Registered: 09/12/03
Posts: 15158
Loc: St. Louis, MO
Originally Posted By: mkman123
cracking out the walker? Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!
Already done ! Next, I want to bust out a lonely satin-proof buffalo !
So here are a few more observations from MY perspective only. Naturally, I target coins for my audience, and other experiences will and should differ.
- The buzz on the floor is quite strong, and I don't buy into the mantra that "only PQ moves". This is no exaggeration: ONE HALF of my sale inventory is GONE. We came in with exactly two display cases of coins, and yesterday, I compressed what's left down into one case. No biggie, as we really came here to buy more than to sell.
- Our stuff is average more or less, nothing spectacular, but really, average coins are doing just fine, thank you very much. I can get a skinny but understandable 10% margin on normal coins, no problem. I can't speak to the mega-rarity side, nor the bottom-feeder side of things, since we don't have that material with us. (No, we left all the junk back at the shop for our A-list customers ! )
- Classic commems actually show a little life IF... and only IF... they are bright, shiny, without haze, and a tad back of greysheet. I don't normally even look at these, since they've been soft for years. In fact, we sell them out of the shop at 20% (yes twenty percent) back of bid! But on a whim, I priced the ones in our case at exactly bid and have been offering them at 10 back, and some have actually moved.
- Morgans are OK at bid, Peace dollars are OK at 10% back. I can make about a 10% margin at these levels.
- Gold is down down down down and... uh... soft. Yeah, really.
- No exaggeration - 2/3 of the walkups ask "got any world coins", I reply "no", and they quickly move off. What's the deal with the darkside stuff??
- I was up until 11:00 last night tallying up. Shockingly, we have transacted something like $300,000 in total business. That's a far cry from the days that I would brag about selling $5000 at a three day local show . My total coins in: 79 certified, 14 raw.
- Confirmed - the bourse is 5 acres. The show can wear you out. TENNIS SHOES is a must!
- Lunch was across the street at some place called "Reading Market" or something like that. It's a tourist trap where you can get just about any kind of food you want, but for me, it's awfully crowded, noisy and a bit glitzy. But we managed a decent lunch, and on the way out, we ducked into some place (don't remember the name) for some locally made chocolate which was smooth and delicious. I have yet to see a single Dorito.
- Shout out for dinner at AQUA, a nice Thai restaurant at about 7th and Chestnut. For forty bucks, we were into some good shrimp stir-fry with marvelous, subtle spices and a nice drink. That included the tip!
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Proud EX-50% owner of the banned PCGS-certified Norweb/non-Norweb Wood Hibernia
My posts express my PERSONAL opinions ONLY. Please respect my right to Freedom of Speech as I respect yours.
You can live 1000 years and will be the first and last person to call the Reading Terminal Market "glitzy".
I see a lot of people talking about the patrami and cheesesteaks there. They are ok. But if you really want the best thing to get there, try the amish BBQ rib sandwich. Hands down the best gem at RTM. They might be there only on tues-thurs if I remember correctly and they hold to the same schedule. THey are in the corner on the street side that leads to the convention center.
RWBRWB
FACT if I stop posting, trillions and trillions of transistors would be out of work.
Registered: 01/03/05
Posts: 4492
There seemed to be a general good mood about the show today (Thursday). I heard a few grumblings: “I could a made four times as much if ‘they’ hadn’t screwed up and put my table so far back.” The food service area and seating is large, and approximately 20% of the available floor space is empty, but all the dealers are there dealing left, right, up, down, above the table and maybe a few below the table. ANA staff were looking tired, but all were very pleasant and helpful. Some dealers looked “dealed out” and I expect Friday to have some no-shows. Didn’t look in on the auctions: even the “cheap” lots are too expensive given the cost of postage and buyer’s fees.
Charmy Harker was a joy to meet. ANA should hire her just to spread sunshine!
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Author of “Renaissance of American Coinage” (NLG Book-of-the-Year 3 years in a row) series and “Guide Book of Peace Dollars,” NLG 2011-Best Software: “Annual Assay Commission, United States Mint, 1800-1943,” and “Silver Dollars Struck under the Pittman Act.” Federal Court-approved numismatic expert. Contributor to the Red Book, Judd Patterns and many other fine numismatic books, discoverer of two gold patterns, and author of numerous coin research articles.
jerseycat10jerseycat10
The Post-man always rings twice. Uhm... ring ring?
Registered: 02/02/10
Posts: 1650
Loc: Southern New Jersey
RWB, will you be in attendance tomorrow morning? I would like to get my copy of your Peace Dollar book signed. If so, how would I find you, or will you be roaming?
If only you had pictures you might rival Charmy.... on second thought.....
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ode to a cameo by Michael tender cameo, why are you so beloved, why do your devices stand out so lovely with strong contrast, why oh why are you all in my collection, beloved cameo
Registered: 09/12/03
Posts: 15158
Loc: St. Louis, MO
Originally Posted By: RWB
There seemed to be a general good mood about the show today (Thursday). I heard a few grumblings: “I could a made four times as much if ‘they’ hadn’t screwed up and put my table so far back.” The food service area and seating is large, and approximately 20% of the available floor space is empty, but all the dealers are there dealing left, right, up, down, above the table and maybe a few below the table. ANA staff were looking tired, but all were very pleasant and helpful. Some dealers looked “dealed out” and I expect Friday to have some no-shows. Didn’t look in on the auctions: even the “cheap” lots are too expensive given the cost of postage and buyer’s fees.
Charmy Harker was a joy to meet. ANA should hire her just to spread sunshine!
Roger, please call me today at 314 - five seven four - 17 eight 5 so I can shake your hand and buy your book. I'll be there the entire day.
Quick hitters:
- The overhead announcements are the laughingstock of the show in my opinion. Think Charlie Brown wah-wah-waaaah wah wah wah and you have a perfect idea of what the announcements sound like. Yesterday, I swear they were announcing "free lasagna on the back porch if your poodle serenades boom goes the dynamite".
- In years past, I used to pooh-pooh these gargantuan shows. WHY???? This show has been as much fun as someone can have on five acres of geekdom.
- Yesterday, my first potty break came at 2:00, and we finally had lunch at 4:30. Got back just in time to sell four silver dollars and then close up shop. We tried to get out for lunch at 4:00, but literally as we were walking to the exit, we tripped over a pretty amazing, fresh deal of obsolete currency and had no choice but to take advantage of "first shot".
- On a similar note, our schmoozing might have finally paid off. I think I'm getting two fantastic consignments (at least for me) today. The really exciting consignment has high-end yet collector-oriented coins that have been off the market for a few years, as I confirmed from auction records.
- Since we sold so darned much the previous few days, sales slacked off considerably. Believe me, no complaints here, since our inventory is laughably thin at this point, aside from the newps.
- Exactly fifty newps yesterday for the shop. I also bought five very inexpensive raw coins for my personal collection, and two certified coins that will quickly become raw as soon as I get them home.
- For our flight out of St. Louis, we got nailed by the TSA (I think I alluded to this in an earlier post). Therefore, we are FedEx-ing newps back to the shop on a daily basis. I feel a lot safer NOT dragging a quarter million dollars worth of shiny metal objects in my pull-behind luggage. Those strip searches at the airport are getting old!
- Today will be our last full day and I expect it to be the busiest. I plan to avoid being at the table as much as possible so I can buy up some more goodies. Page me if you need me. Wah wah waaaaah wah wah wah .....................................
- Five days in... and STILL no Doritos.
- Most painful PASS of the show - two tickets to Cards/Phillies on Friday 4 rows back. ARGH!!!!! we're leaving Friday!
_________________________
Proud EX-50% owner of the banned PCGS-certified Norweb/non-Norweb Wood Hibernia
My posts express my PERSONAL opinions ONLY. Please respect my right to Freedom of Speech as I respect yours.
RWBRWB
FACT if I stop posting, trillions and trillions of transistors would be out of work.
Registered: 01/03/05
Posts: 4492
I'll be around Thursday....probably hanging out in the food court seating. Will have my computer out. Look for the fat guy w/gray hair --- hmmmm...that's most everyone.
_________________________
Author of “Renaissance of American Coinage” (NLG Book-of-the-Year 3 years in a row) series and “Guide Book of Peace Dollars,” NLG 2011-Best Software: “Annual Assay Commission, United States Mint, 1800-1943,” and “Silver Dollars Struck under the Pittman Act.” Federal Court-approved numismatic expert. Contributor to the Red Book, Judd Patterns and many other fine numismatic books, discoverer of two gold patterns, and author of numerous coin research articles.
Conder101Conder101
FACT if I stop posting, trillions and trillions of transistors would be out of work.
Registered: 02/02/02
Posts: 4996
Loc: East central Indiana
Quote:
I understand that in years past, the small number of PNG dealers were scattered all over the entire five acres of space, making it very inconvenient to walk from table to table.
That hasn't been my impression. Many times in the past when I have read show reports from PNG day they have ended with comments about how at the end of the PNG they had to pack everything up and move to their regular table for the ANA show.
Quote:
- The overhead announcements are the laughingstock of the show in my opinion. Think Charlie Brown wah-wah-waaaah wah wah wah and you have a perfect idea of what the announcements sound like.
This always seems to be true. Two years ago a Chicago they did a lot of overhead announcements. All so loud you couldn't be heard by the person next to you and completely incomprehensible. I think a big part of the problem is they don't know how to speak for those systems. You have to enunciate clearly and speak more slowly. Instead when they get complaints that they can't be heard they simply crank up the amplifier until they are overdriving the speakers which simply distorts the signal and makes it even harder to understand.
Quote:
For our flight out of St. Louis, we got nailed by the TSA (I think I alluded to this in an earlier post).
Not in this thread but I'd love to hear the story.
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Slab collector and researcher
reported as of 2/5/06
150 companies 331 production varieties
! Next, I want to bust out a lonely satin-proof buffalo 
!
! )
