Coin Show Report - GSNA Convention, Somerset, NJ

[DaveG]

Unfortunately, this will be a somewhat brief show report, as I didn't get around as much of the floor as I usually would.

 

Today I went to the three-day, 50 dealer show and annual convention of the Garden State Numismatic Association in Somerset, NJ.

 

The show runs from Thursday to Saturday and I, like many people, usually attend on Saturdays, so the "usual comment" about not attending a multi-day coin show on the last day doesn't apply, as Saturdays are usually the busiest day of the show.

 

In my experience, this show is unique in that the bourse floor never seems busy, but dealers come back year after year and most dealers report they are happy to do the show - my only explanation is that the collectors who do attend are there to buy.

 

Although a number of the dealers are regulars at the monthly Parsippany show, bourse chariman Tom Hyland does a really great job attracting dealers who don't usually do shows in New Jersey - for example, today "D-ick" Osburn Rare Coins was in attendance for the first time (I believe).

 

Overall, I have to say that the show was a little quieter than usual today. A couple of dealers reported that their best day was Thursday, which confirms that today was relatively quiet.

 

Because I've been a member of the New Jersey Numismatic Society for about 8 years and have been going to the Parsippany show for about 20 years, I find that the GSNA show has a different atmosphere from most coin shows for me - I know so many of the dealers and collectors that the show has an almost "family" feel to it and a much more relaxed atmosphere than a typical coin show.

 

(For those of you who are wondering why New Jersey has two state-wide clubs, the NJNS has monthly meetings, but doesn't put on a show or produce a Journal, while the GSNA has no public meetings, but puts on an annual show and produces a Journal.)

 

One very notable absence this year was book dealer John Burns, who used to set up in the lobby - he was always my first and last stop at the show. This year, the show's exhibits were in his location instead, including a very nice memorial display in John's honor.

 

As I said, I didn't get around the floor much today, as I wanted to sell some of my ephemera. I spent a lot of time with a couple of dealers and afterwards, dealers started packing up around 1:00 p.m., which is a bit early in my experience. The show is scheduled to close at 4:00 p.m. and it usually starts winding up around 2:30 p.m., so this reinforces my impression that the show was a bit quieter than usual.

 

I do want to comment on Bill Shamhart's (Numismatic Americana) table - always a high point of any show. Today he had 20 counter-stamped Stone Mountain commemoratives (all PCGS slabbed) and a 1794 large cent in a PCGS MS-66+ slab. (I now feel that I don't need to ever see another large cent, as I don't think I could see a nicer one.)

 

Bill Goetz was at the show for perhaps the first time - he deals in medals and world coins. I usually see him at the New York International and drool over his inventory every time.

 

On an "amusing" note, Tom Hyland had three silver Roosevelt dimes from the 1950's in NGC MS-66 slabs. The slabs were NGC 4's (1989 through 1992) and looked as pristine as the day the coins were slabbed. I wonder what collector felt that MS-66 Roosies were worth slabbing and then kept them hidden for the last couple of decades.

 

All-in-all, it was a satisfying show for me (I sold a lot of stuff) and if you live within 100 miles of the show, I encourage you to attend!

 

 

edited to add: the post may be long, but the show report is brief!

[RWB]

Bill Shamhart's (Numismatic Americana) table can take half a day to view! Exellent stuff....Take the other half day and visit John K's tables.

[leeg]

Thanks for the report Dave.

 

(thumbs u

[JJSingleton]

I was up in NJ back in 2003 visiting with my mom when she still lived there and attended the show. (I was raised in NJ, though I keep that a secret ) It was a nice show and I even ran into a few folks I knew from attending other shows.

 

Bill Shamhart is one of the great talents in numismatics. A few of my very trusted advisers hold him in the highest of regards. I bought an amazing Monroe commem from him about a year and a half ago. Paid very strong money but do not regret it. Monroe commems like that do not come around very often.

 

Being a Georgia boy now I sure would have liked to have seen those Counterstamped Stone Mountains. Knowing Bill I am sure they were not the typical and quite special.

[BKW]

I agree with Dave; the show always has a very relaxed and friendly feel. I usually spend more time just chatting with dealers at this show than any other. It's a great regional show that attracts dealers from all over the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Dealers come from as far away as Massachusetts and Virginia.

 

I was there Friday morning and traffic was decent but not so much so that you couldn't get to dealer cases. My first stop was at D-ick Osburn's table (he was definitely there last year too but I'm not sure about the year before). I was looking for a toned Capped Bust dime but to no avail. He did have a beautifully toned CB half dime in MS61 which I almost bought. It was a 58+++++ that was market graded to 61 because it was an exceptional piece. I also made a b-line for Bill's table cause he doesn't come to the Parsippany show. He had a high end Wealth of the South token that I would have loved to own but I'm not putting that kind of money into my Civil War set at this time. I spent about an 1 1/2 hour total on the floor and stopped by to chat with some of the usual suspects like Jim Polonsky of J&H coins. I picked up a beautiful, wholly original Classic Head quarter eagle from Jim a couple of weeks ago in Parsippany (NGC AU55 CAC - wish I had a picture of it).

 

I didn't buy anything at the show which ended up being a good thing since, when I got home, I found out we needed an entirely new central A/C unit put in the house. There goes the coin budget for a while