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Cultivating the next generation: New Mexico Coin-Stamp & Collectible Expo creating community
John Krist is enjoying the fact that he鈥檚 helping cultivate the next generation of collectors.
As the mastermind behind the New Mexico Coin-Stamp & Collectible Expo, Krist offers an opportunity for all collectors.
A collector of Roman coins himself, he says events like the expo are opportunities for collectors to meet each other.
鈥淚t鈥檚 easier today than it was when I first started collecting,鈥� Krist says. 鈥淭he internet has made it more accessible. To have the local events is something that we have to keep going.鈥�
The New Mexico Coin-Stamp and Collectible Expo makes its return to sa国际传媒官网网页入口 on Friday, Feb. 2, through Sunday, Feb. 4, at the Ramada Plaza Midtown.
Cultivating the next generation: New Mexico Coin-Stamp & Collectible Expo creating community
The three-day expo will have 28 vendors from around the country selling collectibles ranging from comic books, die-cast cars, coins and more.
Krist says there will also be some appraisals happening throughout the weekend.
鈥淭here鈥檚 art to collecting,鈥� he says. 鈥淧eople collect anything from matchbook covers to coins and stamps and dolls. You name it, people collect it.鈥�
Krist says categories include: banknotes, stamps, casino chips, world coins, postcards, posters, maps, jewelry, oil paintings, sport cards, Civil War memorabilia, books, folk art, albums, balloon pins, 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� and 鈥淪tar Trek鈥� memorabilia, Hot Wheels, Southwest pottery, rocks and minerals.
The expo will also be hosting a canned food drive.
鈥淲e will be giving away 700 collectible items at the expo,鈥� Krist says. 鈥淧articipants will be asked to bring a canned food item to the expo and they will receive a collectible item for each item that they bring up to 25 items.鈥�
The food items will then be donated to local churches and food pantries, Krist says.
The items that will be given away include coins, stamps, sport cards, comic books, albums, Hot Wheels, toys and historical documents.
Krist used to own a collectibles shop in the Southeast Heights and found that it helped the youth.
He鈥檚 carried on the expo to honor his late brother, who also loved collecting.
鈥淐ollecting is a fun hobby for all to have,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e want this event to be a family-friendly way to have fun. Because everyone collects something, it鈥檚 amazing to hear those stories. The expo gives back to the community as well.鈥�
Krist hopes the event will grow, but has a comfortable home with the Ramada Plaza Midtown.
鈥淩enting spaces has gotten expensive and this one gives us all we need,鈥� he says. 鈥淪ure, we鈥檇 like to grow in the future. Our current space allows us to have that family feel.鈥�
