I Remembered Today Why I Stopped Going To Coin Shows

I know my local dealer wowed me right out of the gate. We had a mutual friend, whose dad was a frequent business partner of his, and all it took was a name drop on my part, and the deals started FLOWING.

The first thing he did was give me a free flip case and capsule for my Moose Wildlife Maple I bought elsewhere. The next week, for my first purchase, I got a 45 half crown and a BU 1887 Florin at MELT.

A few weeks later, a pair of Thaler purchases, both at SIGNIFICANTLY lower than melt.

He looks after me. Sometimes, he has to charge market value, and I will pay it if I want the coin bad enough, but I have to say, he looks after his regulars big time.

When going to a coin show, try remembering a few things.
1. The sellers may be trying this for the first or second time. Not used to the general public with their dumb, silly, sometimes rude statements.
2. Some dealers have been at many coin shows lately and are very tired. Lousy sales doesn't help their disposition either
3. A dealer could be just like anyone else that just went through a divorce, car accident, lost buisness, daughter got pregnant, etc. And here he is selling you coins.
4. Dealer could have just had a light fingered customer walk off with a coin not paid for.
5. Had a flat tire on the way to the show.
6. Forgot a table lamp, some coins at home, his eye drops, etc.
AND now here that seller is trying to sell you coins.

As a buyer I rarely stop by a table that does not display it's prices. Almost always those are going to be the overpriced coins.

As a Dealer I always mark my prices and expect to be "talked down" about 10 percent. If they don't talk me down, I just give it to them anyway. I have been known to give young collectors a better deal. If fosters excitement in the hobby and usually ends up making a repeat customer.

My prices rarely change. I know what I paid for it and I price in the profit I want. Now if I discover that some coin I thought was dead common is really a zillion dollar VAM, or some such, THEN I will adjust the price to reflect it's-market value. So re-pricing is not an issue, though I know dealers that reprice every time a new Grey Sheet comes out.

Lastly whats wrong with $5 and $10 dollar buyers? I would rather have a hundred buyers at $10 then one or two at $300. I know one dealer, a very nice man, who only sells high end slabbed coins. Like PCGS MS67FSB Merc's. But the truth is he counts it a good show if he sells ONE coin.

Necro-bump.



Leaving early on a Saturday makes no sense. A Sunday I can see, but not Saturday. The local coin shows here close at 3PM on Sunday, but are open until 6PM on Friday and Saturday.

Wow. That is just... Wow.

"howell1018"
How do you know it is because "they're leaving early"... Or that this might be "the reason the hobby is losing devotees". Why make those assumptions?

I attend many coin shows and often make conversations with the dealers about how they like the show and what shows other shows they attend or going to attend next. And you'd be surprised at what I've learned.

First of all they are all human's with lives and families just like us. Surprise.

Secondly some of them have retail stores with normal business hours and don't rely solely on coin shows for business.

Third there's all sorts of behind the scenes politics involved at shows, and gripes and complaints about everything from high table fees, to who gets preference for the best table location, to poor or declining attendance by the public. Shows that are dying and where dealer's spend more on table fees than they make selling coins.

In particular with the larger 3 day show I attend, the busiest time is within the first couple of hours. Then it quickly turns to about a 5 to 1, dealer to buyer ratio. And on the 3rd day it's a ghost town.

And then there are the competing shows from other towns or states.. It is not uncommon for dealers to attend shows throughout their respective geographic region. Where I live dealers come from and travel to shows in and throughout several surrounding states. Quite often 2 or more shows of those shows are scheduled for the same weekend. Or the days might overlap.

Ok now Knowing all of this, and if you were a dealer, if 2 shows were scheduled for the same Saturday which show would you want to be renting a table in; the slow show that's ending, or the busy show that's just beginning?

I bet if you attend the show and speak to some of the dealer's you'll find out a lot of what I'm saying is correct and theyvare not the reason behind the hobby seeing a decline in devotees.

I have gone on Fridays. Even though it is not that crowded, the dealers seem less engaged (it may just be me). Saturday are the best for me. There is always a good crowd and the tables are full.

I have only ever gone on a Sunday once. Even though they are supposed to be there until 3PM, I think most dealer had left the day before. This was several years ago and things may have changed, but I am not willing to find out.