Subject: Dealer makes foolish statement in BNR
From: (JSTONE9352)

But he sees
shows surviving. "Where are these guys going to get their inventory -- buy
it on the internet and sell it on the internet? I don't think so"

Well... it is a Turkish bazaar online. And it does allow
collector-to-collector sales with one collector acting like a dealer. Also, of
course, many oldtimers have adapted to the online markets.

However, to jump into the middle between Coin Saver and Jim, the way that old
time dealers acquired large new inventories was from sales to them by
collectors. Liquidations, people passing on to the Pearly Gates, that sort of
thing. Many "coin" collectors have some paper. (Similarly, many who claim to
"only collect US" have some ancients. Collectors collect. Often -- as an aside
here -- the collector's library stays with the buying dealer and never sees a
secondary market.)

The point is that the online world has changed the fabric of the numismatic
marketplace.

This is why I feel that shows are and will remain important. In fact, for a
Millennial guest editorial in the Numismatist, I posited the possibility of
stadiums full of collectors with shows running months. It seems odd, but the
medieval fairs grew into that mode, so it is not impossible for numismatics.



----------------
Michael E. Marotta
ANA R-162953