Coins We Love: Show Highs and Lows
Baltimore ended up being a much better show than we expected. We had curated our group of coins to carry a more fruitful inventory with a higher average value, and while we sold coins to dealers before the show started, we sold quite a few more coins to collectors. Overall, our tempered expectations for an average event turned to pleasant surprise as we received a far above average show. Our booth was so busy through the end of the day on Friday that Andy asked if we should stay through Saturday. I wish we could have, but our wives and kids at home were expecting our return, so we packed up and got out of town. We ended up buying about 9 boxes of new coins (less than our recent shows) but our average value was up, so it was more of a “quality” over “quantity” situation. That was the goal as we have a ton of coins backed up for imaging and will be looking to catch up over the next month.
High points:
- Dinner conversation at Kona on Wednesday night. The meal started with lots of coin talk (as usual) but somehow evolved into what our jobs would be if we were stranded on an island (like Gilligan’s Island). We’re thrilled to know that Amandeep is good with his hands and can build furniture, while John Call will apparently be trading seashells by the seashore. And while I have experience building housing, I’m afraid my shoulder doesn’t cooperate anymore, so I think I’ve been demoted to Gilligan-status. Honestly, I’m not sure how long our team would survive if stranded, so I’m going to avoid future fishing trips we get invited to.
- The “buzz” at the show really picked up and the attendance seemed to be above what has been the recent average.
- I did my first podcast with the guys from the Coin Show Podcast. It was a random conversation for 30 minutes, but it was far more fun than I expected. View it here.
Low Points:
- Unfortunately, the Baltimore convention hotels leave quite a bit to be desired these days. We’ve slowly marked hotel choices off of our list as we have had negative experiences, but I’m not sure what we’re going to do now that each and every locale has been marked off. Perhaps we can just get some free rooms if we report the rodent issues that tend to follow us from hotel to hotel.
- We did a combination of driving and flying to the show, and it was mostly successful. However, one of our cars was broken into at the local Airbnb. Thankfully, only a few dollars in change were available for the taking, but it was, of course, concerning.
Better:
- Whitman is doing a good job adding “life” to the show. Baltimore is predictable, easy, and consistent as a location. Lori Kraft does a fantastic job running this event. The dependability of the show dates has enabled them to do a lot of things well, and I applaud the work that they’ve done. I have to admit, I kind of like Baltimore, but I do wish that it was a bit safer.
That's all we have to say about the show, but we hope you keep your eyes peeled for some fresh new inventory coming to the site in the coming weeks. Enjoy the featured pieces below and take advantage of our weekly Thrifty Thursday Sale!
Numismatically Yours,
John Brush
P.S.: Our April Grading Contest is live, view the rules and how to enter here.
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