Dealers call Baltimore show a success

?This was the best show I have ever had,? Al Johnbrier of Johnbrier Coins said of the Baltimore Coin and Currency Convention held March 22-25. ?I have only missed one Baltimore show in 35 years. The collectors were out in force. It was the busiest Friday I have ever seen at a show.

?If there is a recession, it certainly isn?t in numismatics. People seem to have more to spend.?

Other dealers were pleased with how well the show was run.
?Running of the show was great,? said Don Ketterling of Certified Assets Management. ?There was plenty of money to be spent and people looking.?

?I would say it was a kind of midline show for me. It was not a large success only because of the sourcing of coins. The lack of new material is somewhat alarming. Obtaining new and glamorous high-priced coins is getting more difficult, but that is more of a market analysis than comments on the show,? added Ketterling.

?It is a well organized and well run show,? said Kent Froseth of K.M. Froseth Inc. ?It is easy to attend. For me it was one of my slower shows in the past two years but it could be a function of my inventory.?
Other dealers were happy with both the running of the show and their sales.

?I had a very good show with both wholesale and retail sales,? Grant Campbell of Dalton Gold and Silver Exchange said of the Baltimore Coin and Currency Convention. ?I was able not only to sell but to purchase what I needed for my inventory and for customers.?

?We have received wonderful feedback from dealers ? good, bad and indifferent,? said David Crenshaw, general manager of the convention. ?We take dealer feedback very seriously. We are switching to a state-of-the-art photo badge ID system in the future that will be used in both Baltimore and Atlanta.

?We were happy with the success of opening the security room a day early. Many dealers took advantage of the opportunity to drop off their inventory in the security room and pick up their dealer badges on Wednesday at noon and took the rest of the day to explore the city. This reduced the lines from 6-10 p.m. when dealers could previously access the security room and get their badges,? Crenshaw continued.

The show also included the first ?Birthday on the Bourse? when Jason Eisen celebrated his birthday with his family and friends at the Kids Korner. Patti Finner coordinated the event held Sunday that included pirate hats, a treasure hunt and birthday cookies shaped like coins.

?The event was such a success we plan to offer ?Birthday on the Bourse? packages at future shows,? said Crenshaw.

Crenshaw is calling Whitman Publishing?s first Baltimore Coin and Currency Convention a success. ?We will continue to build on the success of the previous owners,? he said.