London Coin Fair

[DaveG38 385]

This might seem an odd question, because despite having a large collection of coins, I have never attended a coin fair. I am considering going up to Coinex in London next week and wondered if anybody has any general advice about it. For instance, now that the cheque guarantee card has been withdrawn, cheques are more risky so are traders less likely to take them? Is cash best, but if so carrying a couple of thousand (or more) might be foolish? Do dealers take cards using the stand alone machines or connected to a phone line at the hotel? I guess you get the idea.

Also, how busy will it be? A rugby scrum or a pleasent experience? At my age the occasional sit down is nice - any chance? And possibly most important, is it really worthwhile or is it masses of the usual material. In other words, am I likley to find any of the missing rarities I need or is this pipe dream - e.g. a 1686 tin halfpenny - or even a more minor rarity such as a 1728 R&P shilling?

Thoughts and advice much appreciated.

[£400 for a Penny ? 0]

I went once a few years ago.

Not knowing what to expect, I just pitched up on the first morning. Seems the first morning is closed to the public, it's dealers only, but for some reason they took pity on me and let me in. It was quite civilsed until the bell went for the public to be let in, then it was a bear pit. Point being I suppose, that any bargain will probably be snapped up intra dealers, but it's not a bad day out if you perhaps combine it with a visit to the British Museum's RBS coin gallery and take in a couple of carefully poured pints of Armada.

As for the cash, you will see frighteningly large wads being deployed - all depends how comfortable you are walking around with it. No-one can tell you've got it, but it can play on the mind....

[Peckris 579]

This might seem an odd question, because despite having a large collection of coins, I have never attended a coin fair. I am considering going up to Coinex in London next week and wondered if anybody has any general advice about it. For instance, now that the cheque guarantee card has been withdrawn, cheques are more risky so are traders less likely to take them? Is cash best, but if so carrying a couple of thousand (or more) might be foolish? Do dealers take cards using the stand alone machines or connected to a phone line at the hotel? I guess you get the idea.

I always took cash to the Midland, but I was never in the big bucks league so a few hundred in notes didn't bother me.

Conflicting thoughts :

1. I would have thought the bigger dealers would have made the investment into debit card machines connected to a phone line (or wifi) as why would they risk many thousands of stock in what could be dodgy cheques?

But

2. The biggest customers and regular buyers will be known to all the main dealers, so they would only be taking risks with flashy newcomers.

You wouldn't be known Dave, so it might be worth while getting your main dealer / supplier to write a letter of introduction for you to carry around, so that Coinex dealers would feel safer with your cheques? (Alternatively, your existing debit card should carry some weight as A) it would still be in force, and C) they've only just recently withdrawn the cheque guarantee service)

Edited September 21, 2011 by Peckris

[Gary D 76]

I went once, can't remember if it was last year or the year before. I was somewhat disapointed, there wasn't much there unless you are into hammered gold. Although I did pick up a bargian on a misattributed coin. It was also surprisingly small, about half the size of the Midland coin fair. Also is something like £25 to get in unless you go on Saturday?

[DaveG38 385]

Thanks for the advice everyone. The only reason for considering the London Coin show is that I'm in the south east so London is the obvious choice of event to go to. Birmingham is 200 plus miles away, so a bit of a traipse. Overall, London doesn't seem to get a resounding thumbs up, so maybe I'll give it a miss and put the cost of attending towards a coin!!

[Rob 2,998]

Thanks for the advice everyone. The only reason for considering the London Coin show is that I'm in the south east so London is the obvious choice of event to go to. Birmingham is 200 plus miles away, so a bit of a traipse. Overall, London doesn't seem to get a resounding thumbs up, so maybe I'll give it a miss and put the cost of attending towards a coin!!

London is always a problem, whether coin fair or auction. I stopped getting the train to London when it leapt from £95 return to £130 (pig class) and that's a few years ago. The alternative is driving, which now costs £50-60 for fuel, plus parking for the day of £30ish, plus congestion charge, plus the hassle of sitting in queues of traffic on the M1 or M40 (realistically a minimum of 4 hours each way). All that with no guarantee you will find anything suitable makes it distinctly unattractive. Cheap train fares are available - if you want to arrive in mid-afternoon. I make an effort for specific sales where I particularly want something (like next week), but avoiding going to London at all can be a very pleasurable thing.

[coin watch 1]

If you do go to this years Coinex it's worth to bear in mind that on day 1 (Friday) the entry is £25 after 1pm with before (11am entry) being £50. But the Saturday is apparently free entry. Up till last year the Friday was free after 1pm if you held a complimentary ticket, so alas it seems to me the Friday has now been set aside for the investors comfort with the collectors held back to the Saturday. Hmmm shame really I used to like Coinex but I will not be attending anymore, cos after all I'm only a collector!!!!

[Peter 615]

I don't carry thousands to fairs but cash seems to be the talk.I have used a credit card once when there was a coin I had to have but I paid a mixture of cash and credit card.

Regarding Coinex,I worked in London for several years...commuting 190 miles a day...I hate the place.I wouldn't be happy on trapsing accross the City post or pre fair with loads of coins/cash.

Midland its a 250 round trip but you can park FOC within 50 yds of the fair.Its a pleasant Sunday morning run & listening to the football on the way home.

You just get lucky sometimes and have always enjoyed my day.You have to rummage and get through the chaff.I wouldn't go expecting anything in particular but keep an open mind.A couple of our members also sometimes have a table.

[£400 for a Penny ? 0]

but avoiding going to London at all can be a very pleasurable thing.

We like that too - it reduces the number of unintelligible dialects one has to decifer from 2,139 to 2,138.

Oh, and I'm not 100% but I believe whippets now attract a surcharge on the congestion tariff ( there have been a few unfortunate incidents with Northerners getting lost for days and dogs being parboiled in their cars) so you'll need to consider that before setting sail.

You can bring your pigeons though, plenty here already.

[Cerbera100 0]

Hmmm... some fairly negative feeling here!

Personally, i quite like Coinex - and significantly more now its back in central london rather than western copenhagan! (ok, eXcel center - but close enough!)

I tend to rock up on Saturday morning (for the free entry bit) with maybe £200 on me, and wander round chatting to and getting to know dealers... if I see something I fancy, I'll have a punt! It can be a bit crowded, but no worse than the supermarket at the same time!

Granted I live in Slough, so its 45mins train/tube or 60mins train/walk to Grosvenor Square, so that removes a fair amount of pain!

Hey ho, each to their own! Given that you seem fairly local to the big smoke, so i figure it must be worth one try!

[Peter 615]

but avoiding going to London at all can be a very pleasurable thing.

We like that too - it reduces the number of unintelligible dialects one has to decifer from 2,139 to 2,138.

Oh, and I'm not 100% but I believe whippets now attract a surcharge on the congestion tariff ( there have been a few unfortunate incidents with Northerners getting lost for days and dogs being parboiled in their cars) so you'll need to consider that before setting sail.

You can bring your pigeons though, plenty here already.

Ooop North the predecimal coins are still circulating. you have to go to Scotland though for the George 111 evasion copper.

All the fairs are worth investigating and I would recommend them for any new collectors as prices are usually better value than Ebay.

Its also a chance to see and even handle coins that you could only dream of.

[Red Riley 2]

This might seem an odd question, because despite having a large collection of coins, I have never attended a coin fair. I am considering going up to Coinex in London next week and wondered if anybody has any general advice about it. For instance, now that the cheque guarantee card has been withdrawn, cheques are more risky so are traders less likely to take them? Is cash best, but if so carrying a couple of thousand (or more) might be foolish? Do dealers take cards using the stand alone machines or connected to a phone line at the hotel? I guess you get the idea.

Also, how busy will it be? A rugby scrum or a pleasent experience? At my age the occasional sit down is nice - any chance? And possibly most important, is it really worthwhile or is it masses of the usual material. In other words, am I likley to find any of the missing rarities I need or is this pipe dream - e.g. a 1686 tin halfpenny - or even a more minor rarity such as a 1728 R&P shilling?

Thoughts and advice much appreciated.

Hi Dave,

Sorry I've been on holiday so missed this one. I don't expect to attend Coinex as the expenses look to outweigh the potential return but at most coin fairs, cash is king and many collectors/dealers seem to wander around with wads of the stuff. A compromise, which I for one would accept is to pay a cash deposit of say, £50 in cash and the balance by cheque, the coin to be forwarded once the cheque has cleared. You won't get to take the coin home with you, but you will get it after a couple of weeks, so all you really require is patience. Few, if any of the smaller dealers take credit cards.

Oh, and as a post script, with over 30 years as a commuter, I never had any hassle either on streets or trains.

[ski 1]

Ooop North the predecimal coins are still circulating.

not strictly true.....i once went to luton and i didnt get a single farthing in my change.........

[£400 for a Penny ? 0]

Overall, London doesn't seem to get a resounding thumbs up, so maybe I'll give it a miss and put the cost of attending towards a coin!!

No, if you've neve been to a coin fair (I think you said that?) you should definitely have a go Dave. Just remember it's not at all typical - a little bit like your first football match being the FA cup final......

[1949threepence 3,366]

Even when I lived in Essex I tried to avoid going to London if I could.

Although, the London fairs sound good, it's the thought of having to actually traverse the place that puts me off. The Midland is a nice trip for me as it's fairly local, and always civilized. Motor Cycle museum is a nice place.

Edited October 9, 2011 by 1949threepence

[Gary D 76]

Even when I lived in Essex I tried to avoid going to London if I could.

Although, the London fairs sound good, it's the thought of having to actually traverse the place that puts me off. The Midland is a nice trip for me as it's fairly local, and always civilized. Motor Cycle museum is a nice place.

I did coinex this year and was even more disappointed, even more roman, even more hammered and even more hammered god. Very very little 20th centry predecimal. I thought I'd pulled a flanker by suggesting Mrs D should have a look around the new shopping centre in Stratford and I'd jump on the tube to Coinex, even though there was every chance that she could spend more than me at Mayfair. A major disappointment at Coinex was that a dealer had the 1965 Churchill crown struck without a coller that I had been 2nd bidder earlier in the year at a Baldwins action. I had been kicking myself because I had intended to attend then couldn't be bothered so put on a stupid pre bid and got beaten Anyway there it was in all of its glory at about 2x what it went for at action. Sorry but I just wasn't going to shell out that sort of money, even for a Churchill crown. Grrrr.

Mind you still had a result, Statford is an amazing place and the Mrs didn't spend any money.

[Peter 615]

Even when I lived in Essex I tried to avoid going to London if I could.

Although, the London fairs sound good, it's the thought of having to actually traverse the place that puts me off. The Midland is a nice trip for me as it's fairly local, and always civilized. Motor Cycle museum is a nice place.

My thoughts exactly although its not local.I've been to Wakefield,Harrogate and a few smaller local fairs but I always tend to find something at the Midland.

[Colin G. 147]

Even when I lived in Essex I tried to avoid going to London if I could.

Although, the London fairs sound good, it's the thought of having to actually traverse the place that puts me off. The Midland is a nice trip for me as it's fairly local, and always civilized. Motor Cycle museum is a nice place.

My thoughts exactly although its not local.I've been to Wakefield,Harrogate and a few smaller local fairs but I always tend to find something at the Midland.

Oi get aaarf my land

[Peter 615]

Even when I lived in Essex I tried to avoid going to London if I could.

Although, the London fairs sound good, it's the thought of having to actually traverse the place that puts me off. The Midland is a nice trip for me as it's fairly local, and always civilized. Motor Cycle museum is a nice place.

My thoughts exactly although its not local.I've been to Wakefield,Harrogate and a few smaller local fairs but I always tend to find something at the Midland.

Oi get aaarf my land

He were worrying moi sheep.