Third-Party Coin Show Directory SOP

Goal: use other directories as lead sources without copying their protected content or publishing fake/trap entries.

Hard rules

  • Report-only first: scripts may create review artifacts, not edit _data/shows.yml.
  • Do not copy descriptions, tables, photos, wording, page structure, or bulk lists from another directory.
  • Do not publish a show from a third-party directory unless it is independently verified.
  • Respect robots.txt, crawl delays, rate limits, and blocked paths.
  • Keep third-party findings internal until verified from an official or independent source.
  • Public artifacts should avoid reproducing third-party listing titles or descriptions; show source status and lead detail URLs only.

Verification ladder

Use the highest available source before changing live show data:

  1. Official show/promoter website.
  2. Official coin club or numismatic association website.
  3. Venue event calendar or convention-center listing.
  4. Official Facebook page/event from the organizer, club, or venue.
  5. State/regional numismatic association calendar.
  6. Direct organizer confirmation by phone/email, if needed.
  7. Third-party directory only = unverified lead; do not auto-add.

Fake/trap-entry checks

Before adding a lead from a directory, check for:

  • No evidence outside one directory.
  • Strange typos, odd capitalization, or awkward date phrasing repeated exactly.
  • Venue/date mismatch against the venue calendar.
  • Organizer name that has no website, social page, phone, or prior history.
  • Multiple directories with the same wording but no official source.
  • Newly listed show with no trace in search results or local event calendars.

If two independent third-party sites agree but no official source exists, keep the show as needs_verification instead of publishing automatically.

What the report should show

Each report should include:

  • Source provider and original URL.
  • Final URL after redirects.
  • robots.txt / crawl-delay notes when known.
  • Review status: not_found, generic_directory, needs_parser, review_leads, or verified_candidate.
  • Candidate lead detail URLs and limited factual hints only; avoid repeating third-party listing copy in bulk.
  • Independent verification URL, if found.
  • Clear “Milo action needed” summary.

Current third-party directories in repo data

  • CoinZip — high-value lead source; use current category URLs and 10-second crawl delay.
  • CoinShows-USA — historical source in repo; current state URLs redirect to a provider 404 page and need updated working URLs before use.

Most other source domains currently in repo data are official clubs, promoters, venues, or associations rather than broad third-party directories.