Bailathacl

On one hand I get it — showing material at shows does involve real security risks. On the other hand, if someone wanted to get a sense of what this or any dealer had, they could walk into the show and get a REALLY good look. I’m not sure what the extra risk from a photo once you’ve chosen to set up in a public space. Are other dealers this sensitive about the issue? (Definitely and respectfully don’t want to be getting dealers angry.)

Can someone explain why a dealer would find taking pictures of a bourse floor to be an issue? Seems unreasonable but maybe I’m missing something. (I’m talking general scene photos, not hovering over or blocking of focusing on the dealer or his case — that merits asking permission.)

I was characteristically unfocused in my interests. My bids (with lot numbers in parentheses) were: Persian-Achaemenid AV stater (410), Byzantine Empress Irene AV solidus (934), Byzantine Michael III AV semissis (947), 4 Low Country gold coins (1130, 1131, 1135, 1137), and an English Edward IV AV 1/2 ryal 1241). As others have noted elsewhere, gold coins seemed pretty heated/inflated at Triton.

I managed to land one Triton coin only, although I thought I made pretty strong bids on 8 others (was the underbidder on 3 of those). Anyway, I love the funkiness of the design on this secondary sceatta. Here it is:

I’m curious how non-U.S. dealers prefer to be paid at the show. I assume U.S. dollars may not get the same preferential pricing that U.S. dealers might give. Do they prefer credit cards? I’m trying to decide what balance of cash/plastic to bring. Also curious about the negotiating culture with European dealers. Is a certain amount of respectful haggling expected? Is it offensive? Is there no one-size-fits-all answer? Any other hints for things a first-time attendee at a major show should know would be welcome! Looking forward to meeting a few forum folks there - Bill

Always worth a look….

I plan to attend — very excited for my first major show. Arriving in the city too late to face a decision on paying $125 for Thursday early entry (although Donna make a great point about comparing that hit to buyer’s premiums paid at auction.)

Interesting. The envelope bringing my auction catalog and calendar was also torn and beaten and barely containing its contents. Fortunately both its only had minor cosmetic damage.

Artificial toning?

#3 let’s you shake the Etch-a-Sketch and start all over again, very appealing to me too.

But who would win a drinking contest? Or a seduction of nymphs challenge? Wrestling is overrated by comparison.

Thanks Ed. This is helpful guidance indeed. Helps me in organizing what I already have and in identifying where gaps (or optimistically “new collecting opportunities”) may lie.

I have north of 1200 coins in total — 300+ ancient, the balance being medieval/Islamic or modern. I am an incorrigible generalist, more satisfied with breadth than depth but valuing both. As for culling, I have been doing so somewhat regularly, but only in the past year. All proceeds, and then some, go back into the collection, with the goal of raising quality as I lower quantity. Very satisfying, even if hard choices have been made.

Thank you Doug, John and Donna. Each of your responses is enormously helpful. Although it seems I will need to reinvent the wheel, I really appreciate knowing how each of you built your own. Aside to Doug: If I truly have to guess what I would want in 35 years, the answer is “to be alive”. (I am 61 now!)

I’m looking for guidance on how to best put my collection in some type of sequence and order. I have just over 300 coins and growing at this point, running the gamut from the early coin-making era in Greece to the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The collection continues past that point in time, but so far that era doesn’t pose as vexing a challenge when making a spreadsheet! Is there a generally accepted list of issuers and regions that I should consider adopting when I organize my collection and my spreadsheet? I notice that the auction houses seem to follow similar — but not identical — ordering protocols. Is there a good master list out there somewhere, the more inclusive the better, that anyone can point me to? I don’t want to sink a lot of effort into a spreadsheet inventory only to have to greatly overhaul it — likely one row at a time — down the road. Thank you for any suggestions you may have!

My recurring challenge is that every time I scratch a coin off of my want list, I tend to add 3 or 3 coins to that want list. Good times!

Seller’s feedback is about as damning as you might expect.

How awful did it look that someone thought “gee, I should probably paint this”?

Personally I would be to excited to sleep, at least for the first night. Enjoy, Rob!

A relatively new addition; Constantine VI and Irene [right side of photo] 780-797, SB 1591. With apologies to the Emperor for that encrustation! Edited to add: Leo III, Constantine V and Leo IV on obverse

Here’s my beloved exemplar. (Not my avatar coin, which is “the one that got away”.)

I opted for a man-headed bull image from a killer coin that got away — i waited too long deciding whether to buy it and the seller sold elsewhere. It is a reminder to myself to not let something get away if I truly love it. Also, my wife thinks the face looks just like me! Anyway I did obtain one of these Campania beauties later, albeit in less wonderful condition.

Beautiful pieces. Such an underappreciated collecting area (understandably so).

Happy to migrate to a potentially less-fraught location! As an infrequent poster but habitual reader at the old place, I hope to be a little more active here.