Coins We Love: What Happens at Small Shows?
The lifeblood of the hobby of numismatics is the collector. The wholesale market revolves around what is in demand, what can be sold to collector (eventually) or what folks find interesting. Ultimately, the more we try to branch out as a hobby/industry, the answers really comes down to “what do collectors want and what do people find interesting?”
While we generally attend all of the major shows, we see the usual show attendees…this is fun and we love it, but we also realize that the majority of our customer base exists outside of that realm, whether it is in the realm of the interwebs or on the bourse floor of a smaller show in SC. This week we made the trip down to Greenville for the South Carolina Numismatic Association’s (SCNA) annual event. It’s a show I attended most of my life with a decade hiatus until a few years ago. This is the 4th year that I’ve been able to attend and while the locale is a bit different, it’s still a formidable event on the show circuit. On the way down, we made a pitstop at a shop on the way and enjoyed the step outside of our normal comfort zone of show/office work. Another part of the lifeblood of collectors, the action was enjoyable to watch from our side of the counter and we walked away with a really interesting group of coins…not bad for a lunch stop!
Upon arriving in Greenville, the show setup extended until 9pm. Wes’s dream of a 24 hour coin show almost came true, but we escaped around 8:30 to a quick dinner and a short night sleep. After introducing Andy to his first Waffle House experience this morning (smothered and covered) we headed back over to the show and the floor was much more full with all of the early birds getting their tables setup in no time. While we’ve only been here for a few hours, it’s clear that we’re one of the more active buyers on the floor, so we’ve had some interesting coins show pile up in our boxes.
We’ve also had our share of customers dropping by to chat and pick up a few coins. Being from the area originally, there are a number of folks that I haven’t seen in many years, so it’s been a pleasant time of catching up and chatting, but another handful of customers who I’ve never met in person just happen to be here as well and we’ve put some faces to names. Whether it’s a Clemson student or a serious collector whose father attended the same high school as my own in Augusta, Georgia, the numismatic world in South Carolina feels a little smaller today!
So what’s moving here? We brought a variety of material and we’ve seen an even wider selection on the floor…but so far we’ve had a Dahlonega Gold coin find a new home, a high-end silver commemorative and an affordable 1921 Peace Dollar. It doesn’t seem like much, but that’s not why we’re here, so it’s kind of like a cherry on top of the coin show. We’re making friends, sourcing inventory, and learning about the collecting world that keeps us employed. So, if you’re out and about in the upstate South Carolina area, drop by tomorrow. We’d be thrilled to meet you. Or just talk coins with you for a little while. Support your local coin show! You never know what might happen when you get there…
Numismatically Yours,
John Brush and Your Friends at DLRC
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