Mid-AM show in Rosemont

This show was pretty much a loser from the start. Parking was terrible, police
were uninformed and rude, loading & unloading was very difficult and the
obnoxious Chicago PD were almost adamant in their attempt to harrass anyone
they suspected of being a "dealer". I can't speak for the regular "customers"
who tried to get to this show, but I'm suspecting many of them just gave up and
found something else to do.
One had to be very determined to attend the show and keep on the straight &
narrow to slip thru the obstacles placed by the Donald E. Stephens Convention
center people and the local constabulatory. While both Kevin Foley, the show
chairman and John Wilson the dealer unloading/loading manager (also ANA
president) were very helpful in assisting dealers trying to penetrate the show
site, it was not a good setup at all I didn't talk to any attendees regarding
their experiences, but I wish I had.

The show seemed well attended on Friday, although my sales were very low.
Saturday morning was quite a bit slower yet and by Saturday afternoon, dozens
of vacant tables testified to the lack of retail business. We decided to leave
Saturday night, so I can't say what went on Sunday, but it looked liked less
than 15-20 dealers were staying to find out.

Some dealers told me they had "ok" shows, and most said "dealer to dealer" was
ok, with many saying retail was almost non-existent.

All in all, my experience can be summed up by saying I experienced a financial
loss in attending the show...but my wife had a good time shopping and it was
good to see all the mid-west dealers and to get a chance to fill some needs I
had for local customers.

I hope the convention center people get their entryway construction completed
and the figure a more dealer-friendly way to have dealers get their wares to
the bourse room. I don't know what the problem is with the Rosemont Police
department, but that was the one universal complaint I heard from both dealers
and retail customers...they had little knowledge of access, starting or closing
times, and they seemed anxious to hurl personal insults at anyone trying to get
into their building, for some reason.

In short, the remodelling of the lobby and drop off area made it difficult to
get in, but the Rosemont Police did all they could to make it nearly
impossible.

It appears to me that larger shows are becoming more and more of a hassle for
dealers and I'm thinking that the ongoing difficulites and expenses of
attending these shows just may not be worth it. The CSNS show and this one
were not very financially rewarding for me and the problems and expenses that
went with them make me think that perhaps the smaller state shows are more
suitable for my size of inventory and operation.

Dondi3
DONDI enterprises. BUY, SELL, TRADE. RARE COINS & PRECIOUS METALS
Member COINNET, CSNS, ANA, INA, MOON, ILNA.

(DONDI3) wrote in message ...
This show was pretty much a loser from the start. Parking was terrible, police
were uninformed and rude, loading & unloading was very difficult and the
obnoxious Chicago PD were almost adamant in their attempt to harrass anyone
they suspected of being a "dealer". I can't speak for the regular "customers"
who tried to get to this show, but I'm suspecting many of them just gave up and
found something else to do.
One had to be very determined to attend the show and keep on the straight &
narrow to slip thru the obstacles placed by the Donald E. Stephens Convention
center people and the local constabulatory. While both Kevin Foley, the show
chairman and John Wilson the dealer unloading/loading manager (also ANA
president) were very helpful in assisting dealers trying to penetrate the show
site, it was not a good setup at all I didn't talk to any attendees regarding
their experiences, but I wish I had.

The show seemed well attended on Friday, although my sales were very low.
Saturday morning was quite a bit slower yet and by Saturday afternoon, dozens
of vacant tables testified to the lack of retail business. We decided to leave
Saturday night, so I can't say what went on Sunday, but it looked liked less
than 15-20 dealers were staying to find out.

Some dealers told me they had "ok" shows, and most said "dealer to dealer" was
ok, with many saying retail was almost non-existent.

All in all, my experience can be summed up by saying I experienced a financial
loss in attending the show...but my wife had a good time shopping and it was
good to see all the mid-west dealers and to get a chance to fill some needs I
had for local customers.

I hope the convention center people get their entryway construction completed
and the figure a more dealer-friendly way to have dealers get their wares to
the bourse room. I don't know what the problem is with the Rosemont Police
department, but that was the one universal complaint I heard from both dealers
and retail customers...they had little knowledge of access, starting or closing
times, and they seemed anxious to hurl personal insults at anyone trying to get
into their building, for some reason.

In short, the remodelling of the lobby and drop off area made it difficult to
get in, but the Rosemont Police did all they could to make it nearly
impossible.

It appears to me that larger shows are becoming more and more of a hassle for
dealers and I'm thinking that the ongoing difficulites and expenses of
attending these shows just may not be worth it. The CSNS show and this one
were not very financially rewarding for me and the problems and expenses that
went with them make me think that perhaps the smaller state shows are more
suitable for my size of inventory and operation.

Dondi3
DONDI enterprises. BUY, SELL, TRADE. RARE COINS & PRECIOUS METALS
Member COINNET, CSNS, ANA, INA, MOON, ILNA.

I did this show from the customer side of the table, but I thought it
was a great show!

As for the parking and access, yes, it would be daunting to a
first-timer, but there was an ANA show at this location in 1999 and
Mid-America has been here for several years now -- once you have done
the drill, it isn't really that difficult. The CICF is held just down
the street, so this area is fairly well known to regular coin show
goers.

As for the mentality of Mayor Donald Stephens and his Rosemont
minions, they are grasping "We are here to rape you" sons and
daughters of bitches (Maybe they would be nicer if we Numismatists
gave the Mayor an expensive Hummel fugurine)! The ticket booth set up
was run by the convention center itself this time instead of the
Krause people & the ticket booth set-up was a cluster**** (thirty to
forty people in line at each booth at 10:30 AM and still the black
attendants thought it was OK to go on break). But the entire history
of Rosemont is that of a tiny 1920s whorehouse burg that has always
skated just outside the law. God help the people of the State of
Illinois if and when a casino comes to Rosemont!

Elsewhere, Tom DeLorey noted that a lot of dealers were pricing their
wares very strongly -- I thought that was true too & could explain
some of the customer resistance. I had to look at a lot of U.S. Gold
before I found something that was mark-free, right for the grade and
priced O.K. (which I found at the Harlan Berk table along with Tom).

From 2000 to 2003, the Mid America Show has grown by about 50%+.
Either dealers are doing this show out of the goodness of their hearts
or somebody is making some money!

Bob Olson

(DONDI3) wrote in message ...
This show was pretty much a loser from the start. Parking was terrible, police
were uninformed and rude, loading & unloading was very difficult and the
obnoxious Chicago PD were almost adamant in their attempt to harrass anyone
they suspected of being a "dealer". I can't speak for the regular "customers"
who tried to get to this show, but I'm suspecting many of them just gave up and
found something else to do.
One had to be very determined to attend the show and keep on the straight &
narrow to slip thru the obstacles placed by the Donald E. Stephens Convention
center people and the local constabulatory. While both Kevin Foley, the show
chairman and John Wilson the dealer unloading/loading manager (also ANA
president) were very helpful in assisting dealers trying to penetrate the show
site, it was not a good setup at all I didn't talk to any attendees regarding
their experiences, but I wish I had.

The show seemed well attended on Friday, although my sales were very low.
Saturday morning was quite a bit slower yet and by Saturday afternoon, dozens
of vacant tables testified to the lack of retail business. We decided to leave
Saturday night, so I can't say what went on Sunday, but it looked liked less
than 15-20 dealers were staying to find out.

Some dealers told me they had "ok" shows, and most said "dealer to dealer" was
ok, with many saying retail was almost non-existent.

All in all, my experience can be summed up by saying I experienced a financial
loss in attending the show...but my wife had a good time shopping and it was
good to see all the mid-west dealers and to get a chance to fill some needs I
had for local customers.

I hope the convention center people get their entryway construction completed
and the figure a more dealer-friendly way to have dealers get their wares to
the bourse room. I don't know what the problem is with the Rosemont Police
department, but that was the one universal complaint I heard from both dealers
and retail customers...they had little knowledge of access, starting or closing
times, and they seemed anxious to hurl personal insults at anyone trying to get
into their building, for some reason.

In short, the remodelling of the lobby and drop off area made it difficult to
get in, but the Rosemont Police did all they could to make it nearly
impossible.

It appears to me that larger shows are becoming more and more of a hassle for
dealers and I'm thinking that the ongoing difficulites and expenses of
attending these shows just may not be worth it. The CSNS show and this one
were not very financially rewarding for me and the problems and expenses that
went with them make me think that perhaps the smaller state shows are more
suitable for my size of inventory and operation.

Dondi3
DONDI enterprises. BUY, SELL, TRADE. RARE COINS & PRECIOUS METALS
Member COINNET, CSNS, ANA, INA, MOON, ILNA.



Seems I remember there was some kind of security scandal at that
convention center a few years ago with someone posing as a dealer
or security person and getting in after hours and stealing many
things from dealer tables at a trade show (not numismatic). That
could explain the cops uptight attitude toward the dealers at this
show.

In article , (oly2059) wrote:

As for the mentality of Mayor Donald Stephens and his Rosemont
minions, they are grasping "We are here to rape you" sons and
daughters of bitches (Maybe they would be nicer if we Numismatists
gave the Mayor an expensive Hummel fugurine)! The ticket booth set up
was run by the convention center itself this time instead of the
Krause people & the ticket booth set-up was a cluster**** (thirty to
forty people in line at each booth at 10:30 AM and still the black
attendants thought it was OK to go on break). But the entire history
of Rosemont is that of a tiny 1920s whorehouse burg that has always
skated just outside the law. God help the people of the State of
Illinois if and when a casino comes to Rosemont!

I missed this coin show, but I have been to Rosemont many times for
various machine shows. The Rosemont employees are a wonderful public
illustration of the Chicago Union mentality. Hopefully as more and more
people see the inefficiency of their system, it can eventually be
destroyed. They are a drag on society as a whole. They are making America
worse for all.

Chris

In article , (Chris1)
writes:


I missed this coin show, but I have been to Rosemont many times for
various machine shows. The Rosemont employees are a wonderful public
illustration of the Chicago Union mentality. Hopefully as more and more
people see the inefficiency of their system, it can eventually be
destroyed. They are a drag on society as a whole. They are making America
worse for all.

Chris

I was unaware of this, but I do know, from what I saw, they regard attendees
and dealers alike as some kind of intrusion on their duties. Instead of
offering real protection and assistance, they appear under the impression that
we're a nuisance that will go away of treated badly enough.

Dondi3
DONDI enterprises. BUY, SELL, TRADE. RARE COINS & PRECIOUS METALS
Member COINNET, CSNS, ANA, INA, MOON, ILNA.

In article , ospam
(Ira Stein) writes:

Dondi3 wrote, essentially, that the show stunk to high heaven big time.

I just didn't see it that way, at least from my perspective.

I found it just the opposite. I go to these shows to buy fresh inventory and
to fill the needs of my customers. Don't ever set up a table.

I guess that explains our differing opinion of the show. Quite a few of us
made a substantial investment in table rent and other expenses to make a
display of material that we planned to sell and which, unfortunately, didn't
happen. I'm not sure how many MS64 '16 SLQs were there, but if the only people
who had any sales needed BU '16 SLQs to sell, I'm wondering how long those of
us who sell a few Lincoln and Indians will continue to support them with $750
table rents and $11 parking fees.

I was able to buy, all PCGS certifed, a 1916 MS-64 SLQ with Full Head, an
AU-53 1918/7-S 25c, a EF40 1795 half cent AND a AU-58 1794 half cent. Also a
1892-S Morgan in AU-53 prooflike surfaces with AU58 detail on devices, and in
NGC
bought a 1927S 25c in AU58 that's the real deal. Very tough in this grade.

Also took a tentative step into the amazing toned Morgan series where I got a
fabulous 1884CC in PCGS MS66. No shake & bake here...this is original bag
toning and I've occasionally seen it in shops years ago just before the
dealer
dipped it out! "People only like 'em white" they'd say in those days. Some
still do, but it's hard to dip 'em now in the plastic.

I suppose if a collector has specific and/or esoteric interests, it's hard to
find material like that even at a large show due to carry-on restrictions
from the airlines, but most all the US coin dealers I spoke to said it was a
fabulous show. I saw lots of folks in attendance except for late Saturday
afternoon Sunday morning. Some went home quite early because they were
virtually sold out or just weren't doing all that well.

Are you talking about the table sellers or the floor walkers? I didn't see any
U.S. coin dealers who were sold out or close to it. In fact, I rarely go to
ANY show where ANY tabled dealer "sells out". Last time I saw that was back in
the late 80s when "investors" used to occasionally come in and buy out a table
full of BU dollars or Walkers. Of course, they didn't know they were paying 2X
or 3X what the stuff could be purchased for raw, but, in their inexperience,
they didn't realize that.


The attendance, as I noted, was quite impressive on Friday, but almost
non-existent on Saturday and by 3 pm, I counted over 20 empty tables with
others in various stages of packup. Much of business was dealer to dealer and
I was part of that and had no trouble spending over my budgeted amount on
Thursday pm and Friday morning. But as for sales...there was little or nothing
doing.

Naturally, there were boxes and boxes of ugly slabbed material as well as
bushels of junk raw coins, but as Dondi says, the dealer(s) famous for
sellingthat stuff had their tables surrounded by both mail order dealers and
shop
owners who sell that crap to their unsophisticated customers. Always been
that way.

Hmmm, I don't recall saying that and a reread of my post doesn't show any
comments along those lines, either. Don't know what prompted you to write that
I did..

Never hand any contact with the Rosemont police except when they stopped
traffic so Icould crose River Rd and get back to the hotel, so I really can't
speak to the rudeness issue.

I talked to one dealer who was informed he couldn't unload after 5 pm on
Thursday and was nearly forced to leave with his inventory in his vehicle until
he insisted that the show contract stipulated 6 pm...only then was he allowed
into the unloading area and then was taunted by the officer who said, "he see
him in a few minutes" apparently believing that he was right in spite of being
shown the evidence to the contrary. Another almost got a parking ticket while
loading up from a disgruntled officer who apparently thought no one would be
leaving Saturday pm and didn't like to have his peaceful afternoon snooze
interrupted by actually performing some guard duty in the loading area (out
back next to the woods). In another case, I witnessed uniformed officers
screaming at drivers on River Road while they attempted to obey confusing and
often contradictory hand signals to pull out to stay put. Even the evening
attendees of handicapped people at the center were not immune to their rudeness
on Friday. While waiting for my wife to pull into the drive up out front, I
saw one obviously sight-challenged young man with thick glasses who, after
asking where he was to go, was told to "read the signs" by a uniformed guard or
police officer. Another older lady was quite upset about something that someone
said to her as she was attemting a labored exit from her handicap van.


I spent a bit over 90% of my goal, so I was quite pleased. Glad I went!

I, too, spent what I had to spend, mostly on Thursday (dealer setup day) and
some additional on Friday and even into Saturday. That wasn't the issue. I
don't count (potential) profits on inventory I purchase. The profit is only
realized upon the /sale/ of the merchandise. From that reckoning, as I said
before, the show was a big loser for me.

Dondi3




DONDI enterprises. BUY, SELL, TRADE. RARE COINS & PRECIOUS METALS
Member COINNET, CSNS, ANA, INA, MOON, ILNA.

As I said I had a good show.
..
Cliff Mishler was there, handing out his new retirement business cards now that
he has moved out of Krause's headquarters and taken an office in town:
..
ECLECTIC PURSUITS (misc #'s, etc.)
105 N. Main St.


CLIFFORD MISHLER
Chief Impressario
and Sole Flunky
..
..

TomDeLorey
..
"From the glass-lined tanks of Old Latrobe..."