads often don't get bumped as much as they should on these boards, especially lately. Hopefully this will cause some infrequent guests to click when they might have missed her post ordinarily.
Thank you everyone for all your comments and support, that means much more than you know. By the way, I also owe craz4coins a big thank you. Because of his/her discontentment with the way I do my show reports, he/she actually caused a huge increase in the number of people who have viewed and posted on this thread! ;-)
As a little background on my company name, I actually didn't originally choose the name "The Penny Lady®," the PUBLIC did. Years ago my business name was known as "CoinCents" but it wasn't very memorable. I have always specialized in pennies, and from the very beginning of my attending coin shows people would stop by my table and say "you're that penny lady," and "there's the penny lady." So eventually I just went with it, even trademarked it, and it has worked very well for me.
The penny vs. cent debate has become very petty and irrelevant over the years, even in the numismatic community, and I don't take offense when the elderly purists make comments (though I do sometimes roll my eyes). I just remind them that it is widely acceptable to refer to cents as "pennies" in this country ("find a penny, pick it up....," "penny roll," "penny for your thoughts," etc.).
Bottom line is I will continue posting my show report threads as usual and those who don't like them can simply choose to not click on them.
The Penny Lady®