“This special exhibit is a superb collection of historic and rare private coinage from 1787 to 1792 and early items from the Philadelphia Mint from 1793 up to 1852. The collection was assembled by Martin Logies and will be exhibited courtesy of Bowers & Merena Auctions,” said Ronald J. Gillio, Expo General Chairman.

Highlights of the exhibit include the following coins that were part of the 2009 PCGS Best of Registry winner for Large Cents Basic Set:

1793 Chain AMERICA S-2 variety formerly in the Beckwith, Collins and Naftzger Collections and graded PCGS MS65BN;

1793 Wreath, Vine and Bars Edge formerly in the Naftzger Collection, PCGS MS69BN;

1794 Head of 1793 formerly in the Garrett Collection, PCGS MS64 BN;

and 1803 No Stems S-243, PCGS MS66RB, formerly in the Helfenstein and Naftzger Collections.

During the three-day Long Beach Expo more than 1,000 dealers will be buying and selling rare coins, paper money, stamps, postcards, historic documents, antiques, estate jewelry and other collectibles. Some dealers will provide free, informal appraisals for visitors.

A free gold coin door prize will be awarded each day to a lucky, registered visitor, and a children’s treasure hunt will be held on Saturday, June 5. A half dozen educational programs and collectors’ clubs meetings will be conducted during the show and will be open to the public.

Heritage Auction Galleries of Dallas, Texas (www.HA.com), the world’s largest collectibles auction house and the official auctioneer of the Long Beach Expo, will hold a public auction of U.S. coins in conjunction with the show.

The public hours are Thursday and Friday, June 3 and 4, 2010, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday, June 5, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

General admission is $6 (good for all three days); $4 for members of any coin or stamp club who display a valid membership card; and $3 for seniors 65 and older. Free admission for children ages seven and younger. Discount coupons are available online at www.LongBeachExpo.com.

For additional information, call Expos Unlimited at (805) 962-9939 or the Long Beach Convention Center during the show dates at (562) 436-3636.

The Long Beach Expo is a division of Collectors Universe, Inc. (NASDA: CLCT).

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The $10 million exhibit will be publicly displayed during the Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo in the Long Beach Convention Center, 100 S. Pine Ave., February 4 – 6, 2010.

The three-day show also will feature an exhibit of the all-time finest set of early U.S. half dollars in the PCGS Set RegistrySM.

“The ‘Ship of Gold’ exhibit is coming out of dry dock and returning to its first port of call, the Long Beach Expo,” said Ronald J. Gillio, Expo General Chairman. “The eye-opening display on the convention center floor is housed in a specially-constructed 40-foot long representation of the famous ship’s hull. This will be the first public appearance of the ‘Ship of Gold’ exhibit anywhere in the country in six years.”

The exhibit is courtesy of Monaco Rare Coins of Newport Beach and involved months of work to coordinate the display with collectors who privately own and now have generously loaned many of the items for the exhibit, according to Adam Crum, Monaco Vice President.

“The ‘cargo’ on display will be examples of historic assayers’ ingots as well as San Francisco Mint and California territorial gold coins with a combined value today of over $10 million. One of the highlights is a huge, 662.28 ounce Kellogg & Humbert ingot. Weighing just over 55 troy pounds, it is the fourth largest gold bar recovered from nearly 8,000 feet blow the surface of the Atlantic Ocean where the Central America sank in a hurricane in September 1857 while carrying California gold from Panama to New York City,” said Crum.

There also will be one of the 13 recovered octagonal $50 gold pieces produced by the United States Assay Office of San Francisco, and the remains of a wooden cargo box that still contains approximately 110 Double Eagles as they were found on the ocean floor. Many appear to be 1857-S $20 gold pieces, apparently freshly struck at the San Francisco Mint when they were placed in the container for shipping.

Visitors to the exhibit also will see the front pages of three 1857 newspapers that published amazing stories about the shipwreck, the ordeal of survivors and the devastating economic effects created by the loss of the gold.

Bob Evans, the chief scientist on the 1980’s mission by the Columbus-America Discovery Group that located and recovered the fabulous sunken treasure, will be at the Long Beach Expo display each day to meet with visitors and present educational programs about the SS Central America, her cargo, crew and passengers.

The Ship of Gold display was first publicly presented at the February 2000 Long Beach Expo. Over the next four years it was seen by over a million people in subsequent exhibitions in Long Beach and a half dozen other cities across the country.

The exhibit hosted by Professional Coin Grading Service of more than 100 coins in the all-time finest set of early U.S. half dollars in the PCGS Set Registry are from the collection of Dale Friend of Nevada, and 20 of the coins are either the finest or tied for the finest ever graded by PCGS. Friend’s basic collection of circulation strike early half dollars, 1794 – 1839, has been ranked number one in the PCGS Set Registry the past six years. His set with major varieties has been the best the past four years. Both sets have earned the honor of being the number one all-time finest in their category.

The public hours of the Long Beach Expo are Thursday and Friday, February 4 and 5, 2010, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Saturday, February 6, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission is $6 (good for all three days); $4 for members of any coin or stamp club who display a valid membership card; and $3 for seniors 65 and older. Free admission for children ages seven and younger. Discount coupons are available online at www.LongBeachExpo.com.

A free gold coin door prize will be awarded daily to a lucky, registered visitor.

A children’s treasure hunt will be held on Saturday, February 6. Educational programs and collectors’ clubs meetings will be conducted during the show and are open to the public.

Heritage Auction Galleries of Dallas, Texas (www.HA.com), the world’s largest collectibles auction house and the official auctioneer of the Long Beach Expo, will hold a public sale of U.S. coins.

For additional information, call Expos Unlimited at (805) 962-9939 or the Long Beach Convention Center at (562) 436-3636 during the show.

The Long Beach Expo is a division of Collectors Universe, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLCT).

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NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Nov. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Collectors Universe, Inc. (Nasdaq: CLCT), a leading provider of value-added authentication and grading services to dealers and collectors of high-value collectibles, today announced financial results for its first fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2009.

Overview

Continuing Operations First Quarter Fiscal 2010

For the first fiscal quarter of 2010, the Company reported net service revenues of $9.3 million, operating income of $1.8 million and income from continuing operations of $1.7 million, or $0.22 per diluted share. This compares to net service revenues of $9.0 million, operating income of $333,000 and income from continuing operations of $469,000, or $0.05 per diluted share for the first quarter of fiscal 2009.

Discontinued Operations First Quarter Fiscal 2010

For the three months ended September 30, 2009, losses from discontinued operations were $53,000 compared to losses from discontinued operations of $1.8 million or $0.19 per diluted share for the corresponding periods of fiscal 2009, reflecting the previously reported closure of our former jewelry businesses.

Net Income First Quarter Fiscal 2010

The resulting net income for the current first quarter was $1.7 million or $0.22 per diluted share compared to a net loss of $1.3 million, or $0.14 per diluted share for the first quarter of fiscal 2009.

Operational and Financial Highlights:

* Total service revenues increased by 3% in the current first quarter compared to the same quarter of last year due to an 11% increase in total coin service revenues.
* The Company’s operating income for the current first quarter of $1.8 million was 19% of revenues compared with $333,000 or 4% of revenues in the first quarter of last year.
* On July 10, 2009 the Company completed a modified Dutch Auction Tender Offer and accepted for purchase 1.75 million shares at $5 per share at a cost (including expenses) of $8.9 million in cash.
* The Company’s cash position at September 30, 2009 was $16.4 million. Subsequent to September 30, 2009, the Company collected a customer note receivable for $2.3 million, related to the CFC financing business.
* On October 26, 2009, the Company announced the resumption of its quarterly cash dividend to $0.25 per share per quarter payable on November 24, 2009 to stockholders of record on November 10, 2009.

Michael McConnell, Chief Executive Officer, stated, “We’re encouraged by the first quarter financial results. Despite a difficult economic climate, our Company has worked diligently to improve operating margins by focusing on both productivity and efficiency initiatives. Further, the completion of the Dutch Tender and resumption of the quarterly dividend represent important actions taken to address our capital structure.”

Results of Operations of our Continuing Businesses

The increase of $0.3 million or 3% in net service revenues in the current first quarter compared to the same quarter of the prior year was comprised of a 2% increase in grading and authentication fees and an 8% increase in related services. The 2% increase in grading and authentication fees was comprised of an increase of $0.4 million or 9% in coin fees and declines of $0.2 million or 8% in card and autograph fees and $0.1 million or 41% in stamp fees.

The improved gross profit margin to 60% compared with 54% for the first quarter of last year, reflects a higher proportion of coin revenues in the current year’s first quarter as well as operational efficiencies achieved. In addition, there was no stock based compensation costs recognized in the cost of revenues in this year’s first quarter.

The 18% reduction in operating expenses to $3.8 million in the current first quarter reflects lower G&A expenses for personnel, outside professional services and stock based compensation costs as compared to the same period of last year.

The resulting operating income of $1.8 million in the current first quarter at 19% of revenues was consistent with the operating income of 19% before non-cash impairment charges generated in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009.

The income from continuing operations of $1.7 million or $0.22 per diluted share in the current first quarter compared with $0.5 million or $0.05 per diluted share for the first quarter of fiscal 2009 reflects the improved operating results and for the per share amounts, the reduction in the number of shares outstanding as a result of the Dutch Auction Tender Offer discussed above.

Financial Condition

At September 30, 2009, cash and cash equivalents totaled $16.4 million compared with $23.9 million at June 30, 2009. Net cash used in the current first quarter of $7.5 million was comprised of cash generated from continuing operations of $1.9 million offset by cash used of $8.9 million to repurchase shares in the Dutch Auction Tender Offer, $0.1 million used for capital expenditures and $0.4 million used in discontinued operations.

Outlook

McConnell continued, “Our strategy for the current fiscal year is to manage our core coin and trading cards businesses well – a simple “back-to-basic” mandate. Additionally, we are exploring ways to build upon the Company’s leading market positions and solid business reputation, leverage our valuable proprietary content and extract incremental value from e-commerce transactions. Coin Facts, launched this summer, represents an excellent example of a growth initiative we will consider going forward.”

Extension of Mr. McConnell’s Employment as CEO through June 30, 2011

The Company also announced that Michael McConnell had agreed to extend his role as Chief Executive Officer of the Company through June 2011, pursuant to an employment contract entered into by Mr. McConnell and the Company.

Chairman of the Board A. Clinton Allen stated, “We are delighted that Mike McConnell will remain as our CEO through June of 2011. He has done a first class job guiding the Company through some difficult organizational changes. Further, his leadership and experience was particularly appreciated as we navigated through the worst recession since the 1930’s. I and the board were very pleased when he agreed to the extension of his employment as CEO of the Company.”

Conference Call and Webcast

Collectors Universe will host a conference call to discuss results on Monday, November 9, 2009 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time/1:30 p.m. Pacific Time. Interested parties may participate in the conference call by dialing 888-549-7880 or 480-629-9867, five to ten minutes prior to the initiation of the call. A replay of the conference call will be available through November 24, 2009, by dialing 800-406-7325 or 303-590-3030 and entering access code 4181696#. A live webcast of the conference call will also be available on the Collectors Universe website, www.collectors.com, under Investor Relations: Earnings Conference Calls. The webcast will be archived for 12 months.

About Collectors Universe

Collectors Universe, Inc. is a leading provider of value added services to the high-value collectibles markets. The Company authenticates and grades collectible coins, sports cards, autographs and stamps. The Company also compiles and publishes authoritative information about United States and world coins, collectible trading cards and sports memorabilia and collectible stamps and operates its CCE dealer-to-dealer Internet bid-ask market for certified coins and its Expos trade show and conventions business. This information is accessible to collectors and dealers at the Company’s web site, http://www.collectors.com, and is also published in print.

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward Looking Information

This news release contains statements regarding our expectations, beliefs or views about our future financial performance, which constitute “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate,” “project,” or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” or “may.”

Due to a number of risks and uncertainties to which our business is subject, our future financial performance may differ, possibly significantly, from our expected financial performance as set forth in the forward looking statements contained in this news release. Information regarding those risks and uncertainties, and their possible impact on our future financial performance, include, but are not limited to, the risk that economic conditions in the United States will not improve for some time and may even deteriorate further, which could result in reductions in the demand for our collectible grading services and, consequently, in our revenues; the risk that the current economic recession and credit crisis will lead to longer term changes in the spending habits of consumers and in the availability and use of credit by of smaller businesses, such as collectibles dealers, to fund purchases of collectibles, which could lead to longer term declines in collectibles commerce and, therefore, in the demand for our services; the risk that our strategy to offer new services in our continuing collectibles markets will not be successful in enabling us to improve our profitability or may even cause us to incur significant losses; and the risk that the commercial real estate market in New York City will deteriorate further, in which case we may not be able to sublease the offices and laboratory facilities in New York City formerly occupied by our jewelry businesses within the time periods and for the rents currently expected, which would cause our net rental payment obligations to be significantly higher than currently expected leading to reductions in cash flows and additional losses from discontinued operations in future periods.

Additional information regarding these risks and information regarding other risks and uncertainties to which our business is subject is contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for our fiscal year ended June 30, 2009 and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the first quarter ended September 30, 2009 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission today. Due to these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this news release or in our Annual or Quarterly Reports, which speak only as of their respective dates. We also disclaim any obligation to update or revise any of the forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law or NASDAQ rules.

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“This magnificent-looking Ultra High Relief is graded PCGS Proof-69, and will be exhibited courtesy of Certified Assets Management of Wilmington, Delaware,” said Ronald J. Gillio, Expo General Chairman.

“This famous coin was designed by renowned sculptor, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, at the personal request of President Theodore Roosevelt. It was struck seven times to bring up all the beautiful features in the design. There are less than 20 known surviving examples, and this is the finest. There is no other example certified higher,” said Bob Higgins, President of Certified Assets Management.

More than 500 dealers will be buying and selling rare coins, paper money, stamps, vintage postcards, historical documents and other collectibles during the show. The Cupertino Coin Club will display exhibits, and there will be educational seminars on hobby topics.

Teletrade of Irvine, California will conduct the official auction during the Santa Clara Expo. A gold coin door prize will be awarded each day, and a children’s treasure hunt will be conducted between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 20.

Public hours are Thursday, November 19, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, November 20 and 21, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, November 2, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $6 (good for all three days); $3 for seniors (65 and up), anyone with a valid coin or stamp club membership card, and children 8 to 16; children 7 and under are admitted free.

Coupons good for a $3 discount on admission are available online at www.SantaClaraExpo.

Free parking is available at the Santa Clara Convention Center.

For additional information, contact the Santa Clara Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo at (805) 962-9939 or online at www.SantaClaraExpo.com.

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Visitors to the three-day show will see both the “Gold River Morgan Dollars Set,” ranked number two on the PCGS Set Registry for date set circulation strikes, and see the “Wild West Collection,” a complete set of superb-grade Carson City dollars. A free gold coin door prize will be awarded to a lucky, registered visitor each day.

The seminar, “Gold: Hoping For The Best, Preparing For The Worst,” will be presented from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, May 30, in room 102-C of the Long Beach Convention Center.

“The gold seminar will be jointly conducted by Travers, an acclaimed consumer advocate who is the author of a dozen award-winning numismatic books, and by Kingsland, a respected Fox Business Network editor and long-time Wall Street journalist,” said Ronald J. Gillio, Expo General Chairman.

“With the renewed interest in gold because of the U.S. and world economic situation, this certainly is one of the most important and timely educational seminars we’ve had in the history of the Long Beach Expo.”

“This educational program will provide pertinent and potentially valuable information about the precious metals markets from mining stocks to bullion coins – such as the American Eagle and Canadian Maple Leaf – to gold estate jewelry and ‘scrap’ gold,” explained Travers.

A former Vice President of the American Numismatic Association who the New York Times once described as “the Ralph Nader of numismatics,” Travers is a prolific author whose books include The Coin Collector’s Survival Manual, Sixth Edition that was published last fall by Random House. He cautions that “Gold is not an investment. It’s an insurance policy.”

Veteran Wall Street journalist and financial broadcaster Kingsland predicted in August 2007 that the Dow Jones Industrial Average would sink to 7,200 within the next couple of years and that gold would rise above $1,000 an ounce within the next year or two. Despite nay-saying skeptics who criticized his forecast at the time, he was accurate on both predictions.

Kingsland has authored the first edition of Coin and Precious Metals Values 2010: Trends, Deals and Predictions for the Smart Investor for Random House (due for publication this November). He is also an editor for News Corporation at the Fox Business Network and a stock market commentator for the Fox Radio Network on stations ranging from KABC in Los Angeles to WCBS in New York. He is a former reporter for CNBC and former News Director and morning news anchor for the Bloomberg Radio Network.

The 28-coin “Gold River Morgan Dollar Set,” named after the anonymous owner’s home area near Sacramento, California’s Gold River and the famous 19th century coins designed by U.S. Mint engraver, George T. Morgan, will be displayed by Mike Bobb of Mike’s Coin Chest in Torrance, California at booth #834. The set includes coins from the Jack Lee, R. Dier and Mike Gilley collections, and is valued at over $2.5 million.

With a PCGS set rating of 66.607, highlights of the display include the finest known 1878-S and condition census 1886, 1897-S and 1899-O dollars, all graded PCGS MS-68.

Another featured exhibit, presented by Monaco Rare Coins of Newport Beach, California at booth #934, will showcase the “Wild West Collection” with some of the finest known Carson City dollars. The display will include an 1889-CC graded PCGS MS-68 and a rare branch mint proof 1893-CC NGC PF-67 Cameo, both formerly in the collections of Louis E. Eliasberg Sr. and Jack Lee.

“We’ve made special arrangements with Alhambra Coin Center, one of California’s largest buyers of gold, to have their expert appraisers at the show to purchase scrap gold, coins and jewelry for cash from the public as well as offer to exchange it for gold bullion coins,” said Gillio.

During the three-day Long Beach Expo more than 1,000 dealers will be buying and selling rare coins, paper money, stamps, postcards, historic documents, antiques, estate jewelry and other collectibles. Some will provide free, informal appraisals for visitors.

Young numismatists’ activities including a children’s treasure hunt will be held on Saturday, May 30.

In addition to the gold seminar a half dozen educational programs and collectors’ club meetings will be conducted during the show. Heritage Auction Galleries of Dallas, Texas, the world’s largest collectibles auction house, will hold a public sale of U.S. and world coins and paper money.

The public hours of the Long Beach Expo are Thursday and Friday, May 28 and 29, 2009, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Saturday, May 30, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (The show is closed on Sunday.) A complete Schedule of Events is online at www.LongBeachShow.com.

General admission is $6 (good for all three days); $4 for members of any coin or stamp club who display a valid membership card; and $3 for seniors 65 and older. Free admission for children ages seven and younger. Discount coupons are available online at www.LongBeachShow.com. The admission fee will be refunded with any transaction with Alhambra Coin Center.

For additional information call Expos Unlimited at (805) 962-9939. Between May 27 and 30, call the Long Beach Convention Center at (562) 436-3636.

Professional Coin Grading Service and the Long Beach Expo are divisions of Collectors Universe, Inc., (NASDAQ: CLCT).

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