Another year, another PNW Collector Show.
We’ve been part of this show for three years now and were among the first dealers to sign up when it was still finding its footing. Back then, there were more coin dealers, more bullion dealers, and a stronger numismatic presence overall.
This year?
Let’s just say if you were looking for coins, you could practically count the dealers without taking your shoes off.
Meanwhile, if you were looking for Pokémon cards, sports cards, anime collectibles, mystery packs, Funko Pops, or things we’re too old to identify, congratulations—you found your Disneyland.
And then there was the language.
For eight straight hours, every conversation sounded roughly like this:
“Bro.”
“Bro, no way.”
“Brooooooooo.”
“That’s insane, bro.”
“Trust me, bro.”
At one point we became convinced everyone under 30 had legally changed their first name to Bro and their middle name to Let’s Go.
Now, before the card crowd sharpens their PSA-graded pitchforks, let us be clear: this show is fantastic.
The energy is incredible.
The attendance is strong.
The collectors are passionate.
And the organizers have built something special.
What started as a relatively small regional event is rapidly becoming one of the most talked-about collector shows in the Pacific Northwest. Every year it gets bigger, busier, and better organized.
The biggest difference this year wasn’t the crowd.
It was the lack of coin dealers.
And frankly, that shouldn’t surprise anyone.
Washington’s decision to impose sales tax on precious metals and many numismatic transactions has done real damage to the hobby and dealer community. Coin shows have struggled. Dealers have reduced travel. Some have left the state entirely. Others simply can’t justify the costs when neighboring states offer a much friendlier environment.
It’s hard to convince a dealer to travel hundreds of miles to sell something that the government already decided deserves an extra tax bill.
So while the Pokémon crowd multiplied like rabbits, the coin dealer population continued its migration pattern toward tax-free territory.
Yet despite all that…
We’ll be back.
Every year.
Why?
Because we genuinely enjoy this show.
The crowd is great.
The collectors are curious.
The younger generation actually wants to learn about history when they stop long enough between trading holographic dragons and arguing over population reports.
Most importantly, we get to see old friends.
Some travel from across the country to attend what was once a tiny collector show and is now turning into a major destination event. Dealers, collectors, promoters, and hobby veterans we’ve known for years all end up under one roof. That’s hard to replace.
There’s also something entertaining about watching a teenager spend $800 on a piece of cardboard and then stare in amazement when you hand them a Roman coin that’s nearly 2,000 years old.
For a brief moment, history wins.
So congratulations to the organizers.
Congratulations to the vendors.
Congratulations to all the Bros.
The show keeps growing, the hobby keeps evolving, and somehow a bunch of lonely coin dealers still manage to carve out a corner among the Pokémon empires and anime kingdoms.
We’ll see you next year.
We’ll bring the ancient coins.
You bring the Bros.
This article is brought to you by Redmond Rare Coins & Precious Metals, one of the last surviving coin dealers in a sea of Pokémon cards and energy drinks. We consider it a public service. 😆