Coin shop - siege mentality

Vess would you be kind enough to tell me what exactly is pathetic about a society that dont need massed armed police to guard banks and coin shops? What exactly is soft about not shooting shop owners or policemen?
Here I can walk into one of the worlds largest Stamp shops (Stanly Gibbons) and buy or browse stuff without having to walk through tons of security! There is a Gold coin seller near Trafalgar Square who yes has a door buzzer but that is only there as he is in the back of the shop quite often!, you look in through his large shop window and you can see just about everything imaginable on display Then there is Coincraft by the British Museum, lovely shop you can just walk in and browse in peace
Also can I ask where on earth you get the idea that we dont trust our Police from?

 

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Ah, yes. As I remember the 1800's were most polite and civil times in our nation's history. Other fully armed nations followed suit, and today we have such polite places as Somalia, Afghanistan, Oman, Syria...the list is long...all places where more than half of the civilian population carry firearms. It's indeed a polite world out there thanks to self-armamnet.
Guy~

 

I should have said a civilized, educated society. The only ones that have anything to lose in our carry states are the criminals. It goes beyond people physically carrying. It's the mental impact of the law, that should also make most criminals think twice about whether they're victim may be armed or not. This also acts as a deterent.

I've talked to so many people around here that say they'd be scared to death if 'average law abiding citizens' were allowed to walk around the streets armed. What's ignorant is that they have traveled to several states where concealed carry exists and they didn't even know it. So who knows how many people they passed in Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, Texas and on and on... who were carrying.

Not allowed in Illinois though. If the criminals were smart, I think they should all come to Illinois where everyone on the street is guranteed to be defenseless. Easy pickings here thanks to our government/Chicago. I'm glad they know what's good for me and that they're looking out for me. 'I feel safe.'

I'm sure they will come to my aid.... within the hour if I'm getting robbed. With any luck I will still be alive to fill out the reports.

 

I understand why Americans carry guns, It makes sense. You would be a fool not too. I'm saying that half the robberies here don't even include a gun, so there is no need for us to pack heat either.
As for coin shops with guns and Buzzers.. so be it. I agree with that, I don't go parading my collection around behind a glass case on main street, and I certainly wouldn't do it without some sort of protection. But there is no need to make your regular customers feel worried, intimidated, and uncomfortable while they shop for their coins. Hide it, tuck it under the counter.
-Shawn

 

Just how many of these law abiding people know how to shoot or will shoot , if your going to carry at least take the time to learn how to shoot .
Also I've lived in the Chicago area my whole life , rarely do I feel unsafe , fortunately most people are decent , if you stay out of the bad neighborhoods chances are you'll never see a gun , for home all you need is a good shotgun .
rzage

 

For the last 20 years I had lived in one of those really bad neighborhoods were 911 is refered to as a "clean-up call". I have a career in the arts. I bought into the neighborhood before it really bottomed out, it was all I could afford at the time. I've had Crips on the corner, dealt with my share of crack head neighbors, and have seen a drive by shooting up close and personal, and not once have I ever considered owning a gun, or moving. Not that I don't understand what guns for, or how to use them, I grew up around military bases and my dad was career military. For me it's a personal choice, and that melt weighs a little to heavy in moral obilgation for my situation and liking. I also would never restrict anyone from ever owning or carring a gun, like I said, it's a personal choice and besides, guns don't bother me.
The other thing about really bad neighborhoods, it's only 20 to 30 percent of the people here giving the rest of us a bad name. Most of the people here are good hard working, honest people with lousy jobs. We started watching each other's back. We compaired notes, got in the face of those up to no good, shouted down crack heads breaking into a neighbor's house, and we reported on the really bad boys. Courage and a since of community has turned this area around, it was fear and isolation is what allowed it to fester. Comming to the point of this tread, develope a since of community, look out your shop window and look after the neighboring businesses. Know the other owners and compair notes. At a coin show, leave in groups. Become known as a close community where the likleyhood of being seen is high, because criminals compair notes also.

 

In my opinion, if you are scared to live where you are, or think you need a gun you should move somewhere safer. I understand that often you cannot because of monetary or job related reasons, but I know I don't want to ever live in the States.

 

I commend your courage and sense of community , Keep it up and may God Bless .
rzage

 

It's not like we all run around toting guns Zabb.

I own a shotgun for home protection and that's all it's for. Have never even come close to using it and I live about 2 miles from a city that routinely has the highest per capita murder rate in the country.

C Jay made a good point though. It's the minority of the people that cause the problems. A good deal of the murders that take place in lovely Gary, IN are scum killing scum. Yes, occasionally an innocent gets whacked and that's a shame.

 

I am proud to say that my local coin shop has an open door when it is open for business. Even if someone intended to rob the place I don't think they'd have much luck. There's always someone walking in the door. And the place only has room for 4 - 5 people if they don't mind being crowded.

But then, I have never been to a larger coin shop. I don't blame anyone for taking whatever measures they find necessary. If what they choose is over the top their business will likely suffer likewise.

 

Stanly gibbons is a wonderful place. i absolutely have to fly to London I will throw n an extra week for coins and stamps hopefully you will show me around whenever i get a chance to land

 

Il is a great state if one prefers to be in a armed state one can simply move its a free country

 

This thread is kind of long and I don't think I posted this (although I thought it when I read it last).

There is another possibility (and it may be a strong one too).

This "coin shop" could just be a front for laundering money. OP said there was very little stock and extreme security.

I remember a Pizza place when I was younger. They made decent pizza, but really didn't care if they sold pizza. As it turned out, it was a front for laundering money for a small Coke business they ran on the side. How did they launder the money??? They sold a heck of a lot of pizza, on paper that is.

This coin shop would be the perfect front for justifying all the security that one might want for dealing with such types of people, many transactions are recorded without SSN's, and it's less suspicious than a pawn shop.

 

That actually makes a lot of sense. Wow. Yet another example of how all of us here would be rich if we didn't have any scruples!

 

It could be an "investement" type coin shop. He's got a lot of overhead being in an upscale neighborhood with all the security, and apparently low inventory. I could be mostly to impress the rich and naive. Look, we have gold St Gaudens, come on in back to our vault and I'll show you our collection of 1995 w Sliver Eagles which sell for over $30,000.00. We have one coin shop in an upscale area of my city which is appointment only. I've never been there.

 

both of the local shops I frequent have nary a gun in them, for petes sake they're in nebraska.