Charmy's September 2023 LONG BEACH EXPO COIN SHOW REPORT w/lots of Pics!
ThePennyLady
Posts: 4,491 ✭✭✭✭✭
As usual, I always look forward to the Long Beach Expo as it is basically "in my backyard" and I have many local customers who do their penny shopping at my table, plus I get to sleep in my own bed at night and I don't have to deal with airport travel, delays, connection cancellations, bags going to London, etc.!
Even though I had a good show, bought several nice coins on Wednesday during dealer set up, and was very busy on Thursday, this show was noticeably less attended than other Long Beach shows over the past few years. Many dealers I spoke with said they had a very slow show, especially on Friday. Some of the comments I heard from dealers and attendees were:
(1) this show was not as marketed as well as it could have been, with minimal advertising,
(2) no one liked not having to use a QR code to access the show program, they would rather have a physical program
(3) the very slow internet and poor phone connections throughout the bourse was a HUGE problem (it also didn't help collectors access the QR code that would enable them to find the dealers they were looking for),
(4) the $15 parking fee is a continued issue,
(5) the $10 entrance fee expecially on a sparse Saturday bourse floor, and
(6) the usual complaints about the vacant tables on Saturday.
In spite of the above, this show was much more well organized than the past couple shows, with no major glitches (time delays, missing cases, sign issues, etc.). In spite of the above issues, I think PCGS tries very hard to make this a very successful show. For me, this is a very fun show, with lots of familiar faces, both dealers and customers, and I am always able to find some great new material for my inventory.
Set up went very smoothly and quickly, so I was able to get out and about searching for coins pretty quickly, and found several great coins for my customers and my inventory. These are the certified coins I acquired throughout the show, including two AMAZING and GORGEOUS Proof Indian Cents:
I also bought a couple groups of some much needed raw coins, several of which I will send in to get certified:
I also took a few photos around the bourse during set up day
PCGS was consistently busy throughout the show
Gary Adkins at the PCGS table
PCGS had on display the All Time Finest Gilded Age 1880 Proof Set with Gold
Eeven though there was a guy with a cart of various cocktails and beverages for sale going around the bourse, after I finished setting up and looking for coins, I opened a bottle of my go-to favorite Rombauer Zinfandel.
That night we decided to try a new restaurant, La Traviata which had some very good reviews.
The owner of the restaurant, Mario, cheerfully greeted us as we entered the restaurant, was very friendly and gracious.
My boothmate Rich and I arrived early so had a cocktail at the bar. The bartender was also very friendly.
We ordered Hendricks and tonic but since they were out of Hendricks, the bartender suggested this "135" gin that I hadn't tried before. It was delicious!
Soon the rest of our party arrived.
Ron Guth and his friend Zack
Karl and Joanne Stephens
Me and my boothmate Rich Wogoman
We brought our own bottles of our own wine for dinner - even with sharing some of our wine with the owner, other than the white wine, we weren't able to finish any of the other bottles of wine.
They had several items on the menu that looked delicious
I had the chicken and palento with asparagus which was very yummy
They also had a sausage and pasta dish that was very tastey
Dessert
When I arrived at the show about 9:15am on Thursday, I was very pleased to see there already was a long line of folks waiting to register and get into the show!
The beautiful ladies at PCGS were already for the throngs of folks who would soon be lining up to submit coins!
Early birds were already keeping PCGS busy
The doors opened at 10am and it look quite a while before the line of collectors streaming in slowed down!
Soon the bourse floor was buzzing with activity
Mark and Chris from PCGS Marketing stopped by to ask if I had anything special that they could put on their website. I showed them the stunning colorfully toned1903 PCGS PF66 RB Indian cent I had just purchased (posted above).
It was a very busy Thursday, and I was very pleased with my sales. After things died down in the later afternoon, we hopened one of the bottles of leftover wine from dinner the night before.
That night since we were dining by ourselves, Rich and I went to our favorite easy yet tasty restaurants, PF Changs, which is right across the street from the convention center. We just ate at the bar - I had a delicious MaiTai and my favorite pot stickers, Mongolian beef and pork fried rice - mmmmm!
Friday we arrived back at the convention center a little early since I had some work to do. I needed to prepare and make a list of my new coins and other recent coin purchases that another dealer would be taking to my coin photographer, Todd Pollock, for coin photos since they live in the same city. Plus I had a customer who bought a lot of my raw Indian cents for three sets he was putting together and pretty much cleaned me out of many of my lower grade better dates so I wanted to see if I could find some replacements before the show opened. Once I got that taken care of I walked around the bourse and took several photographs before the public came in.
The US Mint was set up in the back of the room
PSA was set up right next to them
A guy was submitting several signed guitars for PSA authentication, including this beautiful Credence Clearwater Revial signed guitar
Some neat sports memorabilia at one of the sports booths
Coins on display at GreatCollections
David McCarthy and Christopher Bryan (fun-fact: he's a decendant of William Jennings Bryan) and their respective books!
Chris specializes in all the rare old certification holders and showed me this 1921-D "Presentation Piece" 9th Dollar Released from the Denver Mint in a rare old Regency "coffin" holder including the original 1923 B. Max Mehl Auction catalog that featured this exact coin in its auction! It was truly amazing to see this!
Larry Shapiro (LSRC)
Alhambra Coin
Tom Johnson and Just Waddell
The guys from Whatnot Coins (one of the big bourse sponsors)
Vikings Provisions
Bourse floor
Even though I had a few decent sales on Friday, overall it was very slow, one of the slowest Fridays I've had at a Long Beach show. So I was able to catch up on some of my show paperwork that I usually do when I get home.
We went to our usual Friday night dinner place - King's Fish House - just up the road on Pine Street. Before we went in to the restaurant there was a comotion right across the street so we stopped to see what was going on. It was 4 people, including a female, screaming and fighting and punching each other. Wow! We watched until the police showed up, at which time they all ran off in different directions, including one of them who took off like a jack rabbit right in front of us. Even though the parties involved looked like they were probably homeless, it was crazy to witness such street violence first-hand. It did give us some interesting dinner conversation.
A dealer friend for whom I had done a favor brought me a bottle of Paso Robles Austin Hope cab which I hadn't tried before. I heard from several other people that it is a delicious wine. So I took it to King's Fish House where we do our usual Friday night wine tasting (they are one of the few restaurants who don't charge a corkage fee). It was very delicious and was my favorite wine that evening!
I had my usual macademia nut crusted halibut - which was very delicious!
Saturday was the Pirate Treasure Hunt for kids, in which we usually participate - it keeps us very busy, that's for sure.
Here I am all ready for the rush of the mini pirates!
We usually get about 60-70 kids each time, and we pass out old Lincoln cents after the kids make their guess to a given coin question. The kids seem to have a lot of fun, though many of them are pretty young and need a lot of coaching. But I try to take the opportunity to give some background and explanation about the Lincoln cent. However, some of the kids are very savvy and and knowledgable already! Here are a few of the kiddos who stopped by my table.
In between taking care of all the little pirates, I actually had quite a bit of busiess, which even with my boothmate was sometimes hard to manage, but all well worth it! I hope we were able to entice or help at least once little kiddo to continue to develop their interest in coins.
Soon it was time to pack up and head home. Once I arrived home, my hubby was there to greet me and help me unload, but my chubby little Penny did not seem that excited to see me!
Next up: the Buena Park Show this weekend, then the Seattle/Tukwila show Oct 6-9.
Comments
The Penny Lady® 2023 Wine & Dine Tour continues!
Terrific show report, as usual!
USAF (Ret) 1974 - 1994 - The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries. Remembering RickO, a brother in arms.
Love this show report! Hopefully one day i could take them as well as you!!
Will try to take some at Van Nuys on September 24th!
Great stuff Charmy as always .
Once again thank you for the wrap up.
I would drive down to the Long Beach Show every year when I lived in California as it was worth the traffic hassle. But towards 2016 that show began to get smaller in my opinion and I feel it had a lot to do with the expansion of "other" tables taking up floor space and maybe even getting tables before coin dealers could reserve them. Little by little, stamps, cards and junk jewelry took over and as soon as PCGS graded foreign coins another chunk of us coin dealers were missing. Now I guess it is what they have been trying to market it - a "Collectables Show". Thanks for the report Charmy.
WS
Feel like I was there. Thanks for the breakdown of the show
Thanks again for a great show report.
I really liked the pictures of the little pirates.
Glad that you had great success in bringing new coins into your fold.
I look forward to your next report.
I would greatly appreciate if you could put some names to the pictures of the PCGS and GC staff members, just to put a face to those that I talk to on the phone.
Again thanks,
Wayne
Kennedys are my quest...
Thank you for the awesome presentation!
Nice report - it was a pleasure to be in the booth next to you and enjoy your company and music!
Great to finally meet Christopher Bryan in person - had a great time, even if the show was slow.
Thanks for the great show report.
Hi Charmy - thanks for the (typically and always) awesome show report. Every time I went by your booth on Thursday, you were entertaining customers. Near the end of the day, you were entertaining a glass of wine with the bottle and branded cup fully on display. Hope to stop and say hi on my next LB visit (unless you are coming to the Bay Area first).
@Lakesammman - wish I had known you were next to Charmy as it would have been nice to meet you in person.
Tim
Another stellar report, thank you Charmy.
Loved all the pics, especially the kids followed by 'Penny.'
As a Newbie I find it curious the lack of any after ail of the effort and obviously a significant amount of customers of your "Bank Note Features" and principles. There is one very obvious reason the "Bank Note", interest level is so low, and one to solve it.
I will start a new thread tomorrow and perhaps a little inside consumer pressure and a modacome of logic from the powers that be, this venture can achieve some of the achievements.
Sincerely,
manofwar1
Fantastic report. Those potstickers, fried rice and Mongolian Beef look delicious. Thanks for putting this all together.
Successful BST with drddm, BustDMs, Pnies20, lkeigwin, pursuitofliberty, Bullsitter, felinfoel, SPalladino
$5 Type Set https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/u-s-coins/type-sets/half-eagle-type-set-circulation-strikes-1795-1929/album/344192
CBH Set https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/everyman-collections/everyman-half-dollars/everyman-capped-bust-half-dollars-1807-1839/album/345572
Love ihc and the gold (the food looked good to) 👍
Another enjoyable and interesting show report . Miss the airplane pictures. Nice coin displays and set-ups.The food looked delicious.....Thanks
Yup, hungry again. Thank you for the great report Charmy.
No photos of the fist fight?
Great report. I think though you got the caption for Larry Shapiro mixed with Alhambra.
Anyway, I didn't attend as I've been a bit disappointed with the show since Covid. I miss the old days for sure...and the Rock Bottom brewery going out of business didn't help either!
jom
Fun read. Thanks Charmy
WHAT???
US and British coin collector, and creator of The Ultimate Chuck E. Cheese's and Showbiz Pizza Place Token & Ticket Guide
As always and great show report.
Thanks for taking the time to share your experience.
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)
Great report as always!
When I was there in June we ate at 555 East American Steakhouse and L'Opera, both of which were awesome.
Next time I work that show we'll try La Traviata- I'm always down for good Italian food.
Great report, always a fun read!
My YouTube Channel
Saw you at a show 10 years .. you haven't changed
a bit
I was there and felt like I wasn't there.
Light turn out. Many of my regular dealers missing.
My costs to attend these shows are noticeably greater then what I am spending on coins.
Selling pathetic --dealers saying all they wanted to buy was "Big and Shiney". Thats what the younger collectors or dealers want they told me.
Collectors coins where panned even
If raw even scarce rare dates! One once "collector coin dealer" told me all he wanted to buy now was old world crowns or slabs. No ANACS or ICG. I could only sell my collector coins some very scarce nice Ef,AU'S to a fellow collector friend who gobbled them up at my blowout quick sale prices. Same I offered the dealers.
I feel prices like everything else these days have outstripped my ability to purchase them.
Further I saw many Kennedy halves with all the same toning. Obviously AT but being sold as Gems with a toning tax .
Buyer beware!
Great report as usual. Thank you.
it's crackers to slip a rozzer the dropsy in snide
Awesome report! Thank you. Hopefully overall LB business perks up a bit soon. I’ve always loved that show.
Dave
Thanks!!! Love your show posts.
Hey there, Charmy, sorry I missed it. I was in Georgia dropping off my daughter at college, and we are still getting used to the notion of being "Empty Nesters"
Empty Nest Collection
Matt’s Mattes