What are the pros and cons of small coin shows?

NHSBaseball · October 5, 2008 7:21AM

I saw an announcement for the 1- day "Bayou Country Coin Club" show in Houma, Louisiana in two weeks and am totally intrigued. My prior experience with coin shows was limited to the Hammond "Strawberry Capital Coin Show", which, while small, was a lot of fun to go to and fairly close to where I live. I am debating making the 2 hour drive to Houma to check it out.

What are the pros and cons of these types of shows? I really don't expect to see a lot of CBHD's if the last one I went to was any indication. Then again, coin shows of any sort in Louisiana are few and far between. Any thoughts or suggestions?

BTW, if I do go, I will post a report here to rival any ANA, Baltimore, or Long Beach report.

jdimmick · October 5, 2008 7:32AM

Better place to cherry pick and catch folks snoozing as many are not attended by the larger get around dealers, collectors

JIm

Not as many tables to do the above

SilverEagles92 · October 5, 2008 7:34AM

Well, almost by definition, small coin shows will have less material. Fewer tables, fewer dealers, less 'stuff' to pick through. But, as Jim mentioned, they are a good place to cherrypick. Fewer eyes have sorted through the inventories.

adamlaneus · October 5, 2008 7:37AM

I haven't been to too many shows, but I certainly can say this.

Small shows do not wipe me out mentally like large shows do. Perhaps with time and experience, shows will not instill such bewilderment.

Bochiman · October 5, 2008 7:59AM

Around here, some of the small shows are the same ol' hacks, time after time, with the same, stale, inventory.
On the flip side, there are some of the small shows that are cheap enough to get a table that some of the sellers are really collectors and they are selling things of that haven't been seen for awhile....and at ok prices.

ColonialCoinUnion · October 5, 2008 8:08AM

A good coin can show up anywhere, at anytime. And if you attend enough shows (big or small), you're bound to find 'em. Just depends how patient you are.

ksteelheader · October 5, 2008 8:19AM

<< <i>Better place to cherry pick and catch folks snoozing as many are not attended by the larger get around dealers, collectors

JIm

Not as many tables to do the above >>

Absolutely!!

NHSBaseball · October 5, 2008 8:34AM

Thanks for the replies- I think you've talked me into it.

PerryHall · October 5, 2008 8:39AM

I've gotten some of my best coin deals at small shows from part time dealers that set up there. They are local and they have very low overhead.

MisterBungle · October 5, 2008 8:47AM

Con: They are usually held in a Moose Lodge in back of
a Burger King in some little town you've only seen
on a map.

Pro: There's a Burger King right out the front door.

~

fcloud · October 5, 2008 8:48AM

Many times they are so dark you can't see the coins.

NHSBaseball · October 5, 2008 8:50AM

<< <i>Many times they are so dark you can't see the coins. >>

It's funny that you say that- at the Strawberry Capital Coin Club show that I attended previously, they kept tripping the breakers from the dealer lamps every few minutes...

JrGMan2004 · October 5, 2008 8:55AM

In my experience, with CBHDs, you have a lot lot less competition for cherry picking coins... on the other hand, at a 40 table show, it's easy to not even see a single CBHD, or you might see one or two that are cleaned AUs priced at MS levels (at least in my experience). When I go to a big show, I have little hope of cherrypicking something. I'm just not very aggressive with it, and don't have the knowledge and recall of others. However, I know that I will pretty much always find a new coin for the collection, because of dealers like Dick Osburn and Rich Uhrich. There's also my fellow collectors that are always looking out for me, especially since I'm on the lower end of the brotherhood and also have a lot more holes to fill than them. In just about every major coin show I've gone to in the last 2-3 years, I have almost always picked up an R.5 or better coin for my set.

What are the pros and cons of small coin shows?

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