May 4, 2021
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6 min read
It was almost back to "normal"! We set up at two actual coin shows, I attended another - a large, regional show as a buyer (the GNA in Dalton, GA) - and did some other, fairly local scrounging in shops. I drove almost 4 thousand miles - my "usual" (pre-COVID) average is between 5 and 6 thousand - and had some incredible results.
Sales at Gettysburg, PA and Manchester, NH were exceptionally strong, with lots of activity across all series that we are involved in. Cheap coins, moderately priced coins, and coins in the 5-figure range found new homes...easily and often. As I've been commenting lately, sales were strong to current, known customers, but almost as many new or returning customers are buying as well. In New Hampshire specifically, I was very happy to see and catch-up with a long-time customer that had returned to collecting after several years away. That scene was repeated at least half a dozen times at those two shows. And these were moderately sized, regional shows. The big, national ones are still to come!
Buying was good, selling was better, and it was just a blast to be back out in circulation. COVID protocols were in full swing of course, and though the mask does get a bit uncomfortable after 10 or so hours, we felt safe and secure in our operations. Now that I've been fully vaccinated and I'm two weeks past my 2nd dose, and Melissa has gotten her 2nd dose, our confidence level is high and rising.
I said buying was good, and it has been...which is an enormous improvement over much of the past year. But, it ain't easy, and we haven't come close to being overloaded. We came home from Gettysburg with a double row box of slabs, and from Manchester with more than that, plus lots of raw coins for grading. The Georgia trip, which also included several coin shop stops, found us adding another 100 or more slabs to inventory, as well as a couple hundred raw. As of April 24th, we had over 2000 coins in various stages of grading at PCGS. About 40% of them have been returned since, or at least, they are in the mail to us, so our inventory levels are rapidly improving. Now don't get too excited, since many of these coins are "bulk" dollars and such that will be wholesaled. Very, very salable items to be sure, but not a great deal of them are going to end up here. Still, there are needles in that huge haystack!
As noted frequently, but last month especially, it would be a great idea to buy what you've been hunting for when you see it, as the really special coins are not only in very short supply, they are also in very high demand. Last month's lead feature coin here, a magnificent, drop-dead original, PCGS F15, CAC-approved 1804 quarter, lasted less than 10 minutes, and left several disappointed, would-be buyers in her wake. We could have sold 8 or 10 of them...but...there simply aren't 8 or 10 of them. In fact, there aren't even two. The "right" coins have always sold fast. These days, they sell faster.
Next up on our show schedule is the PAN show, held twice yearly near Pittsburgh, at the Monroeville Convention Center. The show opens to the public this Thursday, May 6th, and runs through Saturday afternoon. Find all the details here. We'll be there, loaded for bear, ready to buy, sell and/or trade. We'd also love the opportunity to re-connect with you or meet you for the first time, so please stop by our table, early and often. Make no mistake...we'd love to sell you coins, but what would really make us happy is to buy something special from you. Or lots of special things. Or trade with you. Whatever you prefer. Please, don't be shy (but do wear your mask).
We have listed lots of new coins lately, and the feature coins, shown below, are pretty darn special. Maybe you need a spectacular, CAC-approved, uber-gem $20 Lib for your type set. Perhaps one of the prettiest PCGS AU58 CAC Bust halves I've seen in a month of Sundays would fill a need. Or, it could be that you've been searching high and low for an outstanding 1923-S nickel or 1857 half cent (both CAC-approved, of course). Well, you've come to the right place...we have them all, plus much more besides! Please explore all of the new inventory whenever you can. And more great coins are on the way...as always! We are here to discuss any aspect of buying, selling or trading. And, we'll happily work with you on extended payment terms, if you wish.
Our website has been updated recently, and some small changes have been made. Please note that the former home page had a "slider", front and center, where the newest purchases were displayed. The way to see the newest items is now a bit different, but still easy. Simply click (rather than hover) on Current Inventory. That will show you our entire inventory, ordered newest listed first. Of course, you can change the sort order to suit your needs, and you can also perform innumerable other searches, sorting each as you see fit. Also please remember, our website is set up so that you can complete a sale anytime of the day or night. Buying from us is not dependent on talking to us on the phone, or emailing a request, and we consciously set it up that way. You can certainly call or email, and we'll be happy to help, but someone else may buy the coin you wanted while you wait to get in touch, especially nights and weekends. Best to simply complete the sale yourself, whenever the mood strikes you. Our website is strictly first-come, first-served.
In case you hadn't heard, we buy coins too! Or take them in trade. And we really love to do both. Please, consider offering us some great coins, or even some nearly great ones. Actually, we'll be happy to buy whatever you've got, and we have very effective sales channels for everything, including junk, bullion, decent collector material, and - of course - the truly great coins. I'll be tickled just to have the opportunity to explore buying from you or trading with you. Call (301-570-7070) or email to discuss.
Please also take a look at our listings on eBay (seller ID: DavidKahnRareCoins). Every week, we sell 30 to 35 coins on eBay in completely unreserved auctions that start at .99. That's right - good quality, PCGS-graded, US collector coins that you can buy at the price you set. We also have fixed-price material available on eBay, so please check out our offerings there. And please do keep in mind that our eBay and website inventories are completely different!
In the meantime, please be smart, be safe and stay healthy. We plan on seeing each and every one of you at the next big show, whenever that may be! And, it will be.
And now, a small sampling of new website inventory...