ANA requires all bourse tables to be occupied by the dealers throughout the show, nevertheless, by the time Sunday rolls around, it is inevitable to find deserted tables. However, we are happy to report that this was not the case as very few tables were left abandoned when the show opened to the public this morning. Attendance may have been less than previous days, but the public was still waiting in line at the entrance. The crowd was substantial enough that many dealers were busy as soon as the show opened.

        All of the major grading services, ANACS, PCGS, NGC, ICG, and SEGS, were in attendance throughout the show either offered opinions, attributions, or the ability to have raw coins certified. While most of their business is done by dealers through express services, some of the grading services would accept coins from the public and then ship the certified coin by return mail. There were record numbers of submissions and, by the end of Saturday, the grading services were very satisfied by the results of the show.

        Attendance continues to be quite strong even as the day winds down. Some collectors have even brought their children allowing them the chance to gain interest in numismatics. Many new collectors are intrigued by the 50 State Quarter Program. Dealers have been busy all day as the public strives to find the best coins available for the money they have to spend and the various seminars and forums offered have been very well attended. Highlighting today's meetings were the National Silver Dollar Roundtable Meeting and Seminar, the Souvenir Card Collectors Society Meeting, and CONECA Cherrypickers Awards Presentations.

        Several members of the press were in attendance with display booths including Coin World, Numismatic News, and Coinage. All of these organizations either had books, magazines, or newspapers available for the public to examine. J.T. Stanton Books & Supplies, one of the major book publishers and suppliers, was also displaying their library. Sales were quite brisk and their booth was continuously busy.

        When the doors opened to the dealers on Saturday morning it was apparent that many had departed before the weekend rush of collectors. Some of the dealers who specialize in wholesale business have left already having attended the Pre-Show making for a long week. However, those with tables began arriving with enthusiasm within an hour of the public opening.

        At 10:00 the public started arriving and the bourse floor quickly filled up. At 11:00, the entrance still had a few hundred people standing in line to register. So the "buzz" is here again and this is the day most retail dealers expect to sell a significant amount of coins to collectors.

        A rather large exhibit of uncut U.S. Notes is on display from the Department of the Treasury, ranging from $100,000 sheets down to $1. This always attracts thousands of interested collectors.

        NumisMedia was presented with an award today from Coin Connoisseur Magazine. There were three categories of recipients and NumisMedia won for Best Rare Coin Site. The three categories and winners were:

Best Collector Web Sites:
Numismatists Online
Collectors Universe
Classical Numismatic Group

Best Rare Coin Web Sites:
Ebay
Teletrade
NumisMedia

Best Precious Metal Sites:
World Gold Council
Kitco
The Goldsheet Mining Directory

        Dealers remain busy as the crowd debates buying opportunities; most collectors tend to walk the floor making notes of the various coins looking for the best deals. Some dealers have been more collector friendly while others are primarily dedicated to selling to other dealers.

        A rather large display of gold coins and bars from the SS Central America is attracting lots of attention. This is the first time that these deep-sea discoveries have been available for public viewing. There has been approximately 3 tons of gold bars, coins, dust and ingots already recovered from a projected 21 tons. This is an amazing sight to behold.

        The Heritage Signature Sale continues with lots of competitive bidding. Morgan Dollars seem to be the main focus of various collectors. Of course, there are still lots of nice Gold and Type Coins that should command attention. There is an array of special forums and seminars ongoing throughout the day with "Counterfeit Detection" and "Bust Half Dollars" two of the more interesting programs.

        Friday morning began with many dealers arriving as early as 8:00 am to set up for the anticipated big day of attendance. Others struggled to arrive before the public opening of 10:00 am, an indication that the long show (some dealers arrived a week earlier to attend a Pre Show) is starting to wear on them. The early attendees were trying to do a little business before the public arrived but it appeared to be very sporadic. When the doors opened, the "buzz" began again and collectors were ready for their day of treasure hunting. The room is nearly full now as collectors quickly scattered looking for their favorite dealers. There appears to be multitudes of want lists and money to be spent.

        The market at ANA is very active. Dealers have been busily trying to fill specific needs for customers and they are more than willing to pay a fair price for the right coin. The public began to arrive today at 10:00 am. As they filled the convention hall the noise level rose dramatically. For those not accustomed to attending major coin shows, this is one of the ways that activity is measured at a show. If there is a loud "buzz" then the show is very active and dealers are doing a considerable amount of business. The buzz is present and we have seen many collectors buying coins for their collections. While speaking with various collectors, we have found that they have varied interests; from the typical Indian and Lincoln Cent fanatic to the high priced gold collector. Even ancient collectors are looking for choice specimens, but their coins are foreign to us.

        The 1943 Copper Cent in the Heritage Signature Sale at the ongoing ANA in Chicago, was very eagerly bid to a resounding $28,000 to which the buyer's fee of 15% was added bringing the actual price realized to $32,200. The coin was graded by the auction company as an XF40. This is an indicator of how much active buyers are willing to pay when a very rare coin comes onto the market.

        If you can't make the trip to Chicago for the American Numismatic Association's 108th Anniversary Convention, the next best thing might be a glance at some photo highlights presented by Krause on their web site. This page, http://www.krause.com/coins/nn/anashow/, will have regular updates throughout the convention and you'll find photographs from the ribbon cutting to the banquets.

        Dealer setup day found most dealers scouring the floor as they tried to locate coins for their customers. In many cases they were quite successful, while other dealers failed to find what they needed or were unwilling to pay the asking price. There are lots of quality coins and many rarities available if you have the wherewithal to step to the plate and spend the money. The Heritage Auction began with quite a bit of active bidding highlighted by the sale of the 1943 Copper Cent.