DEALERS PREPARE FOR ACTIVE
LONG BEACH COIN MARKET

Tuesday, September 1, 1998

        The Long Beach Expo is just around the corner (September 24-27) and dealers everywhere are anxious to get back to a major show. With over seven weeks since the ANA, in Portland, many dealers need to attend the Long Beach Convention so they can locate coins for their ever-expanding want lists. The collector market seems to be growing at a pace unmatched since the late seventies, early eighties. Although, this may not be a good comparison, since the previous increase was mostly due to inspired gold and silver markets and investors who thought they would get on board for a quick buck. As we all know today, this was more devastating to the coin market than any other coin cycle. When collectors (really refers to investors here) get into the coin market because they hear all the hype and expect to make quick money, they will usually leave just as quickly when they don't reap the rewards over night. The true collectors buy what they like and like what they buy. They buy the best coin they can afford; they know that someday, if they did their homework, and purchased quality coins relative to grade and value, they should make money as well as enjoy their collections for years to come.

        Dealers we have spoken with in the last few weeks are quite overwhelmed with their workload. They are in constant contact with other dealers searching for coins they need for their customers. Further, most dealers are in a position to purchase coins they feel are of good value for their inventory. This was not the case a couple of years ago. Dealers had enough inventory and were not willing to add to it unless it was for a specific want list. Now it seems like new inventory goes out just as fast as it comes in and even some of the "old friends" are finding new homes. The new collectors are spending what they can afford, depending on their discretionary cash position. Coins in all price ranges seem to be selling and rarities are garnering lots of competitive bidding at auctions. So it is no wonder that the Long Beach Expo is being looked upon as the beginning of the "Fall Season". The show coordinators work very diligently to attract as many dealers and collectors as they can. They always receive local television coverage due to the expertise of Donn Pearlman. Now it remains to be seen if the dealers can find enough new material to satisfy some of their want lists.

        Hopefully, some want lists can be filled at the Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Andre Dawson Collection of All-American Coins. While there are other important segments of this 2500+ lot sale, the Andre Dawson coins highlight the entire sale. Andre Dawson retired as one of the best clutch hitters in modern baseball and his coins are sure to attract lots of attention. This collection may also inspire other sport celebrities to collect as well when they see the results of this sale. Some of the many highlights of the sale are listed below.

DENOMINATION	GRADE
1795 Half Dime	Mint State
1803 Half Dime	NGC65
1834 Bust Quarter	NGC PR67
1854 Quarter W/Arrows	NGC67
1807 Bust Half	NGC64
1836 Reeded Edge Half	NGC63
1838 Reeded Edge Half	NGC66
1854 Half W/Arrows	NGC PR66
1897 O Barber Half	NGC68
1800 Bust Dollar	NGC64
1836 Gobrecht Dollar	NGC PR63
1863 Seated Dollar	NGC67
1905 S $5 Gold Liberty	NGC67
1905 $10 Gold Liberty	NGC66
1854 S $20 Gold Liberty TI	NGC65