The 2011 ANDA Trade Show for Melbourne @ Caulfield Racecourse - Will We Be Racing?

November 23, 2019 | Andrew Crellin

The third ANDA trade show for 2011 is to be held at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne in a week or so, and I guess the question on everyone's mind at the moment is - will we be off and racing, or will we stay in the stalls?

Clumsy racing analogies aside, these ANDA trade shows are always a good litmus test of the state of the market when they take place - it's a rare opportunity to have a large number of people from all sectors of the numismatic trade and hobby in one location, networking and exchanging news and ideas.

News in the mainstream business media about the state of the broader retail market at the moment leads me to believe that there'll be more than a few dealers at the show that are keen to cash in, and perhaps not as many that are keen to add to their inventory. I expect that most of the collectors that attend will be circumspect in their purchases, more will be keen to dispose of a few old and tired friends if they can get out of them with a profit or even.

An article in today's Fairfax broadsheets states that "Segments of the independent retail sector have gone beyond just having a tough time and are now borderline basket cases, according to some figures in the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) retail trade data."

While I think that the term "basket case" is a little too harsh to describe those of us that are in the business of dealing in rare coins in Australia (we're definitely all in the independent retailer category of ABS' statistics on the retail market), I think the emotion in the above statement points to the fact that there are broader issues facing all retailers in Australia at present, and to the degree that retailers are either facing these challenges or not, the presently indifferent retail market is bringing some pain to bear. That most of us in the rare coin market are sole traders or small businesses at best, and as such have little time to think strategically or at a corporate level doesn't put us in the best position to respond to challenges like this!

Despite the temporary economic & structural challenges that the Australian numismatic trade faces, I'm still excited about the future of our market in the coming years - there are going to be more than a few opportunities arise as this current tough market works it's way through the system, and I see no reason why well-prepared and thoughtful people such as ourselves can't grab a few of them.

I've taken a couple of concrete steps to try and facilitate things (albeit in my own small way) - I've resumed the position of ANDA President, and will be working with the ANDA Committee to get a strategic plan in place that takes the "new normal" into consideration, and works towards ANDA's mission & objectives. Although we'll be actively engaging with the collector community as that process unfolds, don't hesitate to send me any ideas, thoughts, comments or questions about how you see ANDA's role in the Australian coin market to me in the meantime, I'll be happy to hear from you.

In addition to that, we're going to be holding a "Australian Numismatic Market Update" seminar on the Friday evening just prior to the ANDA trade show at our hotel, exclusively for Sterling & Currency clients. I believe that our role is to share the knowledge of the market that we have and our opinions on how we see the market progressing in the coming years - that way our clients will be able to make an informed choice as to what they should be buying and selling.

Use the form on the "Contact Us" page if you'd like more specific information about the event - keep in mind that space will be limited, so don't delay if you are interested in attending.

We'll also be releasing some educational materials over the coming months that we believe will support collectors in working out where they want to be and what they need to do in order to get there, so stay tuned.

If you live in Melbourne, I hope to see you on Friday evening or at the show - make sure you stop by and say hello! We are indeed just as keen to buy as we are to sell by the way!

Category: Market News