Has Chicago become too popular?

Are there going to be too many coin shows in Chicago?

This question, more rhetorical or philosophical, was asked yesterday during an American Numismatic Association board of governors telephone meeting.

The ANA is in the process of consolidating its summer show in a suburb of the Windy City.

Central States Numismatic Society is doing the same thing in another suburb.

The Professional Currency Dealers Association autumn show will be moving there from St. Louis.

Then there are shows that have been long anchored in the city, the Chicago International Coin Fair and the Chicago Paper Money Expo.

Chicago is evolving from what was once considered to be an underserved area into something else.

When I was a regular attendee of the Illinois Numismatic Association convention years ago, it was always down state in Springfield or Peoria. I got used to the change of seasons with that early September show. After I spent a weekend in usually hot weather I would drive back to Iola at the end of the weekend and the furnace would kick in during the night.

There was no real answer at the ANA board meeting other than to wait and see how it all plays out and make changes in the future should convention fatigue be obvious by the conclusion of the ANA run there in the summer of 2015.

What do you think? Does or will Chicago have too many coin shows?