Funny thing about coin shows in Washington state:  There are two 'must attend' shows for the whole year - the BECC show, and the PNNA show.  Both are early in the year, and outside these two events, the rest of the event year is pretty flat.  This year was an exception with the ANA National Money Show occurring in Portland last month.  Aside from these two shows, there are a few other locals, but from what I have seen, they strongly lack material for the world coin collector.

This year, the PNNA Post show reports claim that attendance was down, overall, from prior years.  I attended the show on Saturday, and floor activity seemed fairly strong.  This was my third year for the show.  For collectors of world coins, there are about six to eight tables with premium material - highlights include Civitas Galleries and James Hanna.

Outside of the tables, if there were educational seminars, they weren't well promoted.  There were some exhibits set up in a room across the hall that primarily seemed to focus banknotes.

One thing I definitely dislike about this show is the admission.  It's only two dollars, and I know it's intended to help offset the costs of the venue, but this is a 'no frills' sort of show - and one of the largest in the area.  Personally, I think admission is a little ridiculous, and comes across cheap.  On the other hand, like I said, it is one of the largest, if not the largest, annual shows in the area, so it's not like a couple bucks is going to distract the collectors from attending.

Here's a few shots of what I added to my collection:

My Scorecard

Show Material:  A

Like I've said, this is the largest show in the area, which brings out the strong inventory.  I was a little disappointed in the lack of presence in the world gold department, but even without it, there were some difficult choices to pick from.  Even large shows like this one can lack tables that focus on world coin material - fortunately, this one has a number of regulars in attendance that make this show a must.

Show Attendance:  B

This is probably in part due to the financial climate which can't be helped.  This would have made it a good year to do away with the admission costs.  If I had rated this show in the last two years it would have received a higher score.  Last word here - if you're going to charge for getting in the door, at least have a hospitality table of some sort.

Off-Floor Events:  C

This is the frustrating part - there may have been some worthwhile seminars available, but they just weren't promoted at all, from what I could see.  I generally attend shows during prime hours, so even an announcement over the intercom would have improved this score a little.  Show exhibits and YN activities were the only things that saved this score from failure.

Overall Rating:  B+

Although the attendance was a little lower than previous years, that left plenty to pick from.  Dealer tables had some good material, overall, and I had a pretty good time.