I hope that I have put this question in the right board. I am a sucker for sitting down and watching the following shows when they are playing online:
Art & Coin t.v. with Barry Chappel and that Shawn guy The Coin Vault HVC coin shows
Now in those three shows, I see them for the most part selling some of the same items.
My question is, why do the prices seem so high! And if anyone else watches them, what is your take on Barry. I think the man is hilarious, and really gets in to trying to sale you a coin. However I watch them only for educational purposes, and to turn the t.v. up really loud when Barry says his catch phrase "IT MAKES NO SENSE" plus it makes the wife made, b/c she hates hearing him.
Anyways just wanted to hear anyone else's thoughts on the shows or Barry.
These are basically pitchmen that know nothing about the science behind Numismatics. They are large corporations that figure they can reach out to coin collectors, most of which have just started out, and don't know any better. Their mark-ups are extreme, sometimes 600-800%, and the coins they sell are not considered rare; but with their pitch and few catch phrases, they sell coins.
I watched these shows for a couple weeks while I was on bereavement this past month. I found it funny, in the ridiculously stupid funny way. But learned a thing or two. Total hoax though, maybe one could do better ordering from Littleton!
HAHA, so I see there are no fans of the show. I watch it again, to learn mostly. They do quiet a sales pitch on those things. Especially the Morgan dollars, and alot of the Kennedy half dollars, or atleast thats what I see the most of. I always wonder when he says they only have "TEN SETS LEFT" amazingly within minutes he has sold 3-4 sets. Then he spends the next 30 minutes, saying they only have a few left. huh!! :)
I used to get those shows on DirecTV but I switched cable providers and no longer do. I enjoyed the pitch, liked seeing the coins and loved the smug self-satisfaction that came with knowing those guys are full of baloney and the coins were ludicrously overpriced.
It's unfortunate that there are no laws on preying on the uninformed as far as these "pitch-men" goes. My mother-in-law has been snagged on many occasion by these type guys on the various networks. I have tried to let her down easy on being taken and asked her to check with me first before acting on impulse. But haven't we all been duped at one time or another?
A radio personality calls it "stupid tax", I am guilty...on more than one occasion.
I used to watch some of those shows but after a while I realized it's way to late in life to waste it on shows like that. They are not even worth a few minutes of my time.
I just got Direct TV a week ago and have been constantly watching those shows. I find it funnier to watch them than most comedy movies or shows that are on.
Quote: My question is, why do the prices seem so high!
Because the overhead is slightly tremendous. Say you have a coin that would normally sell for $100. A shop might buy it for $80, sell it for $100 and pay their expenses out of that $20 spread. Now say you are going to sell it on the TV, what kind of extra overhead do you have? Network access takes 25% of the gross. That just give you access, you still have to pay for the airtime. Then there is studio rental, and production crew which means a producer, director, lighting tech, sound tech, two cameramen, set man, at least one gopher, and the on air talent usually two people and there are probably a few more all at union wage rates. So say you sell the $100 coin for $200. The Network takes $50, $50 goes for the other overhead, $80 went to pay for the coin, and you get that same $20 you would have gotten if you sold it in the shop. And that is even with the coin selling at 100% over retail.
You know what conder101, when you break it down to that level, and consider all those cost, it really does make for a fair reason to charge such a higher price. I never loooked at it in that way good comment!!
For those near Pennsylvania, look up QVC tours. I had them as a client a few years ago and received a private facility tour. The general public can pay around $6-$10 for the same tour. It is quite fascinating though how it all works.
But no...I would not purchase coins or anything else through them.
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plus it makes the wife made, b/c she hates hearing him.
Posted 09/18/2012 10:56 pm
Only slightly tremendous. :-)
