Grummpy Old Men

If you’re a young numismatist, have the grummpy old men (or women) in our hobby turned you off to collecting? If you’re a grummpy old man (or woman) do you feel you have helped or hindered promoting our hobby to the young?

If the grummpy factor has not affected your collecting, what has (high prices, lack of knowledge, uncetainty, etc)?

 

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The only people who have effected my collecting are my two kids who I'm putting through college. I still buy, but have more limited funds to do so with now. But it's worth the cost, no doubt.
Guy~

 

Its funny that you started this thread as just the other day I was talking to my wife about this exact subject. Grumpy old men that run these shops have effected me. There are 4 coin dealers in my immediate area and I will not go to 3 of them because they are all super grumpy and do not help me at all. At two of these shops they treat me like im a ghost because i am a younger (26) and they think i have no money or knowledge and should just go away. The other told me one day that he makes all his money at shows and dosnt care to do much business outside of that!

An example: the last time I went to one of these shops I was browsing around and found a coin that I really liked it wasn't super expensive but around $150 I stood at the case for over 10 min and not one of the 2 men working even acknowledged I was alive. This was after I had been in the store for like 15 min and was never greeted once. Then a gentelmen walked in that was in his mid 40's and they Immediately jumped up greeted him and started to help him (he left the store with nothing). Then when i finaly asked if i could get some help and see this coin the owner of the shop said well that coin in like $150 are you SURE you want to see it. I told him it would greatly helped his business if he had some better customer service and walked out of the store. So there is one shop i go to regularly now and it is kinda a bummer because he does have near the amount of coins the other 3 have. But yea grumpy old men have affected me for sure.

 

And probably scared off a couple dozen more(young and old) who were not serious about the hobby. Certainly more good than bad. Plus if the grumpy old men turned them off to the hobby they are probably not reading this post anyway. I have not really met that many in the hobby, but I don't really see grumpy old men on this forum. They tell it like it is - and some people just think that is grumpy.

 

THEY SCARE ME!!! JK, no every time I am at a show, dealers come to me with opened hands and give significant reductions because I am young. My problem is when I go up to the dealers (age 35-50) and try to sell something, they look at me and say kid, where did you get these coins, and they always lowball me because they think they can take advantage of it. At Baltimore in March I had 2 1/10 ounce gold coins and I went to a dealer and he said $110 each and he could only sell them for $119. By the end of it I though it was funny how he ended up offering me more than what he said he could pay for them....

 

One of the guys that sets up at the show I go to, has an extensive inventory (mostly in binders) that is kept behind the table so I have to ask to see them. When I do, he always lets out a deep sigh as if it's a real inconvenience for him to pull them out for me to look at. There aren't any prices on any of the coins so I'm always asking. He just gets grumpier and grumpier each time I ask. Even when I buy something, he slams the binder shut and shoves it back. I've heard him make comments about other customers like "Oh, big spender!" or "that was a waste of time!" I know the guy probably has other issues but if you're there to sell, then don't be a jerk.

I've mentioned before that the seller that I deal with gets a lot of my money because he's accessible and so is his stock. And he's the guy that always has a swarm of customers around his table. The other guy carries similar items but always complains on how bad he does.

Imagine a novice collector going to his first show and meeting the grumpy guy. Kind of leaves a bad taste that would discourage anyone starting a new hobby.

 

I have a pretty weird "grumpy old man" story. We had a decent coin store in my town, (we had better, but this was a neighborhood ok store). The owner sold out to a show dealer from another town. He had a reputation, but I had never experienced him really. Then one day the store was open by "appointment only". Ok, I guess the guy doesn't like people. Well, my coin club, (I was the VP), had our annual show. A couple was talking to me during admittance, then went in. Five minutes later there was a commotion and I had to run over. The dealer who owned the shop was screaming and cursing at the top of his lungs, red faced, spittle from his lips, at the couple. He had lunged over his tables, knocking them over, and was attacking the guy. I guess the couple had bought a coin from him and disputed something. Talk about a return policy!!!!

Yeah, I wonder how long that couple stayed coin collectors. Dealers need to remember that more money is made in long term relations than one time purchases. Needless to say he was never allowed into any show in that state again.

Growing up, I had a favorite dealer, Ben. It was kind of sad that I had to slowly drive by the store each time just to see if he was in, or if his partner was in. Joe was notoriously a non-people person. He would insult you, your coins, your knowledge, your choices in life, whatever he could evidently. I would spend hours in that store if Ben was in, giving him every cent I had in exchange for coins and knowledge. Its a shame there are too few Ben's and too many Joe's in the dealer community.

 

I'm a young one (24), and the grumpy old men HAVE discouraged me. They have also provided me with priceless knowledge. It's a love/hate realtionship.

At times I have seriously considered being a closet collector in order to not have to deal with the high and mighty experienced collectors.

The grumpy old men are a pain in my side, and I wouldn't know a thing without them.


**Great OP!**

 

I have helped several boy scouts in my uncle's troop achieve their Coin Collecting merit badge.

 

If they managed to make it to old age successfully doing this as a line of work, I would do what it took to see what they know. if you cant overlook a little grumpyness, man up. Also, some prejudge other as being grumpy just for being a bit stooped and wrinkled.

 

I admit, a lot of dealers are grumpy, at first. A shop just opened a few miles from my house a few months back, and the first time I went in it seemed like the owner didn't even want to be alive. The second time I went in, I broke the dealer ice and just started talking coins with him. He was like a different guy after that. Now he lights up every time I come in and we'll sit around and talk about the hobby and all kinds of things. Maybe if more people just took the time to get to know their dealers and talk to them they wouldn't think they were just grumpy old men who hate life.
Guy~

 

In my experience the old men have not been grumpy. If we're on the subject of making generalizations, I'd say they are extremely pleasant grandfatherly-type old men.

 

I haven't had that grumpy old dealer experience yet, but if I did it wouldn't turn me off of the hobby. It WOULD definitely turn me off of the dealer. First impressions are a big selling point for me. If I like your customer service, I'll gladly give you my business. The reverse is also true. The first impression you give off can be just as meaningful to the dealer.
That being said, I have very little experience with dealers, yet.

 

Let the coins speak for themselves and leave your feelings at the door. What may seem to be grumpiness is often objective beneficial advise.

 

My daughters go into coin stores in Washington state to buy good ole dad stuff for his birthday, Christmas, etc. Apparently, the grumpy old men become extremely nice when a twenty something female is interested in coins.

 

We have three coin shops in our area (within 20 miles),
1st shop the older male owner has the reputation of being unhelpful, that has also been my experience with him.
2nd shop the older male owner has the reputation of being unhelpful, I however have found him to be very helpful and talkative.
3rd shop has a younger male owner who is full of energy and always willing to share information.

So most people have problems with the two older owners, I guess I am lucky and only have problems with one of them.

As far as clubs and shows I have only been to one of each. In both cases a large majority of the people in attendence were older and male. Both times the people were extremely friendly and I wouldn't say that any of the people fit the "grumpy old man" stereotype.

 

Im a young whipper-snapper. I think the experienced collectors (generally speaking) act like grumpy old men. I think I would know NOTHING if it were not for their assistance. Anyone agree?

 

I've been called Grumpy, but I'm not. I'm just busy thinking all the time. Sometimes when a person has tons of numbers rolling around in their heads they may appear to be grumpy, but in reality their thinking. Think about it...

 

What a silly question. What does grumpy have to do with age?