The coin show came back in full force in 2022. The previous year was still restricted as a result of COVID and most of our sales were online. It was nice to get out again and interact with people and touch and feel more coins. We attended ten regional coin shows and one national show. I think we set up at only a few shows the previous year.
The itinerary started off March 10-12, 2022 at the National Money Show in Colorado Springs. We didn't buy table space at this show and combined it as business and pleasure with my wife and I and sister-in-law. We drove out, knocked some more states off our bucket list, detoured over to Dodge City, and visited with my daughter in Chicago on the way back. While in Colorado Springs we drove up Pike's Peak, toured Garden of the God's, visited Cripple Creek, and zip lined across the Royal Gorge. I attended a two day course at the Broadmoor, where the show was held. During lunch breaks, I purchased some inventory downstairs on the bourse floor. Those two things were the business part.
The course was a grading course taught by Rod Gillis, director of education for the American Numismatic Association. He's retiring at the end of this year. I purchased his book at the show : "Past Tense, History through the Lens of American Coinage." He signed it for me. Ken Bressett showed up and gave his input on grading and signed my copy of: "The Official American Numismatic Association Grading Standards for United States coins." Ken is a living legend. Both Rod and Ken have ties to New Hampshire, where I am from. It was a great beginning to my start of the show season.
The first show we bought space at was the Manchester, NH Coin and Currency Expo on April 15, 2022. It was the best show of the year for us as far as sales go. The next show was the Brunswick Coin and Stamp Club Show on May 1st. It was the best Brunswick show we've had in the last five years. Bangor, Maine had a show on May 21st but it wasn't the best Bangor show we've had. This year was our first year at the Bay State Coin Show in Marlborough, MA on July 29-30, 2022 and it was great. A lot of retail sales and some great purchases. Brunswick, ME had two more summer shows which were slow, as is the normal case during the Summer. At slow shows we buy more stuff. Their October show was pretty good though. The October Manchester show was slower than normal but we purchased a large amount of Classic Commemoratives from four different dealers. October was the busiest month for shows. We had to skip the Bangor show because of prior plans but made the Presque Isle, Maine Show on October 10th. It was well worth the trip. The last show of the year for us was on November 27th in Devens, MA. It was the first time setting up at that show and it was busy with a lot of retail sales. In general the Spring shows were the best, the Summer shows were the slowest (except for the Bay State Coin Show), and the Fall shows were good. No more shows this year but December is a great month for online sales and this year is no exception. Our stocking-stuffer items are flying off the shelf.