• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

SLNA St. Louis Show Report, February 17, 2006 with Sunday update

9 posts in this topic

I just returned from the SLNA show and thought I would post a brief report.

 

My son, Jack, accompanied me to the St. Louis show this late morning (off from school for parent-teachers meetings), and we both noticed that the Hilton parking lot was more full than we had ever seen it.

 

When we finally made it to the registration desk, a very surly older woman scolded my son and warned him not to leave my side. Yeah, have a nice day, too, lady.

 

The place was jam packed. I have been to at least a half dozen shows here over the last few years, and I have never before seen so many people in the room. It was uncomfortable trying to get down the aisles. After a bit, I stopped trying. Money seemed to be changing hands very freely. For a change, there seemed to be quite a bit more PCGS material out there than I am accustomed to seeing.

 

Today's visit was mostly about my son. He wanted a colorful coin, and he quickly scanned cases until he found a pair that he liked. He was expensive taste! He chose a PCGS OGH MS-65 Morgan with fabulous reverse toning, and I had to pay up for the coin, certainly more than I would ever hope to pay for a Morgan (my previous max was $50!). I tried to talk him instead into a 54-S MS-65 very delightfully diffuse rainbow colored Frankie, but he insisted that "Uncle" Russ would not stand for it. Actually, when he found what he liked, he knew immediately and never wavered and chose a pretty killer coin, IMO. Sharing the table was a nice gentleman named Dennis King from San Antonio who spent some time with my son, taught him a little about buffalo nickels and sold him two for his set. He treated Jack the way one would want their children to be treated at coin shows.

 

At this point, we met up with kcnovice, who drove in from KC. I brought a few rare date gold coins to show him, we talked rare date gold a bit, and he gave my son a one once silver medal from the state of Idaho. I have never met Chris before, but he is very nice, and I hope he joins the fold. We parted.

 

As I noted in another thread, I needed two more coins for my type set, a braided hair half cent and a WM seated half. I checked Tom Reynolds table for the half cent and none were right for me. He always has a beautiful selection of early copper, and looking at it makes me feel like I am at the Godiva shop or Hershey's factory. Yum!

 

Then, I swung by the Early US (James Garcia) table. Chatting with James is always a highlight of my visit to any St. Louis show. He's a great guy and always has some cool coins for sale and some from his personal collection to show me, which is coming along quite nicely if I may add. This time, he was so busy we barely had time to talk. However, sharing his table was former partner Jade Rare Coins (Dennis) and his partner Andy and fabled former member, Tassa, whom I met for the first time. They had a single case filled to the brim with coins from the Reiver Collection. There were so many Reiver coins that it was almost obscene. I told them what I was seeking, and Andy found me a very nice 77-S seated half in AU-58, which was more than I was planning to spend, but I liked the coin enough to go for it. Dennis dug out a 50 1/2 cent in decent AU which was a good visual match for my braided hair large cent, and I sprung for it also.

 

Just then, Jack makes the deal of the day. Andy offered Jack 8 rolls of Unc early (59-62) Lincoln Memorial Cents for five dollars. Jack, reaching deep into his first grade math, replied "No way!" Then, Andy countered, "How about three dollars?" Jack agreed and sealed the deal. I told Andy we would be back with three million dollars later in the afternoon to pick up four million dollars worth of Lincolns!

 

The place was packed, loud, and hot, and we were hungry . We called it a day and went for lunch. It was a fun father-son day at the coin show. Hopefully, there will me more such days in the future. Now, it's off to work...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for taking the time to post a great report. Sounds like a great show and good times! You've got to love dealers who take care of the kids.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

RYK,

 

Good to see you on this "side of the street"!

 

It's getting busier and busier - Sleepy Hollow isn't so Sleepy anymore.

 

Great Report, too! grin.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<<Awesome report......what was for lunch?>>

 

Thanks. smile.gif Fish and chips for me, burger for the boy. I miss you across the street, TW.

 

<<Thanks for sharing that. How old is your son?>>

 

My son is seven. You have to start them early. wink.gif

 

<<It's getting busier and busier - Sleepy Hollow isn't so Sleepy anymore.

>>

 

sleeping.gifwink.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I returned to the show on Sunday morning for an hour or so to transact some of my own business. It was icy cold this morning in St. Louis with the thermometer registering 7 degrees Fahrenheit (weather update sponsored by JJ Teaparty).

 

My first stop with Silvertowne to sell some silver quarter and dime rolls--they were paying 6.3 times face.

 

I finally got some face time with James Garcia, Early US coins, and I consigned a couple coins to him and bought the last coin for my type set (37-S buffalo nickel) and a 1923 SLQ for my next album set. He had quite a good show, as did most of the dealers with whom I spoke.

 

The tables were about half empty, and this trends was accelerating, in part due to the fact that the fire alarm kept going off, along with the automated PA message asking everyone to leave the hotel. The remaining tables were almost all occupied with customers most of the time that I was present.

 

I found one Dahlonega $5 that I really need and have had hard time locating. It had a weak MM and the originality was suspect (I have a hard time judging the color of the coin with the lighting in the large ballroom. It was in a PCGS holder and otherwise looked nice for the grade. Those with the weak mintmark usually sell for a discount compared to the strong mintmark, and the price quoted for this coin was reasonably strong about 75% Trends. My rule is, "when in doubt, PASS". This dealer will be in Baltimore, and I will have the coin checked out by someone I trust better than myself.

 

I did see in the antechamber to the ballroom in a dealer case a lovely, original 43-C small date QE in a PCGS VF-30 holder. It had pristine surfaces and was attractive for the grade (in a way that only a southern gold specialist could love). I did not know that this is the rarest date in the series at the time (just checked at home). Had I known...

 

There was an interesting raw 1840-D $5 marked for a very low price. I asked to see it, and it was immediately apparent why. While the obverse was decent XFish, the reverse had been cleaned and had some unusual central damage with pitting, the likes of which I have never seen before. In thinking about this coin and its presence on the bourse, it should come as no surprise. Most coins on the bourse have been seen by thousands of eyes and often by the eyes of many specialists in the past. A diamond in the rough, especially in rare date gold, is quite difficult to come by even if I could recognize it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites