February 2025 Long Beach Expo May Be the Last
By CoinWeek News Staff …..
It looks like the February Long Beach Expo may be the last.
An email sent out on January 27 by the show’s organizers informed attendees that the June and September shows for 2025 have been “paused” while the team realigns with its parent company PCGS.
Coin expositions, one the central focus of a thriving numismatic marketplace, have declined in attendance and excitement in recent years as most aspects of the business has shifted online. This trend became more pronounced in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of most shows, compelling leading auction companies to focus their efforts on online-only auctions.
Further exacerbating the problem are the rising costs of travel, lodging, and convention venues. These costs simply aren’t there when someone purchases coins online. For dealers, table fees at Long Beach have become an issue, as they were among the highest in the industry. On the PCGS forum, dealer Charmy Harker blamed the venue and its piecemeal fees, as well as issues with parking. She was hopeful that show organizers would find an alternative site for the show and suggested that PCGS would likely increase the number of their Members Only shows.
Flashback: David Hall discusses the Long Beach Expo in 2012.
The Long Beach Expo has been held since 1964. It was founded by Ray Lundgren of Los Angeles and “Trader Sam” Frudkis of Long Beach. In the show’s early days, its bourse was teeming with enthusiastic collectors and its tables were manned by a mix of local retailers, the era’s leading dealers, and hot up-and-comers. It was at the Long Beach Expo where David Hall gained some of his first professional experience in the industry. Hall would go on to be a successful coin dealer and revolutionize the rare coin industry by founding PCGS with his partners in 1986. In 1984, the Expo was purchased by Sam Lopresto, who operated the show until 1992, when he sold it Ron Gillio and Paul Kopenhaver. Gillio ran the show for 14 years, before selling the Expo to its current owner, Collectors Universe, in 2006.
In the email, show organizers expressed gratitude to its loyal community and to Heritage Auctions, the expo’s long-standing official auctioneer, writing:
“Your world-renowned auctions are a staple of the numismatic auction calendar and we are fortunate to be able to host both your live auctions and lot viewings over the years.”
News of the show’s possible end did not surprise many online commentators on either the PCGS forum or MyCollect. One PCGS user wrote that the show dropped off significantly after COVID but was in slow decline before that. Most expressed sadness to see the Expo seemingly come a close.
“End of an era,” one user wrote.
CoinWeek has reached out to Expo organizers to seek clarification on the future status of the Long Beach Expo and will update this article when new information develops.
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1. The potential end of the Long Beach Expo underscores the evolving landscape of numismatics, highlighting the increasing influence of online platforms. It will be interesting to see how this shift impacts the hobby long-term.
2. The rising costs associated with physical coin shows are definitely a concern. It makes you wonder if there’s a sustainable model for these events in the future, or if they’ll need to adapt significantly.
3. It’s a shame to potentially see such a historic show come to an end. The Long Beach Expo has played a significant role in the numismatic community for so many years.
4. The mention of increased “Members Only” shows by PCGS raises questions about the future accessibility of the hobby. I wonder if this will create a more exclusive environment.
5. The challenges faced by the Long Beach Expo seem to mirror broader trends in the convention and trade show industry. It’s a tough environment out there right now.
6. I’m curious to see if another venue could potentially revive the Long Beach Expo. It sounds like the current location’s costs were a major contributing factor to the decline.
7. The comments from attendees about the show’s decline post-COVID are telling. It seems the pandemic accelerated changes that were already underway in the hobby.
8. The