Today's Odd Events At Santa Clara Coin Show

Could anyone describe the commotion at today's coin show in Santa Clara? Upon entering the hall, I saw police but really didn't get the full story outside of a few snippets from my dealer friends. However, as time wore on, I did sense a few dealers were on edge, and here's where I unwittingly became drawn into today's events.

The story begins when I visited a dealer please use the real url. who shall remain nameless please use the real url. to browse his inventory of Mexican coins. Here are the full details because they are critical to this story. It's somewhat long, but hopefully to the point.

This dealer takes two stacks of Mexican coins from his case (avg. value $15 each), and hands me one stack at the time, which I then inspect in loupe with both hands in plain view.and the dealer standing just 3ft away. When I finish one stack, I exchange it for another. I'm very methodical when buying, only inspecting one coin from a stack at a time, always keeping inventory in full view. After spending perhaps 10 min. with this dealer, I hand him the last stack and thank him for his time. The whole time, this dealer was standing in front of me, watching me (or so I thought).

Ten minutes later, while at another dealer's table way across the hall, I was confronted by the dealer, who explained that his stack of coins I gave back counted up short (11 vs. 12), and asked if I could explain why? But, as he did not count these coins in front of me, I was at a loss to explain the discrepancy. So I simply asked him if he saw me do anything wrong? No answer from him, so in order to put him at ease, I proceeded to empty my wallet and every pocket on my person. However, this did not seem to put him at ease at all and he said something like "I don't want to insult you.you look like an honest guy, but then again the professionals look that way", casting another suspicious glance toward me.

Honestly, I started to get a little ticked off at this point, and wanted this conversation to end because I could not see satisfying a guy who didn't think he miscounted (and he couldn't name the missing coin). Apparently, he didn't consider that a pro might not waste his time to steal a $15 coin? During the day, I handled coins worth several magnitudes more than that one which mysteriously....did not disappear from dealer's tables. Obviously dealers need to protect their own interests, and with that in mind, may I offer a few suggestions to those who might read this forum:

• If you're going to count stacks of coins, count them (out loud) when you hand them to the customer, and then count them when they're returned. Simple as that please use the real url. like they do at banks.

• Protect yourself, meaning do whatever you need to feel secure. Set things for your own peace of mind, and don't expect customers to "fill the gaps" by their own conduct, as they cannot possibly secure your own inventory.

• If you feel you must confront a customer on something, it's helpful to come across with something tangible to resolve, rather than a vague suspicion that can neither be proven nor disproven (since we know the pros work "magic").

• Have you ever considered providing a feedback survey for your customers? Many businesses do it, whereby simply asking good questions you'll gain important insights into collector's needs while also serving as positive marketing. In my business, I've found that small contests entice people to fill out surveys.

On the "other side of the coin", there's much that collectors can do to uphold their end, such as:

• Don't give a dealer cause for worry. If you're looking at coins, keep them in full sight at all time. I may be a bit of a stickler, but if I need to get something out of my pocket.I put the coins down, stand up and remove my wallet, etc. I try to keep my hands visible at all times. I also don't bring bags which dealers might need to watch.

• If you can, try to look out for anyone suspicious around dealer's tables.

• Don't mix coins that you previously bought/own with coins you want to buy. Keep the dealer's coins in a distinct pile within their sight until they are paid for. I've even seen collectors wander away from tables with coins they don't yet own.

• Some dealers don't like to haggle on the price please use the real url. they'll let you know and respect that.

I may be stating the obvious here, but today's events had me wondering.
If you got this far, thanks for reading.