The 45th Semi-Annual Collectorama Show will be held October 17 to 19, at the Lakeland Center (Exhibit Hall) at 701 West Lime Street, which is located just west of downtown Lakeland, Florida. The Collectorama Show features all of the popular numismatic items, as well as a wide variety of Neat Collectible items of every description. The Collectorama Show is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. The $3 admission fee is good for the weekend, and there is free parking for all show attendees.
There will be hourly door prizes, and each youngster, 12 or under who attends, gets a daily dip into the Kid’s Bucket for a “Free Hand Full of Money,” plus numismatic literature, reference material, and supplies. Attending dealers and guests help keep the Kid’s Bucket filled up all weekend with all kinds of numismatic goodies, including silver and gold coins and other neat material. There is a Free Appraisal clinic featured all day Sunday.
Extremely volatile precious metals markets, and a country-wide shortage of precious metals, promises some very exciting buying and selling during the Collectorama Show. The United States Mint has just recently halted production of several of their popular bullion related coins, as serious demand for these popular products has increased significantly, leaving the United Stated Mint unable to obtain enough gold, silver and platinum to satisfy their orders. Dealers, collectors and investors are scrambling to try to locate, and purchase, just about anything related to precious metals, rare coins, and rare currency.
Collectorama is a multi-hobby show of local and national dealers who specialize in rare coins, currency, precious metals, estate jewelry, paper Americana, postcards, historical documents, autographs, stamps, postal history, and a very wide range of popular collectibles and antiques, of every description. There will also be dealers at the show who work with ancient and medieval coins, foreign coins and currency, interesting fossils and dinosaur eggs, estate jewelry, diamonds, sports memorabilia, early maps, Columbian Exposition and World’s Fair memorabilia, engravings, books, and stocks and bonds. Many national dealers will be on hand to buy as well as sell, and the public is urged to bring along any coins, currency, precious metals, or neat antique and collectibles material that they want to sell or trade.
The October 2008 Collectorama Show will also feature the new Alaska state quarters and the new John Quincy Adams Presidential Dollars. There will be many popular collectible paper money items available at the show including large and small size type Notes, national currency, obsolete and Confederate currency, Colonial notes, rare issues of obsolete Florida paper money and related historical documents on display during the weekend. As the holiday season is quickly approaching, dealers will have on hand many popular gift selections including United States proof sets, mint sets, and silver, gold and platinum eagles, special commemorative sets, and numismatic jewelry. A hobby supply dealer will also be on hand all weekend with a wide assortment of albums, folders, holders, magnifiers, and reference material.
Thursdays at Collectorama are dealer set-up day and dealer’s only special bourse. Non-tabled dealers may gain entry with a $25 (minimum) donation to the Florida Sheriff’s Youth Villa. A company check, business card, and sales tax information is required for entry from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday.
The host hotel for the October 2008 Collectorama Show is the Jameson Inn, located at 4375 Lakeland Park Drive, which is just off of Interstate I-4 at Exit 33. For room reservations call the Inn at (863) 858-9070.
A numismatic auction of rare Coins and Currency will be held on Friday evening, starting at 6 p.m. by Central Florida Auctions LLC. Direct all requests for auction information by calling (813) 416-6131.
Plans are well under way for future Collectorama Shows at The Lakeland Center for February 20 to 22, 2009, and October 9 to 11, 2009. Dealers and vendors interested in table or booth space should contact Edward Kuszmar, Post Office Box 294049, Boca Raton, Florida 33429. Telephone (561) 392-8551, Fax: (561) 392-8583. E-mail address: [email protected]. Web site: hometown.aol.com//CollectoramaShow.