Another Baltimore report.
coppercoins
Posts: 6,084 ✭✭✭
I thought I would give a report of what happened for me at the Baltimore show, since this was the first time I have ever made it to an East coast show. After having missed New Haven the week before, I was more than ready for a show.
This show made quite a number of firsts for me...first time ever in New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Baltimore, and like I said before, my first East Coast show. I had been working the past week in New York for a client, and we drove down together Thursday morning. The drive was uneventful, setup was uneventful, and the show got started right off the block with a bang. To properly preface this I must say that I was at Gary Parietti's table (Long Island Numismatics) as an employee, which in a round about fashion, I am.
No more than an hour after setup, Q. David Bowers comes by the table to look at some notes Gary had told him about. While looking at the notes, it came up between Gary and Mr. Bowers who I am and that I had built Gary's site. Mr. Bowers recognized my name from a different source - Whitman publishing had been trying to contact me to print my Longacre drawing in an upcoming book, and he had hear my name. Almost immediately Mr. Bowers asked if I could draw Flanagan (designer of the Washington quarter) for a book he is writing. Of course I accepted...so that's the first "happening" of the show, no more than an hour after setup. Q. David Bowers asked if he could use my art work in one of his books.
A little later I hooked up with some of the people I have met at previous shows, and it almost surprised me that they remembered who I was - Rick Snow, Dave Lange, and more to add to the list that I'm too tired to come up with right now, but from the list of names you can see where I'm coming from - nationally recognized people remembering me from months before. Flattering, to say the least. Thursday evening Gary, his friends, and myself went to G&M for crab cakes. The food was wonderful and the atmosphere was very nice. I had never had a crab cake, so the meal was a real treat.
I met up with Stewart Blay on Friday, the morning of the "big snowstorm" that everyone was worried about - actually it was about an inch of snow and proved to be little more than a small hinderance, even considering the Southern location. By 9AM the streets were only wet, and I highly doubt the weather kept anyone away. He and I walked the floor for a while, the we met up with Mark Feld. We sat in the lobby for a short show and tell session, and I saw some truly mind-blowing coins. From the company present at the time, this shouldn't be surprising, and for me it wasn't. Stewart and I walked to the Inner Harbor afterward for lunch. Even though there was a fresh slushy snow outside, the weather was beautiful...mid-30s and bright sunny skies. We went back to the show after lunch and did our own thing for most of the afternoon.
Dinner time came around, and Stewart and I went to dinner in the Inner Harbor area. This time it was a very nice restaurant/bar and all I can remember to be truthful are the legs on one of the waitresses...some of the nicest legs I've ever seen. Stewart and I discussed many things coins while being distracted regularly by our TWO waitresses - one doing the talking, and another doing all the carrying, taking, serving. We found out that the second one was in training...and here I thought they knew Stewart was coming. We had a great time, and I have Stewart to thank for striking up a lot of conversation. For those who don't know him in-person, you should really attempt to at least meet him - he's a really kind person and is very easy to get along with.
Saturday morning was work time - I spent much of the morning at the table helping out Gary's customers, but I did find time to slide away and meet Kevin Flynn, soeone whom I have been trying to run into for ten years, and finally met in person. He and I discussed photography, my work, his work, and the die variety sector of numismatics in general. It was a nice visit, and I have yet another contact who knows me now.
I also found the time to do enough walking around to see Ksteelheader roaming around with his wife and two grandkids...his little grandaughter is a cutie! He told me that Goose was at the show and I waited to meet him - I had wanted to meet him for some time as well. While waiting for Goose, Ken reminded me that Merz often makes it to the Baltimore show, so I called to find out he was on the road to the show. Fortunately we were able to meet up as well. So here I had met Stewartblaynumis, Ksteelheader, Goose, and Merz, and had seen Tassa, Jaderarecoin, and Eagle Eye earlier in the show, but still felt that I was missing out on meeting people I knew I would want to meet. Unfortunately I never figured out who I was missing out on meeting, so you'll have to tell me here now that I'm back home and can't do anything about it.
Anyhow, I left the show at 4PM on Saturday to catch my ride home. BWI was uneventful until I got on the plane...we were nearly two hours taking off because of traffic problems at O'Hare. When arriving in Chicago, we sat on the snowy taxiway for nearly another hour waiting to park at the occupied gate. By the time I got off the plane I found out that my next flight had been cancelled, as were all of the remaining flights of the day, and that I was going to have to find a hotel room for the night. Great...nearly two weeks away from home and an inch of snow was going to strand me overnight. I guess it could have been worse (like a foot of snow stranding me for three days), but it was definitely bad enough as it was. I stayed at the brand new Radisson O'Hare overnight, got up at 6:45 and went back to the airport with no luggage, no shave, and the same clothes I was wearing the night before, and caught a flight home with around 45 other people in the exact same predicament. I finally arrived at home at 10:30AM today, came home, ate lunch, and took a nap...and here I am.
Cherrypicking was a bit slow at the show, activity overall was moderate, and the general tone of the show was that everyone was ready to get their year closed out and go home for the holidays. I didn't see a lot of excitement about anything at the show other than an 1899 proof set that Superior had (and I saw twice) that was probably the best proof set I have ever seen save the cent - it was a bit blotchy and hazy, and compared to the rest of the set was a real dog. The nickel - oh, that 1899 nickel - the most beautiful Liberty nickel I had ever seen up until I had a chance to see an 1885 nickel in PCGS 67...wow!
Anyhow, I cherried a couple of goodies. For those into cents, I cherried a 1934D-1MM-003 in a spotty MS64RB with a 95% red obverse and a brown reverse...album toning. The coin would retail for around $75, and I got it for $25. I also got a 1952D-1MM-015 (D beneath bust) in GEM red condition for a buck...that was probably the find of the show for me.
So that's it...my report. Enjoy!
This show made quite a number of firsts for me...first time ever in New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Baltimore, and like I said before, my first East Coast show. I had been working the past week in New York for a client, and we drove down together Thursday morning. The drive was uneventful, setup was uneventful, and the show got started right off the block with a bang. To properly preface this I must say that I was at Gary Parietti's table (Long Island Numismatics) as an employee, which in a round about fashion, I am.
No more than an hour after setup, Q. David Bowers comes by the table to look at some notes Gary had told him about. While looking at the notes, it came up between Gary and Mr. Bowers who I am and that I had built Gary's site. Mr. Bowers recognized my name from a different source - Whitman publishing had been trying to contact me to print my Longacre drawing in an upcoming book, and he had hear my name. Almost immediately Mr. Bowers asked if I could draw Flanagan (designer of the Washington quarter) for a book he is writing. Of course I accepted...so that's the first "happening" of the show, no more than an hour after setup. Q. David Bowers asked if he could use my art work in one of his books.
A little later I hooked up with some of the people I have met at previous shows, and it almost surprised me that they remembered who I was - Rick Snow, Dave Lange, and more to add to the list that I'm too tired to come up with right now, but from the list of names you can see where I'm coming from - nationally recognized people remembering me from months before. Flattering, to say the least. Thursday evening Gary, his friends, and myself went to G&M for crab cakes. The food was wonderful and the atmosphere was very nice. I had never had a crab cake, so the meal was a real treat.
I met up with Stewart Blay on Friday, the morning of the "big snowstorm" that everyone was worried about - actually it was about an inch of snow and proved to be little more than a small hinderance, even considering the Southern location. By 9AM the streets were only wet, and I highly doubt the weather kept anyone away. He and I walked the floor for a while, the we met up with Mark Feld. We sat in the lobby for a short show and tell session, and I saw some truly mind-blowing coins. From the company present at the time, this shouldn't be surprising, and for me it wasn't. Stewart and I walked to the Inner Harbor afterward for lunch. Even though there was a fresh slushy snow outside, the weather was beautiful...mid-30s and bright sunny skies. We went back to the show after lunch and did our own thing for most of the afternoon.
Dinner time came around, and Stewart and I went to dinner in the Inner Harbor area. This time it was a very nice restaurant/bar and all I can remember to be truthful are the legs on one of the waitresses...some of the nicest legs I've ever seen. Stewart and I discussed many things coins while being distracted regularly by our TWO waitresses - one doing the talking, and another doing all the carrying, taking, serving. We found out that the second one was in training...and here I thought they knew Stewart was coming. We had a great time, and I have Stewart to thank for striking up a lot of conversation. For those who don't know him in-person, you should really attempt to at least meet him - he's a really kind person and is very easy to get along with.
Saturday morning was work time - I spent much of the morning at the table helping out Gary's customers, but I did find time to slide away and meet Kevin Flynn, soeone whom I have been trying to run into for ten years, and finally met in person. He and I discussed photography, my work, his work, and the die variety sector of numismatics in general. It was a nice visit, and I have yet another contact who knows me now.
I also found the time to do enough walking around to see Ksteelheader roaming around with his wife and two grandkids...his little grandaughter is a cutie! He told me that Goose was at the show and I waited to meet him - I had wanted to meet him for some time as well. While waiting for Goose, Ken reminded me that Merz often makes it to the Baltimore show, so I called to find out he was on the road to the show. Fortunately we were able to meet up as well. So here I had met Stewartblaynumis, Ksteelheader, Goose, and Merz, and had seen Tassa, Jaderarecoin, and Eagle Eye earlier in the show, but still felt that I was missing out on meeting people I knew I would want to meet. Unfortunately I never figured out who I was missing out on meeting, so you'll have to tell me here now that I'm back home and can't do anything about it.
Anyhow, I left the show at 4PM on Saturday to catch my ride home. BWI was uneventful until I got on the plane...we were nearly two hours taking off because of traffic problems at O'Hare. When arriving in Chicago, we sat on the snowy taxiway for nearly another hour waiting to park at the occupied gate. By the time I got off the plane I found out that my next flight had been cancelled, as were all of the remaining flights of the day, and that I was going to have to find a hotel room for the night. Great...nearly two weeks away from home and an inch of snow was going to strand me overnight. I guess it could have been worse (like a foot of snow stranding me for three days), but it was definitely bad enough as it was. I stayed at the brand new Radisson O'Hare overnight, got up at 6:45 and went back to the airport with no luggage, no shave, and the same clothes I was wearing the night before, and caught a flight home with around 45 other people in the exact same predicament. I finally arrived at home at 10:30AM today, came home, ate lunch, and took a nap...and here I am.
Cherrypicking was a bit slow at the show, activity overall was moderate, and the general tone of the show was that everyone was ready to get their year closed out and go home for the holidays. I didn't see a lot of excitement about anything at the show other than an 1899 proof set that Superior had (and I saw twice) that was probably the best proof set I have ever seen save the cent - it was a bit blotchy and hazy, and compared to the rest of the set was a real dog. The nickel - oh, that 1899 nickel - the most beautiful Liberty nickel I had ever seen up until I had a chance to see an 1885 nickel in PCGS 67...wow!
Anyhow, I cherried a couple of goodies. For those into cents, I cherried a 1934D-1MM-003 in a spotty MS64RB with a 95% red obverse and a brown reverse...album toning. The coin would retail for around $75, and I got it for $25. I also got a 1952D-1MM-015 (D beneath bust) in GEM red condition for a buck...that was probably the find of the show for me.
So that's it...my report. Enjoy!
C. D. Daughtrey, NLG
The Lincoln cent store:
http://www.lincolncent.com
My numismatic art work:
http://www.cdaughtrey.com
USAF veteran, 1986-1996 :: support our troops - the American way.
The Lincoln cent store:
http://www.lincolncent.com
My numismatic art work:
http://www.cdaughtrey.com
USAF veteran, 1986-1996 :: support our troops - the American way.
0
Comments
Great Report and sounds like you had alot of fun and made some important contact's!
I just sent merz2 a PM earlier tonight wondering how he was doing, it's good to hear he made it to the show.
Sounds like things are really rocking for you, you deserve it!
New collectors, please educate yourself before spending money on coins; there are people who believe that using numismatic knowledge to rip the naïve is what this hobby is all about.
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
roadrunner
Check out the Southern Gold Society
Also, for those from the Southeast and Florida who might have been there whom I didn't get a chance to meet, I will be at the FUN show in three weeks and would like very much to get to meet as many here as possible. One of the best parts of the shows is getting to visit with people. I spent over 90% of my time at the show just meeting and talking with people.
The Lincoln cent store:
http://www.lincolncent.com
My numismatic art work:
http://www.cdaughtrey.com
USAF veteran, 1986-1996 :: support our troops - the American way.
I ran into Merz outside the show when going to lunch and he later accosted me inside and was on a mission to get a first day cover of the USMC coin? Don is a good guy.....just don't let him drive.
I had a chance to view Indians and Lincolns at about two-dozen different tables. Over all much of the uncirculated grading was right-on or only slightly off in raw coins, and the slabbed coins were typical - PCGS and ANACS were far more consistent than the rest.
Although dealers seem to be rather comfortable grading UNC coins, I was very surprised to find a large number of VF coins marked XF or AU, and even more XF coins marked AU. Folks, if your Lincoln as a flat spot on the cheek it ain't no AU. Overall I would have to give the show as a whole a "B" grade for UNC raw Lincolns, and a "D" grade for circ raw Lincolns. Pathetic as a whole, although there were a number of good dealers with well graded coins across the board.
The Lincoln cent store:
http://www.lincolncent.com
My numismatic art work:
http://www.cdaughtrey.com
USAF veteran, 1986-1996 :: support our troops - the American way.
Herb
Did I read your post correctly...your first time eating crab cakes? You have been missing out. Great report. I had thought about going to the show but decided to wait until FUN. Sounds like it was a great show from all the reports. Congratulations on the your artwork going into a book by Bowers..that's exciting. I will definitely be looking out for that. I have seen and read about some of your work in other threads. Very impressive. I expect to spend two or three days at FUN cherrypicking, attending a few seminars and meeting some friends from here. Hope to see you there.
Randy
The Whisker Cheek Collection - Top 50 Peace VAM Registry
Landmark Buffalo Collection
The Lincoln cent store:
http://www.lincolncent.com
My numismatic art work:
http://www.cdaughtrey.com
USAF veteran, 1986-1996 :: support our troops - the American way.
<< <i> I forgot one's screen name here, but his initials are RS and he loves nice toners. >>
That might be me.
Nice report - I saw Chuck's Art Work and it is VERY nice. I also happen to like nice proof IHCs too!
“It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.” Mark Twain
Newmismatist
<< <i>
<< <i> I forgot one's screen name here, but his initials are RS and he loves nice toners. >>
That might be me.
Nice report - I saw Chuck's Art Work and it is VERY nice. I also happen to like nice proof IHCs too!
Ayup...that would be you. I don't know why I can remember your name without fail, and I recognize you in an instant when I see you, but never can remember your name in here. Thanks for the compliment on the art work. I finally think I have a rel niche that can take me somewhere. There has been a LOT of interest borne of a simple few sketches I did because I needed an image that didn't exist, and I got tired of digging for it. That'w where most of my art work comes from - the need to have something in an image and not able to find it anywhere.
The Lincoln cent store:
http://www.lincolncent.com
My numismatic art work:
http://www.cdaughtrey.com
USAF veteran, 1986-1996 :: support our troops - the American way.
Do you really work for Parietti? And, more importantly, got pics of those legs from the restaurant?
Nice report.
EVP
How does one get a hater to stop hating?
I can be reached at evillageprowler@gmail.com
<< <i>Chuck,
Do you really work for Parietti? And, more importantly, got pics of those legs from the restaurant?
Nice report.
EVP >>
I don't really work "for him," he is a web client of mine - I built his retail website. Since I built his site and have photographed or scanned nearly all of his inventory, he had to write me into his company for insurance purposes, so I am sort of an employee. He has had me help him at his table at all the major shows we attended simultaneously since. In actuality, however, I work alone and for myself - I consider him a client.
edited: Forgot to mention the legs...well, both Stewart and I got caught staring at them, but neither of us had a camera on hand at the time. Bummer.
The Lincoln cent store:
http://www.lincolncent.com
My numismatic art work:
http://www.cdaughtrey.com
USAF veteran, 1986-1996 :: support our troops - the American way.
I saw Chuck's artwork,
Very stunning indeed! Was nice chatting with you.
Didn't wanna get me no trade
Never want to be like papa
Working for the boss every night and day
--"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)
<< <i>It was nice to meet you Chuck!
I ran into Merz outside the show when going to lunch and he later accosted me inside and was on a mission to get a first day cover of the USMC coin? Don is a good guy.....just don't let him drive.
"One-way" Merz!!!!
We'll use our hands and hearts and if we must we'll use our heads.
I wish I could've met you. Perhaps the next Baltimore show we members can be more organized with something like name badges as you suggested in your FUN thread.
I didn't see Don Mertz. I wish I had. He's a nice guy and always interesting conversation.
Congrats on the artwork commission for QDB! and thanks for the report!
collections: Maryland related coins & exonumia, 7070 Type set, and Video Arcade Tokens.
The Low Budget Y2K Registry Set
<< <i>It sounds like you had a great time Chuck. Besides the coinshow, G&M crabcakes are awesome! You got to experience some Maryland with that meal.
I wish I could've met you. Perhaps the next Baltimore show we members can be more organized with something like name badges as you suggested in your FUN thread.
I didn't see Don Mertz. I wish I had. He's a nice guy and always interesting conversation.
Congrats on the artwork commission for QDB! and thanks for the report! >>
I don't need a name tag. My great looks are all that are needed!!