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Getting excited for Baltimore - anyone going?
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Started by The Neophyte Numismatist,

23 posts in this topic

RWB

RWB

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Decided not to go to Baltimore. Could not find a strong reason to dive the 50 miles, pay for parking, wander around for an hour and drive home. It's an excellent bourse if you are buying or selling coins - but there simply not much there for researching, etc.

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DWLange

DWLange

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You could research the calorie count at the concession stand...

All kidding aside, I'm sorry you won't be there.

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RWB

RWB

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On 11/9/2021 at 4:29 PM, DWLange said:

You could research the calorie count at the concession stand...

All kidding aside, I'm sorry you won't be there.

I think I'd skip the concession stand anyway -- I've seen how hotdogs are made.

With events gradually restarting, much of the emphasis is on buying/selling - something I do only for research purposes. With my present projects focused on restriking of circulation and pattern pieces, there's nothing I could afford to purchase, even if it would aid the project. I suspect NGC, PCGS and ANACS will be very busy....Maybe NGC can have a transparent "Bucket 'o' Fakes" into which they might toss all the phony coins presented to them for authentication....?

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The Neophyte Numismatist

The Neophyte Numismatist

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This is my first “big” coin show.  I have set aside a little budget to find a coin or coins.  That sparks a question… if you had a reasonable budget to take to a coin show… would you use it to pick off a single expensive coin, or a few moderately priced (but still needed for the set) coins?

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The Neophyte Numismatist

The Neophyte Numismatist

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Had a great time and found two Half Cents for my set:

  • 1803 C-4 in NGC AU53BN CAC - This is a tough variety to find in this grade, and this one has an interesting pedigree, so I am happy to have it.
  • 1805 C-1 in PCGS MS62BN

There were a lot of great coins, smart dealers and collectors there.  I had a blast.  The coins outpaced budget, so I left plenty there for the other collectors.  Need to refill the tank and go back! :grin:

Edited by The Neophyte Numismatist
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RWB

RWB

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On 11/20/2021 at 9:58 PM, The Neophyte Numismatist said:

Had a great time and found two Half Cents for my set:

  • 1803 C-4 in NGC AU53BN CAC - This is a tough variety to find in this grade, and this one has an interesting pedigree, so I am happy to have it.
  • 1805 C-1 in PCGS MS62BN

There were a lot of great coins, smart dealers and collectors there.  I had a blast.  The coins outpaced budget, so I left plenty there for the other collectors.  Need to refill the tank and go back! :grin:

Excellent that you found a couple of nice half cents and enjoyed yourself!

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Coinbuf

Coinbuf

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On 11/10/2021 at 9:59 PM, The Neophyte Numismatist said:

This is my first “big” coin show.  I have set aside a little budget to find a coin or coins.  That sparks a question… if you had a reasonable budget to take to a coin show… would you use it to pick off a single expensive coin, or a few moderately priced (but still needed for the set) coins?

Glad that you had a good show and enjoyed the experience.   To this question you posed prior to the show, in my limited experience (I have not been to any of the east coast shows only the Long Beach show) unless I know the dealer I very seldom buy at large shows.   The reason for that is I expect the dealers have to price their coins higher in order to cover the expense of these large shows.   So I go to the only close large show, or at least I will again once the LB show does not require papers to enter the show; to see the one or two large national dealers that I know and to look.    These large shows are great for seeing a vast amount of coins in one place, but myself I have never gone to one of these shows with more than $100 to spend on coins, and I rarely ever return home with less than the original $100 I took.

When I do see a coin at the table of the one or two dealers that I will buy from they have held the item for me and I have sent them a check on the Monday following the show.   Certainly this only works with dealers that you have formed a relationship with over time. 

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The Neophyte Numismatist

The Neophyte Numismatist

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In my case, I knew the coins and the dealers that had them.  I spent most of my time with 5 dealers, but made a sweep of the bourse.  It was a lot of fun, and I am happy with the coins I walked away with.  They fill some holes.

Edited by The Neophyte Numismatist
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GBrad

GBrad

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On 11/21/2021 at 1:31 PM, The Neophyte Numismatist said:

220508718.jpg.88a16ad746be2a010ca63080a635e49f.jpg

Thank you for posting pics of your coins, I love old copper coins.  They are beautiful.  I have often thought about dabbling into Half Cents but once I saw the rarity and the prices of some of these jewels I had no other choice but to think otherwise...... lol.   I appreciate you posting the one above.  It made me do some research on the 1905, which I just learned there are three different types. I learned something new today which I strive to do each and everyday in this great hobby.  I see that this is the small 5 no stems type.  I had no knowledge of these different types (for the 1905)  but I do now.  Thanks again for teaching me something new in a roundabout manner! (thumbsu

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The Neophyte Numismatist

The Neophyte Numismatist

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On 11/22/2021 at 12:12 PM, GBrad said:

Thanks again for teaching me something new in a roundabout manner! (thumbsu

If you are into varieties... the 1804 Half Cent would be a great one to study.  There are 13 different die varieties - stemmed/stemless, crosslet/non-crosslet 4, "spiked chin"... etc.  What's more is there are many known die states for this date, making nice-sized die cracks and cuds pretty easy to add any depth to the study of the date.  Last thing on 1804 - it is one of the more common dates, so they are a little more affordable.  It is a collection unto itself!

@GBrad you are a very coin-smart; obvious by your posts.  I am glad to be able to promote a little study/help to you, too... even indirectly.   

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The Neophyte Numismatist

The Neophyte Numismatist

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On 11/22/2021 at 1:41 PM, GoldFinger1969 said:

How was the attendance -- dealers and public -- for the Baltimore Whitman Show ?

Thursday and Friday were crowded and busy.  By Saturday, a few of the bigger dealers (Stack's, Legend, etc...) didn't even set-up.  Other big dealers were gone by 1:30p.  If you showed-up after lunch on Saturday, you would have been disappointed.  Thankfully, I was able to meet with the dealers that I knew had the coins I needed. 

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GoldFinger1969

GoldFinger1969

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On 11/22/2021 at 1:47 PM, The Neophyte Numismatist said:

Thursday and Friday were crowded and busy.  By Saturday, a few of the bigger dealers (Stack's, Legend, etc...) didn't even set-up.  Other big dealers were gone by 1:30p.  If you showed-up after lunch on Saturday, you would have been disappointed.  Thankfully, I was able to meet with the dealers that I knew had the coins I needed. 

It started on a Thursday, so I can't get too worked up about bugging out on the 3rd and final day. 

Thanks for the feedback ! (thumbsu

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