I’m a bit late in writing this blog post, but I had a nice time in California a few weeks ago attending the Long Beach Expo and wanted to share my experience.

Recently, the people in charge of running the LB Expo announced that they were canceling the summer and fall show, so this was going to be the only one held in 2025. Some have whispered that this might be the last-ever LB Expo. It’s quite sad to hear this, but I understand. I have been coming to the LB Expo since Summer 2022 and have always had a good coin-trip buying inventory and making connections, but some of the dealers who have been setting up at this show for decades have told me that this show is half-the-size of what it use to be. I’ve been told the main reasons for the decline in dealer-attendance is the costs of travel+setup and the state of California not being friendly to small businesses. Whatever the case may be, It’s a shame that we are losing the only big national show on this side of the country. I just hope that something good comes out of this — possibly move the LB Expo to a different location on the West Coast that’s more affordable and friendly for dealers and collectors.

I left Phoenix after work on that Thursday (2/20) and decided to drive to California so I could have a long-weekend with my car. I invited my friend Robert to tag along and we made the 6 hour drive out to Long Beach. It’s actually not as bad as it sounds, because once you get out of the city of Phoenix it’s a straight-shot drive through the desert with no traffic. Thanks to whoever invented cruise-control!

Had to refill my tank at the last gas station off Interstate 10 before crossing into California, where the price automatically jumps by nearly +$1.50 per gallon!

Driving through the desert.

I got to the Long Beach Expo shortly before 10AM public open, and so the hunt began!

Some early gold I was privileged to handle. These were out of my price-range of course, but it was nice to window shop!

Here’s a really cool complete 1873 proof set all certified CACG I saw at the show.

Two “love tokens” I picked up at the show. These both have really nice designs, and I love how the Quarter has a date and location engraved. If only the history could tell!

The obverse’s of the love tokens.

I picked up quite a few PCGS graded Lincoln Cents. I stick to buying 09 VDB’s or better dates for this series as it seems like those do well.

A nice group of Seated Liberty coins I purchased at the show.

This 1858 Seated Liberty Half Dollar is my favorite coin that I purchased at the LB Expo. This example has incredible eye appeal for a 62. The TrueView shows nice color.

The obverse.

The reverse.

I also purchased a lot of other raw and graded coins to replenish my inventory. Overall, I would rate the show a 6/10. Decent, but It could have been better.

After the show I met-up with some other dealers for a dinner at Texas de Brazil in Irvine.

Me, Filip (@filipscoins in Instagram), and my friend Robert hanging out Friday night in Huntington Beach.

Most dealers and collectors leave Saturday but since I had my car I decided to stay an extra day and sight-see a bit in Los Angeles with my friend. We first went to Beverly Hills, this is a photo of Rodeo Dr.

My new car! (I wish)

A photoesque picture I took of a classic Mercedes with the notorious Beverly Hills palm trees in the background.

After spending a bit of time in Beverly Hills, It was time to check-in my hotel for the night in Hollywood.

The walk of fame.

TCL Chinese Theatre.

Frank Sinatra’s hand and foot prints outside the TCL Chinese Theatre.

My friend and I got dinner that night at Robert’s Russian Cuisine. This was my first time trying Russian food.

Borscht soup, a classic in Eastern Europe.

I forget what the name of this dish was called, but it was good, 9/10!

Stay tuned for the next blog and thanks for reading!

I got to the airport a little after 7:00AM for my morning flight to Las Vegas. 

The view from the PHX airport train to the terminal.

Thankfully I had no flight delays going to Las Vegas. I chose to do a day-trip and fly to the show this time because Frontier Airlines had a really good deal on a round-trip flight. It ended up being a lot cheaper than if I was going to drive, which would have been 5 hours each way and a hotel stay. 

And takeoff! 🛫 

The Arizona Cardinals stadium seen below.

Lake Mead AZ/NV seen below.

We landed in Las Vegas after being in the air for 45 minutes. Here is a nice view of The Strip from the tarmac.

Welcome to Las Vegas!

I always get a kick out of the Las Vegas airport having slot machines in the terminal, you wouldn’t see this anywhere else! 

Took an Uber from the airport to the Tuscany Hotel where the coin show was being held at. It was about a 10 minute drive.

Got to the coin show 20 minutes before the 10:00AM public open. Perfect timing!

A view of the coin show floor.

It was a bit smaller this time with a few empty tables, compared to the November show I was at. A dealer told me he thinks it was because this show was held on Valentine’s Day weekend and right before the Long Beach Expo in California. I guess it was bad timing for some who usually would have setup.

Here’s a really nice 1872 Seated Liberty Silver Dollar I purchased early in the show. Certified PCGS VF30 and CAC approved, this coin makes a perfect example for a Seated registry set I’m working on. Seated Liberty Dollars, especially CAC stickered approved examples, have become very desirable and hard to find in recent years. This is my first personal collection purchase of 2025. 

Another cool coin I purchased was this $2.5 gold quarter-eagle certified PCGS XF40 CAC. According to PCGS CoinFacts, 1879 was the last year of the quarter-eagle being minted in San Francisco. The mintage was 43,500 and an estimated 500 exist today in all grades. Scarce to find with CAC, this is just 1 of 14 total approved.

Here’s a neat “Coin Saver” album I purchased. I am guessing this was from the 1950’s – early 1960’s based on the design. I love finding vintage numismatic items like this.

The album came with original circulated Mercury Dimes. Some have toned over the years.

And here’s a cool 1868-S Seated Liberty Half Dime I purchased, graded AU58 by PCGS. The coin is slightly toned. It’s really tough finding Seated in old holders, especially better dates. The 1868-S Half Dime had a mintage of 280,000 coins, but PCGS CoinFacts estimates only about 400 exist today in all grades.

This was all that I purchased. I wish I could have gotten a few more buys in, better items, but it was somewhat difficult sourcing nice coins at a fair price. Hopefully I can pick up a lot more at the Long Beach Expo next week.

I left the show around 3:00PM and had a few hours to kill before my flight back home, so I decided to walk over to The Strip and have some lunch, see some sights…

The Las Vegas Strip, at the intersection of Flamingo Rd / Las Vegas Blvd.

Gordon Ramsay’s Hells Kitchen outside Caesars Palace.

Elvis on a scooter!

A shopping cart “tour bus”

I got back home to Phoenix shortly after 8:00PM. Thankfully, I had no flight delays or issues.

Overall, I would rate the show a 6/10. I got some good buys in, but I wish I could have purchased more. The summer and fall shows in Las Vegas are a lot better, and I will be back!

I thought it would be fun to share my first PCGS submission results for 2025. This was a submission I did at the Whitman Coin Expo in Baltimore back in mid November 2024. The coins in this sub were ones I accumulated from coin stores and coin shows I went to in October-November. Each coin has a TrueView if you want to look at it, just search the cert!

This is a funny one… a really nice 1834 Classic Head Half Cent that was originally graded AU58 by ANACS… now, a PCGS MS63 BN. The coin has beautiful chocolate-brown surfaces and rich original luster. I spotted this coin in a dealers case at the Baltimore Whitman Expo and when I asked to see it my first thought was how grossly under-graded it was. This coin is stupid nice and will be going to CAC sticking, fingers crossed!

Next up is one of my Eisenhower Dollar pocket pieces I worked on for about 4 months. Originally, this coin was your common uncirculated silver IKE dollar you can get for $10 at coin shops. I plan on trying this one at CAC sticking for fun.

I’ve also been testing my grading skills recently with Walking Liberty Halves. This was one I purchased at a coin store here in Arizona. It graded exactly how I thought it would, MS65. It also will be going to CAC stickering.

Here is a nicely toned Morgan I graded. The toning reminds me of fruity pebbles cereal, with lots of color in hand.

Two Seated Liberty Dimes I graded. I love US type coins with this look. Both of these will be going to CAC stickering. Depending if they sticker or not, I might keep one (or both) of them for my personal set.

This Mercury Dime is one of the two details coins I got. I knew it was a gamble, but I took the risk. The color is really nice on this one. Oh well… you can’t win them all!

A nice 81-S Morgan that graded MS65. I really thought this would get 65+ to 66. It’s nice in hand with aqua-blue and green toning, very little hits, and the cheek is mostly clean. I’m still happy with MS65 grade though. I will be sending this one to CAC stickering, as it looks nice for a 65. The TrueView could have been better and it doesn’t show the color well.

And a very crusty and original 1847 Half Dime.

Here was one that graded better than I had estimated it to be. I purchased this 1921 Peace Dollar at the Seattle PNNA coin show back in early October 2024. It was marked AU55 on the flip, which I thought was VERY conservative. I put this coin at worst case an AU58, and best case a MS62 — getting an MS63 was a nice surprise and makes up for the two details grades I got in this submission.

Two fun early US coins… the 1806 quarter was one I picked up at the Baltimore Whitman Expo. I graded it poor 1 and I’m happy to see PCGS agrees.

The half cent was one I picked up at our small monthly show here in Arizona.

Kind of bummed about this one… This 1881-S Morgan graded MS62. I was hoping for at least a Proof-like (PL) grade, because the surfaces are really mirrorish.

Some more fun US type coins… an 1867 No Rays Shield Nickel that graded XF45 — and a better date first year 1892-O Barber Quarter that graded AU53. Both will be going to CAC stickering.

Two nice and crusty VF Seated coins… Both will be going to CAC stickering, and I really hope the 1874-S quarter gets a green bean — I need a 73-74 arrows quarter type for my registry set.

Here’s the other one that graded details. VF cleaned. I am somewhat puzzled by this one, I thought it looked original to me. This was the first ever Hawaiian coin I’ve graded. Oh well…

Overall, I would say I had a pretty good submission. 16 straight graded and 2 received details grades. Each submission I do is a learning experience and I have fun with them.

Most of these will be going to CAC sticking before they will be for sale, so stay tuned!

Branden Morecraft

Professional Numismatist

BM Coins & Collectibles LLC

I got to the show at 7:30AM with my car loaded with 5 cases and all of my inventory, one and a half hours before the show opened to the public. I had done a few hours of prep the night before, getting things priced out and making sure I have enough supplies to have a makeshift office available at the show. 

There were quite a few people already walking the floor with early bird badges. Sometimes at shows early-birds can be very touchy with your inventory while you’re not fully paying attention and still in the middle of setting up your table. Thankfully, I had no issues setting up and a few early birds were respectful and came back when I was done. My first sale before the show opened to the public was a pair of 1899 $1 black eagle notes and a few coins to another Arizona dealer I do a lot of business with. 

I finished setting up my table around 8:30AM, roughly 30 minutes before public open.

My case for paper currency and miscellaneous items.

My case for graded coins. I was bummed that my 20 coin PCGS submission did not arrive to me in time for this show– so my graded case was a bit lacking in inventory. I should be getting back my PCGS sub on Monday or Tuesday from Fedex, which contains a 1921 Peace Dollar in MS63, an 1834 Half Cent in MS63 BN, and a bunch of toned coins and other goodies!

My case of US raw coins. I try to keep a good stock of better/key dates, original US type, and coins with great eye appeal in all price ranges. There is a coin for everyone!

The show started off great with a large group of people coming through the doors. I immediately sold a few original US type coins to regular buyers of mine.

A good friend of mine here in Arizona came to the show around 11 to help me out at my table. I was grateful for his help because at times I had 2 or 3 customers wanting to look at things. This was his first time being at a coin show and in this environment — he told me he’s very intrigued with numismatics and wants to learn more! My friend watched my table so I could walk the floor a bit…

Colonel Ellsworth’s table at the Mesa Coin Club Show.

Sublime Cents (Eric)’s case showing a really nice proof 1857 Flying Eagle Cent. This was definitely one of the nicest coins in the room. Eric was setup directly to the right of me and we did a video showing my 1814 Capped Bust Half Dollar, now posted on his Instagram account @sublime_cents.

A really nice 1830 Capped Bust Half in MS65. Checkout that TrueView!

At the show I was handing out Numismy/ICG sample slabs to the public. Ethan gave me a box of them at the FUN show a few weeks ago and I figured this was a great idea to hand them out at this show. It actually made my day when a few young numismatists and kids about 6-7 years old tell me this was their first-ever graded coin!

I didn’t have enough time to walk the floor to really search for coins I need for my inventory, but luckily a collector came to my table with a few PCGS boxes of coins and I purchased 6 graded and 1 raw from him.

I ended up leaving the show around 3:30 PM after it died down, and I had dinner with my friend that night.

I slept-in Sunday morning and didn’t arrive to the show until 15 minutes before public open, with me still having to refill my cases with my inventory since I opted not to leave coins/currency there overnight. Though the show did have an overnight security guard, I’m not one to take risks! It’s better to be on the safer side I think.

I purchased this 1860-O Seated Liberty Silver Dollar at the show late Saturday and sold it early Sunday morning. It was my first sale of the day, to a nice older gentleman from North Dakota, who “snow-birds” in Arizona during the winter months. He was there with his wife and I am guessing they were both in their 80’s. He told me he was at the show today to buy coins with the years his grandparents were born. I was fascinated at the fact that his grandfather was born in 1860! 

Overall, I would rate the show a 7 out of 10. The public attendance was decent but could have been better — I think part of this was due to the show ownership changing hands this year. The show advertising was a bit lacking in 2024 compared to prior years. But the show itself was well-organized for dealers and there was ample security. In fact, at the end of the show Sunday security was nice enough to walk me to my car and help me load my cases and inventory.

This show is well-established and is the best and biggest coin show in Arizona each year (except if the ANA travels here and hosts a convention). I did fairly well and plan to setup again next year, having reserved my table again for the 56th Annual Mesa Coin Club Show that will be held on January 24th and 25th 2026. It’s a great show to travel to if you live on the west coast, or want to escape the northern cold states for a sunny and warm weekend in Phoenix to buy some cool coins! It’s a perfect Saturday-Sunday show, and if you plan a trip here next year I would recommend hitting up some coin shops on Friday to make your trip worth it! See you all next year,

Branden Morecraft

Professional Numismatist

BM Coins & Collectibles LLC

BM Coins & Collectibles LLC will be setting up at the Mesa Coin Club show this weekend in Phoenix AZ. Come stop by and see some cool coins!

I landed in Orlando at 6:00 AM Friday morning after taking an overnight flight from Phoenix. I had missed the first few days of the show but I was eager to attend my first ever FUN show. A good nights rest the night before and a lot of coffee definitely helped! 

When I got to the Orange County Convention Center I was amazed at how many people were already there 2 hours before the show opened to the public. I ended up buying an early bird badge so I could get in early. The moment I walked into the convention hall I was blown away by how big the show was and how many tables there were. This show is definitely much larger than the Long Beach Expo which I regularly attend. And so the hunt began! 

My first purchase at the show was an 1892 Proof Barber Half Dollar in PCGS PR63CAM CAC. The dealer said he had just put it out and that I was the first to look at it. The coin immediately caught my eye being in a case with mostly Morgan’s and NGC coins. 

At the show I saw a nice collection of Seated Liberty Half Dollars on display by Gerry Fortin Rare Coins. The lot will be auctioned in February and features a lot of PCGS/CAC early date, high grade, and toned examples. I have my eyes on a few for my personal set! 

One of my favorite things about going to coin shows is hearing stories from other dealers. One dealer I bought a coin from told me his first FUN show was in 1963 and he has been to every show since.

After the show Friday I got dinner with Peyton Bryant of ARI Coins, Isaiah Hageman, and Eli Kelso. It was nice meeting them for the first time in person after only knowing them from the online coin community. 

I slept in a bit Saturday but I got to the Convention Center around 9:00 AM. I had already done most of my business Friday but I did make a few more buys. I also did a submission with PCGS.

Saturday night I had dinner with fellow dealers William Saurina, Noah Flynn, Matthew Pavia, and Florida friends at The Capital Grille. The food was amazing, but seeing everyone was even better. 

After dinner my friends from St. Petersburg and I went out to Downtown Orlando. We went to Mathers, a 1920’s themed speakeasy — which was really cool!

I went to the show Sunday but half of the dealers were gone. I still managed to get in a few more purchases before my flight back home to Phoenix, which ended up being delayed by 3 hours due to mechanical issues.

I also want to give a shoutout to Ethan Opdahl for having a nice setup at FUN advertising Numismy. It takes a lot of work to start a new coin auction & buying site and I’m impressed with how much it has grown in the past few months. It has a great model, and I’m proud to be a seller on Numismy. Thanks for the sample slab! 

Despite having missed the beginning of the FUN convention I still picked up a lot of great coins. Overall, I would rate the show an 8/10 and I will definitely come back. Some dealers who setup told me they had their best show ever and the public turnout was massive. I am very happy to see a strong coin market going into 2025. 

I hope everyone had a great holiday season with their families and friends— 2025 is going to be a great year!

With this also being my first blog post, I would like to welcome you to my site. Here, you will find my top featured coins each week. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments you may have. 

– Branden Morecraft

Professional Numismatist, BM Coins & Collectibles LLC

www.bmcoins.com

Welcome to BMCoins Blog!