Brief Coin Show Report: Des Moines, IA
CyStater
Posts: 681 ✭✭✭
Two-day show at the Adventureland Inn in Des Moines over the weekend. I had three tables at the show. Smaller than usual as we had direct competition from the annual South Dakota show.
Traffic was steady most of Saturday. Never got super crowded but the public was buying. Sunday started out well but the show was pretty much empty by 1PM and almost all the dealers were packing up by 1:30 or so a couple were already packing up by 10:30.
I sold mostly Morgans and half dollars with a few type coins sprinkled in for good measure. Bust Halves were selling well for me. Nicer, wholesome XF45 and up have been strong the last three shows or so. Currency was strong for me at this show. I don't carry a lot of it as I'm not too knowledgeable in the area but what I did have was selling well. Toned stuff had lots of lookers but few buyers this show which was off from the past few shows where toners were selling well.
My dealer-to-dealer was lower at this show than normal but a few of the larger regional dealers I usually sell to (I'm a small time, part time wannabe) weren't there and I didn't have anything I brought to specifically dump at wholesale. But my retail was strong with 80% of my sales being to the public. Most at my full asking price or just slightly below.
I think I only bought five or so coins and one cool Confederate note. All my purchases were from dealers, nothing from the public as I was only offered a couple notes and some foreign stuff that I declined to offer on. I could have had all the common date graded Morgans 63-65 I wanted at fire-sale prices as they seem to be languishing in everyone's inventory. I dumped a bunch of mine earlier this year and I think I made a wise decision to get what I could then.
Overall, not my best show this year but not my worst either and I was happy. Met a few new dealers that are going to send me some stuff I have been looking for and unable to locate so that was worth the price of admission right there.
Pretty much off for the summer now as far as coin shows go. I think my next one is in September.
Bajjer and a few others might have more to report.
Comments
I visited the aforementioned South Dakota show on Saturday, it seemed to be pretty busy during my time there. A shame that the two shows (and one in Kansas) were competing with each other, can't be a good scenario for anyone.
very informative report
Thank you for the interesting show report.
That's a really good report. Thank you for taking the time to write it up.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
I was there, wish we would have connected. I got two tough coins, an 1812 Large cent in "Fine" and an 1864 small lettered 2 center in VF30. The show seemed smaller than other years, though hadn't been there in a couple of years at least.
Louis Armstrong
take some pics next time if you can.
How was bullion selling at the show?
Many members on this forum that now it cannot fit in my signature. Please ask for entire list.
It was held in July the past few years which explains the smallness this year. Tons 'O Morgans if that was your bag.
Didn't really see any sell, but wasn't that interested in buying. Offered an au common date $20 lib and got $1175 and $1225 offers. The guy offering $1225 suggested to wait as the market for these is soft. Never left my pocket.
Thanks so much for sharing your report and experience with us, I appreciate it
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
The main bullion guy was set up right across from me. Seemed to be doing more selling than buying. A few dealers were dumping silver on him Sunday afternoon. So I'm not sure how others did. I don't do much bullion except for the occasion Panda or Kook or obligatory ASE as there is just no margin there for me. I sold some toned eagles to the dealer next to me.
I would also add that this was the first show I took CCs at and that accounted for 10% of my sales. Not sure how much impact it had overall.
Bix up above might have bought off one of my tables if it was on Saturday. My friend set up a case with me on Saturday and had probably the best copper in the place.
Thanks for the report.
Amazing to me to read that there was so much competition between three shows - in Iowa, South Dakota, and Kansas! That is hundreds of miles! Different world than mine here on the east coast.
A few people made it to both. I had one dealer that I know that went to both. He said the SD show was pretty good. I'm hoping we are on different weekends next year so I can make it up.
Our show in Ames usually overlaps Tinley Park so we fight for dealers for that show. Some do a couple days there and a couple days at our show. Some split squad and do both shows. I would love to make the Tinley Park show some time.
Nice report... good detail. Seems CC Morgans are always in demand...I have others, but my CC series set are my 'special' Morgans. Cheers, RickO
The show in Sioux Falls was surprisingly good. I hadn't been to this particular one before and was pleasantly surprised, there were a lot of dealers that had brought 1950-70 proof sets (the area I collect) which is somewhat unusual.
I can see how you think it is quite distant, but the shows were to some extent all in the I-29 corridor in which the shows were in the SE corner of South Dakota, North Central Kansas, and South Central Iowa. Sioux Falls is a little over 6 hours from Salina and many dealers from Sioux Falls, Sioux City, Omaha, Kansas City, and points in between would likely have attended at least one of the other 2 shows if not scheduled on the same date. Probably not as much competition for collectors, but it's a reasonable distance for dealers to travel in this region.
Thanks for your report.
Enjoyed reading your report, very informative thanks!