Rookie Needs Some Advice On First Coin Show

You got that right! Matt.

Browse the show before you settle down to buy.
And keep notes about the dealers that you want to revisit after your first walk-around.
I missed getting a coin once I REALLY wanted because I couldn't find the dealer later.

Do a walk through first and take note of what catches your eye.Bring along notes such as what your looking for and the going price,loupe and be friendly to the dealers even if they are not.Good luck and post when you get back.
John1

Take a brief tour of the show before you decide to start buying. Do not instantly jump to buying a coin becuase you think it's inexpensive. There could be more dealers with even lower prices.

Look through half price bins. Those things have some great deals.

Don't carry thousands of dollars on hand unless you hope to buy a higher price piece of currency, such as older currency, or gold coins (which in this situation you are)

Have a positive attitude, be nice to the people there. Many dealers will be at the same shows, and they might have different things at those different shows.

Some dealers are better than others.

Don't buy proof 70 graded coins unless you want to pay a premium.

Happy Hunting!

Don't forget to bring a magnifying glass and any reference materials or price guides that you might need. If a dealer is busy, it's best to wait your turn. Usually I visit a few other dealers and come back when they are less busy. Browsing around the show before buying is a good idea as there may be a better deal out there but if you do come across the right coin and at the right price, it may be a good idea to pull the trigger even though you might not have visited the other dealers. If you have found the right coin and decide to browse, you run the risk that the coin will be sold when return and/or the dealer will have already left. Most importantly, learn all you can and have a good time. Good luck!

I survived the show!

It was a very well run show in my opinion, at least 15 different dealers with a pretty nice selection of coins, paper money, stamps and supplies. All the dealers I talked to were very friendly. I had a few discussions about Iowa State hoops, Tubby Smiths coaching ability, world travel, the icy roads we had to drive on to get to the show and of course coins.

I found out about a coin club near enough to me that I will be going to the next meeting so I am looking forward to that. That was probably the thing that I liked the best out of the show because it will help me learn more about this hobby.

As far as purchases, I was able to get a 1927 Peace dollar. I was not able to get a gold coin near melt, the show was light on fractional gold. One dealer told me he was hoping to be buying gold as the recent dip has made his a bit pricey to me. The best I could come up with was a 2010 1/4 AGE for $350 but I passed on that. I also did not buy a coin from the 1800's but not from lack of availability. There were a lot of very nice coins that fit my criteria and I decided I needed to narrow my focus a bit before I started buying. I am going to try to come up with a group or type to begin that part of my collection, I really did like the large cents and had never really considered them before.

I did find something of interest that I had not thought of. One dealer had a tub of world coins, 4 for a $1 so I dug through that and I now have a beginners collection of 1960 world coins. I found 3 different ones in his stash and it was fun digging through them all and visiting with the dealer as I did it.

I also bought a tube of Peace dollars and my wife bought 1 Australian Kookaburra.

All in all a fun morning spent and could have spent more time there but life moves on. I will post pictures of my items later today.

Good to hear you have a great time. Remember, there will always be another show in the future.