Same under the skin

It is gratifying to learn how similar American collectors and dealers are to European collectors and dealers.

I learned this lesson yet again on Sunday on the final day of the World Money Fair as I went from dealer bourse table to dealer bourse table to find out how well they had done at the show.

In the chitchat I learned that the dealers in one room were particularly unhappy with their location in one of the multiple rooms employed by the World Money Fair bourse floor. Just as American dealers want to be together in one large room, so too do European dealers. When that is not possible, as it is not possible at the Estrel convention facility, the topic of conversation turns to crowd floor. When the public enters, which way do they go? In the room that included the Krause Publications booth, the dealers said the public was not entering in sufficient numbers.

I went into another of the satellite rooms and another dealer mentioned that he had less space in the same location this year as compared to last year. I don’t know if it was a matter of perception or if the show enlarged the aisle a little bit at the expense of dealer table space. I certainly did not see any difference. The crowd seemed to be about the same as it was at the same time last year and it was as difficult as ever to make my way down the aisle.

But people are people. Whatever might be an impediment to doing a good business will be noticed and commented upon.

I certainly don’t want to pick on the show. Those individuals who made their way to the Krause booth offered their usual number of suggestions and criticisms for our catalogs and newspapers.

When I hear that, I truly do feel at home.

Thanks, Berlin. Thanks World Money Fair. Even in our differences we collectors and dealers are the same.