Ancient coins, signed trading cards historical memorabilia were among the many collectibles found at Long Beach Expo’s 60th Anniversary trade show on Feb. 2.
As one of the West Coast’s oldest collectible shows, the Long Beach Expo welcomes thousands of guests and vendors to its three annual events. From Feb. 1 to 3, attendees perused the aisles of the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center for unique pieces to add to their collections.
Tortuga Trading Inc.’s booth greeted guests at the entrance, with displays of antique firearms, shipwreck artifacts and relics from popular movies like “Pirates of the Caribbean.” The collections were curated by founder Sean Rich, an archaeologist and historian who is best known for being an armory specialist on “Pawn Stars.”
Long Beach Stamp Club member Ed Nelson’s booth displayed colorful stamp sheets with themes such as comic strip classics and team sports. Nelson began collecting at the age of 10 and joined the club about 20 years ago.
Since 1926, the club has worked to expand the popularity of stamp collecting and to build a community amongst its members. The dwindling popularity of the hobby, the recent pandemic lockdown and the lack of local trade shows has made it difficult for the organization to attract new members.
“The toughest time was COVID because no one was talking about us,” Nelson said. “Now we’re just starting to be live again, but unfortunately everyone is getting older… and people just don’t get around that much anymore.”
Nelson began to recruit the new generation of stamp collectors at his booth, with an overflowing bin of free stamps for children and curated albums for them to browse. He believes that stamp collecting is a versatile interest that people can begin at any age.
“It’s a good, fun hobby that can be as inexpensive as you want or as expensive as you want,” Nelson said.
A large portion of the exhibit floor was dedicated to buying, selling and trading coins. Newport Beach Numismatics, Inc. President Michael Smith sold his collection of rare and ancient coins alongside his wife, Erica Smith. After being in the industry for 23 years, Michael Smith founded the company in 2023 and was able to sell at his own booth for the first time.
“The whole experience has been awesome,” Michael Smith said. “I’ve been able to meet a few new collectors and investors. I’ve also sold a few coins for some of my existing customers.”
His display had coins from the Ancient Roman Empire and Greece, including a two-sided Athenian owl coin from 440-404 BC. Erica Smith said that they are now trying to attract a younger crowd to the world of rare currency by selling goldbacks.
“It’s a good way to start an investment in gold and a way to introduce young people to the coin market,” Erica Smith said.
Collections of rare banknotes were seen at booths throughout the show, including some misprinted, foreign and commemorative bills. Professional coin graders were also on the floor to review attendees’ purchases.
News and upcoming events with the Long Beach Expo can be found on their website. The latest news from coin experts and other in-depth articles are included in their newsletter.