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"Making the Front
Page"
A guide to promoting a local Coin Show,
as developed by
Jim Bevill - President
The Bellaire Coin Club
This document will attempt to outline how local ANA Member Coin Clubs can
optimize their available resources to insure a successful and well attended coin show.
As we know, show attendance can be quite volatile. A steady stream of numismatists and
other visitors through the front door is probably the determining factor as to whether or
not a show is viewed as a "success". Postcards, ads in numismatic publications,
and flyers are the most commonly seen methods of publicity for local coin shows, but there
awaits an enormous pool of untapped resources which can be drawn upon, not without
exerting some effort, but at generally very little actual cost.
It is my hope that the following outline, comments, examples, and suggestions can assist
you and your A.N.A. member club in promoting the hobby in your community via the local
coin club show. It works for us here in the Greater Houston area, and these principles, if
properly applied, should greatly improve the attendance at your numismatic event.
1) Time line - When and how to do it ...You have to do it all !
2) Publicity through Numismatic Publications
3) Dissemination of show information on the internet.
4) Paid Advertising vs Free Publicity (you have to have both)
5) Submissions to mainstream newspapers and specialty magazines.
6) Distribution of show flyers.
7) Submissions to TV and radio stations.
8) Mailing of postcard reminders and event signs.
9) Manning the registration tables.
As part of an ongoing newsletter exchange with other coin clubs, I recently received a
Coin Show Report, in the form of a few paragraphs from the Fort Worth Coin Club. In it, it
cited the following statistics (verbatim):
"Total registered: 438, with another 40 to 50 entering without registration. They
heard of the show thusly:"
Postcard 141 Weekender Calendar 9
Weekender ad or article 56 Sign 9
Friend 26 Coin World 8
Dealer 24 Numismatic News 6
TV Now Ad 18 The TNA News 4
Other newspaper 17 The Numismatist 3
Flyers 14 Radio 6
Wingspread 11 Internet 1
Although our club had not held a formal survey such as this one in several years, it
brings to mind a very similar pattern of answers I heard hundreds of times over when
manning the registration table at our show.
My conclusions are as follows:
Postcards taking the form of a show announcement or "mini flyer" mailed to
attendees of previous shows are very effective, but if you use this exclusively,
you will miss out on the other two thirds of your potential attendees. Don’t
shortchange your results for a lack of effort. Get the word out !
An advertisement, article in the local paper, calendar listing, etc., is your second most
effective source , and may in fact be your best method to bring in novice, latent, or
first time collectors out of the woodwork .
Appearances in several numismatic publications tends to reinforce the information once it
is spotted the second time, and tends to help the reader reinforce the show in his or her
memory. Coin World, Numismatic News, The Numismatist, and Coins
Magazine, to name a few should each be included in every publicity effort. Remember,
we don’t all read the same publications on a regular basis.
The internet probably has the most potential for future traffic growth. We don’t all
visit the same websites on a regular basis either, but a lot of other collectors and
potential attendees do.
1) Time line - When and how to do it ...
This time line was developed for the Bellaire Coin Show, traditionally held the first
weekend in August of each year. The key issue here is to plan well in advance. If
at all possible, reservations for the show location, size of the room, and show dates
should be made about 8-12 months in advance. For larger shows (in excess of 100 tables),
one year in advance is recommended. When sending out your bourse applications, enclose
some information on nearby hotels, local areas of interest, sporting events, or other
things for dealers and guests to do and see while in your city.
Nine Months Before The Show
In late November, the year before the show, you should be in a position to list the show
in the Coins Magazine Annual Show Calendar. This is usually published in January of each
year, and will list all the known Coin Shows in the US by state for the following 12
months.
Contact: Krause Publications, 700 East State Street, Iola, WI, 54990-0001
Eight Months Before the Show
In early January of each year, all of the relevant show information should be
printed in the form of a show flyer. This should include, Date, Time, Place, times of any
auctions or special events held at the show, contact information, etc...These show flyers
should be printed and made available for distribution at EACH AND EVERY COIN SHOW IN YOUR
HOME STATE and NEIGHBORING STATES between the time of printing and the date of the show.
Your best source of delivery to out of town shows will be local dealers who frequently
attend out of town shows.
The show flyer should be in color, attractively designed, and should be available to the
bourse chairman for mailing with the bourse applications. Mail bourse applications and a
show flyer to the list of dealers who attended the previous shows, and any dealers who may
have "first call" on any available tables. Keep careful records of all
applications received and note all deposit amounts in writing on the applications.
2) Publicity through Numismatic Publications
7-8 Months Before The Show
-Submit a Request for Listing in Calendar of Events to The TNA News (Note: They
will publish a listing well in advance, so get the information in early)
Contact: The TNA News, P.O. Box 171719, Arlington, Texas 76003-1719
Four Months Before The Show
-Submit a Request for Listing in Calendar of Events to The Numismatist
(Note: Their deadline is 8 weeks prior to publication date, they will send you a
postcard to confirm the information if you send it early)
Contact: ANA Publications Dept./Calendar of Events
818 No Cascade Avenue, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80903-3279
Two and 1/2 Months Before The Show:
-Send a letter to every coin club in your home state and any neighboring state
(Example: Texas and western Louisiana) asking them to add your show information to their
local club newsletter calendar. Also enclose a show flyer. Do not assume the other
clubs in your own city will automatically do this for you, as people forget, make
mistakes, and this has been known to be left out of other club publications for no reason
other than pure oversight. The only costs to do this is a little time, some paper, and
some stamps, and gives your show a sense of quasi-endorsement by the other ANA member
clubs around the state.
3) Dissemination of show information on the internet.
This area has definitely has it’s advantages. It’s cheap, fast, and
there is no telling how many people are likely to see it. Drawbacks are that your audience
is almost too broad, and only 1/50 may be in your home state. Specifically, publicizing
your show over the internet will not only increase the visibility of your show, but it
will also specifically target your show to the on-line numismatic community.
7-8 Months Before The Show
Verify your new show information with on-line show calendars. Sometimes, these
on-line show calendars carry the information automatically from the previous year, and a
short e-mail to the SYSOP or Webmaster can bring your show information current in regards
to new dates, change of location, etc...Your main goal at this point is to prevent
mis-information on your show, and to give long term exposure for your show date:
Contacts:
www.coinshows.com (Only a nominal charge of $8/show day for months of exposure)
www.coin-universe.com (Still a free site, and will also accept articles via e-mail for
publication)
7-8 Months Before The Show
Verify your new show information with any on-line show calendars in your
community. These may include, but are not limited to, websites that are maintained by
other coin clubs. Be prepared to sit down for a couple of hours at your PC and e-mail
until the cows come home to get your message out. Known coin club websites in Houston,
Texas, as well as state and national sites are currently maintained by:
Bellaire Coin Club www.ccatech.com/bellairecc
Greater Houston Coin Club www.money.org/sum-ross.html
Texas Numismatic Association www.ccatech.com/tna
American Numismatic Association www.money.org
Note: The ANA website listed above also provide links to many other coin club websites
both in and out of your home state. This is a particularly good starting point to locate
all coin club websites to in your home state for dissemination of information about your
show. By and large, the publicity is free, but this does take some time and effort to post
the appropriate message to relevant sites as noted below.
Two Months Before The Show
Post your show information on all known numismatic websites that carry a listing
or calendar of local shows. There are a bunch of them, if you just take the time to search
them out. To send a request, e-mail a message as following:
"If space is available, please include the following information on the Bellaire Coin
Show and Children’s Auction under the upcoming Coin Shows Calendar". Example:
Bellaire Coin Show, July 31-Aug.1, 1999
Saturday, 10 am-6 pm, Sun. 10 am-5 pm
Bellaire Civic Center, 7000 So. Rice (at Laurel)
Children’s Auction, Sat Noon & 4 pm, Sunday 2 pm.
42 Tables, Free Admission & Parking
If you are posting to a specific site, send the same information that is being
posted for other shows, in other words, standardize your information to make it
easy for the webmaster to include your listing. (This same rule applies to submissions to
a local newspaper, magazine, or weekly publication. Remember, you are at the mercy of that
editor, they are doing you a favor, so ask politely, and by sending the information
that is consistent with their other listings, you make it real easy for them to slip it
in, instead of taking the time to have to edit it). Always include your name, telephone
number, name of the organization you represent, and your membership number if to the ANA
or TNA websites.
Other On-Line Show Calendars are as follows:
www.coin-universe.com (Still free of charge, but the show information will begin
to be displayed a few weeks before the show date)
www.numismatists.com (Primarily an auction site, but show information is available)
www.coinworld.com (Lists all shows by state that have been submitted for their show
calendar listings)
*Note: New online calendars, auction websites, etc... are being added every month.
4) Paid Advertising vs Publicity (you have to have both)
"Advertising is what you pay for. Publicity is what you pray for
!"
Three Months Before the Show
It still amazes me that this very critical step is often overlooked. The following
announcements in the three major numismatic periodicals are critical in generating proper
exposure for the show:
The following publications should be considered mandatory:
Coin World - 6 week show calendar ad $42.00 (this is a very affordable rate)
Numismatic News - 4 week show calendar listing is free (don’t pass this up !)
1 week show advertisement is available for a nominal cost of about $30.
The Numismatist - 2 issue show calendar listing is free (don’t pass this up, but it
must be submitted months in advance)
Major Newspapers - If your club can afford it, a one week line ad in the classified ads
can be helpful, typically under the Coins, Stamps, Hobbies, etc..section . Event ads
announcing the show can be run in the Lifestyle or Entertainment sections of the paper
since both of these sections tend to target readers looking for leisure activities.
Local Newspapers - If not in a big city, you should find paid advertising to be much less
expensive, especially in community newspapers with a reasonable circulation.
Advantages of paid advertising in a large metropolitan newspaper is that it goes to the
massive readership of a city wide audience, disadvantages are that it is very expensive,
and if not properly placed, may not be noticed by the casual reader. Regardless of the
city that you live in, all successful, well attended trade shows, car shows, boat shows,
home and garden, etc...will use some form of paid advertising in a city wide newspaper to
reach and attract the broadest possible audience. You should do the same !
Helpful hint: Enclose a copy of your show flyer with the information being sent to the
ANA, Coin World, or Numismatic News, as well as with any press release which is sent to a
community newspaper. This can often prevent the wrong information from being printed due
to typographical errors, etc...
5) Publicity submissions to specialty magazines and mainstream
newspapers.
This area takes quite a bit of effort, but it is probably the single best, and certainly
the most cost effective method of drawing the general public into your show. Please
note that this is a several step process, and it incurs a lot of preparation and time, but
very little actual expense of money except for some postage and nominal costs for paper,
envelopes, etc...Remember, these local and regional monthly magazines have submission
deadlines 6-8 weeks in advance of the publication date ! Don’t wait until the last
minute, take care of this one early !
Know who you are sending the information to ! Each year, your club (if in the area)
should purchase a copy of the Houston Media Guide, compiled each year by the
Greater Houston Partnership.
Contact: Greater Houston Partnership, P.O. Box 3454, Houston, Tx 77253-3454
Tel (713) 844-3600
For other Texas clubs, or for a much broader exposure, you should consider purchasing a
copy of the Directory of Texas Daily Newspapers available as follows:
Contact: Texas Daily Newspaper Association, 816 Congress Ave, Suite 960, Austin, Tx 78701
Tel (512) 476-4351 Fax (512) 476-0515
If you don’t have a listing of all of the community newspapers (including weekly or
non-daily publications), get one. Many times this is available through the chamber of
commerce or by keying in the words "Media Guide" into a popular internet search
engine. Then begin to narrow your search down by your home state and city. You can also
build your own database by picking up copies of area newspapers and specialty magazines at
local bookstores, or by collecting samples from the circulation area, and making notes of
the editor’s name and submission information.
Three Months Before the Show
PRESS RELEASE TO AREA MAGAZINES & SPECIALTY PUBLICATIONS
(These have a much longer lead time before publication)
One Month Before the Show
PRESS RELEASE TO AREA NEWSPAPERS
(These have a bit shorter lead time for publication)
Send your press release to the magazine or periodical at least 3 months before the show
date. These press releases should be double spaced, typed, and on your coin club or
organization letterhead. It should be concise, to the point, contain all the relevant
information, and above all, it should flow ! It will be enormously helpful if you read the
magazines and area newspapers that you intend to send a press release to. Once again, by
formatting your press release to the publication standard information in community
calendar, etc.. you make it easier for the editor to receive the material. Always include
your name, mailing address, and a contact telephone number so the information can be
verified or you risk a 100% chance that the information will not be published !
Make a follow-up call to the editor or publisher approximately 4-5 days to verify that it
has been received. This will greatly increase the chances of publication. This may mean
several telephone calls to different publications, but if you think you are too busy,
imagine that you are the news editor or department head at that paper who has to make
choices of 100+ pieces of mail which may be received on a daily basis. Often, these get
buried with a stack of other press releases, and you may be asked immediately to re-fax
the information. That’s OK, just fax it over, as this means that they now have an
interest in seeing it published !
A series of well placed press releases can be invaluable to making your show a success. To
get your release noticed, make it newsworthy !. I’ve seen mention of the ANACS
graders at shows, traveling exhibits by The Gallery Mint Museum, an exhibit by the
Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and other activities which otherwise seem to showcase a
numismatic event. Don’t worry if you don’t have a large budget, as there are
many activities that can make your show newsworthy. When writing a press release,
highlight a children’s auction, a coin collecting merit badge workshop for area boy
scouts, exhibits, or something unique that will be on display. Many times, having
activities or an auction especially for children will encourage people to bring them,
instead of leaving them (and themselves) at home. So, when sending that series of press
releases to the media, ask yourself "what makes this newsworthy", because this
is what the editor will ask.
Three Months Before the Show
SUBMIT YOUR NEWS ARTICLE TO AN AREA MAGAZINE or SPECIALTY PUBLICATIONS
(These have a much longer lead time before publication)
One Month Before the Show
SUBMIT YOUR NEWS ARTICLE TO AN AREA NEWSPAPER (typically a shorter lead time)
A published press release is nice, but an interview and an full blown article about
your show in the paper, a series of radio interviews, or national exposure through a
numismatic publication which prints your article can do wonders for your attendance. This
is best done by actually writing the story (or article) for them, and sending it, via mail
or fax, along with a cover letter asking the editor to consider it for publication. Aim
for the Bull’s Eye. In other words, offer a story the editor won’t want to turn
down. Enclose a catchy photograph from a previous show, as a picture (if published) really
will be worth a thousand words ! Make it timely, and relevant to the publication you are
writing for, whether it is geared towards kids (a children’s auction), scouts (merit
badge workshop), collectors (rare coins and history), area businesses (detecting
counterfeits), schools (educational focus of National Coin Week, etc.). Most of the time,
you will want to position your show in the eyes of the media as an important,
interesting community event, that will be enjoyed by a broad cross section of their
readers.
This is best followed up with a casual phone call to the addressee "just to see if
you received the material, and wanted to know if you might be able to use it". The
next step on the part of the newspaper will be to confirm your telephone number, and if
they have assigned it to a reporter, they will usually tell you so. Sometimes this is to
verify the facts, sometimes this is to dig a little deeper or to just develop a story line
that the will be used to draw in the readers.
Some examples of headlines and story themes which offers the newspaper a broad appeal to
its readers:
"COIN SHOW URGES PEOPLE TO SPEND TIME COLLECTING"
"BELLAIRE COIN SHOW HAS SPECIAL SEGMENT FOR CHILDREN"
"PENNIES FROM HEAVEN"
"KIDS TO SEE AUCTION ACTION"
"CHILDREN’S COIN AUCTION WILL BE AUG.2"
"LONG BEACH SHOWS OFF ROBERT’S ART"
"TELL YOUR COMMUNITY ABOUT NATIONAL COIN WEEK"
"COIN SHOW ENTHUSIASTS TO ENJOY WEEKEND SHOW NEAR THE GALLERIA"
"COIN CLUBS SPEND TIME ON BIG SHOW"
"AREA COIN CLUB PREPARES FOR SHOW"
6) Local Distribution of Show Flyers.
One Month Before the Show
Show flyers can be effectively distributed to all area coin shops within 50 miles
of your show. The best source of distribution is to assign a different coin shop to
each club member. The member should then personally deliver the flyers to the owner, and
ask them to prominently display them in the store. This will have the effect of exposing
your show to any "walk in" traffic throughout the shop. These people are your
ideal target audience for a coin show. If possible, a bourse or table application should
be offered to the proprietor of the shop at or before the time the request for information
is made. This can be difficult for shows with limited space and which are sold out a year
in advance, but every effort should be made to include those proprietors who can help you
distribute the show flyers through their retail store space.
7) Submissions to TV and Radio Stations.
Two to three weeks before the show
Radio Stations
Your press release should take the form of a public service announcement. Listen
to the stations, so you can request (or suggest) a known community spot for it to be
played on. Address the announcement to the PSA Director (if known), and these can be
mailed, faxed, or pre-recorded. Many stations will accept a pre-recorded PSA, and it
should be concise, to the point, and contain all the relevant information. Be very mindful
of length (pre-recorded 15 sec. or 30 sec.) and plan for an earlier deadline for
pre-recorded documents. Make sure to do a small survey of stations and ask if they prefer
the recording on CD or DAT (digital audio tape). Radio spots are quite unpredictable, but
can broadcast your show information to hundreds of thousands of people for no cost except
postage with a little luck and a properly prepared announcement !
Television Stations
In a large metropolitan market like Houston, it can be extremely difficult to get
free TV air time for your event, due primarily to the huge and insatiable supply of human
interest stories and the limited amount of time which is devoted to them. Your press
release should be descriptive of the event, suggest which times during the show are most
conducive to filming (kid’s auction, an ultra-rare coin on display, special
appearances, the new state quarters, etc.), and should once again, emphasize the
newsworthy aspects of the show. All TV stations featuring local news should be contacted
via mail, fax, and telephone. The press release should be addressed to the assignment desk
if the assignment editor’s name is not known. We recently had a camera crew out to
visit us at the National Coin Week Show, and had a portion of a merit badge workshop and
local coin club members filmed by a local ABC affiliate station. This was the result of
one letter, an enclosed Pennsylvania Quarter, and a 33 cent stamp !
Especially in a large market like Houston or Dallas, it is unlikely that local stations
will run a file tape on coins as part of the coin show segment. More likely, you want any
discussion of the show to make the evening news in advance of the final show date. In this
way, local viewers can be informed of the final show events, and you have a shot at
boosting your attendance the following day. The disadvantage of TV coverage is that it is
very "hit or miss", and at best can boost the awareness of your club’s
presence in the community, at very little, if any, out of pocket cost !
8) Mailing of postcards and event signs.
Two weeks before the show
These last, but very important steps, are some of the most critical on the
publicity process. Over the years, the Bellaire, Greater Houston, and Pasadena Coin Clubs
have shared a central database of persons who have registered at one of the above coin
shows. In the last two years, persons attending the TNA show have also been included in
the database.
Every year, around showtime, a list of mailing labels is generated, and each person on the
list is mailed a postcard reminder of the upcoming coin show. This takes the form of a
printed announcement or a postcard sized show flyer. As noted, the list is constantly
being updated, as new names are added, and names are deleted if returned for a bad
address, moved, etc. This list of names is not sold or distributed in any manner except
for the exclusive use of the three clubs (and the TNA) in order to be used as one of the
primary methods of announcing the upcoming shows. Postcards are typically mailed 10-14
days before the show date.
The event signs were in use by our club well before my tenure. These are wooden in
construction, are 4’ x 5’, and fold so that the sign itself is supported by an
arch. The legs are bolted into stakes which allow them to be secured into the ground
via a good hammering and the turning of a couple of screws.
The signs are painted and neatly lettered with the show information, location, and dates.
Keep them simple and attractive. Check with city hall in your community, as you most
likely will be required to obtain a permit to display these on city property, as there may
be only a few places where these can be erected. In Bellaire, we are allowed to display
the signs only in the 7 day period immediately preceding the show on two prominent
esplanades along Bellaire Blvd. Your signs should contain the most important data about
your show, "Event, Place and Date", and should be placed to be easily visible to
the passing motorists. These "mini billboards" can often be a big driver of
local show traffic through the front door by first time collectors who live in the
immediate area. They also serve to create a community atmosphere for your show, reinforce
the message which someone may have read in the local paper, and serve as a reminder that
something exciting is going on in the neighborhood that day.
9) Manning the registration tables
There is nothing like a warm smile and a friendly handshake to welcome visitors
to the front door at your big event. Club volunteers should be available to register
guests, answer questions, and provide information on your club meetings and other
numismatic events. You should also be ready to sign up new members for your club on the
spot, for you undoubtedly will receive some ready new members !
In Summary
It has long been my conclusion that the grass roots network of ANA member
coin clubs throughout the country is the best vehicle for the hobby to be brought into
your local community. While we see vast amounts of money for advertising and publicity
going into large national coin shows and ANA events, it is my contention that the majority
of collectors out there first gained broad exposure to rare coins and coin clubs though a
chance encounter with a local coin show which had more to do with curiosity than anything
else.
If you follow these instructions, I can assure that you, and your local coin club, can
produce substantial results in terms of boosting attendance and making your coin show a
community success, with very little out of pocket cost for doing so. The cost to implement
this publicity program is better measured in man hours, as a substantial commitment in
time is involved by the Bourse Chairman or Show Publicity Chairman. The commitment of the
time, if properly done, is well worth the effort involved.
Donations Accepted
This document is being provided free of charge to interested parties with the overall goal
of promoting and encouraging an interest in the science of numismatics in your community.
Each year, at our summer Bellaire Coin Show, we host a series of Children’s
Auction’s in which numismatic items are distributed to area youths via an auction in
which they bid on all the lots using "play money" provided by our club.
Our club with be happy to accept a $10 donation for this document, with all proceeds being
dedicated to benefit the Bellaire Coin Club’s Children’s Auction at our annual
Bellaire Coin Show. If you decide to use the material and make a donation, please make
your check payable to the Bellaire Coin Club, and mail to : P.O.
Box 303, Bellaire, Texas 77401. All donations will be greatly appreciated. Good
luck !
Prepared by: Jim Bevill, Bellaire Coin Club, P.O. Box 303, Bellaire, Texas
77401
ANA Member # C-49613, E-mail: jbevill@attglobal.net
References: Fort Worth Coin Club Newsletter, J. Russell Prinzinger,
Editor.
The Power of Publicity, Janet Anderson, The Anderson Company Write Magazine Articles that
Editors Welcome, Writer’s Rules of Thumb according to Sally Topping Sun
  
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