Coin Show/Shop Ettiquete

My local coin shop guy is great. He generally only puts out rare dates and au+ coins in his shop and sends the rest to big dealer up north. When I'm in he pulls the stuff he's sending away and offers them to me at what the other guy has posted on his website he will pay. This allows me to buy dimes, quarters and halves below melt, VF and XF morgans for $11.50, silver eagles with some toning for $12.

Benji - Interesting quote in your footer. Did you make that up yourself or is it attributed to someone?

As to coin stores, hobby shops, places with coin/stamp counters, I basically stay away from them. Yes they hae to make a living and have to raise the prices of coins, etc to accomplish this, but I don't want to be a part of that. We have way, way to many coin shows around me to ever think of going to a coin shop. I used to when there was a lot of them in the area where I worked but seldom ever bought anything due to the high prices. Harlan J. Berk is an example of a place to look but don't buy type. There are at least 3 coin shows a month around here and occationally even more. There are no rules, dress codes, etc at any of them so I see people with the Red Book, Grey Sheets, Magnifiers, long lists of coins needed. At all shows if the dealer has no prices shown for his coins, I usually just walk away. Occationally I'll ask about a coin I know for sure would cost X and if he says X+, I just walk away. I always try to haggle the prices down and if a dealer will not drop prices, I walk away. I carry a bag with a 14X, a 4X, a flashlight, my list, etc at all shows. My list is made up of what I want, would like, could use. I first make the list, add prices from the Red Book, Add prices from PCGS web site, Add prices from the Grey sheet and also prices from a few decent on line dealers. This gives me about 5 prices for each coin and if I can't beat those, I just walk on by. I need the exercise anyway so walking around a coin show is just one more wayh to get it. At one of the bigger shows each month I'll spend up to 2 hours roaming around looking for exactly what I want. Now with this upcoming big show at the Rosemont Convention Center I'll probably get more exercise than I really need but lots of stuff to look at. If your in the area of Chicago this June that show is on the 21st to the 24th in the suburb of Rosemont, Illinois.

From a dealers perspective...yes bring your glass your coin catalogue. You can always ask but do not expect the price to drop. Some items a dealer, other items the dealer won't. The bottom line as long as you are polite and reasonable the dealer should be polite and reasonable. You must keep in mind a dealer may have room to move on some or even most items but on others he may not. The thing you need to keep in mind is that at the end of the day that you pay a price you are comfortable with. That may mean a price below CV, at CV or over CV. The dealer will also do the same thing....sell an item at a price he is comfortable with.

lol