My first Coin Show ~ Any suggestions? ~ Report
CyndieChildress
Posts: 429 ✭✭✭
REPORT
I had such a great time. I learned a lot and drooled some too. Lol. I was introduced to the Macintosh men and they were so nice. I found out that my roll of 1922 Peace dollars are uncircullated (according to Peter Macintosh) and that made me happy. Also got 8nformation on some of my Morgan's. The only thing I bought were some proof sets. My goal now is to finish my inventory of what I have and then pick something to make a complete set.
Thanks to all who provided input. It was very much appreciated.
Cyndie
1
Comments
Cash is King,,,,,, take alot of it,,,,,
Ensure your safety. Park accordingly. Take precautions. You'll have a lot of cash on your person on the way in and a lot of valuable coins on your way out. Be careful and aware of your surroundings.
Enjoy the show. It is a great experience and there is so much to see and learn.
I don't have near the show experience as the veteran dealers here, but one 'do' I recommend is having respect for the dealer when you are handling their inventory. Keep the coin in their sight. Don't look at large numbers of coins simultaneously. Act like you would like someone to behave if they were looking at a valuable coin in your collection on the other side of a counter.
Listen, ask, learn.
Depending on your experience, don't buy anything except books or supplies like a good hand lens 5X to 10X. Look at graded coins and talk with/meet the dealers, especially those in your area. Tell dealers WHO HAVE NO CUSTOMERS AT THEIR TABLE that you are a novice trying to learn. You may get very lucky and find a few good ones.
If you must buy a coin. Purchase one in a slab from NGC, PCGS, ICG, or ANACS. IMO, a much better purchase would be a GSA CC Dollar in an original government box. These are easy to sell, historic, and will teach you what a genuine, original Mint state Morgan dollar (with one type of luster - you'll learn about this through reading, observation of coins in slabs, and study) should look like. If it is a typical coin, the reverse will be an MS-64 to 66 while the obverse will be an MS-62 to 63. If you have the money, purchase one with the obverse as mark free as the reverse usually is. Then, before you leave the show, take whatever coin (slab or GSA) you purchased (if you had to scratch that itch) and try to sell it. You'll get some more education. Have fun.
Have fun and enjoy!
Buy something cheap, something from a junk bin, even a token or a foreign coin. Don't spend big money at your first show. Talk with dealers if they are not too encumbered and carry material that interests you. Arrive early. Expect to see lots of Morgan dollars!
If you have the time - walk the floor 2 times. The first to see whats there, and then second time to buy what stood out as the must have purchase. "Do not hesitate to ask if thats your best price". Have fun!
WS
If the show's out-of-state, it wouldn't be a bad idea to get something moderately priced.
Buy something to remember it by, and don't empty your pockets before finishing your rounds. Cash is king but I've found dealers who will take gold in trade with no receipts.. not sure how common that is anymore but I like avoiding the T-man as everyone else.
Since it is in Sacramento, I would definitely drop by the McIntosh table. Some really good guys.
A lot of good advice here. Also, if it's a big show be sure to wear comfortable shoes. Seriously.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
Not sure what you experience is but look at as many coins as you can in the series your interested in. Oh ya and the most important thing, have a blast!
Bring a magnifying glass and some reference materials such as the Redbook, Greysheet, or other value guides.
Pack your own lunch and take a bottle of water. It's a twofer. By avoiding the food for sale at the show you won't get indigestion, AND with the money you save you'll be able to afford a nice gem quality coin. Or two.
Thank you.
Wow, a lot of good advice. Thank you! I'm mainly going just to learn. I have learned so much in 6 m9nths and I can see that I have barely learned anything, Meaning there is A LOT to learn. lol
Cyndie
Thanks so much
I have Morgan's, Peace, Silver Eagles and so on. I'm hoping to learn more though, thank you!
Good idea, I like it.!.!
Thanks, Cyndie
That's a great idea (to buy something to remember it by)
Thanks!> @coinhack said:
Already on the schedule. Thanks to another forum member who knows them. I hadn't heard of them before but will now get to meet them.
Thanks, Cyndie
Newbie, lol. I'm barely in a year. Inherited some coins and bought Redbook and ANA Guide to Grading.
This is the first forum (of any kind) I've ever joined. I love it and have learned SO much.
Thanks for the input
Cyndue
Great advice! Thanks
After the show please tell us your experiences.
Will do
Look for good deals before buying if you can. Buy coin books. Have a price guide handy. Don't overspend.
Fan of the Oxford Comma
CCAC Representative of the General Public
2021 Young Numismatist of the Year
I make a pass through the show before I buy anything, and identify pieces I might be interested in. By doing that, I avoid spending all my money early on, only to not have enough for something I want more that I find later.
Since this is your first show... spend most of your time looking and talking.... so much to see, so much to learn. Of course, you cannot learn everything in one - or a hundred - shows... so take it easy and have fun. I look forward to your show report..... Cheers, RickO
Please post about your experience after the show
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb, Ricko
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
I wrote this on this topic a while ago.
Coin Rarities Online
@CoinRaritiesOnline
I enjoyed reading that again, thanks
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb, Ricko
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
Thank you
Wow! @ coinraritiesonline
That was Very informative, thank You! I am mainly going to learn more. Learn things that you can't out of books. This was great! Thanks a bunch
Cyndie
A great piece of information
Keep in mind too that if you see something extra nice during your first round, it probably won't be there for your second round.
I'm sure I'll be echoing what others have already said.
Be mindful of your surroundings when entering and exiting the show. Your personal safety is the most important thing.
Bring cash, more than you think you'll need, but don't bring the rent money.
Don't rush through the show or rush to buy anything. Do a lap to at least glance at every dealers table, and stop at the ones where something catches your eye.
Listen and ask questions.
Ask to see coins that appeal to you even if you know they might be too expensive for you, it's still nice to be able to look at them in hand up close.
Be respectful and polite. Try not to crowd a dealers whole table when you're viewing their inventory. If there are already a few people at a dealers table where you'd like to see something, either politely wait or move along and come back.
Lastly, don't be afraid to ask if a dealer can do better on price. It's always nice to save a little bit of money and that could wind up leaving you with enough cash at the end to get one extra coin.
Have fun!
Very good insight.!.! Thanks for your input, it is much appreciated
Purchase only safe and sound pcgs coins but if you're a risk taker buy them raw and then send them in. Depending on the condition and color use the proper service. If it had errors or mistakes be sure to check the right box on the form.
I found prioritizing my "wants" to a list of 5 coins or so works better than being dazzled by so many choices. If you try to look for too many coins, it slows you down too much. You need the coin in hand for details, but many times eye appeal can be seen just by looking at the cases of material. But as others have said, enjoy yourself. Maybe buying little or nothing, but just enjoying the experience would be a good way to go also.
Pete
Louis Armstrong
I like to walk the entire floor first. Take a list of things i would like with a rough idea of the price of those items.
I think i spent $24 at my first show buying an assortment of coins. This way i could look at things at home.
If something is not the way you want it don't get it. Trust your first instinct.
Enjoy and relax at the show.
Only use disposable income for purchasing coins. EVERY beginning collector buys some bad coins. Don't worry about it. It's so common that it's called paying your tuition.
You MIGHT see who on these boards is going to the show (by just starting a new thread asking who's going to the show), and set up a time to meet them INSIDE, say at a lunch table if there are lunch tables at the show. One of the great joys of coin collecting is meeting other like minded people. Do be aware that, for whatever reason, it does seem that coin collecting has a higher percentage of oddballs in it than many other collecting fields. If you read these boards for any length of time you'll see many posts talking about collectors and/or dealers who are unwashed and act oddly. Still, just like any other social setting, if the person/people you meet is/are not your cup of tea then just politely leave. On the other hand, most coin collectors are normal people that are nice to meet, share some laughs with, and potentially have a fun show and tell with, or learn something new from.
The single most important thing to do is just relax and Have Fun!!!
U.S. Type Set
Plan to make as least three passes. Many times you won't be able to see everything at certain tables, because some knucklehead will have Greysheets and/or paperwork spread all over it like they are the only person on earth! So annoying! Can you tell this is a pet peeve?
Anyway....Have a blast!!!
Dave
i certainly hope you have a great time as well. itll be fun for sure
Don't buy coin you don't need, no matter how good the deal might be.
I prioritize my want list. I'll survey the dealers looking for items at the top of my list. If I don't find any in that category, I'll make another round looking for items in the next subset/series I am interested in.
IG: DeCourcyCoinsEbay: neilrobertson
"Numismatic categorizations, if left unconstrained, will increase spontaneously over time." -me
Last show I went to, I thought I'd be cool and go freelance.
No agenda or specific coins in mind.
It didn't work like I thought it would and ended up being a waste of my time.
Next time I'll at least have a plan.
"If I say something in the woods and my wife isn't there to hear it.....am I still wrong?"
My Washington Quarter Registry set...in progress
What everyone else has said and...
If you are trying to fill in coin album holes, take pics of the album pages on your phone. So much easier than trying to remember which dates/mints/ types you need from memory! Nothing beats the letdown of finding that perfect coin, then go home and see that the hole is already occupied.
10-4,
My Instagram picturesErik
My registry sets
good stuff
I've skimmed over a bunch of replies, and while I haven't seen the piece of advice I am planning to share, I have seen the opposite. So here's my thought:
Don't feel compelled to buy anything. After some amount of time, I've never been happy to have purchased a coin I didn't really like, but bought because I felt like I should buy something. Yes, it can be fun to buy something, but when that fun wears away, you don't want to have a coin you don't really care for and less money in your wallet. Of course, that isn't to say don't buy something you legitimately want, but just don't feel like a show is a bust because you didn't get anything. Learn something, meet some people, have a chat with a dealer--those things will make the show worthwhile. If you find a great coin, that's just icing on the cake.
Some time down the road, unless something independently memorable happens, you won't remember the details of the show, and you probably won't care that you picked up a [insert coin here] as a token of attending. I vaguely remember my first show(s), but that's because of the people I spent time with, not the coins I saw or bought. And since then, I've gone to plenty of shows (including major ones I've flown to) and my wallet never came out. I may have been disappointed that I didn't see a coin I really wanted (or was specifically looking for), but I felt a lot better knowing I didn't buy something for the heck of it just because I didn't want to leave empty-handed.
Bring along a lot of small bills ($1, $5) for admission fees or for low cost but interesting items.
The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin
Coins in Movies
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Rule #1....Don't buy from any dealer wearing a suit and tie
b/c they are usually the most expensive, but I don't think there will be any suit and tie dealers in Sacto. The Sacto show was the first show I set up behind a table (1986?) it used to be a really good two day show back then.