Coin shop - siege mentality

I realize that coin shops are justified in concerns over security, but past a certain limit I find it not worthwhile to visit. A few months ago I went to a shop I hadn't gotten to before, this is what I experienced:

The locality ended up being in an upscale district, the street was fairly swank, with potted plants on the sidewalk, and expensive restaurants. I was surprised, as most stores I go to are in run-down strip malls. The main door had a buzzer entry, which is ubiquitous in my area, but then I had to buzz in again through an additional door. A large sign on the wall in this 'cage' told me in no uncertain terms I would not be permitted to use a cell phone. In the shop itself, there wasn't much out in the glass cases, and there certainly wasn't anything I could actually pick up. The owner didn't have much interest in me, that I could see easily enough, when I said what I was looking for he told me it was all out at a show somewhere for 'the next few weeks'. What struck me was that he was packing a sidearm, which seemed really excessive for the location of the shop, etc. The gun holster had a clip, but he had it undone, which I guess was to remind customers he wasn't fooling around, in case they hadn't caught on yet.

Anyway, for me it was a wasted trip. I'm sure there are coin dealers who have a gun around the shop in case of trouble, but I don't need to see one flaunted around like that. And the general feeling of being under such scrutiny doesn't put me in a mood to buy things.

 

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You should go into CGB Prieur in Paris, you have to get buzzed into some glass cage, and that is where you conduct all your business, unless Michel thinks he likes you and then you get invited into the office.

 

The little shop (holds maybe 6-8 people) in town I occasionally visit always has an open door. Glad to say I'm friends with the owner.

There is (of course) a pistol behind the counter along with a robbery alert button which will alert the Police, protective glass in; and bars over the windows. His regular buddies (they will play cards and BS all day long between customers) are packing as well. Enough security I suppose, some still consider South Dakota the "Wild West"...

Take Care
Ben

 

The owner sounds like an idiot.
Go elsewhere.

 

Chuckle, he's Okay. As far as going elsewhere there is no other options within 360 miles...

Take Care
Ben

 

I guess if I has a few million dollars in merchandise protescted by little more than a thin glass case, I'd be a little paranoid as well.
Guy~

 

I agree. This is a business I wouldn't want to run, at least around here unless I managed to get a store front next to the police station.

 

greetings!
i know it is uncommon, but i ran into this procedure back in the early 80.s..tho cell phones were not mentioned).
i would deal on occassion to John Engle's main coin shop. He passed away last yr or the yr before (my memory escapes me at tiimes) at his other hobby..racing. you would have to call , then be buzzed in 2x between 2 different security doors. if you wished to go to his mall store in castleton, this was not necessary. if you used the main shop, it was.
i respected his need for security and all employees were armed...tho, most of the time, i am as well. this outlet was rarely used and not for walk in customers.
i believe it is up to a dealer to figure,out his securtiy needs vs accessiblility. it in no way interefered w/ my transaction, other than if you wished just to browse. if you wanted something, all you had to do was ask...the staff was friendly!
best wishes,
steve

btw...this main office was NOT in a "good or upscale" neighborhood!

 

All of our emplyees have had Adamantium claws installed-

Seriously though,you never know what's or who's going to be comming in so you just have to be prepared - Not saying what we actually have, but your not leaving if you do pull something-

 

I have heard stories from my uncle and father about Leon at Silvertowne keeping a fire arm on his hip. My uncle told me he saw Leon jump over a counter and wrestle a customer to the ground before he got out the door with some gold. Of course this is all back in the late 70s to early 1980 when the bid gold boom was on.

 

If you are in a high crime area like Oakland California a handgun is the minimum, I would be thinking more firepower like an AK-47 might be the order of the day.

 

Should have a mandatory life sentence for the commission of a felony with a gun .
rzage

 

I would invite anyone to do a search on this forum for threads about home safes and how people protect their coins. If the posts in these threads are to be believed, the average guy here has 4 attack dogs, 6 knives, 4 armed weapons and a 2 ton safe bolted to his basement floor.

And that's just for one person's collection.

What if you had the equivalent of 100 people's collection. Maybe a buzzer here or there? Maybe a thick glass window here or there?

The grass is always greener........

 

we dont have natural grass here.

 

I realy hate to say this but this thread makes me rather glad that I live in the UK, Man it does not sound like a enviroment that is condusive to good health. Here I can walk into a coin shop without worrying about people been trigger happy and concentrate on the coins LOL ok I might need to be buzzed into one or two stores but that is it realy.

 

Then it REALLY is greener!!!!!

 

We have an open door and are about half a block from the police station. Still we have to be cautious.

On occasion the owner WILL openly carry a fire arm. I've only seen him do this on a few occasions and usually when it's just him (before I worked there).

There ARE several guns behind the counter. I already knew this but he actually informed me Saturday. Just plain told him I wouldn't use one.

I am not licensed, I have no training and I don't like them. Lots of windows in our store and it's right downtown. So what if I shot and missed? Kill a pedestrian?

The only way I would even consider taking ahold of one is if one of my coworkers had a gun to them and I knew I could sneak up.

I've worked enough retail and even when I was a customer there if someone shady came in I would always place myself in a more strategic position to observe.

It's not something you like to think about behind the counter but you'd be an idiot if you never considered the possibility.

clembo

 

I've got that covered.

 

I like the varied responses to my story. Truth is, if most coin shops were like the one in my OP, I would think nothing of it, goes with the territory, etc. It was just very odd to me that it was a whole level above what I normally see at a coin shop. I have been to 13 coin shops in the general area (20 mile radius) of the one I described, and none come near that level of security. One even keeps its doors open to the street. And its not like any of them are in Beverly Hills.

 

I have only experienced the buzzer (the first time was rather embarrassing since i had no idea what was going on with the door)