The Beaumont Coin Show

by blackspanielgallery

The Beaumont Coin Show was a pleasant experience, and well worth attending. It was smaller than some coin shows, but had much to offer.

The Beaumont Coin Show was the first coin show I travelled to sell at. Occasionally I participate in a coin show. My normal participation is in local shows. I knew some of what I should expect, but I soon found several surprises.

I do not have a large inventory, and my coins are lower in value than what many other dealers have available. Still, it meant retrieval from a bank box since I do not keep even my inexpensive coins home.

I attended other coin shows, both as a curious member of the public, and as a seller. The largest show I attended was an American Numismatic Society show, and the Beaumont show was small in comparison. It was also much smaller than the show I attended while on vacation is Denver last May. But there are pluses to a coin show being smaller.

The Coin Show Arrangement

The coin show was in a Convention Center that connected to a Holiday Inn where I had reserved a room.  Beaumont is about a five- to six-hour drive for me, so leaving early and returning well into the night would be too fatiguing.

 

The dealers were set up around the perimeter of a nice size room.  Each had a six-foot table, and a small width table behind them for storage, or for having other items available for sale.  Both tables were covered with tablecloths, the selling table in white, and the back table in tan or beige.

 

There was a small island of selling tables set in the center.

 

One table held a large coffee pot, and there were boxes of donuts.  These were available at no charge to both sellers and attendees.

 

In the back there were sandwiches for the sellers.  I did not go back to them, since my wife had gone to buy lunch for my family before I had heard of this.  They were out of sight from the attendees.

 

In the back of the room there were two raised banisters.  They blocked tables from view from the selling floor.  This section was used for the children’s auction discussed later in this article.

Community Service

In the center island were about two dealers.  Also present was several tables for the Boy Scouts to sell their popcorn.  One lady had a basket with fragrant soap for sale.   She was located at a corner of the island.  The idea of having the Boy Scouts allowed to sell their popcorn, and roam to the coin dealers asking questions as they worked on their scouting projects, was a refreshing thing.  I had not seen such community awareness before.

Coin Folders

Lincoln Cents Folder #2, 1941-1974

Lincoln Cents Collectors Folder 1941-1974

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Roosevelt Dimes Folder 1965-2004 (Official Whitman Coin Folder)

Roosevelt Dimes Collectors Folder 1965-2004

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Washington Quarter Folder Starting 1988

Whitman brand, folder opens flat for all-at-once viewing and includes data pertaining to the coins it holds. Washington Quarter #4 1988-1998 , 43 openings.

View on Amazon

Hotop 120 Pockets Coin Holder Collection Coin Storage Album Book for Collectors, Money Penny Pock...

Hotop 120 pockets coin holder collection coin storage album book for collectors, money penny pocket, black Portable and durable: The cover of the money album is made of artifici...

View on Amazon

Coin Club Cooperation

The coin show was sponsored by the Beaumont Coin Club, but it appears there are several other coin clubs that support each other’s coin shows by both buying and selling at them.  It was quite clear that the Orange Coin Club and the Port Author Coin Club were present, and they were advertising their upcoming shows.

Church Is Important

A person from one of the other coin clubs asked us to participate in his coin show.  It is to be a two-day show, but unlike most coin shows that are held on Saturday and Sunday when a second day is included his show will be on Friday and Saturday.  He said it was so people can get to church.  This is a refreshing attitude in the secular society of today.

 

Fortunately for us, Catholic churches in the area have Mass late on Sunday after a show, and early before the show starts on Sunday.  People of other religions are less fortunate.  Our club does have a minister who is a club member who voluntarily does a brief generic service before we open on Sunday.

Future Numismatists

Involving Youth

One thing that the hobby of coin collecting needs is involvement by the next generation.  The Beaumont coin show handles this well.  At 3:00 p. m. the children go past the banister.  Each has some play money.  Whether this is given out or sold to them I do not know.  They then bid in a children’s auction, winning small coins.  There were probably over seventy coins auctioned.  Apparently, some or all of the coins were foreign coins.  Here, dealers pay about a dollar a pound for foreign coins, so there is little value, but the delight of the children leaving the auction was incredible.

 

Each child who participated also had a cardboard coin identification chart.  They carried their charts, and transparent bags that held their coins, proudly.

 

We also encourage children by handing out inexpensive quarters minted in San Francisco.  These quarters cost very little. The value to the children is they cannot find them in change.  But at our coin shows other dealers do not hand out anything.

A Pleasant Day

We had many people come in, and most stopped at every table.  Some looked and moved on.  Others sat in one of the chairs provided, there were two chairs in front of each table.  Usually, those who sat wanted to look carefully.  While they looked, and often even after they finished, they wanted to discuss coins.  This is a great time for pleasant information exchange.  Many make a first pass, look things over, then return to the tables where they saw something they might like to own.

 

A few people wanted to sell their coins.  Many dealers buy coins at a show, but we do not.  We have our normal suppliers.

 

I left my adult son, who is my partner in this venture, in charge a couple of times while I walked about looking at what other dealers were selling.  It is wise to have a unique niche.  Indeed, our offerings were different, so we did quite well. 

 

This article contains links to affiliate programs and Adsense advertising.  These must use cookies to allow for proper crediting. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

 

The introductory image is one we have of a British Queen's Beasts coin, the Black Bull of Clarence.  The pictured coin was one we had for sale at the show.

Updated: 09/22/2019, blackspanielgallery
 
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blackspanielgallery on 10/07/2019

I have just read of a hoard of coins in Sussex, and the question of whether the finder could keep the coins came up. Apparently in the U. K. if one finds treasure, and I believe the value is set at 300 pounds and two or more artifacts in the same find (not certain of U. K. law) the find must be reported to the local coroner, and museums and universities are given the right to obtain the artifacts after paying the finder a fair price. I wonder how often a museum desiring artifacts evaluates fairly if they are paying. seems to be a conflict of interest.
Yet smaller, less expensive coins surly get into the hands of finders who sell them if they wish.

Veronica on 10/07/2019

BSG
Thank you ...A great point. I think many are picked up by metal detectorists in fields.

blackspanielgallery on 10/07/2019

In your area ancient coins are easier to come by, so collecting them is probably more popular. Your son should be pleased.

Veronica on 10/04/2019

BSG
Thanks for this. I agree that sometimes smaller events can be better quality .

I was thinking of you when I bought my son's Christmas present. Guess what... 2 Romano British coins from c3rd C AD . Do you reckon he'll be pleased with that ? ;)

And very refreshing that the gent doesn't work Sundays.
" Whoever honours me so I shall honour "

blackspanielgallery on 09/23/2019

I did not see any Girl Scout uniforms, but there were girls. It is possible they were Boy Scouts, since the group now admits girls. The only uniforms were Boy Scout uniforms.
While many dealers sell U. S. coins, some specializing in certain kinds like Morgan dollars, we sold silver bullion coins. They store well in a bank box. The reason we did well is we bought the coins when silver was at a lower price. We also sell colorized Canadian and Australian commemorative coins, but there is little interest in them at this time.

DerdriuMarriner on 09/23/2019

blackspanielgallery, Thank you for the practical information and product lines.
Are the scouting projects courtesy- or information-related or are they something else? Do you know if Girl Scouts ever are involved?
You indicate that "It is wise to have a unique niche. Indeed, our offerings were different, so we did quite well." What is unique about your offerings and what is the niche among coin collectors, purchasers and sellers that you and your son fill?

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