How was weekend attendance at the ANA LA?

291fifth · August 9, 2009 11:53PM

Who showed up? What did they buy?

RYK · August 10, 2009 12:08AM

There was no one there to report on it.

ScarsdaleCoin · August 10, 2009 12:17AM

show... there was a show... gosh

MrOrganic · August 10, 2009 12:17AM

Sat
20%-30% of dealers left or didnt set up.

Retail seemed not to pick up all that much.

Greeniejr · August 10, 2009 12:24AM

Tumbleweeds and crickets

DoubleEagle59 · August 10, 2009 12:27AM

I just saw a couple of pictures of the show.

Talk about a ghost town

CarsonCityGold · August 10, 2009 1:34AM

I went Thursday and Friday. Bought a couple of 78CC dimes just for fun.
Lots of CC gold at this show, but none that said "Take me home".
Enjoyed the PCGS registry luncheon Friday.
This was my 3rd Money Show (San Fransisco and Denver previously) and it looked very quiet compared to those.
We went to the Peterson Automotive Museum (Peterson publishes Hot Rod and other enthusiest car magazines). If you're in to modified/custom/hot rods you will probably enjoy it. Mostly modified vehcles on display, but about 30% stock type autos and motorcycles.
We took a cab out to the museum, but rode the bus back to downtown. That was quite the experience for a native Texan that hasn't been on public transportation for probably 40 years.
Tried something really different and rode the subway out to Universal Studios Saturday and did the VIP tour. Very cool!
Flew back to Texas Sunday.

CaptHenway · August 10, 2009 1:50AM

I understand that there was a lot of resistance to the admission charge.
Does anybody think it might help if they offered "FREE ADMISSION!!!" on Saturdays and Sundays????

Greeniejr · August 10, 2009 1:52AM

The charge is a great thing, it is at least one line of defense against complete tire kickers

291fifth · August 10, 2009 2:37AM

<< I understand that there was a lot of resistance to the admission charge.
Does anybody think it might help if they offered "FREE ADMISSION!!!" on Saturdays and Sundays???? >>

Were people actually turning around and leaving rather than paying an admission charge? How much was the admission charge?

DoubleEagle59 · August 10, 2009 2:44AM

<< 

<< I understand that there was a lot of resistance to the admission charge.
Does anybody think it might help if they offered "FREE ADMISSION!!!" on Saturdays and Sundays???? >>

Were people actually turning around and leaving rather than paying an admission charge? How much was the admission charge? >>

There is a small percentage of collectors who are the cheapest people that I have ever met.

BECOKA · August 10, 2009 2:49AM

I really wish I could have gone the first few days. Talking to a couple of dealers there were some really great coins available.

RedTiger · August 10, 2009 3:06AM

<< I understand that there was a lot of resistance to the admission charge.
Does anybody think it might help if they offered "FREE ADMISSION!!!" on Saturdays and Sundays???? >>

No, I don't think that would have helped much at all, I'd guess maybe 3% more attendance with free admission and most of those folks wouldn't have bought a thing. The time and effort required to get to the downtown convention center is more of a hurdle than $6. Parking is likely to be more than $6, unless a person knows the neighborhood well (most locals don't). Gas and wear and tear on the car at IRS mileage rates is almost certainly more than $6. Mass transit can be spotty on weekends, increasing the time commitment.

Perhaps if they had done a cross promotion with the Jonas Brothers and that crowd, it might have brought in more traffic because those folks were already next door and most arrived early. Maybe some kind of special medal or token or first day cover or something for showing up at the bourse.

Longacre · August 10, 2009 3:24AM

If you read Legend's Hot Topics reports, she RIPS into the ANA over the show, the location, the hotels, etc. I hear it was a ghost town.

BECOKA · August 10, 2009 3:34AM

<< If you read Legend's Hot Topics reports, she RIPS into the ANA over the show, the location, the hotels, etc. I hear it was a ghost town. >>

Hopefully the ANA will listen to remarks like this and fix it for next year. I'd love it if they came to Santa Clara where the hotel is attached and there is another one across the street. Oh and the airport is 5-10 minutes away.

WTCG · August 10, 2009 3:55AM

<< 

<< If you read Legend's Hot Topics reports, she RIPS into the ANA over the show, the location, the hotels, etc. I hear it was a ghost town. >>

Hopefully the ANA will listen to remarks like this and fix it for next year. I'd love it if they came to Santa Clara where the hotel is attached and there is another one across the street. Oh and the airport is 5-10 minutes away.

>>

I wasn't at the show Sunday, but I'll take a guess that attendance wasn't that great on Sunday...it never is at any coin show anywhere in the country. At almost all of the larger coin shows Saturday is the best attended day, but Saturday is also the day with the most "tire-kickers"...people who ask about coins but have no real chance of ever spending the money to buy one.

Becoka...Santa Clara is a very convenient show for both of us to attend, but the chance of Santa Clara being a successful venue for an ANA convention is remote and unlikely. Although an airport is close by as are two hotels, the currently existing Santa Clara expo is known for dismal attendance and is a generally disliked show. Many of the dealers who travel to that show consider Santa Clara their absolute least favorite show to attend out of the whole entire year. As for the PCGS staff that attends Santa Clara, the two that end up being sent are actually considered the ones "taking it for the team".

BECOKA · August 10, 2009 4:09AM

<< 

<< 

<< If you read Legend's Hot Topics reports, she RIPS into the ANA over the show, the location, the hotels, etc. I hear it was a ghost town. >>

Hopefully the ANA will listen to remarks like this and fix it for next year. I'd love it if they came to Santa Clara where the hotel is attached and there is another one across the street. Oh and the airport is 5-10 minutes away.

>>

I wasn't at the show Sunday, but I'll take a guess that attendance wasn't that great on Sunday...it never is at any coin show anywhere in the country. At almost all of the larger coin shows Saturday is the best attended day, but Saturday is also the day with the most "tire-kickers"...people who ask about coins but have no real chance of ever spending the money to buy one.

Becoka...Santa Clara is a very convenient show for both of us to attend, but the chance of Santa Clara being a successful venue for an ANA convention is remote and unlikely. Although an airport is close by as are two hotels, the currently existing Santa Clara expo is known for dismal attendance and is a generally disliked show. Many of the dealers who travel to that show consider Santa Clara their absolute least favorite show to attend out of the whole entire year. As for the PCGS staff that attends Santa Clara, the two that end up being sent are actually considered the ones "taking it for the team". >>

I understand this outlook, I'm hoping that it changes in the positive direction over time. Who know maybe if the 49er stadium gets built just down the street, Santa Clara will be on the map again.

PerryHall · August 10, 2009 5:17AM

What was the charge to attend the ANA Convention? I don't ever remember paying to get into an ANA Convention so this must be something new.

droopyd · August 10, 2009 5:20AM

<< What was the charge to attend the ANA Convention? I don't ever remember paying to get into an ANA Convention so this must be something new. >>

$6 a day for nonmembers. Yes, the door charge is a recent development.

illini420 · August 10, 2009 5:22AM

<< If you read Legend's Hot Topics reports, she RIPS into the ANA over the show, the location, the hotels, etc. I hear it was a ghost town. >>

Legend was not at the show Saturday or Sunday, so they wouldn't know too much firsthand about the weekend attendance. still a little bummed that I couldn't see TDN's trade dollar set

Coxe · August 10, 2009 6:01AM

Charging admission wasn't a bad idea for that spectacularly poor location. Kept the local bums from setting up inside rather than on the sidewalk and curtailed the riff-raff. If there is a charge, it should be for the entire show like all other shows do customarily.

A bunch of scouts came through on Saturday. They enjoyed the exhibits and stole most of the pens form the PCGS tables.

The expectation is that an ANA show should clearly eclipse a regular major show. It needs fanfare and celebrities, like ComicCon.

I'd like to see it come to San Diego, but until the sales tax garbage is reduced, I think California is a bad place for major shows. This is exacerbated by the recent step of in BoE enforcement. Collecting and paying the tax is the right thing to do in any state that levies it. The problem is that the state legislature taxes coin transaction in the first place (under $1,500) and the rate is repressive to sustained flow in the marketplace.

It's easy to point at all of the other factors about the LA show specifically, but the economy was a big part of the problem. It's hard for the general public to celebrate discretionary spending when they have faced or are facing forclosure on their properties and they are losing their jobs.

ThePennyLady · August 10, 2009 9:57AM

<< 

<< What was the charge to attend the ANA Convention? I don't ever remember paying to get into an ANA Convention so this must be something new. >>

$6 a day for nonmembers. Yes, the door charge is a recent development. >>

I believe it was $2.00 on Sunday.

Saturday was quite busy for me, retail picked up, there were lots of kids who were on the treasure hunt (I had one of the clues and had over 300 stop by my table that day alone)! Wed-Fri was slow, and Sunday was very slow as usual. I posted in another thread that when sales are slow, then dealers try to buy, and I made some great buys. I'll be posting pictures of some of my newps soon.......

How was weekend attendance at the ANA LA?

Comments

Leave a Comment