My trip to Santa Clara

One of the benefits of high gas prices is that the traffic was FAR lighter than normal. Even for a Thursday. I purchased $34.90 in gas and $24.60 at Emil Villa's rib joint in Walnut Creek on the way home.

No coins.

Lots of white plastic holders. Few clear ones with blue labels. More than the usual helping of early tens. Probly 15 or so scattered about the floor. No real barnburner anywhere, but then again it was only Thursday. It appears to me that LOTS of coins have found their "last" slab. Some clownish looking stuff that I could not believe were in plastic.
Some real gems around. Also seemingly at or near their "last" price level. (at least for a while)

What was VERY scarce: (in fact nearly non existent)
Any classic coins in attractive circ and slabbed, too. It seemed that only uncs were being pushed. Yeah, buy the best you can afford. But, try to find some nice things in the lower 4 figure price that SHOULD make it into plastic and good luck.

One early $5 gold that looked TOO good and I paused over it for a while. I believe a fake. Very strange surfaces but also some "good" points. I've had my experience with an 8 escudo that possessed both real and counterfeit traits and don't want to play it again, Sam.
On questioning, the coin became "someone else's" and "maybe cleaned" and "let me look" and "still a pretty coin."

Some interesting coins at a major outfit on the back wall, but the table personnel were constantly draped over the cases and I just wasn't in a mood to REPEATEDLY ask em to move. One got up for a phone call but promptly returned to the tablecloth position.

A couple nice "raw" coins from the early times, but most had .....some..... thing that would get ME a BB but from looking at others IN the slabs, maybe not. Still not worth the "gamble" at TODAY'S prices.

No shortage of Hi-reliefs.

An interesting pastime day.