Santa Clara show, wholesale OK, but a retail disaster.

[truthteller]

How do you kill one of the best regional shows in the country? Double the admission fee to $8.00 and raise the table fees 10%.

 

Thursday: I arrived at the show at about 12 noon. Fairly active with wholesale activity. Retail was OK, for about an hour, then dead for the rest of the day. Several out of state dealers showed up for a few HOURS, then left. Many, many empty tables, and for this show, it was very sad to see. I talked to two local dealers who rarely set up, they got calls from the promotor in the last few weeks asking to set up. I perused the floor from 3PM to 5:30PM. I looked for some nicer grade Mexico, found some nicer pieces, had plenty of time to also look for commems. Color coins were non existant, save for some outrageously priced nice commems, no monsters, just nice. Several dealers were very busy wholesalewise, but again, pickings were slim. I hoped to see more retail on Saturday.

 

 

Saturday: I arrived at the show at about 12:30PM. Was very disappointed to see little retail traffic. This show is always bustling on Saturday, but not this time. I again searched for better Mexican coinage, again finding some nicer pieces buried in dealer boxes. I talked to over 10 dealers who were absolutely upset with the new admission fees, which scared away retail. One dealer shouted in frustration that the show should be wall to wall traffic, but literally you could roll a bowling ball down the main aisle and hit no one by 3PM. The vast majority of east coast dealers packed up early Sat., a few locals were gone by 4PM and most of the mom and pop dealers were disappointed.

 

I cannot comment on the auction, since I did not attend. Overall, I was pleased that I was able to pick up some nicer Mexican, one raw PL Roanoke(MS67, but bought it cheap since the dealer thought the PL was polishing ). That coin made the show, since it may very well be a presentation piece. Yet, I felt concern for the many mom and pop dealers who definitely saw retail traffic at a new low, and this in a hot market.

 

 

 

TRUTH

[gmarguli]

How do you kill one of the best regional shows in the country? Double the admission fee to $8.00 and raise the table fees 10%.

 

I wonder if we can expect the same for Long Beach as it's run by the same people.

[Count_Erfit]

Hmmmmmm..... I wonder..........naaaahhhh...... but .... m a y b e ...

 

Retail may be put off a tad by almost any desirable coin earlier than 1950 being somewhere around a month's pay .?.?.?

 

[Count_Erfit]

t-teller, another negative is the CRAZY stuff in slabs. I saw quite a few early golds that were OBVIOUS polish (and ....hard....polish) in REGULAR slabs.

Not ANACS netters, but real HTG supposedly ...strict.... company slabs.

 

If they're allowing "rug-rubs" in as "market grading" it is bound to have an effect as word gets out.

 

 

The SAD part is the straight faces while quoting prices for those headlights.

[kranky]

Truth, now that the show turned out the way it did, what do you think will happen next time? A return to the old pricing, or stubborn resistance to changing it?

 

$8 for a coin show is a lot. I know Goose wouldn't pay it!

[CarlWohlforth]

Well, if you rolled a bowling ball down the center aisle you would have hit me! While I think you are exagerating slightly it did seem a slow show. I didn't like paying $6 to get in (after the $2 discount coupon I printed from the website). Most of the folks I spoke with had a slow show retail wise. But isn't the Spring show always much slower than the November show? I heard people say that folks stayed home to enjoy the nice weather after weeks of rain or to do their taxes. Personally I'm taking a break from doing my taxes right this minute.

 

I hear they will have a show this July. I can't see how that will be big. I'm traveling to visit my Mom in Washington State so probably will miss that one.

[stman]

The Santa Clara show has always been my favorite show. Always looked forward to it and usually spent quite a bit of money (for my budget anyway.)

 

Hmmm, I wonder if the poor attendance could be that us collectors have been told by many dealers if you can't be there Friday (and now Santa Clara is open to the public Thursday) that Saturday they leave early and FORGET about Sunday.

 

They are "Tired" and that's the way it is and to just accept it. Add in, when you go on Thursday many dealers haven't set up, although they have dealer set up the day before.

 

So for me I've accepted their terms in this market and haven't attended the last two Santa Clara shows. Ya think I'm the only collector that has had it with the attitudes of the "Strong" market? I wonder if things will change as it is apparently softening up. (although they won't admit it.)

 

Just some thoughts from the cheap seats.

[truthteller]

Frankly, I don't expect the promotor to do anything but increase prices in the future. I believe that the philosophy of commercial shows is to squeeze every last dime that can be made. The spring show is generally an active show, especially the last two years in this active market, even though it is right before tax day. November's show was generally more conducive to east coast dealer attendance due to a Heritage auction, but now there is a Superior auction at each show. I attended the Livermore(Bay Area) coin club show a couple of weeks before Santa Clara, and it was crowded and lively, and it was FREE admission. As for the national shows, like Long Beach, unless you are on a dealer's client list for specific better or cool coins, don't expect to see great collector material on the bourse, since the coins have been sold prior to the show.

 

 

TRUTH

[chinook]

I was at the Palm Beach show last week and I thought it was also slow.

 

At least I got paid to attend. No admission fee and Benchmark was giving away 2005 ASE's

[James_OldeTowne]

I have never been to Santa Clara, but I would surely expect an admission fee to really dampen sprits (and attendance) at any major show.

 

James

[Scarsdale Coin]

KC will be a benchmark.....ANA is usually the best of the spring shows....one can say that Palm was untested...it was a bad date (holiday weekend) and only the 2nd show ...however if any show should work...Palm Beach should....great location and great spot....Santa Clara could just be a fluke ....dealers beat after many long weeks, etc...but if ANA does not at least show some life...any life....then the market may be in a pull back mode...time will tell....stay tuned for the show reports from KC