My Baltimore experience...really long.

Just got back from the show a little while ago, and here's how it was for
me...

I went in with the intention of seeking out one of a few selected classic
commems, carefully chosen with design and budget in mind. My main goal on
this score was to get a Texas in 66, and nothing else, really. I got two
books (I was shocked they had them) from the library the other day to
study up...Taxay and Swaitek.

I went to Baltimore for the regular show last fall, and that time I got
lost going home because I got forced off I-95. This time I got lost on
the way there...missed the exit, and had to get off on the next one and
try to get back on the freeway, which is easier said than done. Over the
river and through the hood, I managed to get back on, but the on ramp was
so long that I was past the correct exit before getting back on the
freeway, and had to repeat process the other direction! Finally got there
around 11:30 and parked (for a mere $18). By then, I was ready for some
lunch, so hubby and I went to the place I went to with some RCCers
before. Very good crab cakes, I am told, though I am not a seafood person
myself.

What? Ow! Alan, don't tweak me like that! Oh, yeah, the coin show! Got
into the coin show, and whizzed right by the long line at registration
since I preregistered online. I certainly recommend this to anyone going
to an ANA show. I wanted to check out the exhibits right away, but there
was a huge line to get in there, so I bypassed them for the time being to
walk around the bourse. Huge, huge, huge. I have been to three of these
now, and am never prepared for the hugeness. One of the first table I
came to was Anaconda Rare Coins, so I drooled a bit. Adrian and his son
were around somewhere, but not at the table; I saw them a little later
on. I got a kick out of this, though...next to all Adrian's beauties was
a case of $1-$5 Lincolns and such that I can only imagine were his son's
offerings for sale. I thought this was too cute.

Anyway, I took a look at the offerings of some world mints, and saw in
person many of the coins I wrote about in my article on color and
hologram coins at the Singapore mint table. I didn't buy anything, and
will probably regret this later. I know a lot of those coins are listed
on their site as sold out and are selling for absurd prices aftermarket,
but seems like every time I go to a show I don't buy something that I
probably should have and get to repent in leisure. But really, I had just
got there and had limited funds! I didn't want to stray from my plan so
early.

This didn't last long. I was accosted by a man with a big grey beard and
a pointy hat...Gandalf. The new LOTR coin much, much nicer than I would
have imagined, so I pre-ordered one. Here is a link to the gold. I bought
a silver one, which has the ring in gold. Very nice.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0307/S00174.htm

Went to the U.S. Mint, because I had some business to take care of there.
My grandfather turned 80 a couple of days ago, and is a Statehood Quarter
collector, so I wanted to get him a silver proof set. No go. No silver
proof sets. No clad proof sets. No mint sets. Just the quarters. I
grumblingly bought it. No new commems, either. I got the last two SAEs
they had. Then the credit card machine wasn't working. What a joke! While
I waited to pay, something like 8 people were turned away trying to buy
quantities of silver proof sets. Let's hear it for planning ahead, US
Mint!

I checked out a couple of booksellers looking for the Bowers commem
encyclopedia, but no one had it.

Most of the slabs, I noticed were PCGS, NCG and ANACS. A few ACGs
scattered about, and some PCI. I didn't see any NTCs.

By this time, I was ready for a break. Tried to go back to the exhibits,
still a huge line. Ok, later.

Started my quest for a Texas in earnest. Not happening. None of the 66s I
saw looked at all impressive in terms of eye-appeal. I went from place to
place, looking for the elusive 66 that would make me happy. I ended up
checking out a Lincoln at a dealer with the very non-descript name "U.S.
Coins." A 64, with gorgeous luster and just a tiny little bit of rim
toning. He was holding it for someone, but said if I wanted it to stop
back in a couple of hours. I said I would if my Texas did not present
itself.

At someone's table (can't remember who) I saw the most amazing toned Pan
Pac half...it had beautiful multicolored rim toning with blast white
centers, but as this was either a 67 or a 68 (can't remember that either)
it was a bit out of my range.

Wandering along, I came to the table of Anthony Swaitek. I thought "I was
studying this guy's book last night, so he would probably be a good
classic commem source." He sure was. He was helping someone who was
trying to sell coins, so I took a seat and waited. When he was through, I
told him what I was looking for. He took out 4 Texas 66's, a couple of
65's, and a 64. I then got a lesson about the luster characteristics of
the various years of this issue, as well as the Oregon (I mentioned that
I had one of these). Three of the four 66's had toning that I found
unattractive, and the fourth had a *lot* of die polish on it. I could
tell they weren't hairlines, but I wasn't real thrilled with the fact
that they were obvious to the naked eye. The 64 and 65 though, were
gorgeous! He told me that the 64 was dipped, and that's why it didn't
slab higher. I bought the 65, and was and am quite happy with it,
previous resolutions to get a 66 or nothing be damned. It's a 36D, btw.

I wandered around some more, knowing that I now had the money to buy the
Lincoln too (isn't it nice how these things work out?). Saw plenty of
cool stuff. Tried the exhibits again, and again, a huge, huge line. Saw
the new 20 dollar bills. Was something less than impressed, but tried to
act more impressed than I was when a BEP guy asked how we liked them.

Wandered about even more, and picked through some bargain bins, but
nothing struck my fancy. It was almost like I was blind to anything not a
classic commem. I would like to go on record as blaming Bob Rudd for
doing this to me. Looking at and hearing about his coins is the reason I
am in this predicament now!

Mr. Lincoln awaited, so I went back to the table, and the man it was
being held for was looking at it right then. I hung around at a decent
distance, and he bought something else, so I got my Lincoln too!

By then, my feet were killing me, and I knew I had a long ride home, so
we decided to check out the exhibits and leave. It was 4:30 by this time,
and traffic had thinned considerably on the bourse. Not so at the
exhibits. The perennial line remained. I was tempted to think it hadn't
moved at all, and it was all the same people there! So we left without
seeing the exhibits, which is generally one of my favorite parts of the
show. If I'd had two days there, I would have waited, but there was too
much to see to waste a long time in lines.

Dying of thirst on the way out, and knowing the air would be like
breathing wet cotton outside, I bought a $3 bottle of soda. Totally warm.
(

All in all, warm beverages aside, a great time was had!

My feet were tired then, and my fingers were tired now.

Chrysta

What was the Lincoln that you purchased? Nice report, felt like I was walking
the bourse with you.

Dan

Thanks for the recap Crysta. I would love to visit one of these shows,
having only been to local (Cincinnati) shows which are decent in size
but nothing compared to ANA. The thing I hate about shows like these
(and not just for coins but boats, RV's, home and garden shows), is the
price. They should pay US to be there. We're customers. $18 to park and
$3 sodas? C'mon, who do they think they are?? Disney?

Which Lincoln did you get?

(Dan769) asked:

What was the Lincoln that you purchased?

Since her focus was on classic commems I assumed it was the 1918 Illinois
Centenniel half dollar...aka "the Lincoln"


++++++++++
Phil DeMayo - always here for my fellow Stooge
When bidding online always sit on your helmet
Just say NO to counterfeits

I said her report was like walking the floor with her, I must have been
distracted by a few CC halves when she said that.
Lincoln looks like he just tried some of that pineapple pizza everyones
talking about.

Dan

In article ,
says...


Is that where they had all five 1913 Nickels displayed at too? If so,
the line probably wasn't going to go down much.


That's what I figured. It would have been neat to see all five, but oh
well, I guess.

Chrysta

"Chrysta Wilson" wrote in message
...
In article ,
says...
What was the Lincoln that you purchased? Nice report, felt like I was
walking
the bourse with you.

Dan


Thanks! It was a 1918 Lincoln commemorative half. Is it me, or does
anyone else think Lincoln has a kind of Eeyore-like expression on this
coin?

Chrysta

Well, I thought Eeyore was a donkey, but I wasn't sure so I checked with my
supervisor and was told Eeyore had this and that to do with Winnie the Pooh.
I handed my Lincoln-Illinois to him and asked about any resemblances and he
nodded and said Eeyore always had a "down turned frown or expression". I
personally had always thought the look was a serious and weary look,
fitting, I suppose. Now, looking at the facial expressions through a 16X
loupe, I am convinced Lincoln is concentrating intently on a video game.
Bill

Thanks! It was a 1918 Lincoln commemorative half. Is it me, or does
anyone else think Lincoln has a kind of Eeyore-like expression on this
coin?

It's fairly well known and documented Lincoln suffered most of his adult
life from clinical depression. Many commem folks believe the original
designer tried to portray this on the commem as well. IMO, the reverse of
this coin is very underrated...what an eagle!



"Chrysta Wilson" wrote in message
...
In article ,
says...
What was the Lincoln that you purchased? Nice report, felt like I was
walking
the bourse with you.

Dan


Thanks! It was a 1918 Lincoln commemorative half. Is it me, or does
anyone else think Lincoln has a kind of Eeyore-like expression on this
coin?

Chrysta

In article ,
says...
I checked out a couple of booksellers looking for the Bowers commem
encyclopedia, but no one had it



It is out of print and has been so for a decade. I got mine
about six months ago for 50.

Go to Amazon and in the book area do a search. You should get
a couple of used ones (owned by classic bookstores not
individuals or chains) and go from there.

It weighs about 8 lbs. and is GREAT reading.


--
I hope we can all be good neighbors online!

In article ,
says...
I would like to go on record as blaming Bob Rudd for
doing this to me. Looking at and hearing about his coins is the reason I
am in this predicament now!




Who me? I believe you are a legally adult, independent, woman
of age who is free to make up your own mind! ;-)

As I told John Carney at the show on Friday (late report
forthcoming), once you buy a Hudson of any grade, you might as
well accept the fact you are in for a full 50 coin typeset.

The Hudson, in any MS grade hurts just enough financially (but
not crushingly so) both to tease and enrapture one for life in
the classic commems.

Good job on your purchases, congratulations. You have three
of the nicer ones upfront. What's next?




--
I hope we can all be good neighbors online!