Coin Show Capers
Beanie
Got several bargains and enjoyed the displays.
One "dealer" was offering a 1938 Canada silver dollar for $175.
The 38 is a semi-key worth about $200 in MS62.
I took a look at the coin and mentally graded it as an average VF with a few too
many bag marks to suit me.
I told the guy I'd pass and he asked me how far off on the price I thought he
was.
When I replied the coin was a VF worth about $85, I thought this guy was having
a stroke!
He told me I: a) didn't know how to grade coins, b) that the coin was a high
mint state ("Maybe MS65!") and c) I was trying to take advantage of him. (How I
don't know since it was he who asked me what I thought!)
I have a feeling this guy is going to be toting that coin around to a lot of
shows and I'll probably see it in his stock at the next show in March 2012!
OTOH I picked up some 1996 ASEs for jus a trifle over spot, a 1990 Prestige
Proof set (with the Eisenhower silver commemorative dollar) for less than spot,
several Brown Box Ike proofs for $8@ and a gorgeous 1994 AGE $5 proof for $165!
Plus several free old full color auction catalogs and a free elongated cent!
All-in-all a good show.
oly
Twenty years ago, there used-to-be a local coin(s) show within a 70
mile radius of Springpatch ever weekend between October and the end of
April.
Less than 20% of those shows still exist.
If you're buying coins for more than melt value today, reach for your
ankles & assume the position. Obviously Mr. Bean knows the score!!!
oly
Beanie
news:3432a9c4-66f3-414d...@v16g2000vbq.googlegroups.com...
>Twenty years ago, there used-to-be a local coin(s) show within a 70
mile radius of Springpatch ever weekend between October and the end of
April.
There is one regular coin show out here that meets once a month.
It's pretty much the same dealers with the same material every time but it is a
good place for buying junk silver at spot (if not less!)
The friendly corner coin shoppe is slowly disappearing also, most of the ones
left are primarily PM buyers and sellers, collector coins take a back seat.
Bremick
"Beanie" <b...@ea.ne> wrote in message news:il02li$7hq$1...@speranza.aioe.org...
Around here, most of the remaining strip mall coin shops contain a couple
motorized showcases with coins in yellowed, dusty cardboard holders, while
hoping to stay afloat by concentrating on the latest non-numismatic
collectibles du jour-- baseball cards, beanie babies, Japanese game cards,
etc. In my youth, some of these shops would also run a hand book in the
back room. As long as I could sell my junk silver on eBay for spot or
better, I wouldn't even ask what one of these shops would offer. Now, about
all my "scrap" gold.......
Beanie
"Bremick" <rem...@cox.net> wrote in message
news:il04ul$kbn$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
Back in the late 50s and early 60s there were plenty of coin/stamp shops.
The coin dealers would have a couple of trays of Lincoln cents and Buffalo
nickels, sorted in date/mint order for the kids who were filling up their blue
Whitman folders.
These shops faded away until by the 1980s there were only a few left and they
concentrated more on PMs, the trays of Lincolns and Buffalos long gone.
My local dealer has expanded his operation to several towns, just to deal in
PMs.
His main store still has numismatic items and a big box of wheat back Lincolns
(10 for $1) that the kids go thru to fill the blue Whitman folders.
Not to mention the "junk" boxes which occasionally turn up some real goodies
(1983 P&D Mint Souvenir Sets for $1@, a large size US Mint Medal for Lyndon
Johnson for $2. I cleaned out his Dollar Box of proof Roosie silver dimes and
also got a couple of small date Lincoln proofs.
Bremick
"Beanie" <b...@ea.ne> wrote in message news:il05ut$g59$1...@speranza.aioe.org...
Sounds like a shop to enjoy while it lasts. My closest dealer has far more
books, supplies, folders, and "How to collect coins & stamps" kits than
actual coins. Oddly enough, he still seems to be doing a brisk mail order
business in stamps. Shows what I know.
Beanie
He's not going anywhere soon. As I mentioned he's opening branch stores (2 in
the last year alone).
But it is a good store and he occasionally has some great deals on numismatic
items.
I've got my eye on a proof Barber quarter he has and I may buy it on my next
visit if he'll come down a trifle.
oly
> "Beanie" <b...@ea.ne> wrote in messagenews:il05ut$g59$1...@speranza.aioe.org...
>
> > "Bremick" <rem...@cox.net> wrote in message
> >news:il04ul$kbn$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
>
> >> "Beanie" <b...@ea.ne> wrote in message
> >>news:il02li$7hq$1...@speranza.aioe.org...
>
> - Show quoted text -
IMHO, most dealers with a shop make their money on the "buy" side,
selling stuff over-the-counter is secondary. If your "buys" are
right, you can always ship the stuff out or wait for a big regional
show and peddle the metal there.
Shipping does cost a lot anymore, and if a local yokel who the dealer
likes wants something, the dealer can offer a "close" or bargain price
and still possibly be ahead.
I'm not especially endorsing making money this way, just observing.
oly
mazorj
> Back in the late 50s and early 60s there were plenty of coin/stamp shops.
> The coin dealers would have a couple of trays of Lincoln cents and Buffalo
> nickels, sorted in date/mint order for the kids who were filling up their
> blue Whitman folders.
> These shops faded away until by the 1980s there were only a few left and
> they concentrated more on PMs, the trays of Lincolns and Buffalos long
> gone.
> My local dealer has expanded his operation to several towns, just to deal
> in PMs.
> His main store still has numismatic items and a big box of wheat back
> Lincolns (10 for $1) that the kids go thru to fill the blue Whitman
> folders.
> Not to mention the "junk" boxes which occasionally turn up some real
> goodies (1983 P&D Mint Souvenir Sets for $1@, a large size US Mint Medal
> for Lyndon Johnson for $2. I cleaned out his Dollar Box of proof Roosie
> silver dimes and also got a couple of small date Lincoln proofs.
Back in the 1960s the largest local department store chain in my area had a
coin counter in its downtown store. I presume it was run by a third party
but it was well stocked, not just a few revolving trays. That's where, the
day after his assassination, I bought the large bronze JFK presidential
medal complete with a small metal display easel. Still have it and the
receipt to show provenance. I think it was the basis for the JFK half
dollar design.
The coin counter disappeared right about the time that Montgomery Ward and
other retailers were getting rid of their firearms counters. I was
disappointed by both actions, but times and retailing trends change.
Independent stand-alone camera shops, the kind with miles of shelves crammed
with every conceivable photographic item and accessory, are an endangered
species. There used to be 4-5 that I could hit while checking the downtown
department store coin counter. Now there is only one. Luckily for me it's
far from downtown, just 10 minutes from my suburban home. Go figure.
Beanie
"mazorj" <maz...@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:il0m41$vkl$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
About 25 years ago, Macy's flagship store in Herald Sqaure had a coin and stamp
department, clearly run by a third party. Last time I visited the store a few
years ago it was gone.
Back in the 1960s Gimbels had a large stamp and coin department, probably third
party run also.
In those days I was more into stamp collecting and longingly eyed the Zeppelin
airmail stamps they had displayed there.
Does anyone collect stamps anymore?
Bremick
"Beanie" <b...@ea.ne> wrote in message news:il0odr$4gg$1...@speranza.aioe.org...
Do that many people even mail letters anymore (holiday cards don't count).
My brother has my late father's thick US stamp album. Dad collected them as
a kid before WW I. Loads of stamps from the 1800's. The last time we asked
an "expert" about them, he claimed it was too bad they were hinged. Hmmph.
Elitist. I'd bet there are a lot fewer unused 1800's stamps around than
uncirculated coins. But I wouldn't bet a lot.
Beanie
> Do that many people even mail letters anymore (holiday cards don't count).
Outside of the odd bill or two per year that I can't pay online and
holiday/birthday cards omitted, I probably send 1 or 2 letters a year, if that.
That doesn't include packages I send thru the US Mail but lately I've started to
use UPS for non Media Rate items since they give better service and many times
cost less than USPS.
Speaking of stamps, I have a couple of shoe boxes filled with First Day Covers
from the 40s and 50s that someone gave me after tiring of listing them on eBay
for 99 cents each.
I enjoyed looking thru them but they now reside in a closet so my heirs can
fight over them after I plotz. ;)
Bremick
"Beanie" <b...@ea.ne> wrote in message news:il0sjd$get$1...@speranza.aioe.org...
How about advertising them on eBay as "First Strike" issues.
Jud
> Speaking of stamps, I have a couple of shoe boxes filled with First Day Covers
> from the 40s and 50s that someone gave me after tiring of listing them on eBay
> for 99 cents each.
> I enjoyed looking thru them but they now reside in a closet so my heirs can
> fight over them after I plotz. ;)
My father collected First Day Covers, and had quite a few, going back
to the 1920's. Dad died a few years ago and step-mom is trying to sell
them, and isn't even being offered face value of the stamps. He
probably bought them with silver coins too! Imagine if he had just
saved the coins.
Richard L Hall
"Beanie" <b...@ea.ne> wrote in message news:il0odr$4gg$1...@speranza.aioe.org...
engineering, sports, presidents, movie actors, etc., but I am not as active
as I once was.
At the last NOVA Coin and Stamp show in January, I did buy a couple of stamp
books from 1978, one about the presidents from Washington to Carter and the
other about their first ladies. Each president or first lady was allotted
two double thick pages of information and a cancelled envelope which fit
into slots on one of the pages (they were double thick so the envelop
corners wouldn't stick through). The envelopes had a portrait of the
president or first lady and two stamps. It was like an FDC but the
cancellation was from 1978 on the actual birthday of the individual and from
his/her actual birthplace. I thought it was interesting since I already
have a set of presidential medals that I bought from the mint a few years
ago and I am working on the presidential dollar set and the First Spouse
medals set.
I paid $25 for the pair. Since each envelope had from 15c to 18c postage on
it, I would guess that they cost much more than that when originally
purchased. The only drawback was that the envelopes were addressed to the
person who bought them originally. But I get lots and lots of address
stickers from various groups and I plan to fix that some day by putting my
name and address sticker over that persons.
--
Richard
http://www.richlh.com