My coin club is holding a coin show for National Coin Week and I will be going. It's at the Point Pleasent Fire House in New Jersey if any of you guys are near by and want to stop in. Anyway to my main point. What are some tips, tricks, or general info I should know going in keeping in mind that my goal is to make money. And yes I know people have said you can't do this overnight but, I want to give it a shot. Thanks for any help!
To make money you have to know coins really well and that takes a sizable investment in time and money (for books). You also have to know the market really well and that also takes time. Picking up a Greysheet is a big help, so is looking at recent auction results (sold listings on eBay and Heritage). A lot of the best deals will be found by spotting undergraded coins, overlooked key dates, or unattributed varieties and errors and all of that takes very specific knowledge that takes years to accumulate. There is no shortcut. As for general tips in going to a show, the biggest one is to prepare. Figure out what you want to buy in advance and how much it's worth. If you're collecting, make sure you have a list of what dates/varieties you are missing or need to upgrade. Find out what the current prices are for what you want to buy (or what you want to sell if you are bringing coins) including current spot prices for PMs. Also, make sure to bring a loupe with you. For small local shows like the one you're going to, I typically do a walkthrough of the bourse before I buy anything. You don't want to just buy the first coin you see and then find the same coin a few tables down in better condition for less money. In terms of making money, when you do buy a coin, buy coins in investment grade. This is typically XF or better (except for moderns), but it depends on the series and the date.
