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Charmy's 2012 SAN DIEGO COINARAMA SHOW REPORT w/lots of pics!!

ThePennyLadyThePennyLady Posts: 4,439 ✭✭✭✭✭
The Coinarama is held once a year at the Scottish Rites Center in San Diego. Often, coincidentally, the show is held the same week as Comic-Con which usually means all the hotels charge double the normal rate, so I usually stay out at the Barona Resort and Casino since it is a little distance away from downtown and they always seem to have rooms available (not to mention, of course, I get to play some poker after the show!). Here are some photos of my room and the view of the golf course and surrounding mountains from my room.

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The Scottish Rites Center is located near Hotel Circle off the 8 and 805 freeways. The location is very easy to get to, the building is well maintained, and the bourse floor is large and roomy.

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All the volunteers who work the show are very efficient and friendly!

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Set up was Saturday morning and the show opened at 10am. People trickled in steadily and after a while the show had a nice buzz to it.

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This picture was taken later in the afternoon
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We were soon very busy showing coins, looking at customer’s coins, answering their questions, etc. Luckily, my son Erik, who just returned from living in Italy, was able to help me out at this show.

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Kay Lenker works tirelessly and does a heck of a job putting this show together.

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Chris/ErrosOnCoins was also set up at the show. He has some very cool and unusual errors in his case for sale.

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I even bought this neat off-center Indian cent from Chris.

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By mid-afternoon, things settled down a bit so I took a walk around the bourse. There were several very interesting exhibits on display.

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Here are some cute young numismatists working at the kids’ table

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They also had a huge scout workshop with over 50 scouts in attendance – they especially kept me busy as many of the scouts seemed very interested in pennies!

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A couple weeks ago, I had gone winetasting with Erik and some good friends in Temecula Valley which is east of San Diego. I bought several bottles of some very good wine so I decided to bring a couple bottles with me. Here is one of the bottles which was very tasty!

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After the show on Saturday, my son and his girlfriend Darlene (who is from the San Diego area and was also helping me at the show) all met her parents for dinner at The Godfather Italian restaurant. It was a wonderful restaurant with fantastic food tucked back in a little strip mall in Claremont. The restaurant was already full so we ended up sitting at a nice table in the bar area. Our bartender/waiter was fabulous and offered some excellent entre suggestions.

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We then went back to Barona where I played Ultimate Texas Hold-Um out at the Black Jack table area. They have the state-of-the-art i-pads at many of the table games (including Ultimate Texas Hold-Um, 3-card poker and Black Jack)– they call them “Chipless” tables. You give the dealer your money, they enter the amount into a computer, which shows up as a credit on the i-pad type screen built into the table in front of each player. You then touch the picture of the chip denomination you want to bet, then touch the spot where you want to play (the betting or ante spot and/or bonus spot). Then after the cards are dealt, you touch the “check” or betting spot, depending on which game you’re playing. When you win (or lose), the money is automatically added (or deducted) from your total. The computer knew every card that was dealt, including the dealer’s cards, and would know who won or lost. It only took a hand or two to get used to it, then it was fantastic! I think this is probably how most games will eventually be played at casinos.

Here’s a link to Baron’as website on “chipless” gaming: Barona Chipless Gaming


On Sunday, the show, as usual, was much quieter with less public in attendance so we were a bit slow. But we still had a few sales, and then it was time to pack up and head for home. Unfortunately, on the way home I remembered that I left my beloved pillow (that I take with me almost everywhere) back at the hotel – darn it! So I called them to see if they had found it, and they said he would be happy to ship it to me – yipppeeeee! Now that is service!


So now I am getting ready for the Ontario show which starts on Thursday – so look for another report later this week!
Charmy HarkerThe Penny Lady®

Comments

  • WTCGWTCG Posts: 8,940 ✭✭✭
    Because of the FUN conflict I couldn't make Coin-a-rama this time. It was too bad I had to miss the pleasure of witnessing all those overweight grown-ups in bright spandex. However I did get the chance to see a bunch of pudgy, overtanned old guys trying their best to pick up women young enough to be their granddaughters.

    Looks like the show was better attended than last year.

    See you in Ontario.
    Follow me on Twitter @wtcgroup
    Authorized dealer for PCGS, PCGS Currency, NGC, NCS, PMG, CAC. Member of the PNG, ANA. Member dealer of CoinPlex and CCE/FACTS as "CH5"
  • michiganboymichiganboy Posts: 1,246 ✭✭
    Thanks for the report as always, I wish I could make it to more shows.
    Positive BST transactions:michaeldixon,nibanny,
    type2,CCHunter.
  • RB1026RB1026 Posts: 1,469 ✭✭✭✭
    As always Charmy, your show reports are a lot of fun to read. I love seeing all of the pics you post in these, along with reading your commentary. You are by far one of the coolest dealers in the hobby for taking the time and effort to put these reports together. I truly enjoy them.....Thanks!!
  • goldengolden Posts: 9,017 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Thanks for the cool report.
  • ArizonaJackArizonaJack Posts: 4,029 ✭✭✭
    No poker chips? NO poker chips? How the hell are ya supposed to play poker without the constant stacking and clicking of the chips? It's part of my game :-)
    " YOU SUCK " Awarded 5/18/08
  • mrearlygoldmrearlygold Posts: 17,858 ✭✭✭
  • dragondragon Posts: 4,548 ✭✭
    <<< my son Erik, who just returned from living in Italy, >>>


    Wow, lucky him! I'd be thrilled just to visit Rome, Florence, Naples and Venice for a couple weeks, but living there must have been way cool.
  • crispycrispy Posts: 792 ✭✭✭
    Fun report Charmy, thank you for sharing!

    I was fortunate enough to be given a semi-private demonstration and try one of the PokerTek Hold-Em tables a few years back when they were in their infancy. I was very impressed at the time. Efficient and seamless operation. More hands being "dealt", meant more poker being played and ultimately more vig for the house. I am surprised that they haven't caught on more at casinos across the country by now, but it seems the poker boom as a whole has fizzled quite a bit since the clampdown of online gaming.
    "to you, a hero is some kind of weird sandwich..."
  • So this is what I'm missing out on.
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,194 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Aah, I miss going to shows.

    Say, how come you didn't turn the camera around and let us look at you at least once? image

    Nice report- thanks.

    Explore collections of lordmarcovan on CollecOnline, management, safe-keeping, sharing and valuation solution for art piece and collectibles.
  • MWallaceMWallace Posts: 3,832 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Great report as always.
  • gonzergonzer Posts: 2,986 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Thanks for the wrap-up Charmy. Temecula is sure getting getting a reputation as a serious player in the vino game.
  • ThePennyLadyThePennyLady Posts: 4,439 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Wei, interestingly, the only evidence of Comic-Con I saw was a guy driving on the freeway all dressed up with some sort of wizard costume and makeup - no spandex (thank goodness)!

    RB1026, thank you very much, I don't think I've ever been called "one of the coolest dealers"!

    Jack and Crispy, they still have actual chips when playing live poker, but I have to say that I really enjoyed the chipless games - it was very quick, easy, no hassles and more accurate than if a dealer had to figure out what hands won or were beat. I do think we will be seeing more of these i-pad tables in more and more casinos.

    dragon, Erik and his girlfriend were teaching English in Italy right after teaching English in Japan for a year, so the two cultures were completely opposite so it did take them some time to get used to the much more laid back - time (including being on time) didn't seem to be as important in Italy as it is in Japan, or the U.S. for that matter. But they certainly quickly became accustomed to Italy's wonderful food, wine, and history - they even sent me a case of Italian wine for Christmas!

    lordmarcovan, I meant to have my son take the usual picture of me behind the table, but I simply forgot! But thank you for even mentioning that!

    gonzer, yes, Temecula has come a long, long way since I first went winetasting there in the late 1980's. They do have some very decent wines, and for us SoCal folks, it's a nice local less crowded substitute (though still not comparable) to Napa.
    Charmy HarkerThe Penny Lady®
  • TURBOTURBO Posts: 494 ✭✭✭
    Great read! Thanks! Made me think of this old sign I have.


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  • ThePennyLadyThePennyLady Posts: 4,439 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Great read! Thanks! Made me think of this old sign I have.


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    Turbo, Cool sign! I didn't know the Covina Coin-O-Rama was that old and I believe it is still going on (though it's not the same one as the San Diego show).
    Charmy HarkerThe Penny Lady®
  • johnny9434johnny9434 Posts: 27,409 ✭✭✭✭✭
    at least ya got some great views from the hotel charmy. it sure did look relaxing to me image
  • CMCARTCMCART Posts: 1,409 ✭✭✭
    Great image
    Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865)
    5$ bills are WOW with the numbers - wanted:
    02121809
    04151865
    Wanted - Flipper notes with the numbers 6-9 or 0-6-9 ON 1$ 2$ 5$ 10$ 20$
    Wanted - 10$ Sereis 2013 - fancy Serial Numbers
  • etexmikeetexmike Posts: 6,794 ✭✭✭
    Another good and fun show read. I enjoy all of them and thanks for taking the time and effort to post.

    Keep all the pics comin'.


    Mike
  • EagleEyeEagleEye Posts: 7,676 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Great post. Even though I'm in a bier garden in Munich, I still have to check in.
    Rick Snow, Eagle Eye Rare Coins, Inc.Check out my new web site:
  • ctf_error_coinsctf_error_coins Posts: 15,433 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Thanks Charmy for the report, It was great seeing you again sharing some of my coins with you.

    It was a good show for me, being only my third one, all local San Diego Shows.

    I picked up a very rare dropped letter error from a local collector who does amazing roll searches. I am very happy to have this error in my personal collection.

    The iPad slide show was a bit hit. I can't even imagine doing a coin show (or) art show without one. One Awesome Tool for sure.



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