Jeff Garrett: Gamble Pays Off for World's Fair of Money

To everyone’s surprise, board members of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) decided about four years ago to conduct the 2025 World's Fair of Money in Oklahoma City. The decision shocked many dealers who were accustomed to the organization choosing larger metropolitan areas. Post-COVID, the board was given fewer options, and there had been a serious case of Rosemont, Illinois fatigue.

Oklahoma City had recently constructed a new convention center and hotel complex, and the city's various amenities, including being home to APMEX (one of the largest rare coin dealerships in the world) seemed appealing. After much consideration, the board bravely chose to try something new.

There was immediate criticism from nearly every corner of the hobby. Dealers complained about the flight options, size of the city, remoteness of the location and a host of other issues. The contracts for the location had been signed, however, and the decision was final — the ANA was going to Oklahoma City in 2025. Members of the board have been nervous for the last few years awaiting the outcome of the event.

Jeff Garrett at the 2025 ANA show.

The first sign that the convention would be a success happened a couple of weeks ago when the bourse sold out. The ANA sold almost 500 tables to dealers from every corner of the United States and the rest of the world. A few dealers were left scrambling at the last minute trying to grab space at other dealers' tables to conduct business.

As with many major conventions in the US, a lot of dealers start to arrive in the host city days before the event opens. Like several others, we arrived in Oklahoma City on Saturday afternoon. On Sunday, we had arranged for a few dealers to preview our inventory before the show started on Monday. There were dozens of other dealers doing the same on Sunday. Everyone reported brisk sales and purchases. The pre-show activity was the start of positive buzz that would continue throughout the week.

The eBay booth at the 2025 ANA show.

Monday at the ANA World’s Fair of Money is called “dealer day,” with attendance optional for a fee. The day gives dealers the chance to set up their tables and conduct wholesale business before the main event starts on Tuesday. By closing time on Monday, everyone could tell it was going to be a very good week.

The ANA World’s Fair of Money is also important for the many events, meetings and hosted dinners that occur over the course of the week. On Monday night, we attended an opening reception hosted by APMEX at the National Hotel. The hotel is a converted bank that was built in 1931 and has one of the most magnificent lobbies we have ever seen. The downstairs vault space has become an imaginative bar space, with traces of its glorious past, including circa 1931 safe deposit boxes.

Ribbon-cutting event at the 2025 ANA show.

The first indication that retail buyers made the trek in large numbers could be seen at the ribbon-cutting event Tuesday morning. The lobby was buzzing with excitement, and collectors filled the hall waiting to be let in. At the conclusion of the opening ceremony, the doors opened and collectors from around the world flooded into the hall. Dealers heard the loudspeaker announcing that it was time to man your tables.

From the start of retail business on Tuesday morning until we were removing coins from our cases on Saturday, people were buying coins in numbers seldom seen. Visitors had not only come to Oklahoma City to attend the show; they were there to buy coins. Every dealer I have talked to told me they had one of their best shows in years, if not ever. Interestingly, even dealers in the world and ancient sections reported similar results.

The decision to choose Oklahoma City for the 2025 ANA World’s Fair of Money now seemed like a great idea. Contrary to the concerns of many, attendees seemed excited to see a new part of the country. Oklahoma City is a beautiful city, with spacious parks and several interesting downtown districts that have recently been renovated.

In recent years, it has been interesting to see the large professional booths set up by some of the largest companies in numismatics. APMEX presented a great display with at least a dozen tables. One of the most popular attractions at the show was the 400-ounce gold bar visitors could try picking up (while protected in a plexiglass box). NGC had a wonderful display featuring the many categories of collectibles they certify.

Jeff Garrett at the APMEX display.

A member of the Paris Mint team relayed to me that he had flown to Chicago and driven parts of Route 66 to Oklahoma City. A lot of world mints sent representatives to the show. There was an abundance of numismatic professionals from around the globe at the convention. The hotel bar at night was an interesting scene of domestic and world dealers enjoying each other’s company. One conspicuous absence was the Royal Canadian Mint, probably due to tariff issues.

APMEX hosted a gala event on Tuesday night to celebrate the company's 25th anniversary, inviting VIPs and important clients. The venue was the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. The dinner portion of the party was in the museum’s reproduction western town. It was a colorful location with incredible works of Western art on display. The central lobby is dominated by the iconic statue “End of the Trail” by James Earle Fraser, who is also the designer of the Buffalo Nickel.

Jeff Garrett at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

Momentum for the show continued throughout Wednesday and Thursday. The room was crowded from start to finish and millions of dollars' worth of rare coins traded hands every day. Several dealers reported sales exceeding $1 million by the end of the show. The commercial aspect of the show was a raging success for anyone with coins to sell.

The highlight of the show on Thursday, for me, was winning “Best U.S. Coin Book” at the Numismatic Literary Guild event for the 6th edition of 100 Greatest US Coins. The award was a total surprise and one I was honored to receive.

Friday night ended with the annual ANA awards banquet and installation of officers for the next two years. It was another big night for the Garrett family, with my wife and I receiving the ANA Philanthropy Award, and Mary Lynn later being installed as the Vice President of the ANA. The event was a great end to a wonderful week of business and camaraderie.

Saturday ended the convention with another buzz of activity. There were huge numbers of kids exploring the bourse floor while enjoying the many activities provided by the ANA education department. It was heartwarming to see so many future numismatists learning about the hobby. Another great sign of a successful convention was the more than 700 new ANA members who signed up last week, which is now a record for one coin show.

In the end, Oklahoma City may have been a risky choice for the ANA, but the event did not disappoint anyone in attendance. I heard more than a few dealers wondering when the ANA will choose to come back!

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