My 2018 Philly ANA report - Sparky64
sparky64
Posts: 7,047 ✭✭✭✭✭
This was the first ANA show I've been to and it's the first show for me that had more than 10 dealers.
A very good friend of mine owns an apartment in downtown Philly and when this show came on the calendar, the plan was set.
I only had a few "must dos" on my list. I wanted to purchase a Seated Dollar w/ motto to complete my 7070 album and try my hand at selling a few things.
Another was that I wanted to meet several people that I've only read about and admired and that includes a few CU forum members.
The coin buying is the easy part. Introducing myself and speaking is not as easy.
There will be a fair amount of name dropping in this report. Meeting these people, shaking their hand and having a brief chat was one of the highlights of the show. I have never met any of these people that I mention.
I doubt that any of these people will ever remember me but I’ll never forget.
I'm not a people person and quite the introvert. I have to push myself to step up and say hello and I'm glad I was able to do it.
We've been having some biblical rainfall here in NE Penna. I planned on leaving Tuesday afternoon and it wasn't looking good for a while but the water settled enough for us to make a break for it before the rains started again.
This was the end of my road around noon.
I took an early walk Wednesday morning and checked out a few sights.
I was pre-registered and able to breeze in right at 9:30. I was overwhelmed at the size of the bourse.
GC was the first table that caught my eye. I spoke with Ian @greatcollections and we had a very pleasant chat.
Next stop was @JohnF the CDN table. I had ordered a Greysheet online and it hadn't arrived yet. They had one waiting for me at the show. That's service.
I had a couple of raw error coins so I stopped at the @FredWeinberg table, introduced myself and wondered if he would be interested in buying my coins. I told him what I wanted for them and Fred said "No".........he then offered me 25% higher than what I was asking and proceeded to explain and show me why. Amazing guy.
Found and purchased an 1872 Seated Liberty dollar that fit the bill for my 7070 at Miller's Mint.
I had a Capped Bust Half that I was willing to part with and was directed to go see David Kahn. He looked at my coin, instantly knew the Overton number by just a quick glance of the obverse and then gave me a history of the die marriage. He did some checking and made an offer that was a little lower than I was looking for. When he could see my indecisiveness he politely told me to take my time to think it over and that he would stand by his offer at any time. I sold it to him the following day. After talking with a few other dealers, it became clear that his was a very fair offer.
I can’t say enough about how impressed I was with Mr. Kahn. He has a great personality and sense of humor to go along with his crazy coin knowledge.
On to lunch at the Reading Terminal Market. Another overwhelming area. As we sat down, Donna and Tiffany from the ANA sat right across from us. We struck up a great conversation about the ANA, the show, logistics, etc. The ANA is lucky to have these two ladies working for them.
After lunch I went to the Whitman area and I introduced myself to our own @RWB . Roger asked about how the show was for me. I told him about the low grade raw Seated Liberty Dollar I picked up and gave me great insight to that specific coin and series. We also talked about the difficulty of doing coin related research in Philadelphia. He then offered some superb advice on how a first timer could enjoy the show experience. He was a down to earth gentleman.
In addition to his acclaimed work, we are so lucky to have him participate here.
QDB was seated nearby so I couldn’t pass on that opportunity. Like me, he was born and raised in NE Penna. We talked about the area and also about the Binghamton area and his time running Empire Rare Coins. He had very detailed memories about these towns, local businesses and landmarks. I knew he was a Penn State grad so I purposely mentioned that I was one too and that brought a big smile to his face. I’ll never forget meeting him.
Sold a Proof Washington Quarter to J.J. Teaparty. A little less than I wanted but I’m learning about selling……
On my way out, I stopped and said hello to Joe @ScarsdaleCoin . More great advice and insight about the logistics of running a coin show. I like that guys like him will talk to you one on one and don’t seem bothered or distracted. Thank you.
Wednesday evening, we took the 15 minute subway ride and went to the Philly’s vs. Red Sox baseball game.
First thing Thursday morning and then went to see @messydesk . I wanted him to check a possible Peace Dollar VAM and to take pics of a couple of my coins that I can never get correct.
He was already busy taking pics for other dealers before I even got there and he asked if I could come back in short while and he’d be able to see me. I introduced myself and he gave my Peace Dollar a look over and determined it was not quite the VAM I was hoping for. He then took pics of my two coins, shook hands and I was on my way. Looked to me like he was in for a long day of work.
More meeting people:
W. David Perkins gave me awesome insight on the state of CBH’s and Overton collecting.
Stopped just to say hello to @MrEureka . Very gracious, smiling and friendly.
Introduced myself to Charmy @ThePennyLady and had a great little chat. She asked if I wanted to be in her show report and I reluctantly conceded, lol. She took my pic so we’ll see….
I brought a raw Unc 1921 Peace Dollar for David Hall to opine about when he was at the PCGS table. Busy man but gladly looked it over, gave me his opinion and shook my hand.
I then found and bought a couple of minor silver Washington Quarters to add to my Registry.
Thursday evening we attended the Heritage Platinum Auction for US Coins. WOW!
I didn’t feel right about grazing on the buffet but I did take advantage of the open bar and enjoyed some Yuengling’s. At least I generously tipped the bartender.
This was an evening I won’t forget.
Following along in the amazing catalog, sipping on one of PA’s finest brew and watching how the heavy hitters do what they do. I thought the auction was very well run and entertaining too.
On Friday I only had an hour or two. I relooked at all the various amazing exhibits and just wandered around.
On my way out the door I saw @specialist at the Legend tables. They are naturally very busy but I very quickly told her that I saw them at the auction and congratulated them on their pickups.
This is an extremely poor selfie of me on Friday, complete with sweat and a pen in my ear. I'm reluctant to post it but what the hell?
So much more I could add but this will do. I learned tons and will now do a few things different next time.
Thanks for reading my report.
-Mark
"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
Comments
Thanks for telling your story.
Glad you enjoyed yourself. Big shows are amazing adventures. Wish I could have been there.
Sounds like a great experience
Latin American Collection
Wow...sound like you had a great experience at the show. Thanks for the terrific report.
Wow great report!! Sounds like you met about half the members on this board and had a great time!!! I wouldn't call you an introvert at all!!
One thing I was very impressed with at the show was how friendly all the dealers and other luminaries were....even when they were super busy...the biggest and best were willing to take a minute to say hello to a little guy like me.
Thanks for taking the time to write your report, while it was your first ANA it sounds like it might not be your last!
Great report, sounds like a fun time....
Great report. Nice dollar! It does look perfect for a Dansco
siliconvalleycoins.com
Kudos to you for busting out of your shell and making contact with so many people. Now, wasn't that amazing?
It gets easier every time you do it.
Great report too, by the way. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Kind regards,
George
Excellent report.
Thanks.
"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working" Pablo Picasso
Now that is a great show report. Thanks.
Superb report.
Can echo that I had the same experience when the WFOM was in Denver. I am glad that I took the time and money to spend a couple days.
Thank you for sharing!!!
Thank you for the great report. I enjoy seeing how differently each person experiences the ANA show. I was there too for the first 2 days and my focus was on collectors exhibits and the 1913 Nickel. Everyone has a different perspective and reading them gives me insights on their collecting area.
Excellent report!
Complete Set of Chopmarked Trade Dollars
Carson City Silver Dollars Complete 1870-1893http://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/showcase.aspx?sc=2722"
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Excellent and very informative and interesting report
sounds like you had a wonderful time. great report! nice you squeezed in a ball game while in town
Fun read! Thanks for the awesome report!
Smitten with DBLCs.
This was my favorite part of your report:
I had a couple of raw error coins so I stopped at the @FredWeinberg table, introduced myself and wondered if he would be interested in buying my coins. I told him what I wanted for them and Fred said "No".........he then offered me 25% higher than what I was asking and proceeded to explain and show me why. Amazing guy.
A great report, and some memorable experiences. Thanks for taking the time to write it up and post some pics. Ireally like the seated dollar.
Reports like this are very interesting to the folks that can’t make it.
The busiest work period of my year prevent me from attending this show, so I appreciate the report.
Way to get the most of it all.
Great report and pictures (that flooding is nasty)....Thanks for taking the time to put together an interesting report. Cheers, RickO
Nice report @sparky64 , thank you for posting it.
1TwoBits
Thank you for this. I am going to my first show in over 10 years Saturday and this definitely gets me even more pumped. Interesting that for you the coin part was easy and the communication was the challenge...I think for me it it just the opposite. The temptation to overspend is a concern, but I typically don't have any problem running my mouth with people that have the same interests!
Great stuff. Congrats on what sounded like a wonderful experience!
Mark - It was a pleasure meeting you at the ANA and I enjoyed our conversation very much. Your 1872 dollar might be "low grade" but it is a very attractive coin to own and enjoy....Seems like there's never enough time for these good things.
Great report!
Thanks @sparky64 glad you were able to make a big show and enjoy it too. Very insightful and thank you for posting.
Sometimes, it’s better to be LUCKY than good. 🍀 🍺👍
My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947):
https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/16292/
Very nice report. Shows that most dealers are fine people after all.
LIBERTY SEATED DIMES WITH MAJOR VARIETIES CIRCULATION STRIKES (1837-1891) digital album
Really enjoyed your report!
Nice report. Thanks.
Thanks for sharing your experience and nice to hear you reached out to people.
Wish I could have made it this year.
I really enjoyed reading your report. To me, meeting people and putting a face to a name are the best reasons to attend such a show. Looks like you managed to avoid getting overwhelmed and made some great connections!
My current "Box of 20"
Thanks for the very good report
Thanks for taking the time to report.
Wow... excellent show report. .. sounds like you had a great time.
Successful BST transactions with: SilverEagles92; Ahrensdad; Smitty; GregHansen; Lablade; Mercury10c; copperflopper; whatsup; KISHU1; scrapman1077, crispy, canadanz, smallchange, robkool, Mission16, ranshdow, ibzman350, Fallguy, Collectorcoins, SurfinxHI, jwitten, Walkerguy21D, dsessom.
Great report. I appreciate the photos and writeup!
@sparky64 One the best reports ever. I greatly enjoyed your capsule summaries of meeting and talking with people. And Fred W...what a class guy!
Nice report. I'm glad you had a good time!
U.S. Type Set
Nice report. Good to see you on Thursday. It was, indeed, quite the busy day for me.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
Well done, interesting report. Thank you.
- Jim
Thank you for your detailed report....really enjoy it!
Mark that was one of the best reports I’ve ever read. Well done.
What did DH say about your Peace Dollar?
m
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
I always advocate that selling a coin here and there is part of collecting. If you don't understand where the market is at there's no way you can make good purchases.
Best report I've read so far!!
Yes. Fantastic report and well-written. I love the seated dollar.
It's a well hammered MS yet very grungy.
I asked his thoughts on whether I should try for a straight grade or send it in for conservation.
He said either could be risky.
He said he saw the luster through the grunge but couldn't commit on how it would turn out.
At first I was a little disappointed that he didn't give me a clear path to follow but I have since come to understand.
He called exactly it as it is...….risky.
I'll likely leave it raw and enjoy it as is.
"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
I apologize for the late bump but I just wanted to thank everyone who read my report.
I was surprised by all the comments.
-Mark
"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
Mark, it was great seeing you at the show and I'm glad you had such a positive experience at such a large show. Great write up too - thanks for taking the time to share with us!
The Penny Lady®
Mark,
Thanks for taking the time to tell us about your experience before and during the Philly show, I enjoyed it very much. I'm glad the experience was a pleasant one for you and it gave you an opportunity to meet a lot of the great people from the board.
Thanks for sharing, Donato
Donato's Complete US Type Set ---- Donato's Dansco 7070 Modified Type Set ---- Donato's Basic U.S. Coin Design Set
Successful transactions: Shrub68 (Jim), MWallace (Mike)
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Excellent and very informative and interesting report