By William Shamhart – Numismatic Americana….
The last major coin show of the year was held this past week in Las Vegas at the beautiful Cosmopolitan Hotel. Put on by PCGS, the Members Only Shows are attended by a small but dedicated group of dealers and collectors alike. Most serious collectors are starting to realize just how important this venue is and are starting to show up in greater numbers. Dealers in the know regularly attend. A lot happened this week in Vegas, some good, some bad, but I promise that what happened in Vegas won’t stay in Vegas.
Let’s get the bad out of the way first. We have a customer who lives in Las Vegas and was planning on attending the show. He even went to the bank and got his coins out in preparation of attending. Unfortunately he made the grave mistake of leaving his coins at home unattended for just a short while. And yes you guessed it, he was robbed. I am telling you this story because it happens all too often. Please don’t make this mistake. It only takes a few minutes for your life to be turned upside down. Safety and security should be paramount when it comes to your valuables. Be vigilante.
Now for the good…
One of the good things about shows is the ability to socialize with friends, clients and dealers alike. Christine had received a text a few weeks ago asking if she and I would like to go out to dinner on Wednesday. Of course she graciously accepted. Well, as the party who invited us so appropriately put it, we were “punked”! Seems that the couple had planned on getting married that night and wanted to surprise us (along with virtually everybody at the show) and surprised we were. Congratulations to Irma Kane and her new husband (and fellow dealer) Doug Winter. It was a beautiful ceremony followed but an outstanding dinner/reception.
Oh, did I mention that both of the above mentioned events took place on the same day? Talk about highs and lows.
Now on to the show…
Set up was at 11 a.m. and when I arrived the doors had just opened. Right away there was a buzz in the room. Dealers came trying to take advantage of some last minute, and year end, business. Many came in anticipation of the Legend-Morphy auction being held there. While I wasn’t able to attend the sale, it was a great success. Another congratulations is due; this time to the staff and owners of Legend-Morphy Auctions. Good job!
Early in the afternoon the public was admitted and that is when Christine and I really got busy. Not overly busy, as in no time to breath, but just a slow and steady flow. If you’ll recall I like this type of show and being able to spend some quality time with our customers and clients is really nice. No frenzy, no pressure, just great conversation and the occasional sale.
We submitted our coins early Wednesday and started to get them back late Friday afternoon. My experience was that PCGS was again holding the line just where it should be. Reward the really nice coins and well, and from the complaints that I heard from other dealers, error on the side of conservative with the not so nice or fresh.
Thursday night Christine and I had the pleasure of dinning with a couple of clients and talking coins, family, and everything in between. We had a great time and look forward to doing it again soon.
As I promise in my last show report we have some pretty special coins available for your consideration this time. These coins are really cool and represent some of the best pieces available, as well as highest graded in some cases. Those, in addition to some neat purchases from our secret sources (relationships, remember?) will soon be listed on our web site under the “all new coins” drop down page of our “coins and currency” page. Christine has been busily imaging them and getting them ready for your perusal. And if you see something of interest have your spouse or children give us a call. We can have it there in the “Nick” of time for the holidays.
This will be the last show report of 2012. So we’d like to take this time and wish each and every one of you a Happy Holiday season and great New Year!
Bill and Christine
About Numismatic Americana, Inc.
Numismatic Americana is an arena of rare coins, American history, artistic beauty, and commercial innovation all rolled into one. In our site we will offer a variety of items for your consideration along with many informative articles.
Through our many contacts in the industry we have been able to assemble a collection of items rarely seen in the mainstream of numismatics. Some may seem familiar, while others will appear unique, truly something for everyone.
We invite you to browse through our site and inquire about items that are of interest.
William Shamhart and Christine Monk
Numismatic Americana, Inc.
www.numismaticamericana.com
360-791-5494
