My experience at the July FUN show by Emily Sedwick

I am Emily Sedwick, daughter of Daniel Sedwick, and for the past 2 summers I have had the great privilege of being employed at my father’s company. I have always been exposed to the world of numismatics growing up, accompanying my father to the office and even to a few FUN shows, but it wasn’t until I joined the Sedwick Coins crew that I found a real appreciation for the business.

Numismatics is not just about the coins but the history that goes along with them. Lola (my fellow intern) and I get plenty of history lessons from Cori in the office, but for those of you who are new to the business or collect coins as a hobby, the FUN show is an excellent place to learn firsthand. Although the July FUN show was not my first coin show, it was my first since I started working for Sedwick Coins.

On Thursday, the first day of the show, Lola and I spent time manning the cases and conversing with fellow dealers. It was an honor being able to introduce myself as Dan’s daughter as he is a well-respected dealer. Many times I would introduce myself to a dealer only to discover I had already met him or her as a child!

Everyone at the show was friendly and excited to have a young person in the business. Talking to and learning from such venerable collectors and businessmen was priceless work experience for a seventeen year old. Lola and I also attended a seminar called “Consumer Protection Update” by Tony Swicer and Sandy Pearl. This was a great talk for any person interested in the coin world because it cautioned against the prevalence of counterfeit currency and provided tips to avoid common traps.

I was not at the show on Friday so Lola took over and attended another seminar on foreign coins. She also started a small project organizing coins from a collection consigned to us that I was able to continue on Saturday. One of the coolest parts of the show was watching my father give an interview for Coin Week online magazine. He got to show off a gold disk consignment from the 1715 Fleet and talk about upcoming shows and auctions. Before we packed up for the weekend, I got to walk around and view the merchandise from the other dealers. Most of the booths were bustling with dealers making consignments, but what I found really great was the number of families and curious new learners that attend the shows as well.

The FUN show displayed to me a diverse group of people who are passionate about what they do and who encourage anyone willing to learn. So whether you’re a coin dealer, collector, or novice eager to learn, the FUN show is the perfect place to immerse yourself into a world of treasures.