My Wordy San Antonio PCGS Show Report
BryceM
Posts: 11,863 ✭✭✭✭✭
First, some general observations about the show format, which is probably unfamiliar to anyone who hasn't attended one of these. Unfortunately, it has been somewhere around 1000 years since I've been able to attend a show...... well, since the deluge-ridden February 2017 Long Beach show to be exact. If you've never been to one, the atmosphere of these shows is a little different. They tend to be smaller affairs and are clearly set up to be dealer-centric. There are only 25 tables, but they tend to be the sort of dealers that I'm likely to visit at a big show anyhow. Maybe 25% of the tables were held by folks that were there only to do business with other dealers, to buy, or simply to submit coins for show grading. They either had nothing in their cases or very little. A few of them were a bit standoffish to this average Joe collector (I assume they're just busy with other things), but most tried to be helpful and I met a few guys I never knew previously.
Unlike a typical show, most of the dealers had the majority of their inventory in boxes behind the counter, but a few had a reasonable display. My favorites were Larry Shapiro, who is my go-to guy for Peace dollars (and plenty of other stuff), Steve Twitty, Bonnie Sabel, and Harry Laibstain. The guys from Angel Dees were also there, but I didn't spend much time at their table. George was manning the Legend table. A shout-out should also go to the guys from Witter coin who were quite fun to meet. They carry a really nice selection of gold and type material. Unlike a regular show, most everyone was relaxed and happy to shoot the breeze and let me wander through the coins they brought. How refreshing!
Next, the play-by-play. 
I drove for three hours to get to the Salt Lake City airport and caught a direct flight to San Antonio. One movie and a few snacks later I was catching a cab for the short hop to my close-but-cheaper hotel near the Hyatt Regency where the show was held.
I showed up Thursday morning and was greeted with a surprisingly nice breakfast buffet, courtesy of our host for dealers and show attendees. I wish I'd known about that. The free breakfast at my hotel was terribly mediocre, but like an idiot, I ate it before heading to the show. Fortunately, there is always room for second breakfast and it was much better.
I quickly dropped off a coin I picked up from a B&M store a few weeks ago to get a mechanical error fixed. The PCGS guys were quite helpful, and made all of the arrangements, no charge of course.
My primary purpose in going the the show was to view lots at the Legend Auction. I had time, so I looked at every lot. Spending some time with nice coins is invaluable in calibrating my personal grade-o-meter and gotta-have-it-o-meter. Some were really fun to see, like the octagonal PanPac - what a hunk of gold! Also, they had several coins there from the SS Central America, in special large holders with enclosed California gold dust. I was really there to see commems and a few early Federal type coins. Interestingly, the coins I really liked from photos didn't do much for me and others really caught my eye. There is simply NO COMPARISON to an in-hand inspection. For example, I'm really searching for a nice Liberty Cap large cent. There was one in the auction in a perfect grade..... but the reverse had a nasty patch of verdigris that was really distracting in-hand. A PanPac commem that I had been focusing on was just OK. Dang it! It's been so hard to find a nice PanPac. The San Diego in the auction was FLASHY and gorgeous! A few other odds and ends caught my eye and I made plenty of notes.
Almost all of the dealers there submitted a ton of coins for show grading and some were happy to let me look through the boxes when they started getting them back Thursday morning. I stopped first at Larry Shapiro's table and fell in love with WAY too many Peace dollars. He let me drool a bit on his 1928-S in a 65+ holder and several others that were clearly out of my league. I picked out a GORGEOUS 1922-S dollar in a 65+ holder, but it needs to take a trip to New Jersey before I take possession. Sorry, I only have this lousy photo for now. I also fell in love with an 1851-O 3-cent silver (what a cool type coin!), but same story. I won't have them in-hand for a couple of weeks.
Bonnie Sabel magically produced a really pretty PanPac and the one in the auction quickly faded from conscious thought. We chatted about it (and many other things) and it eventually found its way into my box. After a really nice lunch (also kindly provided by our host) I reached a saturation point and disappeared for a few hours. The Alamo was just a quick walk from the show and I spent an hour or two seeing the sights there. Sometime in the afternoon PCGS provided an ice-cream break. Very nice!
I got back in time to re-visit a couple of lots before the auction got started. I sat through the majority of the auction. Most lots were going to Internet bidders, but the 20-odd people in the room got in on some of the action. The lots I wanted all went for crazy money. In fact, every one opened above my max, and I ended up not even placing a single bid. C'est la vie. There seemed to be a greater-than-average number of passed lots. Most had reserves that seemed pretty high to me.
The next day I stopped by to finalize plans with Harry Labstain to send me a coin that I wasn't smart enough to ask him to bring to the show. Hopefully I'll have it in-hand by the end of the week..... and hopefully it's as pretty as I think it will be. I stopped by a few tables to visit a few coins I'd been considering, and packed it up.
Oh, I almost forgot...... I had the distinct privilege of meeting the one and only @HeatherBoyd, who it turns out, is an actual person, and astoundingly nice (and reasonable) in person. I introduced myself and promptly told her that she had been given a terrible job. 
After clarifying that I meant difficult job 
(herding cats) we chatted a bit and agreed that the forum is a motley assortment of great people, as the recent rallying around @crazyhounddog demonstrates.
The news of Don Willis leaving PCGS came out during the show but didn't seem to be perceived as much of a huge issue...... just change and life and business and numismatics goes on.....
I spent the afternoon enjoying the Riverwalk (a really great part of a pretty cool city) and caught the flight home. 3 quick hours and a brief snow flurry later I pulled into the driveway.
Getting closer:
Comments
Thanks for the report, Bryce. I have been to a couple of these shows in New Orleans. Your perceptions on this one were basically mine on those shows.
Very nice report, thanks for sharing.
I can see why you sold your Pilgrim recently. Nice progress in the commem set!
Thanks for the report.
My current "Box of 20"
The new Pilgrim is graded lower than the one I sold...... but grades aren’t everything.
Nice report. The commem set is fun to look at.
My favorites are the Isabella and the Lincoln.
Very interesting report and loved the coins
Great report! Even an Alamo. Thank you for sharing.
Really enjoyed your write up. Thank you.
And an amen to your comment about needing to see the coin in hand to avoid being disappointed via the auction!
"Got a flaming heart, can't get my fill"
One of the best show reports I have recently read. Thank you for taking the time to post!
Did you see the basement in the Alamo?
Great transactions with oih82w8, JasonGaming, Moose1913.
Great write-up, Bryce. The only thing missing from your report that would've made it perfect is if you had said that you won a lot in the Legend auction as a gift for your great friend, BarberFanatic!
Very good report... Thank you...and the Alamo is certainly a 'must see' when in San Antonio. Nice Pan Pac as well...Too bad about the three hour drive on each end of the journey (I hate long drives and avoid them)...That is a really nice Peace Dollar....Cheers, RickO
The stars at night are big and bright ...
A very,very good report! Thanks.
Great report. Hopefully they have another PCGS show in Philadelphia again.
Sunshine Rare Coins
sunshinecoins.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html
Thank you for the show report, it was very well done and that is an eye popping set of early commems you've got going there!
Very nice report, beautiful commems but where is the Arkansas?
carolinacollectorcoins.com
The Peace dollars I've seen in MS65+ are always prettier than the MS66s I've seen.
Just more pizzazz and luster. Sure the 66 is probably a mark or two less distracting, but I'd rather
have the cartwheel swirling look.
Mr @BryceM
Congrats on the NEWPs
Thank you for the insight; a good story line...... I could just see it all thru your eyes
The 1922 Lady is beyond beautiful
@Paradisefound
The coin that should be coming later in the week is one that might appeal to you...... Stay tuned.
rajah
I was looking for the pictures of 'surf N' turf with bottle of wine' like those of @ThePennyLady
Enjoyed the report - sounds like a good time! Congrats on the additions.
Thanks for the very good report