Long Beach Expo Sees Attendance Increase, Steady Business
Nearly 7,000 people convened at the Long Beach Convention Center for the three-day February Expo. (All images courtesy Long Beach Expo / Collectors Universe, Inc.)
A strong collectibles market was reflected in both attendance and business at the Long Beach Expo held Feb. 17-19 at the Long Beach, Calif., Convention Center. The Collectors Universe event, held three times per year, was headlined by one of the world’s most valuable coin collections, more than 500 dealers with diverse offerings and a multi-million dollar auction event.
Organizers report a total attendance of 6,759 for the Thursday-Saturday show, up from 5,118 at its September 2021 event. The February show was 90 percent sold out.
“We had really steady attendance throughout the duration of the Long Beach Expo, but the busiest hours were between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.,” said Stephanie Sabine, president of Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS), a division of Collectors Universe.
In addition to coins and bank notes, dealers at the Expo offered stamps, jewelry, sports memorabilia and handbags.
A crowd of collectors await a bourse of diverse offerings in the lobby outside the Long Beach Expo.
“At a show like this one, the inventory is extremely diverse, and it seemed buyers were pursuing a lot of just about everything,” Sabine reported. “This sort of follows the trends we’ve seen in the marketplace over the last nearly two years now. Collectibles are strong across the board with unprecedented growth across various hobbies. We definitely saw indications of that here at the Expo.”
A main attraction at the show was the dazzling display of The Tyrant Collection of U.S. Type coins, an exhibit unlike any other.
“The Tyrant Collection of U.S. Type Coins carried the headlines at the show, with the $100 million exhibit luring robust crowds,” said Sabine.
Attendees who viewed the display were treated to a multitude of numismatic treasures, the most legendary being the King of Siam Proof Set that includes an 1804 Draped Bust dollar. The set alone is worth millions.
The show boasted educational opportunities, with some fun for young collectors mixed in.
“We ... offered several Meet the Expert sessions to help educate the public on coins, bank notes, sports collectibles and video games, along with a coin treasure hunt for young numismatists on Saturday that was quite popular with the kids.”
Also popular among attendees was the on-site grading offered by PCGS and collectible giveaways held throughout the show.
“But one of the biggest draws at every Long Beach Expo is the multimillion-dollar coin and bank note sales by Heritage Auctions, with lot viewing at the show,” Sabine said.
See Page 79 for result highlights from the $16.5 million numismatic sale.
The next Long Beach Expo is set for June 30-July 2. For more details, visit www.longbeachexpo.com.
