Honesty Above Honesty!

Thanks for sharing this. If this dealer has a website, I for one would love to know who it is. Many collectors never take the time to search out good dealers. Finding a dealer is much like finding quality coins. Effort must be made on the part of the collector. Just because someone operates a business does not necessarily make them honest. (regardless of type of business).

When collectors find a good one, too often they keep this info to themselves. We all need to share all the positives about our hobby so that we can all grow.

He doesn't have a website, to my knowledge, but can add another fact that I find very inspiring. A couple of years ago he was robbed and literally put out of business. I turned to the only folks I knew who would help and that being the collecting friends I had on the Coin World forum. I started a fund at my bank (in his name) and received money donated from all over the U.S., he received coins from all over the U.S. and a large California dealer offered him numerous slabbed coins to help put him back in business. The response was overwhelming and they have been back in business ever since. We couldn't afford to lose a dealer of such caliber! He doesn't have the largest shop around but him, and his wife, are two of the most honest and respectable people I have ever known! They treat absolutely EVERYONE the same all the time! Still have them and hope they are there for years to come!

They got up and running pretty quickly (within 3 months) but a few of the folks who offered to help actually embarrassed the dickens out of them. It wasn't like they were now "poor and without means" it was just the fact they had lost thousands and thousands of dollars of inventory that took years to accumulate and it was not insured. Being the kind of folks they were it kind of put them in an akward position, which they were not acustommed to as they weren't asking for any hand-outs but did agree to accept some help if they were going to stay in business. Any how the coins collectors here, and across the nation, with help from a few dealers helped put them back in business and if any one really benefited (long term) it was the collectors in this 5 county area who would have been devastated to lose such a great dealer and friend. This was the second robbery in less than two years and this one cleaned them out. You could never tell it today! Now that the robbery is all history and behind us I would mention I lost 4 notes that I had framed and had on display the night of the robbery! 1899 $1, 1899 $2, 1899 $5 (my Indian) and a 1901 $10 (my black buffalo). I really didn't even think about my loss until they tried to make it right with me. Actually the thieves took the time to take the frame and mat apart to get the bills out. Guess they didn't want to carry any extra weight and then the police confiscated my frame and mat for finger printing so I ended up with nothing. Next time I display anything, anywhere I will take the time to photograph and zerox as serial numbers NEVER change on an old bill. Learned a valuable lesson on this one! But most importantly we got to KEEP our dealer and his wife and played a part in doing so! Great people!!!

I remember that dealer too- sounds like they're definately good people. Glad to hear that they're back up and running after the robbery. I couldn't help them out much but I'd like to think it did help some!

Rachel [:p]