Cool weather attracts visitors to cool coins -- Grant County, Indiana
Arizona Coin Collector
Grant County, Indiana
FROM:
http://www.chronicle-tribune.com/articles/2008/11/09/news/doc49165d2270099031178343.txt
Cool weather attracts visitors to cool coins
Free show marks group's 50th anniversary
By AJ Colley
ajco...@chronicle-tribune.com
Published: Sunday, November 9, 2008 1:14 AM EST
Larry Terwillegar's favorite part of collecting coins
is wondering who held them before him.
"Abraham Lincoln could have been holding that same
coin," he said, pointing to one of the books of coins
on his table.
Terwillegar was among more than 20 coin vendors at
Marion Coin Club's first ever fall show Saturday at
the Grant County 4-H Fairgrounds.
The free show marked the Marion group's 50th
anniversary. It began at 9 a.m. and before noon
roughly 300 people visited to look at and purchase
coins and coin-related items.
David Wells, president of the Marion Coin Club,
said he was happy for the weather - overcast and
colder than in recent weeks.
"It brings the people in from the street," Wells
said.
The group typically has a spring show in March.
Saturday's show attracted vendors from around
Indiana, Ohio and Michigan, selling a variety of
items, including new and old coins, domestic and
foreign coins, proof sets and supplies to store
and display coins.
Charlie Bakle, a vendor from Defiance, Ohio, was
in Marion for his fourth show. He decided to
come back after doing well at the group's last
spring show.
"I sold a lot of supplies," he said.
This time, he brought more books and plastic
coin holders. He also has an extensive coin
collection, spanning three long, folding
tables. Still, he said Saturday he was
selling mostly supplies.
"The economy's not good, so they're not
selling the better stuff," Bakle said.
Richard Martin, Logansport, said he's been
visiting Marion's coin shows for more than
40 years.
"We've been selling a little bit of
everything," he said Saturday.
He called Saturday "good coin weather."
"You don't want it too nice," he said, adding
people would be more likely to do yard work
or go golfing.
John Chapel, vice president of the Marion
club, said Saturday's show was going well.
"We usually run somewhere between 400 and
500 people," he said, roughly halfway through
the day after 300 people had already walked
through.
Terwillegar also said he was happy with the
number of people at the show.
"It's as good as our spring show, and that's
good," he said.
Although many of the collectors make money
from their collections - Terwillegar has a
one-cent coin valued at roughly $750 - many
say they do it for fun, not for the money.
Terwillegar said he's particularly fond of
Indian head pennies and Walking Liberty
half dollars.
Wells said Saturday's show had a variety of
vendors, with some offering strictly foreign
or strictly silver coins, and others
selling a mixture.
The Marion Coin Club meets at 6:30 p.m. the
first Monday of every month in the Marion
Public Library. Membership is $2 for the
year, the same price it's been for the
past 50 years.
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