Coin Show - Monthly Notes from 2008

For each monthly coin show, the comments below highlight the 2008 coin shows. Scroll down for the coin shows' notes in chronological order.

Monthly Coin Show - January 2008

What a show!

Atlanta's weather provided winter challenges during the week before the show. On the Saturday sleet accumulated in the morning then snow; and by mid afternoon, the mixture started melting with very cold, ice-making temperatures expected that evening and night.

Regardless of the cold and ice, the Sunday show in the new location was great. Dealers arrived early to set-up. They worked with each other and were all set to meet with collectors when the show opened at 9:00.

Collectors were not deterred by the cold and windy conditions either. Many people visited the show eager to see the new location - ready to examine the available numismatics to fill holes in their individual collections. Of course, some people came to sell and trade coins and currency as well.

With the January show behind us, everyone is getting ready for the February show on Sunday, the 10th. This next show should be just as jam-packed with opportunities to buy, sell and trade as the January show, if not moreso.

We all look forward to you visiting the next show. See the location details below.

Monthly Coin Show - February 2008

Amazing - what a dramatic difference from the ice and cold during the January show. The sun was shining, the sky was a clear blue and the temperature was in the 60s. A gorgeous day...

Very early Sunday morning, Bob arrived at the hotel to make sure the space was ready for the show. Jim came early to provide security as dealers arrived. Of course, a few dealers were early risers as well and the remaining dealers got there with plenty of time to open at 9:00.

The show's dealers have broad interests and displayed coins, currency, supplies and jewelry. The dealers buy, sell and trade with each other, but they were ready for the collectors who also came to buy, sell and trade. Plus, people browsed for the new and interesting selections the dealers brought for their enjoyment.

Coin collecting and coin values have fascinating characteristics. Not surprisingly, supply and demand play a big role - how many are available and what are people interested in collecting. But, have you been watching the prices of gold, silver and platinum? They, too, impact coin collecting making some coins viable for melting and making the prices (and value) of other coins increase.

Visit the show to identify how the metals market is impacting the value of your favorite collections.

Monthly Coin Show - March 2008

Question: Which is more volatile - metro Atlanta's weather or the prices of gold and silver? Well, the answer really depends on where you live and how invested you are in the gold and silver markets.

Prior to and just after the March show, you could call Atlanta "Tornado Alley of the South." Various suburbs in and around Atlanta and the major downtown areas were hit with damaging tornados and straight line winds. Clean up and recovery will take time.

For the metals, gold and silver climbed to new heights in pricing per ounce. At one point gold went over $1000 and silver over $20. Afterwards, the prices dropped back, but they could easily increase to new levels in the near future.

Neither the weather nor the metals adversely impacted the March show. The dealers and show guests attended to buy, sell and trade within their favorite interests.

Of course, if you are watching the financial news and the economy, there are other areas of volatility as well. Real Estate, the banking industry and the stock market are all experiencing change. Impacts to these areas can invoke changes in the gold, silver, platinum and numismatic interests.

Visit our next show to buy, sell and trade in this exciting market!

Monthly Coin Show - April 2008

The April coin show enjoyed beautiful weather even if a little more chilly and windy than other April days. Regardless, we had lots of dealers and lots of guests attend.

Newcomers, welcome to the coin show. We are glad you came. Frequent guests, welcome back. We appreciate you visiting the coin show again and again. There are always deals and information available on the bourse floor.

Have you been watching the markets? Stock and metals? These are definitely interesting times. Depending on who you listen to, metals - silver, gold and platinum - are one of the best investments for the near future. Also, various experts claim the metals will increase much more in value than they have recently. Of course, you need to do your own research and due diligence before making investment decisions, but these comments certainly make coins and bullion an interesting hobby and/or investment!

Visit our next coin show to learn and have fun. You have many alternatives to buy, sell and trade in this exciting market!

Monthly Coin Show - May 2008

Guests at the May show saw a beautiful spring day in Atlanta - partly cloudy skies, frequent breezes, mid to high 70s - a great day to be out and to visit the coin show.

In May, the coin show competed for space with other events at the hotel including the Sports Card show and a teddy bear show. People from the Sports Card show came over to visit the coin show, and people from the coin show took a look at the sports cards and memorabilia. Also, we heard some coin show guests stopped into the teddy bear show and purchased hand made teddy bears.

Regardless, the coin show had great attendance. The aisles were filled with the serious and the not-quite-so-serious coin collectors interested in seeing the coins and collections in the various displays. Coins, metals and collections were bought, sold, and traded.

For you Sci-Fi buffs, we also had a few Dr. Who fans stop to look at the venue in preparation for an event they are planning. (In my opinion, Tom Baker was the best of the original Dr. Who actors - not sure about the recent years' shows and actors.)

Back to coins, in addition to the people interested in the numismatic hobby, the coin show also welcomes people who have inherited coins or collections and are interested in learning about what they have or are wanting to sell the coins. [Please, do not clean the coins or break them out of protective holders - especially proof sets and mint sets!]

We look forward to seeing you at the next show!

Monthly Coin Show - June 2008

Can you believe it? Half of the 2008 Greater Atlanta Coin Show calendar has gone, and soon half of the year will be gone too. Time is flying.

Okay, someone turned on Atlanta's summer furnace early. The June 8 show had hot, very, very hot and humid weather. The day was beautiful but oh so hot! (Did I mention it was hot?) And for the first time this year, people were enjoying the hotel's pool.

But for the coin show, even with the heat, we had good attendance with dealers and guests. If you have been following the metals markets - silver, gold and platinum, as you would expect, the bullion sales were very activeat the show. On a slightly different note, guests brought gold coins from the Charlotte mint and the Dahlonega mint to show and potentially sell to dealers on the floor.

As a numismatist or an investor, visit our next show. If you have coins or bullion you want to sell, the coin show offers the opportunity to talk with several different dealers in one place. Or, if you are searching to complete your collectible sets, there are many dealers who will help you. If you are an investor in coins or bullion, you can research your best options at the show as well.

Monthly Coin Show - July 2008

Thunder boomers and gully washers! The July coin show's weather included thunderstorms off and on throughout the day. Just outside the main doorway, you could see the turbulence in the hotel's pool during the heavy rainfall. But, with the drought conditions of the last couple of years, we are not complaining!

The July coin show was great. Both dealers and guests disregarded the weather. Dealers joined us from metro Atlanta and other areas of Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee this month. Plus, we had fantastic attendance. Many guests came to the coin show to look, buy and sell making the bourse very busy for everyone.

Have you noticed? As the stock market and economy have difficulty, the metals start increasing in value. Precious metals such as gold, silver and platinum can increase dramatically. Today, those metals are trading high, and as a result, people are liquidating their silver and gold – in some cases for the money and in other cases to trade lower grade bulk for higher grade long term value.

The coin show is a great place to research selling your coins, metals or collections. Of course, the coin show is also a great place to research the alternatives to improve your existing collection or to invest in tangible coins and metals. As an example, activity at Sunday’s show had transactions in the six digits.

In a recent e-zine, the business philosopher Jim Rohn stated, "Success is 20% skills and 80% strategy." Do you have a strategy for the success of your coin collecting and investing? Are you a pure collector trying to find the best coins for your specific collections? Are you a pure investor using coins and metals to diversify your portfolio? Or, are you a combination collector and investor who enjoys collecting coins but is also interested in the overall investment value of your collections?

Visit us at our next show in August and focus on building your skills and strategy.

On a side note, people who build computer viruses should be strung over a fire ant hill in the hot Georgia sun. They should have to stay there the same amount of time as it took people to clean their computers of the virus. Oh, and anyone infected should have the option of poking the fire ants with a stick to stir them and make them crawl all over and bite the culprit. Our apologies for the late posting for the July show, however a vicious virus got around our firewall and anti-virus software.

Monthly Coin Show - August 2008

A beautiful day! Yes, it was hot, but the humidity was much lower than is normal for Atlanta in August.

As is normal, dealers arrived early - some very early! Guests enjoyed their Sunday morning and arrived later than usual. The show had a great turnout with many interactions dealer-to-dealer and dealer-to-guest throughout the day.

Recently, there was an interesting article complaining about the headline news of high gas prices, high food prices, real estate woes, etc. The article was intriguing in that the headlines were not from 2008. Instead, they were from the early 1980s. The author went on to say that many people did well in those stressful economic times and suggested that if people today would learn and emulate the successful investments in the early 80s, they could enjoy similar results in 2008.

There are certainly differences between today and the early 1980s. Computers are much more widespread. The internet makes information and opportunity available to everyone. Plus, business is much more global today. But, even with the differences, the similarities in the overall economic environment make the claim fascinating and worth pursuing. How did investments in rare coins and precious metals do in those times? What were the most profitable businesses and investments?

Take a look at history and visit us at our next show in September.

Monthly Coin Show - September 2008

Well, Hurricane Ike's wind and rain missed us. The morning started off overcast - maybe some outlying bands of the hurricane - and the afternoon was sunny and warm with temps in the 80s. Though warm, the humidity was not overwhelming, and if you've noticed, the sunlight is noticeably changing. The light is not as bright, and the angle is different. Fall is just around the corner.

Ike may have passed us by, but the increased gas prices did not. Did you note when they increased? The price per gallon started going up significantly before Hurricane Ike hit landfall in Texas and before any refinery or supply damage (or lack thereof) was known.

Our dealers and public are great, though. They all thumbed their noses at the gas prices and came to the show anyway. Thank you all! We had lots of dealers, lots of guests and lots of deals. The dealers arrived early - they always do. The guests waited awhile. Attendance was slow in the morning, but people started crowding in around 11:00.

There were deals left and right with coins, currency and metals. Dealers were dealing with each other and working with guests. As you can imagine, coin shows enable dealers to both buy and sell. At the end of the day, some dealers commented that they sold more than they bought.

Depending on the market that can be good or that can be bad. Plus, good or bad depends on your own viewpoint. In general, you can't sell what you don't buy; but you don't want to sell at a loss either. The quandary of a volatile marketplace. Coin values are tied to supply and demand, condition of the coins, the stock market and the metals market and can vary with minor or major changes in any of those characteristics.

This weekend, the stock market news was a shock and caused one of recent years' biggest drops in the overall market by Monday's closing bell. One of the largest traders, Lehman Brothers, filed bankruptcy. Another, Merrill Lynch, is being bought by Bank of America. And, AIG, one of the largest companies in the world is restructuring. This is after Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were taken over by the government because of all their investment and lending problems.

In an odd way, this reminds me of the old comedy routine of "Who's on first" and "What's on second." Or maybe the child's game of musical chairs is more appropriate. Which financial institutions are going to still be playing when the music (poor money management and lax lending practices) stops?

Back to coins... The coin and metals markets are certainly impacted by what happens in the stock markets around the world. Of course, the stock markets around the world are impacted by what happens in New York. And what happens in New York is impacted by what's happening with the financial companies on Wall Street.

Interestingly, the coin and metals prices do not seem to be quite following the same patterns as from past stock market fluctuations. But, no worries. That just means you need to do more due diligence and more research to make sure you are up to date on today's market and trends. If you are a collector upgrading or filling in your collection, you will still want to research to make sure you focus on the best areas of your coin interests within the current market.

Take a look at historical behavior patterns of stock markets and coin values, then take a look at today's market and visit us at our next show in October to do more hands-on research with people who work with the changing coin market every day. See you there!

Monthly Coin Show - October 2008

What a beautiful day in Atlanta! The morning was cool, in the 40s, but the afternoon warmed into the mid to high 60s. The clear blue sky and the fall sunlight made the day gorgeous for all those who ventured outside.

Perhaps the cool morning kept our guests home a little longer, but by late morning we had a full bourse floor with people moving from dealer to dealer. But, as usual, our dealers arrived early, and with the floor full of dealers, they worked with each other then with guests when they arrived.

If you remember for the September show, the gas prices were rising rapidly. Shortly after, the gas in Atlanta became scarce. At one point, we drove by every gas station in our immediate area, and none had gas. Luckily, through conservation and not driving needlessly (except looking for gas) , we did not run out of gas in our vehicles.

Also since the September show, the news has jumped from crisis to major story to crisis over the last few weeks. Between political stories, financial companies with difficulties and the economic woes for everyone else, the world - not just the US - experienced and continues to encounter strange times.

In the game of financial musical chairs, the music (poor money management and lax lending practices) hasn't stopped yet, and we don't know who will remain to find a chair. As an individual, the best you can do is continue to educate yourself and don't panic.

At the show, there were a lot of people - more buyers than sellers - dealing in gold and silver. If you look at history, the precious metals do well in tough economic times. But, for your own situation, perform your own research and decide on the best investment vehicle for you.

By our next show, we will have a new president-elect and the financial situation will continue to change. Everyone will be tightening their belts and determining how to weather the economic storm.

Look at history and consider the different characteristics today. Keep informed and research your areas of interest. Then, visit the next show in November to buy, sell and trade within your specific interests.

Paraphrasing from Rudyard Kipling's IF, "keep your head when all about you are losing theirs..."

We'll see you at the next show!

Monthly Coin Show - November 2008

What another beautiful day in Atlanta! Early in the week we had temperatures in the mid to upper 70s, but we had rain on Friday, not much, to clear and cool the air. Sunday was a cool, clear day with blue skies to contrast with the bright yellow, orange and red of the autumn leaves. Some of the trees' leaves almost hurt your eyes with their intense yellow color.

November's show was full of dealers. Plus, many guests visited the bourse looking for collectibles and investments. However, attendance was down slightly from earlier shows due to the financial situations - personal and business.

Have you been keeping informed with the domestic and global news - especially that of the financial markets and the businesses that are having difficulty staying solvent?

These acronyms come to mind. Many of you know them from a military perspective, but they sure seem appropriate to apply to today's economy:

SNAFU - Situation Normal All Fouled-Up
TARFU - Things Are Really Fouled Up
FUBAR - Fouled Up Beyond All Recognition

(Yes, there is a more crude word for the "F;" however this is a friendly site.)

Perhaps TARFU is the most applicable to our current economy. But, the best way to get through a TARFU situation is to go forward one step at a time making decisions with the best information you can obtain.

History is a great teacher and can help you determine the best course of action. In many cases coin collectors and investors are students of history and enjoy many historical items and articles. But, as you study history and current events, remember to take into consideration the big differences in today's world and the challenges that history did not have. A couple of examples are globalization of the markets and instant information, both true and false.

Here's another suggestion, don't get so mired in the difficulties of the day, either personal issues or the greater national and global concerns, that you sabotage your livelihood. To that end, we are all in sales. Either we are selling goods or we are selling our services to customers or our employers. In either case, if we cannot sell then we cannot earn.

In his book, Shut Up, Stop Whining and Get a Life, Larry Winget notes the #1 business lesson as, "Do what you say you are going to do, when you said you were going to do it, in the way you said you were going to do it."

Basically, you want to become the best resource for your customers or your employer such that you are their first choice in satisfying their need. Finding the need and supplying the solution is a good way to keep earning money.

In closing, Thomas Edison had a great observation, "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." May you continue to find your opportunities whatever they may be.

Visit us and all of the dealers at the next show in December!

Monthly Coin Show - December 2008

The December Show was great! We had a full house of dealers and many public guests visited to buy, sell, trade and maybe just browse.

Thank you all - dealers and public. The Greater Atlanta Coin Show had a great 2008, and we appreciate you attending the shows each month.

We hope everyone had a wonderful and safe holiday season and hope that each of you will have a rewarding New Year in 2009!

We look forward to seeing you at the January show. Come early to visit the show, to see what everyone has available, and perhaps more importantly, to hear what everyone is saying about the coin and metals markets!