Whitman Show Nashville Tennessee May 20 - 22 2010

Well folks I attended my very first coin show this week. One of my coin dealing friends rented a space and I spent the last two days helping him. It was educational to say the least.

There was a lot of dealer to dealer transactions this week as consumer traffic was sparse. Whitman chose to compete against an established show in Gallatin so I know that played a part with regards to consumer traffic. In addition to that it has only been a couple of weeks since we here in Tennessee (with special emphasis on Clarksville and Nashville) suffered from very severe flooding.

Dealer disappointment was heavy as several dealers left the first day and several more left after the second. With today being the third day most dealers were packing up by 1 p.m. which only compounded the disappointment of some last minute buying public traffic who were happy to voice their displeasure.

The good news was that dealers and customers were willing to buy if the merchandise was good and the price was right. My friend was happy with the results but it was in part due to his transactions with other dealers. My friend came to sell, not to play games or sell at retail. The grey sheet was reviewed by him with prices reflecting that regardless of whether he was dealing with other dealers or with the public. That is always a good sign!

What I learned was that when you are a dealer at a show and are wearing your id while shopping other vendors that the discounts come without even asking . I purchased a few bu cents as well as a commemorative half, a few 50 billion dollar notes (zimbabwe) and a reference guide on currency and was treated well by all parties I did business with. In short I had a great time helping my friend wheel and deal. I even helped him broker a deal that would not have happened if I had not asked the customer what he was carrying (to sell). I suspect I will be doing a few more shows with him in the future assuming I can get away from my antique mall. Sincerely, John Leckrone