Coin Show Report - Baltimore

[DaveG]

What can I saw about the Baltimore show? In a word - HUGE. I haven't been to FUN or Long Beach, but I have been to the summer ANA and Baltimore isn't much smaller, if at all. So many tables had two or three dealers that there could have easily been 1000 dealers there.

 

What coins did I see? A better question is what didn't I see! 19th Century Proof gold, the Cardinal collection of early silver dollars, high relief Saints, Pan Pac 50s, Mormon gold, Bechtler gold, etc. etc. The mind boggles!

 

I also saw a lot of garbage, especially in my specialty of no-motto O-mint gold.

 

For me, what really sank in this time was what being in a "coin bull market" means. What it means is that the "nicest" coins never hit the public bourse floor - they disappear on dealer day or get sold in hotel rooms the night before or go to auction or whatever. I guess the reason that it hasn't sunk in before is that I mostly go to Parsippany, which has experienced a rise in quality over the past couple ofyears (part of that may be because a show like Parsippany is one place where the coins from Baltimore disappear to). I did notice a difference in inventory between 3/02 (the first time I went to Baltimore) and 12/04 (the second time I went), but it didn't really sink in in December. This trip it sank in.

 

So, a low point for me - I didn't get anything substantial.

 

What were the high points?

 

1. Looking at the garbage (that I really wanted to want to buy) and not buying it reinforced my "buyer's discipline" not to buy a bad coin - you only feel the pain of paying up for a nice coin for a little while, but the pain of buying a bad coin lasts forever!

 

2. I saw some really nice coins today. I looked (drooled) on the Cardinal collection of early silver dollars; I saw some really nice 19th and 20th century proof gold; I saw some really original MS seated halves, etc., etc.

 

3. I had a very nice chat with njcoincrank, who, in an effort to cheer me up, let me look at his inventory. All I can say is WOW! (By the way, it was njcoincrank who said that the nicest material doesn't hit the floor and commented that I wasn't seeing his nicest inventory. If so, I would never survive seeing his nicer inventory, but I would die with a smile on my face!) What I did see of njcc's inventory was really heartening! I saw (and took a good look at for the first time) a Proof-65 1916 Buffalo nickel. SWEET! I had never considered owning a matte proof Buffalo, but now I may have to think about it. One slab made my jaw hit the floor - it was a MS Seated quarter with a really original look to it. OK, it wasn't "killer toning" but it was clearly original. NGC had "helpfully" put a sticker on the slab saying that the coin might benefit from a trip through NCS. WHAT THE HE-- IS WRONG WITH THEM?! Do they want every coin in America to look the same? Also, njcc said he's heard that there is definitely an update of the H-K book on So-Called Dollars in the works and that he's getting inquiries about SCDs - (clearly the next "hot" segment - my comment, not his).

 

4. I saw some more SS Republic gold coins. The coins didn't look too "bad", as in, they didn't look really horrible, but to a trained eye (even my half-trained eye), the coins dance and sing "I've been conserved".

 

So, not such a great show for me. On the other hand, maybe it's time to sell some coins and build a bankroll for the market downturn (assuming it happens in my lifetime!)

[michael]

 

you only feel the pain of paying up for a nice coin for a little while, but the pain of buying a bad coin lasts forever

 

fantastic thread daveG

[Hoot]

Thanks for the great report Dave. I'd sure love to see some of the premium stuff that you mentioned never hit the bourse.

 

Hoot

[Wihlborg]

Great show report Dave. It sounds like you had a good time at Baltimore even though you weren’t able to find anything you really wanted. Did you go down by yourself? I would guess that Tom B. couldn’t make it because of his back, but did you see Jeremy?

 

I sure hope that some of that premium stuff shows up at the next Parsippany show.

 

John

[DaveG]

John,

 

Yes, I did make the trip solo. I went down by train (and saved a little money by taking the Baltimore lightrail to and from the train station). TomB was sidelined due to his back injury. Unfortunately, I was too busy to cook up and spread a really juicy rumor about how he did it.

 

(Oh well, I guess we'll just have to start the rumor here!)

 

I did talk to Jeremy briefly. He was busy selling, though. (I wonder if he's going to be able to put himself through college through his numismatic endeavors?)

[EZ_E]

 

you only feel the pain of paying up for a nice coin for a little while, but the pain of buying a bad coin lasts forever

 

fantastic thread daveG

 

 

Outstanding summation, DaveG.

 

 

Humorous but very true comment by you, Michael!

 

[DaveG]

I forgot to mention:

 

The Wiley-Bugert book on Seated halves must really be out of stock. One of the book and supply dealers (not John Burns or Charlie Davis, but the other guy), had two copies (still in their shrink wrap) with $125 price stickers on them.

 

The same dealer had the Reiver book on early silver dollars on sale (half price?) Isn't there a new book on early dollars coming out?

[Beijim]

Super report, Dave - thanks for sharing your experiences with us.

 

Beijim

[TomB]

Thanks, Dave. Maybe someday I'll be able to walk again and we can do another Baltimore show.

[truthteller]

I happy to hear super coins are disappearing quickly. Great information. Thanks.

 

 

 

 

TRUTH

[DaveG]

Tom,

 

I'm sure you'll be able to walk again (although, maybe you'll want to take down the trapeze - you're not as young as you used to be, you know )

 

I suppose that by December, I'll be done sulking and will be able to endure some more disappointment!

[cartwheellustre-migration]

Nice report Dave. I too came back with a lot of money without buying as much as I anticipated. No biggie...I'll just us it at another time!

[etexmike]

I love hearing reports from some of the bigger shows.

 

Nothing ever comes around very close to me. The biggest show I get to hit is the TNA in Ft. Worth with about 125 to 150 dealers.

 

Gonna make a biggie one of these days.

 

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etexmike