ANA Chicago Show...next week!

"I did it!"

Today I finally grabbed hold of my courage and ventured out onto the bourse floor at the World’s Fair of Money…to buy a coin. It took me three days to accomplish this, after embarrassing myself on the first day with a somewhat cranky dealer.

By the way, did you notice I used a new word? You all take for granted that you know the meaning of the word “bourse,” don’t you? One of my fellow volunteers thought it meant “sales.” But I looked it up, and it literally means “stock exchange” or “money bag/purse.” I think the most modern definition I saw, “exchange for merchants,” suits the bourse floor best though.

This is Mary Elise reporting live…from my car…after day four, my final day, of volunteering at the World's Fair of Money in Chicago. Don’t worry! Lou’s driving! (OK, so I wrote this in the car a few hours ago. I’m at home now, enjoying a nice glass of wine after a yummy walleye dinner with my hubby.)

I’ll admit it, I was afraid. Afraid of the bourse floor. Afraid of the dealers. And afraid of not knowing enough about coins. To me, venturing out onto a floor full of salespeople was like entering a car dealership or a deposition, both of which I’ve endured. Believe me when I say that I will not buy another car until mine dies along the side of the road somewhere and I’m forced to do it. As for the deposition…I’ve had a perfect driving record ever since.

My dad, Tony Arnold, sent me on an allegedly nostalgic mission to find a British coin (more detail on that in a forthcoming article). I nervously agreed to do my best, and had been agonizing over it ever since. So yesterday I asked Rusty Goe about the coin. He recommended I go to the Ancient & World Money section and, of course, since Rusty’s the man, that’s what I did today!

Right before I started out though, I got additional advice from Sandy Paz, another show attendee whom I’ve run into every single day. Go figure! An estimated 7,000 attendees anticipated at the WFoM, and I run into the same person daily, in completely different areas of the convention center. Sandy and her hubby actually came into the C4OA meeting room to take the projector screen for use at their own meeting. So when I saw Sandy again today I thought, Her husband knows enough about coins to teach something, and that seemed like a good enough reason to pick her brain too. Plus, she’s British…the coin is British…so there you go! Sandy advised me on what to say to dealers, what not to say, and in the end to ask, “Is that the best deal you can give me?”

The funny part about that last bit of advice is that the dealer I ended up buying Dad’s coin from reminded me that I hadn’t asked the big question…the very same question Sandy advised me to ask. When I did, Mr. Rose rewarded me with 25% off my purchase! The Roses, a husband and wife team from Alabama, were great to deal with. Mr. Rose took his time with me, educated me, even joked with me. And, last but not least, he made sure I checked my bag when the purchase was complete. He said, “Trust no one. How do you know I didn’t switch your purchase with another coin?” I felt like a little kid all over again. But I checked the bag!

Because of the time Mr. Rose spent hand-holding me, I determined that he was no car dealer or ruthless lawyer (or he was a really great actor). I prefer to believe the former. Whether or not I got the absolute best deal wasn’t the most important thing to me. Feeling comfortable with the coin dealer and being treated with respect, despite the meager sale Mr. Rose made with me, those were the priceless lessons I took away from my coin purchase today. I’m in sales myself, and my motto has been reinforced yet again: Service matters!

Honestly though, I owe most of the thanks to the average Joes at the show. If it weren’t for all the brains I got to pick over the last four days, I may never have gotten brave enough to buy a coin for my dad. The other valuable lesson I took away from the show is: Part one…don’t be afraid to ask for directions. After all, if you get lost driving in an area you’re unfamiliar with, you should stop and ask for directions. Part two…don’t be afraid to ask a lot of people! The only thing more valuable than your own experience is being able to tap into the experiences of others.

Well, it’s been an exhausting but fun week! This is Mary Elise, signing off from the ANA World’s Fair of Money in Chicago.

PS – I almost forgot! Earlier this week I mentioned the cash cube pictured below. The Game Area, where I volunteered today, featured four drawings a day for one minute in the cash cube. The average take was just under $50…a nice down payment on any coin, or enough to purchase one outright. I have to say…watching people grab furiously at the air while trying to get handfuls of cash was most entertaining!