Dimitri and Claudia Waltmans were the proud hosts of the MIF Paper Money Fair (April 2022), a mega-event held this past week in Valkenburg, Netherlands.
It was, simply put, a banknote extravaganza, attended and enjoyed by 160+ exhibitors and dealers and 400+ collectors and visitors.
Where can one even begin to describe the enjoyment and success of this event? Dimitri and Claudia gave the exhibitors and dealers exactly want they wanted, where they wanted it, and more. The organization was flawless: meticulous planning for months, excellent communication and (pre-)show assistance with whatever questions and issues anyone might possibly have, always with smiles in their voices and smiles on their faces. I can only congratulate and applaud them with the highest accolades and say THANK YOU for their hard work and dedication to our hobby and business. It just felt like home, back home again with my extended family.
The main sponsor and official auctioneer was Stack's Bowers ( https://www.stacksbowers.com/ ), headed by Henrik Holt Christensen, Senior Consignment Director of Europe, accompanied by his colleagues, Aris Maragoudakis, Chris Dahncke, Wayne Berkley and Maryna Synytsya. Stack's Bowers conducted lot viewing at the show for their upcoming auction on April 28, 2022 in Costa Mesa, California. They also accepted submissions for future auctions. With the company’s 80-year legacy, Stack's Bowers is known for selling valuable, scarce and sought-after paper money, coins and numismatic/notaphilic collections worldwide.
The other official sponsors of the MIF Paper Money Fair were:
- Paper Money Guaranty (PMG - https://www.pmgnotes.com/ )
- The Banknote Book (Greysheet/CDN Publishing - https://www.greysheet.com/ )
Video from CDN Publishing about the show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tcr6knbo9Cs...
- Champion Stamp Co., Inc. Banknotes ( https://championstamp.com/product-category/banknotes/ ).
Partners of the show included:
- Sberatel (the largest collectors' fair in central and Eastern Europe, held in Prague https://www.sberatel.info/en/fair-collector/ )
- Battenberg Gietl Verlag (the #1 numismatic and notaphilic publishing house in Germany https://www.battenberg-gietl.de/ ).
Online blog by Battenberg Gietl Verlag: https://www.geldscheine-online.com/
The mega-event was organized as follows:
- Tuesday - Thursday, April 19-21, the pre-show, open only to exhibitors and dealers in the theater hall.
- Friday, April 22, the first day of the main show, open only to exhibitors and dealers.
- Friday evening, April 22, an after-show "B2B" reception with drinks and refreshments in the Polfermolen restaurant. The event was hosted by the organization and all sponsors.
- Saturday morning, April 23, a pre-show "Goodmorning Valkenburg" buffet breakfast in the Polfermolen restaurant, sponsored by Stacks' Bowers.
- Saturday and Sunday, April 23-24, the main show, with free entrance to collectors and visitors.
Exhibitors and dealers attended from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, the UK, Ukraine, the UAE, the USA and more... The international show schedule is still rebounding from the pandemic and one could sense everyone's hunger: hunger for new issues, hunger for the classic notes we all know and love, and most of all, just hunger for normality again. Business was brisk and the show was packed. Many dealers said that this event was their best show in years. The turnout for this show was great, but still, many of our dealer and collector friends from the USA, China, Russia and Ukraine were absent. Mask-wearing is no longer required in the Netherlands at such events and few were worn.
The website for the show ( https://mifevents.com/ ) could not have been organized any better: all information could be found there quickly: all days listed with opening/closing times, etc. The venue itself: a beloved hall, strong, sturdy tables, new chairs and black tablecloths, with most dealers back at the same tables they've had for years; all signs were large, sections and tables were well-marked, showcases were modern and of high quality. The show's security was great, I heard of no incidents of theft at all at the show.
Allow me to mention one mishap that serves as a perfect example of how well we were taken care of. The instructions on the parking meters outside were all in Dutch. One could pay with coins (€9) or a credit/bank card, but many foreign cards were not accepted. Those "not accepted receipts" were misunderstood by a few people who thought that they had paid - they then got parking tickets. Dimitri made a quick call and explained the situation. The City of Valkenburg was kind enough to waive all parking tickets that day at the Polfermolen. For future events, the organizers will try to arrange paid parking in advance: just get your parking pass from the organization, put it in your car and you're done.
Greeting each person entering the main hall was a memorial to dealers and friends who had passed within the past three years: Carlos Pinto, Craig Keplinger, David Seelye, Don Olmstead, Felix Ohmberger, Harold Allen, Robert Kotyla, Lee Gordon, Hendrik van Lier and Muriel Eymery. We remember our friends with the fondest of memories.
A few comments from the organizer and the main sponsor:
Dimitri Waltmans: "I was happy that I did my best to organize in the most professional way and I hope I did that, I think everyone's very happy. I tried to help everybody as much as I can. When everyone comes here, they feel like home, it's very important... Two weeks holiday, then we will concentrate on the September show."
Henrik Holt Christensen: "We are very proud to be the sponsor, this was a main show for a European guy to go to, and since I'm developing the European market for Stack's Bowers, it is important to get a show."
Some comments from dealers:
- "Best show I ever had!"
- "You've done a wonderful job, I couldn't be any happier!"
- "I've been coming here since 1999, I know everybody, and I still saw a lot of new faces at the show."
- "The hospitality in Valkenburg is amazing. Go walking and you see your customers and clients everywhere, in restaurants, you walk by them, you see them everywhere. Valkenburg is the best place."
- "We got new chairs!"
- "I really like your responsiveness. Every time I had a question, I had the answers within minutes."
- "You gave back to us too! The reception and the breakfast were great ideas, I loved it!"
- "I can't wait until September!"
What could have been done better? There is always something... some suggestions for future shows: pre-paid parking passes, a different format for the "B2B" reception (the Polfermolen restaurant was a bit overwhelmed by the turnout), and some bottles of water for each booked table.
Enjoy the photos, feel free to add feedback and any pictures of yours as comments to this post. All of my photographs will provide you with the best report on this mega-event, better than anything I could possibly write.
See you at the MIF Paper Money Fair on September (23) 24-25 at the Polfermolen in Valkenburg, Netherlands! Don't miss it!!!
