| Author |
 Replies: 37 / Views: 4,398 |
|
|
|
Moderator
 United States
188770 Posts |
|
|
Valued Member
United States
87 Posts |
We don't even have a coin shop in my area. I rely on ebay for my sudden coin itches! |
|
Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
allranger: "In some ways it can serve you more now. If you know what what you are looking for, at least." My problem is a little different. I collect world coins, all centuries, all cultures. Most often, I have not the slightest preconceived idea what I am looking for. This is due to the nature of what I collect. Life is an adventure for me, so are my numismatic habits. Every coin I acquire is the result of a presented opportunity. That makes carrying a price or a want list impossible. If a coin is presented without an asking price, I have no idea if it is a buying opportunity. If I am really interested, I will ask the price, but mostly just glaze over them. Otherwise I would be asking the prices of hundreds of coins, and buying very few. Such a dealer would soon get fed up with me. That's OK, I would just move on. Solution? Go to ebay, subscribe to auction catalogues, or attend coin shows. The first one is becoming increasingly more popular. The dealer with unpriced stock misses out. Private collectors negotiate with each other. Edited by sel_69l
06/24/2011 11:20 pm
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1510 Posts |
merc e mail me and I will hook you up to a great guy on the internet-- half my collection is from him
Retired USAF 1983-2003
|
|
Valued Member
United States
450 Posts |
I feel your pain, my local coin shop is the same... 95% bullion 5% coins...
Can't wait for this bullion run to be over !!!!
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
931 Posts |
It could be that they are trying to pick out and display the keepers from their bullion purchases before they have a chance to research them. It is hard to make a living as a retailer and no one is going to have a lot more employees than they need. Those bullion lines can't last forever.
|
|
Valued Member
United States
259 Posts |
Had the exact same experience at two coin stores in my area yesterday. The staff was so busy buying silver and selling gold they really don't have time for helping the other customers and I'm a buyer. I felt like I was just bothering them asking for their world coins.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
3283 Posts |
Had a conversation with my coin shop owner and he told me there aren't many true coin collectors left. Most of the people he's dealing with are selling bullion or trying to flip stuff (on ebay) he's selling. The good part is, he know what I'm in it for and gives me very nice discounts. |
|
New Member
United States
32 Posts |
i guess I'm lucky in that I have several coin shops in my area. and by several, I mean 8+. that's not counting the cash4gold places. yes, the shops deal in bullion. however, every shop has more coins than bullion in the store. and 1 store even has a large selection of roman coins, but he's the only one to carry anything other than u.s. coins. sadly, I have to use the internet for 50% of my collection due to this reason.
Edited by swish513
06/25/2011 6:17 pm
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1151 Posts |
I have 3 coin shops located in my area. One the people are so rude that they wont even take the time to take a good look at your coins. Two, he has the pesonality of a twig and three, he is a really great guy who will sit and talk to you for hours on end. He is the only shop dealer that I will buy from. I live in New York and when I go to Boston, they truly have the best coin shops.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1704 Posts |
I live in Modesto, CA and there were three coin shops in town, one is closed now that the owner passed away last year. Of the other two I had gone into the one near downtown the man was so rude and didn't want to be bothered it seemed, this was a few years ago when things weren't as hectic as now. He passed away earlier this year and his wife now runs the shop and she is just as rude as he was. The third "coin shop" isn't a coin shop at all. You go in the front door and it there is a wall with two glass windows with slots under each to put your coins through and the guy on the other side will assess them and make his offer. There are no display cases of coins for a customer to view. I would not patronize either one of them as both of those coin shops have reputations of low balling people. I have to travel two hours to the coast to Santa Cruz where I lived from 1966 to 1974. My family moved there in '66 just before I turned ten and I enlisted in the Marine Corps in November '74 shortly after graduating from high school. I have known a dealer who began his coin selling career working for one of the two coin shops in town and now he has his own shop. I've known him since 1972 and his shop is a place where collectors can hang out and socialize with each other. The good stuff that comes in goes out almost immediately and with me being so far away and not able to visit his shop as much as I would like I get most of my coins from certain dealers I have befriended at the local coin shows and also from a professional wholesaler whom I get coins on memo to peddle at local flea markets and I get most of my Morgan dollars from him now. I have also acquired some very nice type coins for my 19th and 29th Century type sets from him. He has a very nice Unc. 1867 2 cent piece and an MS-63 1876-CC Seated Liberty dime on hold for me. A new source of some nice type coins is a woman who sells jewelry and glassware at a flea market I attend, she is selling some of her coins now to help pay the bills for her 30 year old daughter who is a recovering alcoholic. Yesterday I got a very nice NGC XF-40 1853 Seated Liberty half for just $165.00 and I am going to get an NGC AU-58 1858-O Seated Liberty half ($275.00), an NGC XF 1860-S ($90.00) Seated Liberty half that was improperly cleaned, still a very presentable coin, and an MS-63 1884-CC GSA dollar ($170.00) from her next week. The plastic of the slab is quite scratched and there are no scratches on the coin.   Ed ANA LN-3175 |
|
Rest in Peace
United States
9104 Posts |
Quote:
So today I made it to the main coin store in my area... I had not been there in about ten years.
The salesman said I could select the coins I was interested in, and he'd have their experts in the back take a look at them and give me prices on them, but it would take a few hours. A few hours? Really?
So it seems that coin dealers are now only bulk buyers and sellers of gold and silver, and at least in this coin store, coins are not a priority any longer. Speaking as a dealer who had a full-time store for 27 years, catering to a customer that comes in once in ten years, if PM prices hit a 30 year high isn't a real solid business plan. You waited 10 years, people doing thousands of dollars in business are waiting until the next day ( and entrusting their valuables to the dealer), so what's the problem waiting a few more hours? It would be different if your monthly supply purchases helped tide him over for that decade, then you'd have a right to be annoyed at being ignored, but by your own story, you're being asked to wait your turn behind dozens of people who represent $100-$1000+ profits each. |
|
Rest in Peace
United States
9104 Posts |
"I am close to the KC area and I can't find anyhting on coin shows in my area. on in St Louis."
Worst show I ever did was the RCDA in St. Louis. Left a day early and did more business at a flea market.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1391 Posts |
sel_69l: Okay, I understand that now. I like browsing all the different coins. After I read the thread I went into a store like the one described. It was pretty much assumed that you were there to buy bullion. They had some coins but it was the popular ones in gold and silver. Not much selection at that. Just a pile of walking libertry half dollars in a gold pan. I grabbed the best looking one to save from melting.
|
|
Rest in Peace
United States
9104 Posts |
Quote:
I have also acquired some very nice type coins for my 19th and 29th Century type sets from him. What's the smallest denomination in a 29th century set?  |
| |
Replies: 37 / Views: 4,398 |
First Page
Posted 06/24/2011 4:32 pm
