Coin Show Question On Prices

Almost all shows of all kinds are basically specialized flea markets. A coin show is nothing but a coin flea market. Same with gun shows, knife shows, camera shows, computer shows, etc. I've been going to about 2 to 4 coin shows a month for many, many years and so far I've never found a dealer that sells for the marked prices on their coins. Coins that have no prices are sort of the dangerous ones. With those a dealer first looks you over to see if they can figure out what you'll pay, then quote a price. Most dealers I know well tell me if they mark prices on coins, they inflate them from 25% to 30% lately. They used to inflate prices by only 10% to 20% but since more and more customers get to know prices they start that haggling right off so the dealers right away drop the prices 10% to 20%. Then to really make the customer happy, they might just drop the price a little more so they eventurally get what they wanted anyway.
From all the coin shows I go to I would say anyone that pays even close to what a dealer is asking really needs to study prices more.
When I find a dealer that will not drop the prices by at least 15%, he looses me forever. Of course they really don't care to much lately since there are so many new, unknowing customers appearing.

Odd you should mention that. Last Sunday at a coin show I was looking at some coins when someone next to me said could I see that one as he pointed at a coin. He looked at the price on the 2x2 and said not bad, I'll take it. He didn't even ask about lowering the price and it was really, really over priced.
At all the coin shows around me I'd say 75% of all dealers have a price on 2x2's in the lower right corner. On slabs, a circular sticker on the reverse. Others have a code on the rear of 2x2's that they tells them how much they have in that coin and how much they could sell it for regardless of any price guides.
I always say 2x2's where in fact about 90% of all the dealers now use those 1-1/2 x 1-1/2 inch size flips. This is really irritating since I used to carefully open the 2x2's, white out any info and reuse them. Those smaller size ones are just to small for that so I have to cut them open.
Here is one more tip for coin shows. If you have some that you go to regularly, make sure you talk to all the dealers so they remember you. This helps in coin prices too but I've found out something else. Many, many dealers purchase coin albums from people. They remove all the coins for to put into flips. Many of them just throw out the albums. If you get to know them, as if you could have some of those albums. One dealer at coin shows has now given me close to a few hundred of them. I don't use most of them but give them to people that could and keep all the Whitman Classic Albums for me.
Not long ago that dealer gave me a box with abaout 40 albums in there and all free, free, free.

Greysheet. I also get coins at or below bid. Most coin dealers have a code usually marked on the back of the flip or written down somewhere. As BadThad pointed out, you generally never see prices written down and if so, are definitely higher than the ask price. Don't be afraid to haggle. Most dealers want to move their inventory and will be willing to work with you on the price a little. They still want to make a profit obviously.

I used to try to do that but found in many instances it is a waste of time. Many dealers use a code that relates to their inventory system or something in their own book keeping. Some change their code periodically to some extent for just moderazationing. One dealer told me his code is just a joke. Since so many do use a code, he just puts some stuff there to fool people. Could be telling the truth, who knows. Then the code is sort of meaningless for us if not really a code, one that relates to something we don't have. If you purchase a large amount from one dealer and try to figure out the code with multiple items, it may well not work.

Hey there...new guy here. I have yet to set foot in a coin show or even shop. OK...so it is expected that you haggle at the shows. Is it expected that you haggle in their actual shop as well?

Stores require more overhead than shows. (Lights, rent, employees...etc)
Expect less haggling at a store as opposed to a show.
Also, consider that the more you frequent a shop or a specific dealer, the better prices and merchandise become.
You get the, Hey, Look what I got, I was saving this to show you.

Yeah...I guess haggling with someone in their own shop would seem like bad form.

What about taxes? I'm assuming that you would have to pay sales tax in a shop but would not have to pay them at a show. Is that correct?

Yes and no on that one. Again at a flea market around me no one pays any kind of taxes at all. In some states even flea market sellers are required to pay taxes. At coin shows some dealers keep track of all sales for income tax purposes. They have to report an income so they must keep track of purchases, sales, traveling expenses, on the road expenses, etc just like any buisness. However, some smaller types of dealers that do such sales as a sideline, do not report any such sales. Again, sort of like flea markets. People that sell at a garage/yard/estate sale usually never report sales since they are only supposed to be selling their own property and that was already taxed when they purchased that item.
A coin store or any hobby store that sells coins and/or coin items is a buisness and must keep track of purchases and sales and pay sales taxes as well as income taxes.
So as to your question it is usually depending on if your selling coins as a buisness or just for getting rid of your own items as to if it's a buisness. Of course there are many people that sell at flea markets professionally and that is their buisness and they pay no taxes.