Show Report: Parsippany, NJ (10/3)

[airplanenut]

As you may have seen from other posts this week, I went to the Parsippany show today, which is a monthly show with around 80 dealers. Today I got there at 8:30 (half an hour early, but that's no problem... you can get in then). My main focus was still to get a nice MS large cent, and some toned stuff on the side. I was also looking for a few botanical garden commems for a board member.

 

While there was a lot of nice material, nothing really spoke to me. The few MS large cents were drab, and the one that I saw that fit my criteria of nice and glossy was a better variety (which I don't care about) and 3-4x what I wanted to pay... dang! The only other coin that really even piqued my interest was an NGC MS62 standing liberty quarter--it was about as clean as a 64, but obviously very dipped and not original, hence the grade... yet it was still priced very high--I think above 63 money. So another pass.

 

What the day was good for, though, was talking with people. NJCoinCrank (Bill) was allowing the viewing of some inventory, and DaveG, TomB, Oreville, John Wihlborg, and myself were enjoying looking through it and talking (Bustman had already left by this time). Bill's coins were absolutely gorgeous and simply a pleasure to look at, although they were all out of my range. At one point, while at his table, someone came up and pulled one of the boxes of his coins (an Intercept shield 2 row box, which holds some 60+ slabs...BIG box) just a tad. Bill showed that he's really paying attention to everything going on, and pretty much grabbed the box back, and then when asked, wouldn't show the coins--more than rightfully so. So two things learned from that: 1- Always be aware of everything happening at a show. 2- If you want to see something, ASK.

 

Later in the show, Tom, Dave, John, and I did some show-and-tell (Dave couldn't stay through the entire show). Tom showed some unbelieveably wild mint-set toned roosies and washingtons, along with some gorgeous circulated type, such as two 1795 dollars, a 1796 quarter in textbook perfect F12, a 1794 half dollar, as well as some others. He also showed three beautiful toned proof Indians. GORGEOUS!

 

John showed off some of his commems and buffalo nickels--some white, some toned, but all just flat-out beautiful. If the effort he put into his buff and commem sets were put into any set, I'm sure he could convince anyone to collect any type of coin. As always, it was more than just a pleasure to see what he had brought.

 

In the end, I ended up with two toned jefferson nickels (raw) from Tom, but bought nothing else at the show. It figures that since I actually had some real money to spend, I managed to spend almost nothing. Regardless, the time I was able to spend talking and showing-and-telling was more than worth going to the show. All-in-all, a great experience, just without what I was looking for. Oh, well, there's always next month

 

Jeremy

[Here]

Thanks Jeremy, it's always nice to read people's reports on shows. When you don't have local shows (very often) to go to, reading about them is the next best thing.

 

 

Jerry

[DaveG]

Jeremy,

 

You obviously type faster than I do!

 

It was good to see everyone today (after the somewhat long summer)!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

p.s., What, no confession Jeremy? I didn't mention it because I expected that you would.

[John Maben]

Great report Jeremy!

[Wihlborg]

Well, as Jeremy & Dave have already posted, TomB, Jeremy, Dave, and I met up at the Parsippany show today and we had a great time! I got to meet and talk to Oreville for a few minutes before he had to leave, and he was a really nice guy. I also met NJCoinCrank, and as Jeremy has said, he has some truly awesome coins.

 

I went to the show hoping to find an early commem or two for my set. There was a fair amount of some of the more common issues available, however the quality of what was available was low end to average in my opinion, nothing that would jump out at you, if you know what I mean. There was also a noticeable lack of the rarer issues.

 

I was able to find two nice buffalo’s, a 1914d and a 1934d. Both coins are in PCGS holders and are graded MS-65. Both of them are light gold with excellent luster. The ‘14d also as a little bit of light blue peaking out from beneath the gold on the obverse.

 

The highlight of the day was the ‘show ‘n’ tell’. TomB showed a little bit of everything, from cents to dollars. Whether they were circulated type coins or a toned mint state coin, what they all had in common was that they had a fantastic look to them. Jeremy also showed some nice coins, including a few really nicely toned Morgan dollars.

 

Overall, a nice way to spend a Sunday morning!

 

John

[Hoot]

Sounds like a fantastic show to have attended! Would love to have been there! I'm always interested in the various "show and tell" sessions.

 

"The only other coin that really even piqued my interest was an NGC MS62 standing liberty quarter" Too bad that coin made you so jealous or offended you so, Jeremy! And hey, what's TOM doing selling you Jefferson nickels???

 

Hoot

[TomB]

Since Jeremy and John have posted their experiences from the show in this thread, I guess I will, too.

 

It was nice to be back at the Parsippany show as I had missed the last three. It was also odd being there since I had taken a table for ten years straight and now I was walking the floor with no "home base", if you will. It also felt somewhat like I was running for political office as nearly every dealer whom I spoke with had to shake my hand and talk to me for a bit. That's nice, I guess people had noticed that I wasn't around.

 

Early on I ran into Bustman who had an absolutely gorgeous coin he was selling and, if it weren't for the fact that I was trying to keep my expenses down at this show, I think I would have snapped it up. As I spoke with Bustman, Jeremy came by and was taking out some of his beauties for us to look at. I only looked at a few and then excused myself to check out what was on the floor. Shortly after I left there was a small disturbance coming from the area where Bustman and Jeremy were standing. It seems that they were standing a little too close to one of the dealers' tables for his comfort, and he complained to the show manager that they might be doing business in the aisle while blocking him out. This was not an accurate assumption but, having been on both sides of the table, I can see the dealers' point. I doubt that anyone who was farther than ten feet away would have noticed a thing, but I was closer.

 

Walking the bourse produced the typical observations of seeing way too many tampered with, low end, no eye appeal coins while also producing some exquisite coinage. However, as is normally the case, the nexus of relative affordability and exquisite quality was vanishingly small. My purchases consisted of two original Barber halves in VF. Also, I received valuable instruction from njcoincrank about the Indian eagle series that is truly applicable to every series. This was a short course in response to a question that I posed regarding a coin he had for sale. His illustration was concise, on the mark and something that I already know, however, had let myself forget in this instance. It was nice to have it hammered home so as to avoid a wallet-killing mistake. Orville was also there and we spoke briefly, this was the first chance that we had to chat in person for about a year. The last time we talked at length was when I still had a table.

 

The show-and-tell was the definite highlight of the afternoon. Jeremy brought his "A" box and had many other cool coins, as well. Folks, if you are looking for a proof Lincoln Memorial cent with fabulous color then send Jeremy a PM as he has two of them that are terrific. They pass the TomB eye appeal test without a hitch. His other proof Lincoln Memorial cent, the one that I had previously given him a hard time about, was still there and I believe I might have savaged it again. John was quite a bit more polite about the coin, but given the fact that John is quite a bit nicer than I am it meant that his non-endorsement rang in my ears as a clarion call to attack! Jeremy is also getting together quite the little hoard of crescent and otherwise toned Morgans and he does it without breaking the bank. There is something to be learned there.

 

Dave brought with him a smaller hoard of circulated, problem-free, original and choice Seated coinage. Considering what he was looking for, he brought quite a few pieces, as Seated coinage is typically abused about as much as any series save for Barber coinage. The ANACS graded, with stars dime was really nice and I emphasize that because I don't care for the with stars design as much since it tends to clutter up the obverse and make everything clunky. He also promised to finally deliver some very interesting reading. Hurry up and mail it! Unfortunately, Dave had to run off much sooner than any of us, so he didn't get to here me drone on and on and on...

 

The one person who showed very good sense was John's daughter, as she split as soon as we all got together to show coins. John produced some wonderful pieces that illustrate the breadth of "the look" to encompass completely white, lusterous original and superb coinage to coins that are the embodiment of terrific, natural toning. I've not yet seen his complete commem set in person, but it would likely be something worth displaying at the ANA or FUN since many folks would learn quite a bit about what it is they should look for simply by studying them. The snow white Vancouver, dramatically toned Delaware and softly blue-violet Buffalo were personal highlights of the lot that he brought. Also with him was his icon coin; this is one that causes me considerable angst as I saw that coin before John did, at the Boston show, but the dealer was never at his table to give me a price. Next thing I know, the coin is virtually impounded, at least I get visitation rights, though. For those of you who find it hard to believe, the coin really does look like the image.

 

Lastly, I went on....and on....and on....and on, until I think someone kicked me to shut up. I must admit that Jeremy, Dave and John did an excellent job of not having their eyes glaze over.

 

I had a blast.