Shows are great for the business

There’s no business like show business…

While this popular phrase is borrowed from the 1954 movie of the same name and the famous song in the stage musical, Annie Get Your Gun, given it’s “awards season” in the ‘show’ business, I think it’s also timely to shine the light on coin shows.

Since joining the Trajan team, I have been making a concerted effort to attend as many coin shows as possible, and, I have become a fan of coin shows for many good reasons.

Yes, of course, it’s important for me – and members of the team – to be at the shows representing Trajan and meeting our readers and advertisers first-hand. But, more important, the shows are a great opportunity to track and monitor the pulse of the collecting community.

Being the newbie on the coin scene, there are two key observations I want to make about coin shows.

First, kudos to the show organizers.

Organizing a show is a lot of work, whether it’s sponsored by a coin club, an individual or a business. It takes a lot of time to pull it together, not to mention the importance of trying to keep everyone happy.

Why do they do it? Overall, it’s because they feel there is a need in their local communities to bring dealers and collectors together. And, there’s the desire that, hopefully, the shows will entice new collectors – something we all want for our numismatic community.

So I encourage you to thank the organizers at every opportunity you have for bringing a show to your community. Support them… and bring a friend, or the family, to the show with you.

My second point is I believe coin shows are vital to maintaining and growing the community. We need the shows to nurture and enhance the strength of our coin community.

Coin shows are the perfect opportunity for the collector – from beginners to the advanced – to gather with other collectors to learn, share, buy and sell and help to grow the community. Personally, I have learned a lot more about the hobby by attending the shows and one of the best outcomes is I have made new friends.

I know for some collectors, going to a show may feel intimidating at first, but the rewards you’ll receive in terms of finding “that coin” or enhancing your knowledge will pay off in dividends. If still reluctant, go with a like-minded friend, or join a coin club. And, for the low price of admission, coin shows are a great deal (and investment) to find under one roof a vast assortment of coins, tokens, commemoratives and banknotes to fill your collecting goals.

Coin shows are also the best opportunity to support our dealers. If we want them to continually find and offer us new materials they need collectors at the shows to buy, sell, trade and introduce collectors new to shows.

While the show business in Hollywood is busy this time of year handing our awards, the best ‘award’ you can give to Canadian coin shows is to support them.

Coin shows are the heartbeat of our community. Support as many as you can by attending, buying and selling and inviting others.

* * *

On a closing note, I will be overseeing the editor’s role on an interim basis. I want to thank Bret Evans for his years of service to Trajan Publishing as editor of Canadian Coin News. I wish him good health and the best in his future endeavours.

 

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Canadian Coin News is Canada's premier source of information about coins, notes and medals.

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