Partnering to increase show traffic

By Judy Blackman

In 2017, Jared Stapleton, Brian Bell and Mike Hollingshead conceptualized a way to increase foot traffic at the Guelph Coin Show sponsored by the South Wellington Coin Society (SWCS) and the biannual Toronto Coin Expo, the latter of which includes an auction session by Geoffrey Bell Auctions beginning a day before the show.

The idea will become a reality commencing with the SWCS’s April 28 and Sept. 22 shows as well as the Toronto Coin Expo’s May 4-5 and Sept. 28-29 shows.

The SWCS used coupons from the club’s inventory of five- and 10-cent Canadian Tire coupons. Hollingshead then designed and obtained two stamps for over-printing. One stamp, for the obverse, depicts the SWCS logo and signals the coupon recipient to look at the back of the note, where the other two parties’ logos are depicted alongside a message confirming the note’s provision of free daily admission into the 2018 Toronto Coin Expo shows.

The over-printed coupons, which will be given to every attendee of the Guelph Coin Show on April 28, can be used for free admission into the Toronto Coin Expo the following weekend, on May 4-5.

These over-printed notes are truly numismatic collectibles and exist in two varieties. As described above, when the recipient receives the note at the Guelph Coin Show, and then when the note is used for admission to the Toronto Coin Expo, the note is stamped “redeemed” and returned to the person entering the show to be maintained as a keepsake.

If the program is continued the next year, the note will have a 2019 year-date. A person who attends both shows in both years could have four notes—one received at each of the Guelph shows—and if they also attend Coin Expo, the notes will be stamped with “redeemed.”

Given that Canadian Tire gas bars have halted issuing coupons and the stores appear to be in the process of moving away from the coupons in favour of the Canadian Tire money program loyalty cards, the coupons issued at the Guelph shows will become even more collectible.

The SWCS has enough coupons to carry through many years’ shows, and should the admission program run its course, any remaining notes will be utilized by the SWCS for scrip to signify SWCS special events and milestones.

This is a perfect cross-marketing example benefitting coin clubs, collectors and dealers through their participation at the sponsored shows.

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