VAMWorld 2.0

All this mostly IMHO, except verified by several large coin dealers from both Coasts.
Over many yrs collecting, interfacing with many collector's and dealers it is very apparent
that people from each distinct areas, East coast vs West coast think and act very differently.
East coast coin folk tend to be much more compassionate and into learning about details
of their Numismatic favorites. The youngsters really prove this out as many great Numismatists
have arisen from eastcoast origins.

West Coast collectors seem to be less for minute details and more into $$$$ and larger inventories,
mostly due to huge amounts of coins, unpicked over vs East Coast Inventories. Vams are prime
example as most West Coin Shows are virtually unsearched foe vams with very few interested or
knowledgeable. This subject is rarely brought up but worth mention, as astuit collectors capitalize
on this discrepency and attend larger west coin shows, which also provide some real good deals

So in retrospect, IMHO, East coasties in general are better informed on intricate PUP'S etc of their
selected denominations, basically because of their committment of time to study coins
West coasties have more choices overall and do not need to spend all that time to achieve
the same results, in most cases. West coasties also develop inventory faster and less expensively.

I am a super prime West Coastie example, who has learned to amass large numbers cheaply,
while neglecting many intricate details of coins. Other mid west/east coast collectors have a huge
upper hand in Vams knowledge, while i even the score with huge inventories and purchased cheap.

Like other West Coast Dealers, I have learned to sell for profit when oppertunity arises, unlike
many East Coast Collector's who simply fallin love with their smaller inventories, which i warned
of here for yrs. Taking & learning to take profits makes your head feel better and keeps one keen
in market place. Not offloading leads to terrible losses if and when a mkt dips downward, such as
last several yrs. Some to many collectors would strongly dis agree with me, but my check book
proves im right. LOL I always love doing a deal, whether coins, real estate, bullion, lumber,cattle,

But....you ignore the effect of cold weather on the Florida iguana BBQ market.

This is something that is always changing. First, many (if not most) West Coast hobbyists/dealers originally came from the East Coast or Central/Southern regions. With respect to VAMs, apart from Leroy, there was for decades the concentration of VAM enthusiasts on the West Coast. Today, some of the longest collecting and largest accumulations have been out here. There have also been quite notable bag hoards in the West, particularly in Montana. Sometime around or after 2000, serious collectors and variety scholarship grew more universally. Used to be that maybe 80% of the VAM activity was at Long Beach. For a couple decades that has been at FUN. Thankfully, the Internet popularized over the period so, at least I rarely think of peers in this geographically. There is no longer a center. Jeff, Brent, Dennis, Jason, Tim C, Logan, me, and others are in the West. JB, JR, Brian, ... are Central. I know big, serious collectors and scholars in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and other Mid-Atlantic states. When I was still eBaying VAMs, there were customers in every state, including Alaska (big lowball guy there) and Hawaii. I don't sense a significant difference in approach nor in availability of material. Others might have different observations. I forget if Jeff was a CA native or not. Logan was from Oklahoma. I was from Pennsylvania. Some others out here were also from "back there" somewhere. Now, one discriminator might be that most of the VAM and variety people not currently in the West tend to be close to where they were born. Certainly there are exceptions, but I get that sense. And if their physical searching mobility is in a smaller region, the inventories will more often seem more stale and picked over.

A quick, unscientific survey of submissions to me over the past year shows the Southeast being represented most often.

messydesk wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 22, 2022 11:40 pm

A quick, unscientific survey of submissions to me over the past year shows the Southeast being represented most often.

That makes sense, Im from NYC and split time in the south east and it seems like everyone down there is from up here lol

Im a fair weather bird originally from calif. Cant imagine living in snow country and humidity summers
Makes sense Southeast as Florida is Numismatic capital of U S. Lots of money in Florida as retirees
collect valuables of varied kinds. personally im to old anddone with any type of collecting, as time
changes ones objectives. I still love speculating on bullion and some futures contracts ie: Options Mostly