Describe The Brick & Mortar Coin Shop(S) In Your Area.

Customer service is everything.





It's arguably the most important part of a business.



I already ranted about the coin guy in my area. He's not customer serviceable. (Southern NH)

Coin shops around my area are turning into pawn shops. The ones that haven't (2 of them) have really poor customer service. One of them is the size of a closet and is dark and very messy... I bought one thing there once and vowed never to return. The other coin shop is better, decent selection, but is only open 1 night a week and even that is not predictable.

I like the "no pressure" way of buying on the internet via auction sites (teletrade, etc.). Pictures are much better on those established coin sites, selection is good and I can buy after examining a coin until I am blue in the face. I seem to be able to set my price better that way than I can in the shops.

hesgut,

I'm not saying this to be rude and I know it doesn't apply to all but (in most cases) the only difference between a coin shop and a pawn shop is the name on the marquis.

There is a new shop that opened up and he sells bait and tackle but when you go inside there is little bait and less tackle. Lots of junk. He's got the big sign on the street: WE BUY GOLD. He has a display case full of overpriced common Peace and Morgans. How about 60 - 70 dollars each. Overpriced enough for you? I asked him if he had any other coins and he said: "I put all my better stuff on ebay." Great for him but why say that to a customer? That's a great way to alienate a future customer.

I don't care if you sell to the Taliban, just talk less and listen to your customers. The guy never shut up from the time I walked in his store. He bragged about how he gets stuff so cheap and all the money he makes on ebay. While I was there another customer came in and he tells this guy he'll pay more than anyone. I can't believe anybody sells him anything.

There are too many to list in my area (over 15). I have purchased from 3 of them.
1. In business over 40 years. Has almost everything if you ask. Doesn't keep a lot of good coins out, but has everything possible in the safes. I end up spending hours talking and learning from the owner.
2. Mainly a bullion store and slabs. Does a lot of business buying from public and selling at shows. While I was there one time he purchased 200+ oz of silver, 10 gold coins, and 25 silver mint sets from a guy. One other time he purchased over 100 Morgans and some sterling. When I stopped back a week later everything had been sold. He moves a lot of product.
3. Small store with nothing out to see. Very willing to bring things out.

All 3 have great customer service. The first one listed offered to buy a older womens silver bars for $31 when silver was $32. She almost fell over. The other place she went offered her $7 per oz. There are far too many guys both in stores and online trying to cheat people. It is one of the things I hate about coins. I mainly buy from store 1 because of the way he treated that lady.

Sounds like you live here. My favorite rude story was at a coin shop, actually mostly just a hobby store, a lady came out of the back and said "Did you want somthing?" Kiddingly I said no I'm waiting for a bus. No response so I asked about some of the Lincoly Cents in the show case. They all looked cleaned. She reponded with I sell them, I don't clean them. Then she said "Oh it's my lunch time" and walked away. A man walked over and said "try coming back later, we are all eating now." All their coins are cleaned looking and excessively high priced anyway. I did not come back later though.

My local store owner (and the only one I live close enough to buy from) doesn't like me for some reason. I believe it is because I'm young, as he likes every adult that I have seen come into the store when I am there.

His father, however, is great. Very nice and gives me discounts, making me more likely to come in when the father is in.

Most things are overpriced, but I have found a few underpriced items in the store.

I have only one in my area. He's got a rather large store, and deals in all sorts of collectibles (sports, smaller antiques, etc.) in addition to coins, but I know he handles coins personally. He's an excellent grader of both US and World issues, he knows about VAMs and he prices consistently if a tad high (to be expected). All in all, a solid place to visit and the next coin I buy from him won't be the first.

Benbyfield, I like the ancients. The motifs attract me. The Greeks and Romans intrique me; I've read a good amount of their history and literature over the years.
I guess you're in this for the aesthetics, by and large. I am, too, collecting Morgans. But sometimes I feel I'm playing it safe, considering the .77 ounce of silver in each one. Sometimes I feel I should just pick up what I like, but, in that case, I'd be all over the place; I wouldn't have enough cash to do justice to one coin or to one artist or to one period, etc. It's good to be focused, as one needs to be when writing a poem or a song, for instance.