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Very Late Baltimore Show Report

Started by TomB,

8 posts in this topic

TomB

TomB

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One of the really wonderful things about the larger shows is that many folks will write a show report and one gets to read these experiences through the articles, posts or blogs of all stripes of collectors and dealers. I also enjoy writing a show report since it can help those who were not able to make it to the show in person and sometimes these reports start a discussion that can bring to light other interesting topics or details. This show report has been a week in the making; not so much because I had volumes to write about, but more because I’ve not been feeling all that well since returning from Baltimore. Given the time gap between the show and this report, I have no doubt that some details will be missing.

 

Before I get into the workings of the show, I would like to share my experience at my hotel. I had booked a room at the Holiday Inn just two blocks from the Convention Center and this room was booked in early February or late January. In other words, I booked at least six-weeks in advance. I booked through the Whitman hotel booking link and requested that I not be placed into what the Holiday Inn calls the West Tower. This is a detached, several story building that looks like a dorm and that neither feels as secure as the main building, nor does it feel as though it has the amenities of the main building. My confirmation email showed this request to avoid the West Tower. Upon arrival at the Holiday Inn I was given a room in the West Tower. I told the hotel clerk that I had specifically requested that I not be put into that building and she looked up my reservation. She then proceeded to tell me that there was no note in my reservation about avoiding the West Tower and that the Holiday Inn was overbooked for the night, which would preclude a room switch. At that point I logged into my email to show her that I had, indeed, made the request and that it was in my reservation record. She then told me that when booking through the Whitman site that no requests are shared with the hotel. In other words, there is no communication between Whitman and the hotels when one books through the link on the Whitman who page. I found this hard to believe. Upon entering my room I then checked online to see that the Holiday Inn was still listing rooms as available even though I was told at the front desk that they were overbooked. At that point I sent an email off to the hotel manager and never received a response. That is my last stay at this Holiday Inn and I would advise caution to anyone who might think of booking in this hotel.

 

Although my shows generally begin a day or two before the official show starts so that I can lot view and meet with clients, I find it sometimes better to simply dive into the show itself. Thursday was lightly attended, but Thursdays are always lightly attended and they are also probably the best day of each show for me. Those collectors who clear the time in their schedules and make the effort to attend on Thursdays are likely, on average, a bit more aggressive in their coin buying strategy and often bring cool items to sell, too. This allows for rapid turnover during the early part of the show, a good flow of money back and forth and the ability to bring back cool coins for clients. It can also do wonders for the optimism on the floor, or lack thereof. Aside from the business conducted on Thursday, I like this day the quite a bit because it is the most relaxed day for many shows. In my experience, fellow dealers are likely to tell more stories, be at ease and simply have greater energy early in a show. Truly, if you have only attended shows on Saturdays when many have already left and others are thinking about the trip home then it might be a heck of an experience to get to a show earlier in the week. I was able to purchase a few nice Seated Liberty type coins (none of which made it home with me for inventory); a great Barber dime; and a wonderful 1839-O RE half dollar (also a coin that did not make it back with me). Similarly, many inventory friends were sold including the aforementioned new purchases and what I consider the loveliest Jefferson nickel I have ever handled. Dinner with clients took me deep into the evening.

 

Friday saw the floor burst into action with crowded aisles and many more collectors and/or vest pocket dealers making the rounds. The difference between Thursday and Friday is remarkable and I am happy that in the few moments of downtime I had between the two days that I was able to formulate a plan for Friday. There were two coins shown to me that I really would like to buy, but unfortunately neither dealer could come up with a price at this time and I think the two coins are in sales limbo with the idea that they will either be offered at strong money or cracked out for regrade. More time was spent in small meetings with clients and coins were sold. An incredibly toned (for the issue) Washington quarter also managed to enter the fold. I heard many good comments from collectors about lot viewing for the Legend-Morphy auction. Dinner again took me late into the evening until I had to break away from the group of dealers I was eating with in order to meet up with a pair of clients to discuss some pieces. That really pushed the night back quite a bit, but at least that meeting was held in my lovely West Tower hotel room.

 

Probably the strangest day at any of these shows is Saturday. The show is obviously not over, the dealer after dealer packs up and leaves as their schedule of flights or other arrangements dictates. It gets to clear out pretty quickly after noon, but I always feel badly for those folks who have just arrived and are running around rather madly to see all the dealers they came to see in order to get something done before everyone goes home. I stayed later than usual for me and had a rather uneventful trip back home. Since then, I have felt like a dog, but thought that if this show report was ever going to get written that it would have to be written pretty darn soon.

 

Show details follow-

 

* Every dealer whom I showed the Canadian gold $10 coins to mentioned how much they liked the quality of the pieces and the fact that they had original skin. This is obviously a US-based show so I did not sell tons of these coins, but they were greatly admired.

 

* The original skin Canadian gold coins I had with me were in stark contrast to the previously graded Canadian gold that I had seen on the floor. This was like night and day.

 

* I had a lovely 1916-S WLH in an ICG F12 holder that was ignored by every dealer who went through my coins. This particular piece was not even picked up or examined even a single time. It appeared that having a coin in an ICG holder was the kiss of death to liquidity. Finally, I sold the coin to a dealer who primarily sells raw coins and he was going to crack it out.

 

* As always, really cool coins were really tough to find (for me).

 

* The auction seemed like it was of lower overall quality than many other recent auctions.

 

* There appeared to be greater interest in quality Seated dollars of all grades.

 

* Quality circulated Seated Liberty coins of all denominations sold well and/or for strong money.

 

* A hoard of California fractional gold must have been dispersed because it seemed to be in more dealer cases and was present in large numbers in these cases.

 

* Several dealers asked me to pre-screen CAC submissions for them and a few inferred that they thought the coins “would do better” if submitted under my name. That simply isn’t the case.

 

* The blue-white PCGS holder was all over and I think it looks cheap and amateurish. Please also note that I thought the prong holders were awful when I first saw them and now I think they are fine, so this may be due to the new nature of the blue-white holders, but I strongly doubt it.

 

* Quite a few dealers and collectors commented that in-show grading was king/fair early in the show but tougher/less fair later in the show. This could all just be personal bias for what folks submitted, so take it with a grain of salt.

 

* This wasn’t a bad Baltimore show, but it didn’t have the great feel that many spring Baltimore shows have.

 

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