I recently had the pleasure of attending the Baltimore Whitman Coin Show in Baltimore, MD. I drove early in the morning to get there right when it opened. While I was attempting to find a gas station, I stumbled upon $10 parking and decided I could fill the tank up on the way out of Baltimore. When I got to the show, it was a little confusing as to where I was supposed to fill out the entrance document but I eventually figured it out. I neglected to provide my entire address but that was not an issue. For $5, I picked up 6 raffle tickets and tucked those away in hopes of getting a phone call in November saying I won a gold coin. I stuck my nametag on my shirt and walked into the show. The place was pretty large and bigger than any show I've been to in the last 15 years. I strolled through the lines looking at slab after slab in display cases. It was really interesting to see some of the more expensive coins that I cannot afford but still enjoy seeing close up. Most of the dealers didn't seem too interested in conversation so I continued to walk until I found somewhere that caught my attention. I found a great table with a large selection of raw coins and I looked through their Liberty Nickels. I still need an XF+ with cents coin for my Type Set so this is one I often look for when I'm at a show. I found a couple that really stood out but I just couldn't bite on the price. I marked the table information to return later but ultimately did not purchase there.

I finally came to the one thing I had hoped to find: a very large world coin bin. The price was a little steep at 5/$1.00 but it was the only one available so I sat down and began to dig through the coins. The gentleman there handed me another plastic bin to transfer the searched coins through and a box lid to set aside coins I want. I spent the next 2-3 hours going through literally every coin and looking for coins I needed. The selection was pretty decent and I ended up pulling between 100-150 coins out of the bin. When I finished, my hands were so dirty, I was afraid to try to grab my cellphone because I didn't want to get the soot on my shorts.

Several times, other collectors would come and try to start picking through the lid I was setting aside coins in. I politely let them know that those coins were spoken for but they were more than welcome to look with me in the other bin. I helped a few kids look for the new British coins and another looking for "cool countries." I was disappointed that some parents were not enthusiastic about their kids digging through the world coins and would steer them towards the US Parks quarters. I made a mental note that if my daughter ever got into collecting, I would support whatever interest she has, even if I think it's silly. I had a lot of fun going through the coins and meeting people while I was searching the bin.

I finished up and did a quick count of the coins and estimated the total was between $20 and $25. I admitted I hadn't counted the coins and offered him $20 to take what was in the box. The dealer said no and proceeded to stack and count the coins. The total came to $24 and I half expected him to ask for $22. Instead, he asked for $24 so I protested that I thought $20 was more than a fair deal for 120 coins. He relented and I paid and then I poured the coins into my backpack. I thanked him profusely and left the table happily.

I then met up with a newly acquainted friend from CoinTalk and we went to lunch at Five Guys down the street. We then came back and went looking through some of the tables. I brought him to a supplies dealer and he picked up a flat clinch stapler and some cotton gloves. We talked about coins for quite a bit and I ended up giving him a ride home. I purchased an 1875 Quarter Dollar off of him for a reasonable price as well as some silver from him for near spot. We had a good time and will likely meet up at the next show.

Of the 120 coins I picked up, about 75 of them were completely new coins. That's a pretty good ratio for my world coins considering I didn't consult my world coin list and went off of memory. I also picked up some better condition coins and anything that was pre-1930 even if I didn't need it. I am more than happy to pay $0.25 a coin than to buy pounds of coins much cheaper but then have piles of unwanted coins lying around. I did find a few new countries I didn't have yet: Bahrain, Rwanda, Belgian Congo, Ghana, Sudan, and Libya. My best find was a coin that is book valued at $20 in VF and $40 in XF. I think I paid for my whole purchase with that one coin (not that I would sell it). I do hope I can bump into that dealer in a few months and get another opportunity to go through his world coin bin again.

After going to my first big show in over 15 years, I realized that larger shows are for the bigger buyers with more experience. I was very happy to find some world coins and when I am more experienced, I will more than likely enjoy the bigger shows even more. Overall, it was a great experience and worth the drive. Hopefully I can meet with some WINS members at the next event.