The Advantage of Attending Coin Shows Early in the Year

The numismatic calendar seems to have a coin show of some size or scope – local, regional, or national – just about each week of every year. But there’s something special, even numismatically prudent, about attending at least one of the big coin shows early on the yearly calendar. Of course, we’re talking about the major coin conventions that hit the numismatic circuit in January, February, and March – the three months of the year often known by many as Q1, or the first quarter.

Now, what’s so important about going to a coin show early in the year?

Aren’t they pretty much like all the other coin shows throughout the rest of the year? Not exactly…

The coin market sees something of a reset each Q1. It’s more than just a psychological thing – say, the feeling of starting anew when the old calendar comes off the wall and a new beginning takes place with that first new calendar page emblazoned with the word “January.” The big shows held during the early months of the year, which include the February Long Beach Expo in Southern California, serve as bellwether events. They help bring a clearer perspective as to how the market may behave for the rest of that year.

Also, a new calendar year means “new” budgets are footing the bill for purchases, with newly created fiscal ledgers being drafted. Those who give themselves a set collecting or buying budget for the year often have “more” money during the first months of the calendar. This means they may have more disposable income to spend on collectible coins, banknotes, and other numismatic items during the early months than they may have as the year winds down.

And, as you may imagine, collectors and dealers are enthusiastically coming off the long holiday pause, that period from mid-November through December when family events usually take precedence and major coin shows simply aren’t happening. Collectors and dealers are generally eager to get back on the trading floor, buying and selling coins, and conducting new business. All of this factors into the particularly enthusiastic type of buzz that typically occurs on the bourse floors of sizable coin shows held in January, February, and March.

Of course, when we say that the big coin shows held during the early part of the year are “bellwether events” we aren’t implying that there are any crystal balls or tea leaves involved. The somewhat predictive nature of these shows is much more about getting a vibe from the overall buying and selling behavior, the overarching mood of the show, the activity on the bourse floor, the deals being made, and so on. This all can portend how the market may play out during the rest of the year. In many cases, it’s about the types of big-ticket items crossing the block at the auctions often held in conjunction with these big, early year coin shows. A major seven-figure coin crossing the block and making some headlines in January, February, or March, can rev up the moods of collectors. These A-list trophy coins often catch the eye of some non-collectors who just so happen to hear about the major rarity on the news and come to one of these shows to check out what collectible coins are all about.

You, too, can be a part of these important bellwether events when you attend these big coin shows held during the first months of the year. As January wends its way into February, collectors eagerly await the Long Beach Expo, one of the biggest collectibles shows on the West Coast. The February 2024 Long Beach Expo will be held at the Long Beach Convention Center in California from February 1 through February 3, 2024. Meanwhile, many on the East Coast are looking forward to the first PCGS Members Only Show of 2024, which will take place at the Philadelphia Marriott in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from February 28, 2024 through March 2, 2024. You can find out more about these and other big coin shows on the PCGS Trade Show Schedule.