Coin Show etiquette.. any advice?

New to Ancients and coins in general. I have been to one tiny Coin Show and it was an eye opener. I had no idea what to expect. Everything from the option to sit and take your time going through books while everything is going on around you was surprising. Us Canadians are fairly polite in general so I always felt I should move on after a couple of brief minutes and give someone else the seat. I enjoyed it and although I am not experienced enough to immediately determine a deal (or fair price) for most ancient coins, I think (?) I am smart enough to keep it to the bargain bin for now and just see if anything catches my eye. I have read many times to "know the coin or the dealer" - I keep this in mind.. I don't know these dealers and limited on the coins... lol - I understand my disadvantage. So these visits are more about learning than buying. Anyway, there are couple of Coin Shows coming up near me over the next month and wondering if anyone would like to share accepted etiquette or advice when I attend. Thank you for any responses...

 

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My general rule of thumb is that if I am browsing and have no serious intention to buy then I will stand, look at what coins are displayed, and then move on after a couple of minutes. If, on the other hand, I am seriously interested in buying or see a coin that strikes my fancy then I will sit, look through the stock, and engage with the dealer.

I think of coin shows as the perfect time to meet dealers in person, get to know them a little, and over time form a relationship.

There are several dealers on here that could give you an opinion from the other side.

 

I agree about standing to browse, sitting when you will probably buy. I do try to leave room physically and conversationally for other browsers or sitters. I have spent an hour looking at coins from a favorite dealer and chatting and they seem to enjoy it. Having active customers tends to attract other customers versus the dealers no one bothers to stop at.

John

 

My main thing is to always approach shows from the dealer’s perspective. Be the ideal customer you would want as if you were a dealer.

For example, if you have been chatting with the dealer for 5 minutes, yield to any potential new customer so that the dealer has a chance to interact with them. Another example is to keep your hands visible at all times (particularly if many coins are in the open) so they are confident that you are not stealing anything.

Another thing I do is treat the dealer’s coins with care. I had one dealer remark how surprised he was that I was flipping through his binder pages slowly and carefully so that the coins would not bang into each other.

 

if you see another customer with a coin you like, and they try to sell it, make them an offer. Done that plenty of times.
Welcome to CoinTalk! And welcome to Numismatics!

 

I would ask the dealer for permission to buy his rejected purchases.
He has the overhead of his table rent after all so the yes or no should
be his call.

 

Offering to buy a coin from someone showing it to a dealer at his table is EXTREMELY rude. Dealers use shows not only to sell but also to buy coins. They’ve paid for the space and don’t appreciate someone waltzing in off the street trying to take their business. This is very poor advice to give to a new collector.

IF the dealer has said he isn't interested, then it's OK to talk to the seller, but you should do this away from the table so you're not blocking the space

 

I think if I were interested in what someone had and the dealer was not interested...I would follow him or her and talk to them outside.

 

Don't stand in front of a dealers table and BS with other people. This will cause some customers to pass by without looking at the table.

 

I stand corrected.

 

+1
As a long time show goer, I am impressed by the correlation between empty chairs at a table and dealers who make few sales. That does not mean they are doing poorly since an expensive dealer with few coins will not attract a huge crowd but might take in a lot of cash compared to one that has thousands of coins being pawed through by dozens of bargain hunters who occupy chairs. There are also dealers whose main reason for being at a show is to buy rather than sell.

I do not suggest telling a dealer too exactly what you are seeking if you desire to look at coins. Saying 'Caracalla' may end with three coins being pulled out of a box and handed to you while saying 'third century Roman' is more likely to get the opportunity to flip through the box.

The hard thing about your request for rules of behavior is that the answers will differ according to the dealer and circumstances. A bored dealer who has no traffic at a show he is sorry he attended may be more willing to talk and show coins than one with standing room only crowds of people waving cash. A few dealers will be offended if you ask for a lower price but others will hand you a box with the words, "I can do better if you see anything you like."

I'll go further on this. While you are at a table taking up rented space, you pay attention only to that dealer and his coins. If you want to chit-chat, make a lunch date, show things you bought earlier in the day or anything other than look at coins, take it somewhere else. Engaging in buy/sell activity other than with a legitimate table owning dealer is a good way to get shown the door by security. I do not initiate contact with fellow buyers unless it is suggested by the tabled dealer. This comes up for me more often than you would think since some dealers ask opinions of a coin from people they know might have reason to know about that coin. After you have been dealing with the same people for thirty years we still go back to rule one:

 

1) Don't waste table holders' time OR space. Sit down but do not "spread out". Leave room for others.
2) NEVER EVER EVER do what Mike Drop suggested in post #5 above. It's a wonder he didn't get ejected from the show.

 

Most of what is already been said is very good. However, if the show is a bit quiet you can sit and look at some coins, but be up front about what you are doing. Say something like " I cannot afford this coin but would like to look at it". Usually the dealer will let you look at the coin. Don't take up too much time. Be complimentary. Another point is try to buy something if you can. In the case of trying to buy a coin that some one has brought to the show to sell. Do not hover around. Stay away until the transaction is completed one way or another. Then you can approach the seller. If possible try to look at the coins and make a deal out of the show room.

 

What I do (and what everyone else should do) when I see someone selling a coin I want to a dealer, I wait until the dealer has finished his transaction, and then I make an offer a little above what he/she paid. Everyone walks away happy.

I have had this happen to me. I was trying to sell some coins, but the dealer and I did not agree on a price. Another collector pulled me aside, and he offered what I was wanting for my coins. Once again, everyone walked away happy.

 

Becuase I wasnt standing right next to a dealer and a seller, I was over hearing him negotiating with a dealer and they didnt come to an agreement. When the seller wasnt busy, I asked him to name his price. I didnt know it ws such a cardinal sin

 

Are you ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN you want to keep your present mood line? Is "Being Educated" offered?

 

I didnt know my mood changer was such a big deal either. Im learning alot about people today.

 

1. ALWAYS ask permission to handle someone else’s coin or to remove it from its holder.


2. ALWAYS keep the coin and your hands in the owner’s view when handling.


3. ALWAYS make sure the owner knows you have given the coin back to him.


4. ALWAYSuse gloves when touching a raw coin and hold coins and slabs on their edge.


5. ALWAYS handle a coin over a soft surface or hold over other hand.


6. ALWAYS be polite in your transactions.


7. ALWAYS keep bags, purses and other containers away from dealer tables.


8. ALWAYS have your own magnifying glass with you, preferably on a lanyard.


9. NEVERask how much the coin cost.


10. NEVER handle a coin near food or liquids.


11. NEVERbelittle or criticize another person’s coins or area of interest.


12. NEVER talk, cough, sneeze or even breathe over a coin.


13. NEVER interrupt a coin transaction between a dealer and a customer.


14. NEVER cover, block or place food or drinks on a dealer’s display case.


15. NEVER ‘flash’ a price guide when buying a coin.


16. NEVER transact business on the bourse floor with anyone other than a dealer who has purchased a table.

For more detailed information on this subject, read A GUIDE BOOK OF NUMISMATIC ETTIQUETTE by Morgan Dahler.

 

Not sure I understand #9. If I'm interested, I always ask price; unless of course, you are referring to what the dealer paid for the coin. That's none of my business.

 

Okie dokie