A TRAIN WRECK IN SLOW MO?
NOT! Our 2025 FUN Show was more like a freight train cruising in slow motion and then picking up nonstop speed. We finally added everything up—we were 50% beyond what we hoped (not expected) to sell. All that includes sales from our wonderful table that was almost outside the building (in our opinion) and wholesale! We very much thank all the hearty souls who marched from the crowded, buzzing center of the show to us in the boondocks.
There actually was a buzz in the room. We believe, even from our distant table, that the show was exceptionally well attended. The FUN Show had become sort of a meet-and-socialize place for collectors. This time something was different. Those same collectors came to buy this time.
We sold several coins priced above $50,000.00. A sweet spot was $10-$25,000.00 (one coin was the monster 50C 1830 PCGS MS66 CAC). Of course, coins below $10,000.00 were red hot—especially better gold. While we may love the coins we offer, generally, they can be slower sellers at a show. Not this FUN show! We were really shocked on Friday after we realized how much we had sold. But then the overall feelings we heard from BOTH dealers and collectors were that there were not a lot of coins on the floor to buy. It was like a FUN show had been from 15 or more years ago! LOVED IT!
Here is how our activity went:
Day 1-TUE
We were worried we made a huge mistake coming Tuesday afternoon. All the sharks had been there since Saturday! In the end, why fight with them for coins? They have people so loyal you can’t offer them any amount of money to break their routines. We’d hoped we’d get lucky later at the show on our buying.
Our first selling appointment did not disappoint us. Selling was like that freight train we mentioned barreling ahead. It started slow, and then BOOM broke through all walls at high speed! We saw three people on Tuesday. They spent just over a combined $250,000.00. They bought soup to nuts. And they paid prices stronger than we had one or two coins posted for on our site! Two coins were priced at $50-$60,000.00 each.
It was clear from the start that dealers who have collector bases needed coins. Everyone was discussing how they had a strong December. No one had expected that.
Day 2—WED
I had an 8 am appointment with one of the biggest and sharpest buyers around. Even for us, we love to sit and watch a guy like this go through our boxes, knowing what is fresh and what is not. This fella did just that. What we expected him to buy, he did not. He did, however, buy several of our Fairmont coins, which surprised us. We were thrilled with what he spent.
After him, we had a few hours to kill until set up. We got lucky and ran into another person on our list to see. They were set up like a store out in the convention center lobby. We did more buying and selling with each other than we had expected. We were happy to have made our first purchases, too.
Set up opened. It took one long walk from where our table was to the other side to see if we could find any coins. Found NADA. However, we ran into a dealer who had once offered us some lovely coins, and we did not buy them because we had been busy. So we sat, and not only did we sell him a coin, we bought a coin that made us really happy! We also discussed doing more business.
It was record-setting for us that every single dealer who looked at our boxes bought coins. That just does not happen.
Day 3-THUR
It was time for the real test. The show was opening to the public.
OMG! We blinked and had 3 people come to our table right away. Not only did they look, but they also spent $45,000.00 combined in 15 minutes. Got us worried that might be it for the day. Nope, all throughout the day, collectors came to visit, chat, and buy. We even had a dealer stop by and buy a five-figure coin we never thought we would ever make a profit on. He scooped it right up with so much as a counter. Thank you! We sold soup to nuts all day.
Our most significant event occurred when a longtime customer and collector, whom we have known for 30 years, stopped by and informed us that it was time for him to start selling. He has always sold us his better coins over the years. We made an effort to remain composed in his presence. He explained to us that he trusts us, likes doing business with us, and does not offer his coins anywhere else. WOW! All we can say is that we bought six-figure worth of coins that have been off the market for at least 15+ years. We paid a ton and are now trying to figure out what to do with some of the coins (a few had to be regraded). That took the pain out of not seeing our regular, smaller dealers who walk the floor.
Day 4-FRI
Another busy day. Sold several smaller coins from the table. We engaged in conversations with a number of collectors we hadn’t seen in a long time. We did walk the floor only to come back worn out and empty-handed.
The day ended on a high note—selling the 50C 1936 PCGS PR67+ CAC to a collector.
We wonder how much stronger our show would have been had MALCA (Brinks) shown up. They never showed up with a group of our coins. Never ever had that happen.
LAST Day
Our “super secret stealth seller” was busy from the minute he landed until late Saturday. We think he sold $1 million. It’s amazing to us, especially after the first 3 days, how many people he can still sell to. He hung at our table each day for a bit, and we watched him just effortlessly sell to people. Most had sought him out.
He typically sells more widget-like coins. The market is beyond huge for those. He had shown us 3 coins he got in late, and we were paying attention to something else and now regret not buying one.
This guy is a one-man operation, too. He just primarily walks the floor (we let him use our table). But his little black book is probably one of the most powerful in the business!
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Next up is the auction. We are representing quite a few people. For sure, what the coins sell for will be interesting. It is our opinion that the nicer coins overall will sell strongly. At least in our world, that is where the demand is. You cannot top PCGS CAC coins for their quality. That is why they trade for so much. When it comes time to sell, the price of these coins holds up well. Of course, all the coins we want out of the sale are PCGS CAC. Good luck to us!
If you wish us to rep you, email Laura today: laura@legendcoin.com
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Will you look at our NEWPS? We have some gorgeous fresh coins now posted. Everything in Round I is now up. Highlights include:
5C 1914 PCGS MS67 CAC
10C 1899 PCGS PR67+ CAMEO CAC
20C 1875-CC PCGS MS65+ CAC
$1 1877-CC PCGS MS64 CAC
$1 1880-CC 8/7 PCGS MS67 CAC
$10 1913 PCGS MS65+ CAC
If you buy CC Dollars and gold, stay tuned. This week and next week we will be posting a set we had been building (check out the 80CC, 83CC, and 85CC $1 now posted). The collector decided to go in a different direction. You know when we build a set, the coins are not slop!
We have several other excellent coins now posted. Round II actually might very well be posted next Friday (if our coins arrive on time). We have plans to slow ourselves down a bit in 2025. Obviously, until the end of the month, it does not look like we will be able to!
If you have any questions, please email us ASAP. In this market, the coin you may be thinking about may be sold in a blink—even if it had been posted for a day!
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR WISH TO PURCHASE A COIN, EMAIL US. WE DO NOT CHECK OUR PHONE MESSAGES UNTIL MONDAY AT 9 AM.