What will Chicago offer?

I am in Chicago this morning for the American Numismatic Association convention.

Well, actually it is the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Ill.

The hobby is gearing up to have its annual big summertime get-together that the ANA modestly calls the World's Fair of Money. It officially opens tomorrow.

It is a big show. ANA Executive Director Larry Shepherd says its the biggest ever. I will try to take the bourse floor geography all in and work to put up the Krause Publications booth at the convention center today.

As the first one in, I had the honor of driving down the displays as well as boxes of newspapers and books. I don't mind, though when I did it for the Central States convention in the same location earlier this year, so many people stopped by the booth during set-up time that I was beginning to wonder whether I would ever finish my little construction project.

But don't worry about me. It is great to be able to catch up with people. That is, after all, the main reason why I am here.

What's the state of numismatics? I will have a pretty good idea by the time I head home on Saturday night after the show closes.

And I do mean numismatics. We are more than just the current price of gold, though you might not be able to tell that from recent headlines.