Wow Is All I Can Say

My rule of thumb (albeit irrational) is: If I don't own the coin already, I'm taking it. If I do, I'll usually be honest.

Regarding the coin in question, if the dealer paid 09 VDB price, then it's the seller (not the dealer) who got ripped off.

If he paid S-VDB price, then he needs to learn the lesson of better record keeping.

Sorry, but I have little to no sympathy for the dealer who can't search and keep tabs on his own coins.

Mind you, the dealers I usually deal with are overpriced and rude. I have met better dealers who I've done a "favor" or two from my bargain bin finds.

A store I actually really like had a stunning 1909 Canadian large cent in the dollar tray and so there was no hiding it at the cashier! But he was a gentleman and let me take it for $1. His father in-law oversaw the transaction and told the dealer "look up MS-62 in your price guide".

Insideout, your good conscience and honesty in that situation restores some more of my faith in people.

Had the coin been found in an old handbag donated to a large 2nd hand store in which impossible to trace who the donated item came from, or in a box of goodies won in an auction, I'd weigh the situation before deciding to keep it or not, whether to track down the last owner/seller. The more valuable the coin (whatever) the more likely I would try to do the right thing and inform the seller/owner of its value. If I found it on the ground or something where original owner would be very hard and impossible to track down, I'd likely keep it and go hurrah for me!

I'm very poor and at times have had to sell something, or have a moving sale to come up with moving money. Hoping for reasonable offers from reasonable people. Amazing how many people take advantage of desperate situations and manipulate them. Often they wait until the end of the day and hit you with an outrageously ripoff offer thats hard to say no to when you desperately need any money at all. A lot of people wait for that desperate setback moment a poor person has so they can make a steal instead of offering reasonable price even though you priced WAY WAY below anything close to reasonable, hoping to sell for that rockbottom price and KNOWING the buyer could still be making a huge profit from the price I wanted if they planned to re-sell. I hate that :( But it happens.

So, yes, I like good conscience and honesty because it could mean a huge difference to the persons situations. It just feels good to do the riht thing too. I can live with myself when I know I haven't taken advantage of someones ignorance or situation. I can't live with myself if I don't. That simple. Conscience kicks heinie

PS: I also would come WAY down or just give someone something they needed if they couldn't afford something offered. Its being manipulated and taken advantage of that bites me. Not selling for less than reasonable.

I have to do things that feel right in myself and conscience. Others do whats right by theirs and its their decision

that is a good question and I guess thats where you have to go by your own judgment

I'm pretty sure this dealer did not pay S VDB price for this coin, or would not have just lumped it in with the others. Not sure what I would have done here though.

Oh, and I really, really doubt the dealer called the seller up and said "by the way, looked at your coins again, want to come in and pick up a few hundred from me?" Riiight, that's likely.

Bibd, I used to be a lot kinder and trusting than I am now. Some people don't leave room for kindness to happen with them though, and some simply don't recognize kindness just happened. Maybe I'm just getting old and cranky

Following this threads comments it does seem like the dealer would not have been out money if he hadn't known the value, and the original owner didn't know the value either and hopefully one day won't find out and go OH NO!! Harsh! Meanwhile, that spontaneous honest gesture by Insideout, and anyone else who is spontaneous with with immediate honesty, is very nice to hear about. Thats what stands out to me. I like those attitudes. And honestly, I think most people have an honest conscience and they obey it.

Meanwhile, having said all that, if I received a 1909 S VDB in change from the store I just purchased something from, I'd probably consider it mine and a little gift from the recycling coins gods and have very little guilt about my good fortune. Buying the coin though, that could be different and "depends"

Well after talking with the dealer it came from an estate lot. Would have loved to had this lot. The lady had it all broken down as she had a list of what was in the lot. Her passing husband obviously kept good records 3 notebooks full. I saw the 3 rolling empty suitcases leave. I'd bet my collection on the fact he didn't know it was in the group that he dug out for me. He may have known it was there but not knowing where. Keep in mind I'm in a small town and this guy knows everyone and has for years. I remember buying ball cards from him when I was 12-13 and I'm 36 now. Yes dealers thrive of peoples misfortune and dismay.
But in my mind it just wasn't right to buy the coin. I may have not walked away with a $400 coin for $10. But I can tell you by me doing what I did. I'll save tons more in the long run. It maybe only $5 here and there. But if nothing else I earned trust. As he right after that handed me the keys to one of the display cases and said here feel free to look on your own :)

I think someone dropping a 50 in a checkout line is different then a professional selling you
something that isn't what he thought it was
are all the "honest people" out there the ones who would go to the salvation army or thrift store
and pull all the antiques off the shelves for 25 cents and take them behind the counter and say
these should be sold for 200 bucks a piece
my mother has found baskets at the thrift store that go for 100-400 bucks! she spent a few bucks
She wasn't looking just for steals there but when she saw them she grabbed them up
unless you go into a place looking to rip someone off I don't think it's unfair by any means
someone on the "dime searching thread" said they bought something from a coin shop and the guy gave him a silver dime in his change and he went back in to give it back.
The guy told him to keep it, but still I would've went home and put it in my album
I work at a gas station and a convenient store right now
people pay with silver and old dollar bills a bunch, if I see they are short a few pennies I through them in myself so they give me a stack of change hoping for a Wheat penny or something cool
should I tell them to give me something else when they give me something of value? I had a guy pay for something with a silver dime and quarter at the same time the only thing I did was handle them really carefully so they were quiet in my hands and he not hear the silver jingle
am I being dishonest and a bad person that these people don't realize what they are doing or giving me?
how bout the bank tellers
I hear a lot of people being mad that they go through the halves and pull silver or save it for themselves
is that dishonest it is the banks money, but if they buy it out from each other, it's legal
last example
something is priced wrong at a store
true story my friend found a video game that was priced wrong at best buy for 1 cent!!
he bought all of them they had and gave them out to his friends for fun!
is that dishonest
they looked at them at the checkout and "had to" give him that price
should he have just taken them up to the counter and told them to price them right
or bought one for him and let them change them all to the right price
IDK a lot of people like to judge out there but I think if people mess up it's on them
take responsibility for your actions
what ever happened to that one
why cant the dumb person be wrong
why is it always he is soooooo bad for taking advantage of the professional coin salesman/big business/regular shopper/bank going coin searcher
I like good deals as much as the rest and if I had a chance to get the mother of all Lincolns for the price of pennies of its cost, I am on that
just like the 3 legged buffalo story
plus how many people do you think that salesman has ripped off
you think he buys coin lots for a lot of money and sells them cheap to you
heck no its a business
as Ted Nugent used to sing
"DOG DOG DOG EAT DOG"
live, stop judging, be careful, and have fun
take a good deal and believe me for everyone you take you miss probably 10
PEACE
SLASH