@justindan said:
Nashville is ranked #8 on the US News cities of hottest housing markets. Lots of people are moving here. The growth since 2010 has been nothing short of remarkable. The city has seen a significant influx of high-net-worth individuals, marking a substantial increase compared to previous years. I'm optimistic for IMEX!
P.S. They also have hot fried chicken.
I moved here in 2010, but I can assure you I’m not in the category of high net-worth people 😂
@justindan said:
Nashville is ranked #8 on the US News cities of hottest housing markets. Lots of people are moving here. The growth since 2010 has been nothing short of remarkable. The city has seen a significant influx of high-net-worth individuals, marking a substantial increase compared to previous years. I'm optimistic for IMEX!
P.S. They also have hot fried chicken.
I moved here in 2010, but I can assure you I’m not in the category of high net-worth people 😂
but I CAN tell you where the best hot chicken is.
High net worth or not, you are definitely the target audience. The question is whether there are enough of you within 100 or so miles of downtown Nashville to make something like this successful. And the answer is that we'll see.
We already know the answer with respect to Long Beach, Baltimore, Rosemont, Orlando, etc. And, if not, people needing to fly in and spend multiple nights need something more than "I can't give you details, but trust me, it will be great" to make the trip. That's all I've been saying.
I know Nashville is great, and has experienced explosive growth over the past decade that has turned it from affordable to not so much. So, congratulations on your move. You must have made a killing on your house! But that's not a reason to make an expensive coin show trip. Especially when you have no idea what you are going to get.
Hot chicken, ribs and the Country Music Hall of Fame is not a reason to commit $1,000+ to a coin show without a published list of who will be in attendance. I also wouldn't fly to Nashville for a concert where the headliner is TBA, no matter how great the hot chicken is.
@P0CKETCHANGE said:
I’m planning to go, but would like to see a dealer list. I emailed the address listed on the website this morning and asked for one. I’ll share it if I hear back.
I received an email from the show organizer this morning, in response to my question “Is there a dealer list available?” The reply:
Not likely our first year
All the majors attending and all 5 grading services.
250 tables so far with 2 to 3 each day last week
I don't understand what "first year" has to do with putting out a list. 250 tables so far, and "all the majors attending," along with "all 5 grading services," so why the secrecy? How long would it take to throw that list on the website?
I wish them luck, and look forward to reports. Seems to me like if they had anything worth publicizing, they'd publicize it to draw in last minute fence sitters, as well as to just provide the normal level of transparency, rather than saying "not likely our first year."
May have been a lot of people coming and going from the list. It is odd, though.
What would be worth publicizing? An exhibit? Graders will be there. That seems good enough for me for the first year. I plan on dropping a few off.
What would be worth publicizing? Free admission, if it was offered. Just which "majors" are attending. And, anything else people might find attractive.
I'm glad you're planning on attending. Just how far will you will traveling to drop off a few coins for grading?
It’s not free. It’s $10. PCGS and CAC will be there. Legend will be there. It’s literally all on the website.
You have a whole world at your fingertips.
Edit: I also see Margaritaville hotel across the street from the convention center is $300 a night for Friday/Saturday. That’s about half price from normal weekend prices especially with concerts/titans playing, etc.
Yeah, I didn't mean to say it was free. It meant that if it was free, that would be worth publicizing. FWIW, I don't even see the $10 on the website. Wherever it is, or isn't, another example of lack of transparency.
Sounds great. $300 per night to attend a coin show, blind, without knowing just who is going to be there. Other than Legend, PCGS and Steve Forbes.
Say no more. By the way, you didn't say how far you'll be traveling to attend. From your familiarity with the area, you sound local, so what works for you just won't work for the rest of us. People with an actual interest in experiencing the magic of Nashville weren't sitting around waiting for Col. Ellsworth to give them an excuse to turn their dreams a reality.
Of course, it's a no-brainer to check out if you're an hour or two away by car. Otherwise, not so much. Especially given how cagey they are being regarding who is going to attend, other than Legend, PCGS and Steve Forbes.
Most of us have a post office a few minutes away from wherever in the country we happen to be, plus known quantity major coin shows in a variety of locations, from coast to coast, every few months. So, no reason to fly to Nashville at the end of October to say "Hi" to Legend or drop off a coin at PCGS.
If their audience is limited to coin collectors within 100 or so miles of Nashville, this is going to be a very short lived experiment. Otherwise, they need to do more to attract people. Saying "we're too new to be transparent" is not a promising start. And, without a promising start, they risk descending into a death spiral before they even have a chance to get going.
You say “us” but 2/3 hotel blocks are sold out. People are going. There will be coins for sale. Auction houses and TPG will be there. It will be just like any other coin show 🤷🏼♂️
And I’m about 20 minutes from the convention center 😜
Sounds great. 2/3 of what number? And, how many are non-dealers? All I'm hearing is that it's 1/3 available a few weeks out. And, you're not in any of those rooms, as I suspected. As I said before, I'd be all over this if I was 20 minutes away. Hell, even if I was 2 hours away.
But, I'm not, and that's the point. There are far more people within driving distance of "any other coin show" than this one, which is why Nashville does not have a rich history of hosting national or super regional coin shows, and why the sponsors should probably be doing more than building it and expecting they will come. Like publishing a dealer list at least 3 weeks out.
Dealers going to a convention to make deals is great, but has nothing to do with the rest of us flying into Nashville and spending $300+ per night to check it out. You'll let us know just how much it turns out to be like winter FUN or the WFOM, as compared to a PCGS Invitational, when you write your report.
Again, you keep saying us. Is no one else in the world going? There is nothing to suggest that your opinion is the correct one. The block of rooms that I rented from at the ANA was available up until a month before the show. You don’t want to spend the money, that’s fine. I know many people that are coming and people that COULD drive home instead of getting a hotel but are opting to get the hotel anyways
Yes it’s expensive. Like I said, hotel prices are inflated due to several pro teams and major names in concerts… and it’s the weekend. Nashville is fun and there is a lot to do outside of the show.
Thank you for deciding not to come.
You're welcome. I'm sure people will go.
I'm just not sure enough regular collectors will go to make it a success. But, maybe they are not the target audience. No exhibits. No lectures. No freaking dealer list. An admission fee. An expensive city. And not within driving distance of a critical mass of collectors. We'll see.
Yes, Nashville is great. Expensive, and lots to do. What's that got to do with a coin show, if I'm going to a coin show? If that's the standard, all coin shows should be in NYC.
I live near NYC and Nashville is way more fun than NYC which is why I'm going to the Nashville show!
@justindan said:
Nashville is ranked #8 on the US News cities of hottest housing markets. Lots of people are moving here. The growth since 2010 has been nothing short of remarkable. The city has seen a significant influx of high-net-worth individuals, marking a substantial increase compared to previous years. I'm optimistic for IMEX!
P.S. They also have hot fried chicken.
I moved here in 2010, but I can assure you I’m not in the category of high net-worth people 😂
but I CAN tell you where the best hot chicken is.
High net worth or not, you are definitely the target audience. The question is whether there are enough of you within 100 or so miles of downtown Nashville to make something like this successful. And the answer is that we'll see.
We already know the answer with respect to Long Beach, Baltimore, Rosemont, Orlando, etc. And, if not, people needing to fly in and spend multiple nights need something more than "I can't give you details, but trust me, it will be great" to make the trip. That's all I've been saying.
I know Nashville is great, and has experienced explosive growth over the past decade that has turned it from affordable to not so much. So, congratulations on your move. You must have made a killing on your house! But that's not a reason to make an expensive coin show trip. Especially when you have no idea what you are going to get.
Hot chicken, ribs and the Country Music Hall of Fame is not a reason to commit $1,000+ to a coin show without a published list of who will be in attendance. I also wouldn't fly to Nashville for a concert where the headliner is TBA, no matter how great the hot chicken is.
@P0CKETCHANGE said:
I’m planning to go, but would like to see a dealer list. I emailed the address listed on the website this morning and asked for one. I’ll share it if I hear back.
I received an email from the show organizer this morning, in response to my question “Is there a dealer list available?” The reply:
Not likely our first year
All the majors attending and all 5 grading services.
250 tables so far with 2 to 3 each day last week
I don't understand what "first year" has to do with putting out a list. 250 tables so far, and "all the majors attending," along with "all 5 grading services," so why the secrecy? How long would it take to throw that list on the website?
I wish them luck, and look forward to reports. Seems to me like if they had anything worth publicizing, they'd publicize it to draw in last minute fence sitters, as well as to just provide the normal level of transparency, rather than saying "not likely our first year."
May have been a lot of people coming and going from the list. It is odd, though.
What would be worth publicizing? An exhibit? Graders will be there. That seems good enough for me for the first year. I plan on dropping a few off.
What would be worth publicizing? Free admission, if it was offered. Just which "majors" are attending. And, anything else people might find attractive.
I'm glad you're planning on attending. Just how far will you will traveling to drop off a few coins for grading?
It’s not free. It’s $10. PCGS and CAC will be there. Legend will be there. It’s literally all on the website.
You have a whole world at your fingertips.
Edit: I also see Margaritaville hotel across the street from the convention center is $300 a night for Friday/Saturday. That’s about half price from normal weekend prices especially with concerts/titans playing, etc.
Yeah, I didn't mean to say it was free. It meant that if it was free, that would be worth publicizing. FWIW, I don't even see the $10 on the website. Wherever it is, or isn't, another example of lack of transparency.
Sounds great. $300 per night to attend a coin show, blind, without knowing just who is going to be there. Other than Legend, PCGS and Steve Forbes.
Say no more. By the way, you didn't say how far you'll be traveling to attend. From your familiarity with the area, you sound local, so what works for you just won't work for the rest of us. People with an actual interest in experiencing the magic of Nashville weren't sitting around waiting for Col. Ellsworth to give them an excuse to turn their dreams a reality.
Of course, it's a no-brainer to check out if you're an hour or two away by car. Otherwise, not so much. Especially given how cagey they are being regarding who is going to attend, other than Legend, PCGS and Steve Forbes.
Most of us have a post office a few minutes away from wherever in the country we happen to be, plus known quantity major coin shows in a variety of locations, from coast to coast, every few months. So, no reason to fly to Nashville at the end of October to say "Hi" to Legend or drop off a coin at PCGS.
If their audience is limited to coin collectors within 100 or so miles of Nashville, this is going to be a very short lived experiment. Otherwise, they need to do more to attract people. Saying "we're too new to be transparent" is not a promising start. And, without a promising start, they risk descending into a death spiral before they even have a chance to get going.
You say “us” but 2/3 hotel blocks are sold out. People are going. There will be coins for sale. Auction houses and TPG will be there. It will be just like any other coin show 🤷🏼♂️
And I’m about 20 minutes from the convention center 😜
Sounds great. 2/3 of what number? And, how many are non-dealers? All I'm hearing is that it's 1/3 available a few weeks out. And, you're not in any of those rooms, as I suspected. As I said before, I'd be all over this if I was 20 minutes away. Hell, even if I was 2 hours away.
But, I'm not, and that's the point. There are far more people within driving distance of "any other coin show" than this one, which is why Nashville does not have a rich history of hosting national or super regional coin shows, and why the sponsors should probably be doing more than building it and expecting they will come. Like publishing a dealer list at least 3 weeks out.
Dealers going to a convention to make deals is great, but has nothing to do with the rest of us flying into Nashville and spending $300+ per night to check it out. You'll let us know just how much it turns out to be like winter FUN or the WFOM, as compared to a PCGS Invitational, when you write your report.
Again, you keep saying us. Is no one else in the world going? There is nothing to suggest that your opinion is the correct one. The block of rooms that I rented from at the ANA was available up until a month before the show. You don’t want to spend the money, that’s fine. I know many people that are coming and people that COULD drive home instead of getting a hotel but are opting to get the hotel anyways
Yes it’s expensive. Like I said, hotel prices are inflated due to several pro teams and major names in concerts… and it’s the weekend. Nashville is fun and there is a lot to do outside of the show.
Thank you for deciding not to come.
You're welcome. I'm sure people will go.
I'm just not sure enough regular collectors will go to make it a success. But, maybe they are not the target audience. No exhibits. No lectures. No freaking dealer list. An admission fee. An expensive city. And not within driving distance of a critical mass of collectors. We'll see.
Yes, Nashville is great. Expensive, and lots to do. What's that got to do with a coin show, if I'm going to a coin show? If that's the standard, all coin shows should be in NYC.
I live near NYC and Nashville is way more fun than NYC which is why I'm going to the Nashville show!
The grass is always greener. No shade on Nashville but, objectively speaking, NYC has more of whatever it is that Nashville has now that it didn't have 20 years ago, aside regional food and country music.
NYC is an international center of just about everything. Nashville is a hot city in the south that is now attracting amenities like professional sports teams and commerce.
But, I never meant to poop on Nashville. I'm just saying it's a new show in an expensive city, and they are not providing any real transparency with respect to what they are offering for $10 per day and $309+ per night. Doesn't matter to you because any excuse to visit Nashville is all you need? Great!
I hope for the promoters' sake that there are enough people like you and @Pnies20 to make it a success. The rest of us have beautiful Baltimore, with its crime and crab cakes, to look forward to two weeks later. But, at least admission will be free, the US Mint will be there issuing the highly anticipated RP Morgan and Peace Dollars, Stack's Bowers will be conducting the auction, not Legend, and 16.5 million people live within 100 miles of the convention center. We all know exactly what we will be getting there. Can't say the same for Nashville, hot chicken and country music aside.
@Pnies20 said:
but I CAN tell you where the best hot chicken is.
Well? Let’s hear it then
-Hattie B’s - we go there twice a month at work for lunch
-Reds615
-Edleys (bbq spot with good hot chicken)
-Pepperfire
-peg leg porker (another bbq joint but it’s good/no hot chicken)
-Princes - most famous
@P0CKETCHANGE said:
I’m planning to go, but would like to see a dealer list. I emailed the address listed on the website this morning and asked for one. I’ll share it if I hear back.
I received an email from the show organizer this morning, in response to my question “Is there a dealer list available?” The reply:
Not likely our first year
All the majors attending and all 5 grading services.
250 tables so far with 2 to 3 each day last week
I don't understand what "first year" has to do with putting out a list. 250 tables so far, and "all the majors attending," along with "all 5 grading services," so why the secrecy? How long would it take to throw that list on the website?
It’s the under promise, over deliver premise. I’d be skeptical if this first year show was bragging about certain things. But they have a lot of factors working against them: $10 entry fee, another major international show and the South Carolina show happening the same time, expensive hotels.
Personally I am afraid this show is going to be 80%+ foreign, and the huge amount of foreign at the ANA irked me where it overwhelmed over half the bourse.
World coins have so much to offer and people are waking up to that.
I get the feeling that coin dealers are struggling to buy decent fresh US coins at prices where they can easily profit, so they are turning to foreign to try and keep the lights on. Also, I think collectors are being forced to view this barrage of foreign material, and we’ve got no choice any longer. It’s a shame
$10.00 admission fee!
All the shows I've been to are free parking/ free admission.
The largest is about 130-150 tables.
I never attended a major show,
Is that normal?
What does FUN or an ANA Show cost to get in?
Parts of this thread are the equivalent of people filling up a complaint/suggestion box outside of a new store that hasn't even finished up the construction phase!
I would have loved to go to this show, but work made it impossible. I do plan vacations around coin shows; even as a long-time collector there is far more to life than just coins. And WTF is this? "Also, I think collectors are being forced to view this barrage of foreign material, and we’ve got no choice any longer. It’s a shame." Who is being forced? It's not hard to skip a table or three if you're not interested. The "no choice" is laughable as well, really? And what is shameful here? I primarily collect US, but do like to look at what else is out there. There is more to the world than just US coins. What is the real shame is that attitude in general. Yikes.
Thanks for the restaurant suggestions!
Looking forward to this show which is about 2.5 hours away, I hope it's a success.
Very unfortunate that it was scheduled the same weekend as the long-running annual South Carolina State show.
Would love to hear more details from Steve or Gary, for example dealer list, parking options, etc.
@P0CKETCHANGE said:
I’m planning to go, but would like to see a dealer list. I emailed the address listed on the website this morning and asked for one. I’ll share it if I hear back.
I received an email from the show organizer this morning, in response to my question “Is there a dealer list available?” The reply:
Not likely our first year
All the majors attending and all 5 grading services.
250 tables so far with 2 to 3 each day last week
I don't understand what "first year" has to do with putting out a list. 250 tables so far, and "all the majors attending," along with "all 5 grading services," so why the secrecy? How long would it take to throw that list on the website?
It’s the under promise, over deliver premise. I’d be skeptical if this first year show was bragging about certain things. But they have a lot of factors working against them: $10 entry fee, another major international show and the South Carolina show happening the same time, expensive hotels.
Personally I am afraid this show is going to be 80%+ foreign, and the huge amount of foreign at the ANA irked me where it overwhelmed over half the bourse.
I’m confident that the show will be predominantly US dealers. First, because the Latin American crowd will be in Scottsdale for the USMEX show. And second, because it’s not an easy trip to make for overseas dealers. Yes, many of them made the trip to Pittsburgh, which is also difficult, but ANA is an essential show. Nashville will be seen as optional, at best.
Andy Lustig
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
@Dug13 said:
$10.00 admission fee!
All the shows I've been to are free parking/ free admission.
The largest is about 130-150 tables.
I never attended a major show,
Is that normal?
What does FUN or an ANA Show cost to get in?
There is no "normal." Major shows are in major venues, where parking is never free, since these are not suburban American Legion Halls or Holiday Inns.
As far as admission goes, yeah, these guys have some nerve charging $10 for a brand new show with no track record and no dealer list. Whitman and FUN are free. Long Beach charges, but it's free for PCGS members. ANA charges, but, again, it's free for ANA members.
These guys are for-profit and not attached to an organization, so the closest comparison is really Whitman, and they don't charge. Probably because they make enough from table fees, and believe that free admission drives traffic which supports higher table fees. And, because they use it as a vehicle to build their brand to support their related book and accessory business.
These guys probably don't have enough in table fees, so need the $10 to help cover their nut, which is likely substantial at the lovely Music City Convention Center.
As to why they did not choose to eat it to build their enterprise, you'll have to ask them. Apparently, they are not interested in absorbing losses while trying to build momentum, so, instead, they are going to lose all the people used to paying nothing who are turned off by an admission fee for a coin show with a mystery dealer list and really nothing else to offer, other than the ability to get PCGS onsite grading and to view whatever Legend will be auctioning off in NJ at a later date.
OTOH, $10 barely buys lunch nowadays, and I'm sure won't buy much more than a donut and coffee at the convention center, so I'm not sure that should be a deal breaker for anyone interested in checking it out. But, on yet the third hand, I seriously doubt they are going to get enough people paying that $10 to make a serious contribution to their revenue, in addition to their table and sponsorship fees. If the $10 does end up being a significant percentage of revenue, they are going to lose a ton of money on this.
@P0CKETCHANGE said:
Should I pay the admission in loose Zincolns out of spite?
Nah. I think they are going to have enough issues without having to deal with that. Give them credit for trying.
If it was me, though, I'd have guesstimated what the $10 would generate, and added it into the table fees, since customers don't usually have to pay admission to enter a marketplace, other than Costco. And, at the end of the day, that's what this is, a marketplace. And not a discount one at that. Not an annual convention.
There will probably be a fair amount of curiosity seekers willing to lay down the 10 spot. Maybe even a few tire kickers,referring to the other thread on TKers.
Successful transactions:Tookybandit. "Everyone is equal, some are more equal than others".
@ElmerFusterpuck said:
Parts of this thread are the equivalent of people filling up a complaint/suggestion box outside of a new store that hasn't even finished up the construction phase!
I would have loved to go to this show, but work made it impossible. I do plan vacations around coin shows; even as a long-time collector there is far more to life than just coins. And WTF is this? "Also, I think collectors are being forced to view this barrage of foreign material, and we’ve got no choice any longer. It’s a shame." Who is being forced? It's not hard to skip a table or three if you're not interested. The "no choice" is laughable as well, really? And what is shameful here? I primarily collect US, but do like to look at what else is out there. There is more to the world than just US coins. What is the real shame is that attitude in general. Yikes.
I understand this is an “international” money show, and that is the primary reason I’m not attending, because I’m only interested in U.S. coins. This has gotten past the point of just skipping by 1 table at shows. This is literally skipping entire aisles because it’s nothing but foreign and ancients. Seemed like the foreign section used to be a small block of dealers in the back corner of the bourse. It’s starting to flip flop now where the foreign is exceeding the U.S. material.
I go to a coin show to buy, not tire kick, and if us coins are not there, it’s not worth my flight/time/hotel/car/food money to just get out of the house for a few days.
I can see the $10.00 admission fee being a deterrent to attending the show, since so many us have been attending free shows for years.
It would have been better if they would have advertised "$10.00 admission -- good towards your first purchase over $50.00"
Or anything along those lines.
If am paying to walk around look at coins, it would make me somewhat motivated to at least make a small purchase.
HI. After reading all of your posts, we reached out to Steve Ellsworth to mention the issues you are raising. Some things cannot be changed at this late date, but he said he could provide a dealer list. He was hesitant to do so because it keeps changing, but we told him it would be very helpful. So, here is his email with the list...
From Steve Ellsworth, 10/11/23 at 6:52am:
Attached is the most current IMEX Dealer table list.
It is changing with new dealers and tables be added at about 2-3 each day. A newer bourse map should be posted on the website within a few days. A few table numbers also as we make adjustments. Contact me if you have any questions: ellsworth@IMEX.show
@AngelDeesCoins said:
HI. After reading all of your posts, we reached out to Steve Ellsworth to mention the issues you are raising. Some things cannot be changed at this late date, but he said he could provide a dealer list. He was hesitant to do so because it keeps changing, but we told him it would be very helpful. So, here is his email with the list...
From Steve Ellsworth, 10/11/23 at 6:52am:
Attached is the most current IMEX Dealer table list.
It is changing with new dealers and tables be added at about 2-3 each day. A newer bourse map should be posted on the website within a few days. A few table numbers also as we make adjustments. Contact me if you have any questions: ellsworth@IMEX.show
@ElmerFusterpuck said:
Parts of this thread are the equivalent of people filling up a complaint/suggestion box outside of a new store that hasn't even finished up the construction phase!
I would have loved to go to this show, but work made it impossible. I do plan vacations around coin shows; even as a long-time collector there is far more to life than just coins. And WTF is this? "Also, I think collectors are being forced to view this barrage of foreign material, and we’ve got no choice any longer. It’s a shame." Who is being forced? It's not hard to skip a table or three if you're not interested. The "no choice" is laughable as well, really? And what is shameful here? I primarily collect US, but do like to look at what else is out there. There is more to the world than just US coins. What is the real shame is that attitude in general. Yikes.
I understand this is an “international” money show, and that is the primary reason I’m not attending, because I’m only interested in U.S. coins. This has gotten past the point of just skipping by 1 table at shows. This is literally skipping entire aisles because it’s nothing but foreign and ancients. Seemed like the foreign section used to be a small block of dealers in the back corner of the bourse. It’s starting to flip flop now where the foreign is exceeding the U.S. material.
I go to a coin show to buy, not tire kick, and if us coins are not there, it’s not worth my flight/time/hotel/car/food money to just get out of the house for a few days.
Based on the dealer list, it looks like the show will be at least 90% US material.
Andy Lustig
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
I’ve decided to give this one a try. Admission fee be damned, $10 is trivial when I’m spending at least $1000 on flights and boarding. I understand that not everyone is in a position to do so, but hobbies tend to cost money and I find the coin show experience to be very enjoyable. If I’m disappointed with the show, I just won’t go back next year.
@DeplorableDan said:
I’ve decided to give this one a try. Admission fee be damned, $10 is trivial when I’m spending at least $1000 on flights and boarding. I understand that not everyone is in a position to do so, but hobbies tend to cost money and I find the coin show experience to be very enjoyable. If I’m disappointed with the show, I just won’t go back next year.
$1000? Seriously? Fly round trip same day (10/27) out of Orlando to Nashville on spirit for $26.89 each way.
$10 for admission is not to bad for Bay Area San Francisco area standards . Here shows charges about $5 or so for 40’ dealer shows and one even charges $1 with a coupon for a 4 dealer show. Guess it would have been a better value if admission was good for **ALL ** days instead of one.
That something I wish the ANA would implant for their show just pay admission once and might increase overall attendance and revenue.
@DeplorableDan said:
I’ve decided to give this one a try. Admission fee be damned, $10 is trivial when I’m spending at least $1000 on flights and boarding. I understand that not everyone is in a position to do so, but hobbies tend to cost money and I find the coin show experience to be very enjoyable. If I’m disappointed with the show, I just won’t go back next year.
$1000? Seriously? Fly round trip same day (10/27) out of Orlando to Nashville on spirit for $26.89 each way.
I think the hotels are the vast majority of that expense.
@DeplorableDan said:
I’ve decided to give this one a try. Admission fee be damned, $10 is trivial when I’m spending at least $1000 on flights and boarding. I understand that not everyone is in a position to do so, but hobbies tend to cost money and I find the coin show experience to be very enjoyable. If I’m disappointed with the show, I just won’t go back next year.
$1000? Seriously? Fly round trip same day (10/27) out of Orlando to Nashville on spirit for $26.89 each way.
Yea, I’m not taking the economic route for this one. I’m gonna make a nice trip with comfortable flights without a layover and I’m gonna stay from Thursday to Saturday. Probably explore downtown Nashville at night and see what it’s all about. Unlike most other shows I’ve been to, the location is actually desirable for once.
Not impressed with their IT security ... the directory they are using is world-read... it lets you figure out the changes in the dealer list over time. Just offering that up...
E.g. their links are https://imex.show/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMEX-Schedule-9-14-23.pdf
but the /09/ and now /10/ directories can be viewed to see all the files.
-----Burton ANA 50 year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
Does NGC even do shows anymore?
Where are they? What shows do they do anymore?
Again more shows east of the Mississippi river.
No major shows west of the rockies. Except for the Long Beach show. Which is no where what it once was
When is the ANA coming to the west / west coast again??
Bringing my hubby to this show since neither one of us have been to Nashville - and it will be his FIRST coin show ever! I know Steve and Gary have been working really hard to fine tune the details to make this a great new show. Really looking forward to seeing Nashville, hearing some great music, having some tasty Nashville food, and of course trying some of that Tennessee whisky I've heard so much about! I'll be doing a show report so come see me at Table 705 if you'd like to be part of my report!
I was consider creating a real show in Houston. Why is admission such a big deal? This is a multi billion dollar industry.
Shouldn’t admission be acceptable at this point? I’ve gone to a lot of shows in the past year and admission fees never crossed my mind. I’m going to have fun for a lot of hours for days on end that never feel long enough and I want to be there…. While creating great business and personal relationships.
@Dug13 said:
$10.00 admission fee!
All the shows I've been to are free parking/ free admission.
The largest is about 130-150 tables.
I never attended a major show,
Is that normal?
What does FUN or an ANA Show cost to get in?
Maybe it’s me. Maybe it’s because I live in Southern California and everything is expensive but seriously I don’t understand the griping over a $10 admission fee. People are spending hundreds if not thousands of dollars on coins and yet they’re complaining about ten dollars.
I'll be set up there, table #411, Sullivan Numismatics. Will have at least several cases of mint error coins.
Middle Tennessee had long lacked a major coin show, and with the change in sales taxes for numismatics, and also with the growth in population in the area, this could turn into a great show annually.
@Dug13 said:
$10.00 admission fee!
All the shows I've been to are free parking/ free admission.
The largest is about 130-150 tables.
I never attended a major show,
Is that normal?
What does FUN or an ANA Show cost to get in?
Maybe it’s me. Maybe it’s because I live in Southern California and everything is expensive but seriously I don’t understand the griping over a $10 admission fee. People are spending hundreds if not thousands of dollars on coins and yet they’re complaining about ten dollars.
Probably because it seems petty. Dealers spend a small fortune to be there.
Whatever incremental revenue the promoters make by charging the fee really should be built in to the dealer fees, because you want to incentivize ALL traffic to come in and look around, not just die hard collectors jonesing for a show who will happily pony up. As they are at FUN, Whitman, ANA for members, PCGS for members, and just about every other local and regional show in the country.
After all, other than warehouse clubs, people are just not conditioned to pay an admission fee to enter a bourse. That's why.
It's probably less the $10 than the principle that their pockets are being picked because they are not receiving anything of value for the $10, other than the opportunity to patronize one of the dealers who already paid to be able to sell to them. And, if the reality is that dealers are only there to do business with other dealers, and they don't care about the public, then make it a dealers-only show.
Because, I'll tell you, I go to more than my share of shows, and don't pay admission fees. That said, I think it's a disgrace when the bourse is half empty any time before the last minute of the last day of the show, although I get why dealers want to do what they came there to do, and then clear out at a day and time convenient to them.
I'm annoyed when the show is free and I made a trip only to find that. I'd be outraged if I paid an admission fee, and I'd demand a refund. Since promoters cannot actually chain dealers to their tables for the duration of a show, building a revenue model that does not involve an admission fee from the general public is a reasonable solution. As evidenced by the fact that most major shows do just that.
If a show needs $10 to survive, it's probably not going to make it. And, if it doesn't, the $10 should probably be left in the pocket of the collector, rather than transferred to the pocket of the promoter. JMHO.
Comments
I moved here in 2010, but I can assure you I’m not in the category of high net-worth people 😂
but I CAN tell you where the best hot chicken is.
BHNC #248 … 121 and counting.
High net worth or not, you are definitely the target audience. The question is whether there are enough of you within 100 or so miles of downtown Nashville to make something like this successful. And the answer is that we'll see.
We already know the answer with respect to Long Beach, Baltimore, Rosemont, Orlando, etc. And, if not, people needing to fly in and spend multiple nights need something more than "I can't give you details, but trust me, it will be great" to make the trip. That's all I've been saying.
I know Nashville is great, and has experienced explosive growth over the past decade that has turned it from affordable to not so much. So, congratulations on your move. You must have made a killing on your house! But that's not a reason to make an expensive coin show trip. Especially when you have no idea what you are going to get.
Hot chicken, ribs and the Country Music Hall of Fame is not a reason to commit $1,000+ to a coin show without a published list of who will be in attendance. I also wouldn't fly to Nashville for a concert where the headliner is TBA, no matter how great the hot chicken is.
I live near NYC and Nashville is way more fun than NYC which is why I'm going to the Nashville show!
Well? Let’s hear it then
Nothing is as expensive as free money.
BHNC #248 … 121 and counting.
The grass is always greener. No shade on Nashville but, objectively speaking, NYC has more of whatever it is that Nashville has now that it didn't have 20 years ago, aside regional food and country music.
NYC is an international center of just about everything. Nashville is a hot city in the south that is now attracting amenities like professional sports teams and commerce.
But, I never meant to poop on Nashville. I'm just saying it's a new show in an expensive city, and they are not providing any real transparency with respect to what they are offering for $10 per day and $309+ per night. Doesn't matter to you because any excuse to visit Nashville is all you need? Great!
I hope for the promoters' sake that there are enough people like you and @Pnies20 to make it a success. The rest of us have beautiful Baltimore, with its crime and crab cakes, to look forward to two weeks later. But, at least admission will be free, the US Mint will be there issuing the highly anticipated RP Morgan and Peace Dollars, Stack's Bowers will be conducting the auction, not Legend, and 16.5 million people live within 100 miles of the convention center. We all know exactly what we will be getting there. Can't say the same for Nashville, hot chicken and country music aside.
-Hattie B’s - we go there twice a month at work for lunch
-Reds615
-Edleys (bbq spot with good hot chicken)
-Pepperfire
-peg leg porker (another bbq joint but it’s good/no hot chicken)
-Princes - most famous
BHNC #248 … 121 and counting.
I get the feeling that coin dealers are struggling to buy decent fresh US coins at prices where they can easily profit, so they are turning to foreign to try and keep the lights on. Also, I think collectors are being forced to view this barrage of foreign material, and we’ve got no choice any longer. It’s a shame
So BBQ sauce is going to replace the usual mustard stained shirt? I hope people wash their hands before touching the slabs and raw coins
Successful BST with BustDMs , Pnies20, lkeigwin, pursuitofliberty, Bullsitter, felinfoel, SPalladino (CBH's - 35 Die Marriage's)
$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
$10.00 admission fee!
All the shows I've been to are free parking/ free admission.
The largest is about 130-150 tables.
I never attended a major show,
Is that normal?
What does FUN or an ANA Show cost to get in?
Wall of HONOR transaction list:WonderCoin, CoinFlip, Masscrew, Travintiques, lordmarcovan, Jinx86, Gerard, ElKevvo
What does FUN or an ANA Show cost to get in?
FUN is free admission. ANA is free if you're an ANA member (or you go just on Saturday).
Member ANA, SPMC, SCNA, FUN, CONECA
Parts of this thread are the equivalent of people filling up a complaint/suggestion box outside of a new store that hasn't even finished up the construction phase!
I would have loved to go to this show, but work made it impossible. I do plan vacations around coin shows; even as a long-time collector there is far more to life than just coins. And WTF is this? "Also, I think collectors are being forced to view this barrage of foreign material, and we’ve got no choice any longer. It’s a shame." Who is being forced? It's not hard to skip a table or three if you're not interested. The "no choice" is laughable as well, really? And what is shameful here? I primarily collect US, but do like to look at what else is out there. There is more to the world than just US coins. What is the real shame is that attitude in general. Yikes.
10-4,
My Instagram picturesErik
My registry sets
Thanks for the restaurant suggestions!
Looking forward to this show which is about 2.5 hours away, I hope it's a success.
Very unfortunate that it was scheduled the same weekend as the long-running annual South Carolina State show.
Would love to hear more details from Steve or Gary, for example dealer list, parking options, etc.
I’m confident that the show will be predominantly US dealers. First, because the Latin American crowd will be in Scottsdale for the USMEX show. And second, because it’s not an easy trip to make for overseas dealers. Yes, many of them made the trip to Pittsburgh, which is also difficult, but ANA is an essential show. Nashville will be seen as optional, at best.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
There is no "normal." Major shows are in major venues, where parking is never free, since these are not suburban American Legion Halls or Holiday Inns.
As far as admission goes, yeah, these guys have some nerve charging $10 for a brand new show with no track record and no dealer list. Whitman and FUN are free. Long Beach charges, but it's free for PCGS members. ANA charges, but, again, it's free for ANA members.
These guys are for-profit and not attached to an organization, so the closest comparison is really Whitman, and they don't charge. Probably because they make enough from table fees, and believe that free admission drives traffic which supports higher table fees. And, because they use it as a vehicle to build their brand to support their related book and accessory business.
These guys probably don't have enough in table fees, so need the $10 to help cover their nut, which is likely substantial at the lovely Music City Convention Center.
As to why they did not choose to eat it to build their enterprise, you'll have to ask them. Apparently, they are not interested in absorbing losses while trying to build momentum, so, instead, they are going to lose all the people used to paying nothing who are turned off by an admission fee for a coin show with a mystery dealer list and really nothing else to offer, other than the ability to get PCGS onsite grading and to view whatever Legend will be auctioning off in NJ at a later date.
OTOH, $10 barely buys lunch nowadays, and I'm sure won't buy much more than a donut and coffee at the convention center, so I'm not sure that should be a deal breaker for anyone interested in checking it out. But, on yet the third hand, I seriously doubt they are going to get enough people paying that $10 to make a serious contribution to their revenue, in addition to their table and sponsorship fees. If the $10 does end up being a significant percentage of revenue, they are going to lose a ton of money on this.
Should I pay the admission in loose Zincolns out of spite?
Nothing is as expensive as free money.
Nah. I think they are going to have enough issues without having to deal with that. Give them credit for trying.
If it was me, though, I'd have guesstimated what the $10 would generate, and added it into the table fees, since customers don't usually have to pay admission to enter a marketplace, other than Costco. And, at the end of the day, that's what this is, a marketplace. And not a discount one at that. Not an annual convention.
They apparently think Steve Forbes is a draw. Somebody has to pay his speaking fee.
There will probably be a fair amount of curiosity seekers willing to lay down the 10 spot. Maybe even a few tire kickers,referring to the other thread on TKers.
I understand this is an “international” money show, and that is the primary reason I’m not attending, because I’m only interested in U.S. coins. This has gotten past the point of just skipping by 1 table at shows. This is literally skipping entire aisles because it’s nothing but foreign and ancients. Seemed like the foreign section used to be a small block of dealers in the back corner of the bourse. It’s starting to flip flop now where the foreign is exceeding the U.S. material.
I go to a coin show to buy, not tire kick, and if us coins are not there, it’s not worth my flight/time/hotel/car/food money to just get out of the house for a few days.
I can see the $10.00 admission fee being a deterrent to attending the show, since so many us have been attending free shows for years.
It would have been better if they would have advertised "$10.00 admission -- good towards your first purchase over $50.00"
Or anything along those lines.
If am paying to walk around look at coins, it would make me somewhat motivated to at least make a small purchase.
Wall of HONOR transaction list:WonderCoin, CoinFlip, Masscrew, Travintiques, lordmarcovan, Jinx86, Gerard, ElKevvo
If it will Help anyone enjoy themselves and not gripe and complain, I’ll gladly give them $10 for admission.
😂
BHNC #248 … 121 and counting.
You might need to put a limit on that offer as you might have a long line of people coming after you.
HI. After reading all of your posts, we reached out to Steve Ellsworth to mention the issues you are raising. Some things cannot be changed at this late date, but he said he could provide a dealer list. He was hesitant to do so because it keeps changing, but we told him it would be very helpful. So, here is his email with the list...
From Steve Ellsworth, 10/11/23 at 6:52am:
Attached is the most current IMEX Dealer table list.
It is changing with new dealers and tables be added at about 2-3 each day. A newer bourse map should be posted on the website within a few days. A few table numbers also as we make adjustments. Contact me if you have any questions:
ellsworth@IMEX.show
Angel Dee's Coins and Collectibles®
P.O. Box 5234
Woodbridge, VA 22194
Phone/Fax: 703-580-6969, daily 10am-10pm EST
E-mail: buycoins@angeldees.com
Website: www.angeldees.com
An updated list has been posted on the IMEX.show website:
Dealer Company Name Table Listing
Dealer Name Table Listing
Angel Dee's Coins and Collectibles®
P.O. Box 5234
Woodbridge, VA 22194
Phone/Fax: 703-580-6969, daily 10am-10pm EST
E-mail: buycoins@angeldees.com
Website: www.angeldees.com
Based on the dealer list, it looks like the show will be at least 90% US material.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
Thanks for posting that @AngelDeesCoins
A list of great dealers. That should make the 9 hour drive worth it. Looking forward to attending the show.
Successful BST with BustDMs , Pnies20, lkeigwin, pursuitofliberty, Bullsitter, felinfoel, SPalladino (CBH's - 35 Die Marriage's)
$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
Why do people complain about EVERY show?
Be grateful for the choices.
If dealers make money they will return.
BST: KindaNewish (3/21/21), WQuarterFreddie (3/30/21), Meltdown (4/6/21), DBSTrader2 (5/5/21) AKA- unclemonkey on Blow Out
If someone cannot afford Nashville, they definitely cannot afford NYC. Nashville is a great place and if you give it a chance you might agree.
USN & USAF retired 1971-1993
Successful Transactions with more than 100 Members
Come on guys. You are so used to free admission that you can’t see past your wallets.
The rising costs of putting on a show can not continually be put on the dealers. There is only so much they can pay to do business.
Most of you have no trouble spending hundreds, or thousands, of dollars on the coins. Why can’t you plop down a sawbuck for admission?
There are local gun shows near me with well less than 100 dealers that charge that much, or more , admission.
If you can’t afford the $10 you shouldn’t be collecting coins and if you’re that cheap……..
A: The year they spend more on their library than their coin collection.
A numismatist is judged more on the content of their library than the content of their cabinet.
I’ve decided to give this one a try. Admission fee be damned, $10 is trivial when I’m spending at least $1000 on flights and boarding. I understand that not everyone is in a position to do so, but hobbies tend to cost money and I find the coin show experience to be very enjoyable. If I’m disappointed with the show, I just won’t go back next year.
Founder- Peak Rarities
Website
Instagram
Facebook
All set. See you at the show.
Successful BST with BustDMs , Pnies20, lkeigwin, pursuitofliberty, Bullsitter, felinfoel, SPalladino (CBH's - 35 Die Marriage's)
$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
$1000? Seriously? Fly round trip same day (10/27) out of Orlando to Nashville on spirit for $26.89 each way.
at the cost of tables there, i guess $10 is cheap.......
https://imex.show/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMEX-Bourse-Contract-8-19-23.pdf
$10 for admission is not to bad
for Bay Area San Francisco area standards . Here shows charges about $5 or so for 40’ dealer shows and one even charges $1 with a coupon for a 4 dealer show. Guess it would have been a better value if admission was good for **ALL ** days instead of one.
That something I wish the ANA would implant for their show just pay admission once and might increase overall attendance and revenue.
I think the hotels are the vast majority of that expense.
Chopmarked Trade Dollar Registry Set --- US & World Gold Showcase --- World Chopmark Showcase
Yea, I’m not taking the economic route for this one. I’m gonna make a nice trip with comfortable flights without a layover and I’m gonna stay from Thursday to Saturday. Probably explore downtown Nashville at night and see what it’s all about. Unlike most other shows I’ve been to, the location is actually desirable for once.
Founder- Peak Rarities
Website
Instagram
Facebook
Not impressed with their IT security ... the directory they are using is world-read... it lets you figure out the changes in the dealer list over time. Just offering that up...
E.g. their links are
https://imex.show/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMEX-Schedule-9-14-23.pdfbut the /09/ and now /10/ directories can be viewed to see all the files.
ANA 50 year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
It's especially cheap compared to the $250 littering fine! From the bourse contract:
"17. Booths must be free of trash upon vacating the space. Trash not placed in a proper receptacle, will
result in a $250 fine."
I'm guessing they'll hit just a wee bit of resistance if they actually try to collect those fines, but I could be wrong.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
Booths must be free of trash upon vacating the space. Trash not placed in a proper receptacle, will
result in a $250 fine
You could get a table at the South Carolina show for the cost of their littering fine.
Member ANA, SPMC, SCNA, FUN, CONECA
Grateful for this new show, the dealer list is impressive.
Looks like a great show. To all attendees
Via Con Dios.
Does NGC even do shows anymore?
Where are they? What shows do they do anymore?
Again more shows east of the Mississippi river.
No major shows west of the rockies. Except for the Long Beach show. Which is no where what it once was
When is the ANA coming to the west / west coast again??
NGC will be in Nashville
https://www.ngccoin.com/news/article/12094/NGC-and-PMG-IMEX/
Almost show time. Looking forward to the event and seeing Nashville for the first time. Well as much as can be seen in two days.
Successful BST with BustDMs , Pnies20, lkeigwin, pursuitofliberty, Bullsitter, felinfoel, SPalladino (CBH's - 35 Die Marriage's)
$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
Bringing my hubby to this show since neither one of us have been to Nashville - and it will be his FIRST coin show ever! I know Steve and Gary have been working really hard to fine tune the details to make this a great new show. Really looking forward to seeing Nashville, hearing some great music, having some tasty Nashville food, and of course trying some of that Tennessee whisky I've heard so much about! I'll be doing a show report so come see me at Table 705 if you'd like to be part of my report!
https://thepennylady.com/
I was consider creating a real show in Houston. Why is admission such a big deal? This is a multi billion dollar industry.
Shouldn’t admission be acceptable at this point? I’ve gone to a lot of shows in the past year and admission fees never crossed my mind. I’m going to have fun for a lot of hours for days on end that never feel long enough and I want to be there…. While creating great business and personal relationships.
Food for thought.
Maybe it’s me. Maybe it’s because I live in Southern California and everything is expensive but seriously I don’t understand the griping over a $10 admission fee. People are spending hundreds if not thousands of dollars on coins and yet they’re complaining about ten dollars.
I'll be set up there, table #411, Sullivan Numismatics. Will have at least several cases of mint error coins.
Middle Tennessee had long lacked a major coin show, and with the change in sales taxes for numismatics, and also with the growth in population in the area, this could turn into a great show annually.
Probably because it seems petty. Dealers spend a small fortune to be there.
Whatever incremental revenue the promoters make by charging the fee really should be built in to the dealer fees, because you want to incentivize ALL traffic to come in and look around, not just die hard collectors jonesing for a show who will happily pony up. As they are at FUN, Whitman, ANA for members, PCGS for members, and just about every other local and regional show in the country.
After all, other than warehouse clubs, people are just not conditioned to pay an admission fee to enter a bourse. That's why.
It's probably less the $10 than the principle that their pockets are being picked because they are not receiving anything of value for the $10, other than the opportunity to patronize one of the dealers who already paid to be able to sell to them. And, if the reality is that dealers are only there to do business with other dealers, and they don't care about the public, then make it a dealers-only show.
Because, I'll tell you, I go to more than my share of shows, and don't pay admission fees. That said, I think it's a disgrace when the bourse is half empty any time before the last minute of the last day of the show, although I get why dealers want to do what they came there to do, and then clear out at a day and time convenient to them.
I'm annoyed when the show is free and I made a trip only to find that. I'd be outraged if I paid an admission fee, and I'd demand a refund. Since promoters cannot actually chain dealers to their tables for the duration of a show, building a revenue model that does not involve an admission fee from the general public is a reasonable solution. As evidenced by the fact that most major shows do just that.
If a show needs $10 to survive, it's probably not going to make it. And, if it doesn't, the $10 should probably be left in the pocket of the collector, rather than transferred to the pocket of the promoter. JMHO.