Greetings to all from Winston Salem on a brisk Wednesday morning. It sure has been a busy 1st Quarter for the GFRC-Lite business, but before getting to it, I’d first like to convey my thoughts and prayers to all of the United States servicemen that are in harm’s way.
Ok, let’s begin by reporting that just yesterday the last piece of business from January FUN was concluded with the arrival of my NGC show coin submission.
Included in the submission was a reholder of a lovely 1856-O Seated half dollar that had graded AU58 but was not correctly dated, the coin label originally typed without the New Orleans O mintmark. This lovely coin is now listed on the Lite website, and is offered at $750.
As to the Statesville show, let’s begin by noting that this was Lite’s first time with table attendance. I had walked this show previously and determined that this would be a good venue to add to the show schedule. Statesville is about 50 miles west of Winston Salem an easy 1 hour commute for me. How I love not having to incur motel room costs and also sleep in my own bed.
The show is held at the Statesville Civic Center Facility on Center Street. With great neighborhoods , shopping, dining and parks, Statesville is a very nice town to visit.
Table setup went smoothly on Friday afternoon, I was assisted by my neighbor Ron, an Indiana native that is still on a “Hoosier high” from their recent college football championship. The Lite table had a good 1st time location and was setup with 4 cases, three housing certified coins, and one with raw material, mostly seated.
As to the actual show results, I’d give it an overall 6 on a 10 scale. Certified results were good, especially in the larger denomination 50C and $1 case. Raw coin sales surprisingly lagged for this show, this a one off from recent results. Before forgetting, I should mention that this show was well attended on Saturday, and typically slow on Sunday.
A notable show highlight and new Lite development was the presence of raw classic Pre 1933 US gold in the Lite table case. Sales of Indian type $2.50 Quarter, $5 Half & $10 Eagles were registered. Within the next week I will start listing classic U.S. raw gold for sale as there are a few remaining coins in the $5 and $10 denomination. Pricing will be based on bullion, the coins offered will be of good EF-AU grade quality, perfect for adding to a collector’s gold position.
Show buying was strong, as are new consignment arrivals. In the coming days look for new daily site additions in many categories including Morgan’s, Liberty Nickels, 2 and 3 cent pieces , early copper and Seated denominations.
Finally, the big surprise at the show was that a table was unexpectedly available for the upcoming August Iredell-Statesville Coin Club’s 31st Annual Event that’s also held at the Civic Center location, This show is actively attended by dealers and collectors in both North and South Carolina. I quickly discussed the opening with bourse chairman and local coin dealer legend Bill Brewer ( I love that hat !) and secured a table for Lite.
With the addition of the August show, I will now have a table at 6 North Carolina shows and 2 South Carolina shows , this a very strong local presence for the GFRC-Lite brand. If the FUN show and ANA attendance are added in, Lite will now be at 10 shows in 2026 , I’m quite pleased with the 2026 schedule.
That’s about all for now, I thank all for reading , stay safe and happy collecting !
Rich