CENTRAL STATES NUMISMATIC SOCIETY PRESENTS ACTIVE SHOW:

Monday, April 27, 1998

        The Central States Coin Show began on Thursday, as PNG presented their special pre-show. In a large room the number of dealers may lose some of the impact, but the kinds of coins that changed hands were quite impressive. When you can see the result of an 1804 Dollar (and the coin) moving from one dealer to another, along with very rare Proof Gold, rare date Morgan Dollars, low pop Seated material, it is always special to attend one of the major shows of the year. It is also impressive to see all of the dealers dressed-up, as the PNG requires. It certainly makes it easier for collectors to spend thousands of dollars with a dealer who looks the part of success.

        After the PNG Day was over, set-up began for the CSNS Show. Dealers were anxiously running the floor looking for "new" coins for their customers. This is a very difficult proposition for all dealers because most of them are looking for the same material. It is just a matter of how much the high buyer is willing to pay to satisfy his want list. It appears that more and more collectors (dealer customers) are in tune with Fair Market Value and are willing to pay it for coins they like.

        The majority of dealers felt satisfied with the show and the amount of business that they had completed. When the public began arriving on Friday, many dealers who cater to the collector, reported they sold quite a bit of material. The amount of collector interest continues to rise and the dealers are seeing the benefits. At the same time, pressure on prices has forced the wholesale levels to rise also. This makes it more difficult for some dealers to buy nice collector coins if they are not prepared to pay competitive prices.

        The next show is April 30-May 2; the Arizona Coin Expo.