AT FUN.......... Images added

Good Morning Folks,
Good news, the tents are gone this morning from the apts across the marina. Just before I walked out of my room yesterday I inspected them again and noted that there were two locations where multiple thick electric cables were coming out and connected to what looked like a main cable. So yes it appears it was a debugging and seems all is good now. That must take alot of juice to heat up a large row of tents like that over the apts....
On to the show. So first thing I did is went and lot viewed again until the bourse opened at 10 am to the 'public'. Once in I noticed the buzz right away. My first visit was to my main dealer to see if he had picked up anything I wanted. Nope. Then to the PCGS booth to submit a coin for reholder before sending off to CAC next week. As shown in the image above by TDN, his collection was on display and lookin' like, well, the best set of early dollars one could ever put together (thumbs up). But there we no lights so one could really not see it. I passed by later in the day and that problem was corrected and holy begosh, what a site to see - all that luster booming out! Kudos to our host for always having something nice to display.
After leaving the PCGS booth I went back upstairs to collect my win from the last nite auction of HA. Lot pick up is always fun - everyone in line is in a great mood as after all we just scored on some nice pieces. I can't tell you how many good acquaintances I have made over the years just by standing in line for lot viewing........
Finally around 11 back to the bourse where I did some searching for bust quarters at the usual dealer tables - Rich Uhrich, Eye Appealing, HLRC, CRO, David Kahn, etc. Not a single one that either blew me away that I had to have, or a die marriage I wanted/needed that met my standards. I spent a good 4 hours yesterday on the bourse and not a single coin identified. At 1:30 I was still empty on the bourse and went to the educational seminar on Collecting Barber Series by John Frost. John is always a good gig and I enjoy his presentations - I am exploring whether I want to get involved in Barbers so this was a good intro.
Then back to the bourse at 3 pm-ish still looking. During this time, had great conversations with Dave Wnuck, John Agre, Charmy, Todd Pollock and many others. Had some wine at Charmy's table, she usually brings out a bottle in the afternoon and that starts a great social gathering at her table. Both of us were missing Gary Groll, our Conder dealer, who did not make it this year as he is going next week to NYINC instead.
By about 5:30 I had scanned the bourse to no avail, going back to tables to see if anything has been added, and generally discussing some deals going around the room with some of the dealers. Then I ran into David Sunshine (Ultra High Relief) who I wanted to hook up with to view his inventory. We left the bourse and got to buisness - he had a couple bust pieces on his website but I needed to see them in hand. These were coins he had imaged by Todd so I knew they were PQ as Todd's images don't lie, but still need to see them surfaces in hand. I am happy to report that they were both great, both R4's that I did not have and Dave and I closed the deal. Thanks David!
Finally 6:30, I went off to the Capital Grille with Larry (ldhair) and Bill Jones. We have been doing this for several years now, a high end restaurant with some of the folks ATS. We were the only 3 this year, some of the usual suspects did not show. But we had a great dinner with lots of meat and fluids and showed around our new pickups. Larry and Bill both have amazing eyes for coins so I learn so much from both. We got back to the hotel at 11 pm and ran right into Charmy and her group. We then stood in the lobby for a good hour and chatted. Charmy said the bourse was superactive for her today, so all that buzz I heard all day was not for nothing.

I will end there as I need to get over the the CC for the JRCS meeting this morning, more anon.

Best, SH

Hi Folks,
Here is my last on site comment. Yesterday - what a day! We had unfortunate drama at the airport leaving most of us concerned about our flights and watching with sadness out in the hallway watching the TV as the events unfold and worried for everyone involved. Today all of the flights except Delta, that come out of the terminal where it happened are operating. If one is on Delta, it looks like it is not happening today. We had two emergency vehicle visits to the show, I saw one unfortunate gentleman in bad shape and being taking out in the ambulance. This was happening about the same time as the events were unfolding at the airport so I hope the local hospital was able to take care of him quickly when he got there as they were receiving victims from the airport at that time in the emergency room.
I started the day with the JRCS club meeting, David Finklestein gave a great presentation on the early mint. Then I hit the bourse.
And after a day of no Newps with the exception the two from David Sunshine while the bourse was closing on Thurs, BANG! One of my areas of collecting is pre-civil war branch mint everything. I had at least one in just about every denomination. But nary an O-mint seated dollar. When the bourse opened I started browsing my regular dealer tables and first with the Eye Appealing Coins. They were just putting out two newps they got from a collector. One was an 1831 CBQ in P58 CAC that I immediately asked them to inspect. Gorgeous coin, but alas I had the die marriage already and mine was luckily just as nice. Then Ray asked me - have a look at the other one from this collector. It was a 1859-O P58 CAC seated dollar with gorgeous multicolored toning. When I have been searching in the past for O-mint seated dollars the problem has been that low MS coins are super heavily bag marked and mostly hairlined, you have to get up to 64 to get out of that and I don't want to put all of my money into one coin. So I have been looking for XF-AU, but most of these seem scrubbed and lifeless. This 59-O had minor hairlines, touch of rub, no bagmarks and that toning is again, gorgeous. So finally I had it, an O-mint seated dollar!
I then went to Dave Perkins table, he was so busy the day before I never got to see what he had. Turns out he had a new consignment of, you guessed it, seated dollars, that had been off the market for decades. These were XF-AU coins in old P holders and none of them scrubbed and instead with natural meaty toning. There was a 46-O and a 60-O but no 50-O. The 46-O was to die for - P55, golden brown to blue toning on the edges grading into natural smoky gray in the centers, no major hits (1 small hit below eagle beak on reverse is all..), and still rich in luster. The 60-O in P55 was dove gray with no problems and almost as gorgeous. Dave and I talked prices, and they were mine. I could not believe it, years of searching and 3 of the 4 dates in less than 1 hour!
So there was some good kharma going around. I next went to US Coin, and there was a real nice P15 CAC 1800 dollar with dripping originality. I have wanted also to add one of these to the collection and this one was again, the perfect coin for me. Finally I hit CRO to see if John had anything new I would like since yesterday since I came up null at his table so far. Low and behold, a 1842 P45 CAC seated collar never been messed with stunner was freshly out in one of his cases. Yes it also become part of the spacehayduke collection and is gives me the perfect XF Seated Dollar coin so that I know what to look for if I continue down this path. So in a matter of 1.5 hours, I went from no pre-civil war silver dollars to 5 and all of them just spiffy to boot. Total craziness.
So then it was time for the PCGS luncheon and I was looking forward to camaraderie, good food, and a new sample slab. Walked up and was handed the sample slab and it was, an Ike Dollar! What is going on here? Dollar heaven for spacehayduke today.
Finally in the afternoon, went to the Fly-In Club meeting, Chris Pilliod gave a nice presentation on an interesting and unique piece. During this meeting Charmy saw on her phone what was happening at the airport. So not much of anything after that for anyone at the bourse because we were all worried for the people there.
So those are some of the highlights of yesterday. I will post images as soon as I can and there are a few wrap ups I will do at the show today then back to the airport where hopefully things are getting back to normal.

More anon and thanks for reading,

SH

HI Folks,
Thanks for the nice comments, this is being written back home. On Saturday I spent the last hour of my bourse time talking to one dealer and going over his coins and we looked at what I had purchased. I ended up buying a nice piece from him. Then off to the NGC luncheon. This is a lunch after everyone has bought something so we have a good show and tell. Our table had 7 at it, 5 of which are also members here and boy were there some amazing coins from the other PCGS board members to show! So that was a great hour, then off to the airport for the flight home. Some images below of some pickups. None of the images capture the rich luster that each coin exudes.

Best, SH

Here is the time I picked up from David Sunshine, I mistakenly said it was an R4 in my first post, it is not, but I did not have the die marriage and it fits my toning preferences. And it is an old fatty:

Here is one of the seated dollars I picked up, the 1846-O is much rarer than the 59-O and the 60-O:

And finally is the <75 extant new bust quarter I got from the HA auction that I had to pay up for: