I agree with that. And for the reasons Coingal stated, I won't name the dealers I won't go back to. I do respect the 2 that didn't want to deal with them, but many dealers were eager to just get the coins for $20 and sell them for 400%+ profit (as I found out when I had my wife call to find out what they were asking after I had just sold them).
Yeah - honestly for every seemingly 'shady' dealer or ebayer that sets us off w/long threads of criticism.. there are likely 5 good dealers. I truly believe the good outweigh the bad, they just don't get the press. We either talk about the 'really really good' or the 'really really bad'. Those that just go through the day, pricing the coins correctly, making decent deals, offering fair appraisals, just slide off our memories too fast. Let's try to think of a few of those too. Those who take the time to explain the numismatics and collecting, show grades and share information whether you buy their coins or not. I've sat in many a coin shop or at coin shows and seen plenty of friendly honest dealers ~ but oddly, they aren't the ones raking in the money. It's the curt 'buy it, take the deal or move on' dealers w/the loaded money bags... so that may be a thought to consider. Perhaps the evil dealers are products of the collectors environments. You know.. programmed through negative reinforcement.
I was browsing through the links and found this old thread amusing. I tend to agree with the one poster who did not take any proffered deals as insults. Just laugh it off. The funniest offer was 25 for an 1895-s morgan in vg-f (11?) Also another poster mentioned that the places where he was offered the best money were the same places that were selling for the best prices. I think that has to do with the fact that many dealers are also collectors, they buy for their own collections, they sell what they do not want, and they sell high because they are not in it as a business but as a way to facilitate their collecting.
I had a 1936 Proof Buffalo nickel that the former owner purchased as a PF-65. It had a couple black spots on the reverse near the rim. One spot under the tail looked like it had been worked on as there was a concave area right where the corrosion was. Someone probably ground down the spot with a dremel. The obverse was very nice and probably PF64. Anyway I sent it to ANACS and it came back "corroded, rim polished, PF-60 details" So I didn't want to keep the coin, took it to a coin show. I wanted $350 for it. One dealer offered up a raw [cleaned] Booker T. Washington commemorative half as an even trade. As I was walking away he offered $100 cash. That was an insult and I have done a lot of business with him. The next table I went to the dealer was more serious. He offered $300 cash or credit toward a trade. I traded even for a NGC MS69 1986 quarter ounce AGE.
I had a friend let me look at his 1879-CC morgans and when I was heading back to return them I had stopped by another friends house to drop off some eggs. I showed him the dollars because I new he was a bigtime buyer of silver. He actually offered me $20 for both morgans that were not mine. That takes alot of gull to do someone that way. He new the owner of the coins, but it didn't matter to him. Gotta watch people, you never know...
The worst offer that was ever made to me was when my ex wanted to remain in my house when we split and bring her boyfriend with her. Chris
My definition of retail or market is a no reserve auction in which there are several knowledgeable COLLECTORS who are there to add to their collection.
Your note reminded me of something - actually one of the BEST offers I have received. My ex left his coins with me for safe keeping (mostly gold bullion). Years later, during one of my every other year followups, he told me to go ahead and keep them (he had started collecting again, and felt he had plenty). The ex. also funded First Class airfare through his frequent flyer program to get my current husband to medical treatment outside the country. He covered one vacation roundtrip for my current to see a close friend in NY too (after a cancer diagnosis). My ex likes my current very much, and so do I. I like this story about the ex and the gold bullion. It strikes me as rather unusual. I am one of the lucky ones.
Funny you bring this up. I took some coins over to my friends house to sell because my wife was nagging about some of them I dont have going into a set. Well the one was my proof 68 Ultra cam that I figured I would put on for a ridiculous price and tell her it didnt sell. Well somebody just bid on it with less than an hour. I think Im gonna go throw up.
i had no idea how old this was till i read further anyway a guy offered me 50 cents for a AU 1904 IHC saying he would put it in some dollar bin. the next day i got $10 in trade for the same piece from another dealer.
The most insulting deal wasn't a deal at all.... I have done in excess of $5k of business with a dealer (who shall remain nameless) over a period of approximately four years. A few months ago, their NEWP e-mail came, and I asked that a coin be sent to me on approval. Their response was words to the effect of "we do not want to do business with you because you return too many coins -- more than any other of our customers". Actually, they were a bit nicer than that, but that was the gist of the correspondence. I was, and still am, insulted -- but I can also understand their side of the story....
Years ago I took a complete Walker set to a local dealer. Every coin would grade good or better. His offer was melt value. He lost a lot of business from me over that one deal.
Funny story. I have to let a little bit of my personal life out here: I'm a cop. One time I actually responded to a domestic violence call where the judge in a divorce had approved of such a ridiculous arrangement (until their daughter's school year was up, then the ex-wife was moving out). She brought a new guy home one night, ex-hubby was a bit put-off and they started arguing. So, the ex-wife beaned him in the face with a ceramic coffee mug, shattering one of his teeth. He grabbed her wrists when she went for another coffee cup and restrained her until I got there. The ex-wife held to a strange notion that the police must always arrest the man. Nope, I gave her a nice pair of matching bracelets!
You must be like my dad, he returns tons of stuff. To the point that sometimes the company must be losing money from all the returns. In the case of coins though, I don't understand. Coins aren't shoes, they're worth just as much when you return them. What's their problem?
at the indiana state show a couple of years ago when gold had just topped $800 I took the 4 piece constitution set w/me to possibly sell. The set has 2 $5 gold and 2 Silver $1 in the nice wooden box. Silvertowne offer $375 so I passed on that. Another dealer had all the modern proofs and eagles and was doing a brisk business, that was basically all he had. I asked what his buy price was for the 4 piece Const.set and he said $200. Thinking he was confused I said no, I mean the one with 1/2oz of gold with the 2 1/4 oz gold pieces, holding out the box. Amazingly he said "that is not 1/2 of gold, take it to Silvertowne if you want they'll give you $150" (sarcastically). So I walked away kinda shocked Anyway I checked when I got home and techinally he was right. It has .4836 oz of gold, which would have been a great deal for him at $200 Lack
Very Cool Story SunFlower To this day I am still friends with every girl I dated from the age of 16. It is all in how you treat people. Treat those that come into your life like you want to be treated. Always works for me. Terry
Not sure if if this my worst offer but it was a strange day at the local flea market. The first place I went to I asked the guy if he had any penny tubes. He was more than happy to sell me a bunch of pill bottles for 50 cents each. Another guy had some IHC in a beat up book. Some had been very harshly cleaned and no key dates. $80.00 and they were mine. The last table the guy had a bunch of junk silver.. FDR mostly. He wanted $5.00 for each dime. 50 x face.....What an offer.