If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
ANA Boston Report (Long and rambling)
Just got back from Boston and thought I would pass along some
observations. I used to live 2 hours away, but moved farther north last year and now am 4 hours away from Boston. I THOUGHT I knew my way around town, but was sadly mistaken. Of course it didn't help that Boylston St. is one way in front of the Hynes Convention Center, and that the banner advertising the ANA could only be read from across the street, and should have been rotated 90°. Parked my car at the Prudential Towers (hereafter known as the Pru) for 3 hours and got a $35 parking bill! YIKES!! Checked into my hotel and they were charging $20 per night to park there as well! My daughter lives in Boston, so from that point on, she picked me up in the morning and we had breakfast every day, and dinner most nights. No more parking bills until Saturday when I left. I spent a lot of time at the CWTS table, which was very inconveniently located just past the entrance to the show with some of the other clubs. Seems like very few ever wandered down to the club area, but went inside before reaching us. We also had to share our table with ICTA. They said that their table was free, whereas our club paid for the table, the table we shared. Hmmmm, whats wrong with this picture? I entered the BEP drawing for the hand-pulled intaglio prints and won two of them. Sold one to Ken Barr, but kept the other after I had it signed by Rosa Rios, the Treasurer of the US (she is a BABE!). I told Ken that I would sell him the 2nd one if I didn't get it signed, but afterward, found that my friend John Wilson (ex-president of the ANA) had no luck in obtaining one, so I ended up selling it to him. I spent some time talking with Ron Landis from the Gallery Mint. Ever since he sold the business he has been looking to find a home for the equipment he and Joe Rust had, hoping to keep it all together. He jokingly asked the Royal Australian Mint if they needed an engraver, and as it turns out, THEY DO! I hope that the RAM gives him a ticket to Canberra to check out the facilities. He is still playing bluegrass music, and he met up with Dave Schenkman at the TAMS meeting. Dave is a banjo player as well as being a token expert. Paul Cunningham told me that he had a 'few cases' of books for me. I drove him to his hotel and we loaded 12 cases of books into my trunk! A few cases? (20 books to the case) I also got a case of different books from Steve Hayden. Add those to the case of books that I brought, and you know the back end of my car was dragging! At the Royal Canadian Mint, my friend Eric didn't make it for the show, but did meet up with Alex and Malika who I have made friends with in the last couple of years. I purchased the last silver TAMS assemblage medal. Although I have never had any interest in these before, I fell in love with the artistry of it. Too bad that after 50 years TAMS will no longer issue these. I submitted a Civil War Token to be slabbed by NGC after I found that despite it's unusual size (very small diameter, very thick planchet) that the would indeed be able to slab it. I purchased a modern Commemorative dollar and completed that collection, and although the dealer didn't have one on hand, he is mailing it to me, and I should have it in hand on Monday. I also purchased a Dansco album for the National Parks quarters, PDSS Volume I at Wizard Coin supply...Volume II not yet available. At the CWTS meeting I proudly accepted their service award (my 3rd!), a very nice plaque. I was very happy to see a LOT of kids at the show, not just the ones that were dragged in by their parents, but Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and a lot of kids with their own money to buy coins for their collections. I really hope that they were treated well by the dealers. I haven't made up my mind how I feel about the ANA charging admission fees, but they sent me 30 $2 off coupons for admission, which I gave away to people with kids in line to register. Despite fewer people I expected to see, I did see a lot of large transactions going on between dealers. One guy had purchased over 200 slabbed Morgans and was writing a 6 figure check. My daughter, who works at the Pru, had my ticket for the parking lot stamped, so that I could get the discount flat rate of $12. Imagine my surprise when they said that it was only valid for 5 hours, and yes, I got another $35 parking bill, total parking charges in Boston, $90. Hotel rates weren't cheap either. One good thing was that there is a food court at the Pru, as well as a number of really good restaurants, both inside the Pru and in the nearby neighborhood...not like some of the venues where you are kept hostage and can only get dried up sandwiches and hot dogs. (Think Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, or the Rosemont in Chicago). I had a good time, was glad to have seen old friends and to have spent some time with my daughter. I sold some old (1601-1775) German States coins for a good price, and kept my cash flow flowing (mostly flowing out). I got some good deals on some coins, no break in price on others but ended up walking away a happy camper. Look forward to hearing from others that attended! |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
ANA Boston Report (Long and rambling)
Jud wrote:
Just got back from Boston and thought I would pass along some observations. [observations snipped] Is Cliff still doing those coin travelogs for NumiNews? If so, he's got serious competition! Your blow-by-blow coverage of the event makes me wish even more that I had been there to experience the ANA convention. Sounds as if you had a great time. See you in Rosemont in 2011. James the Envious |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
ANA Report...Kinda long | Jud | Coins | 12 | August 12th 09 05:08 AM |
Report from ANA [very long] | Mr. Jaggers | Coins | 13 | August 15th 07 07:36 PM |
ANA Report (Long) | Jud | Coins | 6 | August 22nd 06 09:48 AM |
Is it the heat or what? Long and Rambling | Stujoe | Coins | 6 | August 11th 03 01:27 AM |
ANA report from Friday (long) | Chrysta Wilson | Coins | 1 | August 3rd 03 03:10 PM |