What a jerk!!!

I have been in that store countless times. I was in there one time looking at some coins. I had a stack, well over a hundred dollars worth. An attractive older woman came in selling her jewelry. He didn't say a word. He walked away from me to take care of this lady. When I asked him to see some other coins, he grunted and went in the back room and told his son to come out and take care of me. I've seen him rip people off and laugh about it when they left. Regardless of the reason, he should not be that rude. I've been the only person in that store and he acts like he doesn't care. He doesn't have time to look for anything. He's always puts things off. If he was busy, he should have said so.

On the other hand, there is another dealer in the area. Unfortunately he's not open on Sunday. He knows I sell on eBay. When I'm not in an eBay mood I go to him. Even if I don't buy anything from him, he goes through each coin I bring. He picks the ones he wants, and tells me to sell the others on eBay because I will get more money there than from him. This guy is well respected by the community. His eBay account has a %100 positive feedback with no neutrals and no negatives. Him and the other guy are different as night and day.

 

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You're kidding, right? I mean - seriously - let me get this straight: You called this guy on a Sunday - rang his phone off the hook - and then presumed upon his time by asking him an inane question about a common, newly minted coin while showing no interest whatsoever in spending any money with him that day.......and you're offended that he became peeved with you and raked you over the coals with a bit of sarcasm? Is that about the sum of it?

If it had been me I'm sorry to say that I would probably have been even ruder and used some very choice words with you before hanging up in your ear.

Did it ever occur to you that it is the height of rudeness to presume upon the time of another person? Your statement about advice being free was the big tip-off to me that you have no consideration for other people's time. It's one thing if the man wants to volunteer his advice - it's quite another for you to presume that he owe's you free advice over the phone with no obvious benefit for him at that moment.

What shocks me even more is the number of people here who are perfectly willing to give you all sorts of advice about how to harass this dealer, even though you provoked the guy with your behavior.

Shameful!

 

Give me a break.

 

I'm not the only one who complains about this guy. Here's a couple reviews of his store.

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DO NOT DEAL WITH ! FIRST THERE COINS ARE OVERPRICED! THE OLD MAN HAS TRUST ISSUES I HAVE WASTED OVER A HUNDRED DOLLARS AT A TIME THERE AND BOY DO I FEEL STUPID! I JUST WENT IN THERE FOR THE LAST TIME AND I MADE A LITTLE NOISE BY ACCIDENT AND HE COMES AND MOVES EVERYTHING AWAY FROM ME AND ACTS LIKE I STOLE SOMETHING!???? I'M GOING TO MY USUAL SPOT BACK IN CHICAGO WHERE NICE INDIAN HEADS ARE ONLY 1 DOLLARS. NOT LIKE THE GARBAGE COINS GRANDPA HAS IN THERE MOST OF HIS COINS HE CLEANS AND THAT IS A HUGE NO-NO THEN HE WANTS TO SELL THEM LIKE NEW! BS IS WHAT I CALL!!! I HOPE HE READS THIS, I WILL BE FILING A COMPLAINT WITH THE CITY, AND SEE MY CHANCES ON CLOSING THIS "COIN SHOP" DOWN MY FINAL RATING WORSE THAN AWFUL

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been dealing with these guys for over 25 years, but quit going in because they prey on the uninformed. They love new collectors. I once went in and wanted to purchase hundereds in coins, he looked at them and said he changes his mind they are not for sale because they are priced wrong. He wanted more $$ than they were priced. good place to get ripped off. go to the highland coin show if you want to deal with real gentelmen.​

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I won't give my opinion of the OP post as it would not be kind.
I don't call or visit dealers I don't like. Go where you can enjoy the hobby.

 

some dealers just don't understand that rising competition could also mean another valuable outlet for getting rid of dealer stock that he's not able to sell.

 

But then again, what if the dealer had an actual customer in the store and they were negotiating the sale of an actual coin? The telephone rings in the middle of the deal, and it's annoying. The dealer thinks, "If I don't answer the phone right now, maybe whoever it is will phone back later, when I've concluded the sale". But the phone keeps ringing, 20 times, on a Sunday. The customer becomes visibly annoyed, and the dealer thinks, "Maybe it's an emergency" so he answers the phone. But it's only someone asking for free advice about selling common coins on eBay. And the customer is getting impatient. If I were the dealer, I would try to end the call as quickly as possible.

 

Hey Pilk, what's your number?

I got some questions about a quarter without an eagle on the back. Thanks in advance!!!

:goofer:



Time is money.

 

Agreed, but he should have done it without the attitude. You never know who is on the other end of the line. Sure, this call was about something that was frivolous to the dealer but the OP's next call could be about whether the dealer has a few dozen ounces of silver to sell.

 

He may be a jerk, I don't know it sounds like it but consider this. He obviously doesn't like ppl calling Lincoln cents pennies and he don't like to hear from Ebay sellers either. I'm just sayin. Besides that, he may know you don't like him and he knows who he was talking to. Ya never know.

 

Excluding some logical fallacies, I don't recognize an inconvenience with the dealer's words. I would still do business with him.

 

Why wouldn't a shop-owner turn on his answering machine or whatever they're called these days, in order to field the call? No excuse for rudeness (I still believe.)

 

I also think there is no excuse for rudeness, so the dealer is a jerk, he could have handled it better. I also believe that the OP knew the dealer was a jerk and even provided evidence of it, so why even call him in the first place? And if you do call him then why expect a positve response when history tells you that it is unlikely at best? Or am I reading this wrong?

 

I guess we need a thread on proper etiquette when calling a coin dealer (like we had for coin shows, from the dealer perspective).

How many times are we allowed to let the phone ring on Sunday? Is 15 too many? How long can we let it ring on Saturday before we hang up? Are we allowed to call a 5 cent piece a nickel? Do we call a 25 cent piece a 'quarter' or do we have to say 'quarter dollar'?

 

I like you and your posts Pilkenton, and I agree that the dealer was needlessly rude. However, I am sorry to say that overall I agree with Confederatehalf. A coin dealer, like any small businessman is always busy with something. To call him up, let the phone ring 20 times, (should have told you he was busy), and then ask him a question that had absolutely nothing to do with either buying a coin from him or a coin you have bought from him, is rude in itself.

A dealer's time is valuable, no advice is "free". If you are calling a dealer at his work, then his time is valuable. Should I be able to call up a random law office and ask their advice on a legal issue? How about calling up a stock broker, telling him I will not buy through him, but asking him for some stock tips? A dealer will give you advice if he believes it will help a sale, and he should. Chit chatting about coins is what coin clubs and places like this are for, chit chatting with a dealer is really only done on his side to build a dealer-customer relation. You asked him about something he in no way could benefit from, so I could see why he was short. A dealer will go broke spending all of his day chit chatting with people who aren't buying or selling to him.

Just my opinion.

Chris

 

There is a military collectable dealer in the area. I've never bought anything from him. I sold him a knife a few years ago. He doesn't know me from Adam. I called him a few months ago. I had a huge Revell model of a battleship still sealed in the box. Too big and fragile to eBay. I called him and asked if he was interested. He said no. He then asked for my name, number, and e-mail. He said he'd see what he could do. A few days late, a hobby shop called me. They had a customer looking for something like that. I went to the hobby shop, thinking he was going to buy it and sell it to the customer. The owner called the customer and asked me to wait. He felt that I would get a better price directly from the customer instead of using him as the middleman. A few days after the transaction, the military store owner called me and asked if all went well. Now that's class.


There is a comic book shop in the area. I don't buy comics to collect. I went in with a stack of comics. I wanted his opinion. It was kind of busy there, but the owner took his time going through my comics. He told me which ones to sell and which ones not. He spent a good half hour teaching me about comic collecting. When I left he gave me an Overstreet price guide. It was two years old, but he gave it to me. He also gave me his card and told me to call him anytime. I never bought or sold anything to this guy, and I've never been back in the shop, but when I call him, he recognizes my voice. He calls me the eBay dude. Now that's class.

These are the way to run a small business. If you're busy, say so. No matter what the reason is, nobody deserves to be treated the way the coin shop owner treats his customers.

 

I agree. I never said the coin dealer was not:

1. Rude
2. Short sighted as PO a potential customer is not a good way to grow business.

Both of your examples are of owners building a relationship with you hoping in the future to buy or sell to you.

However, I would still say calling them up and letting the phone ring 20 times when they might be busy, and then asking them a question they know in now way could benefit them, might lead to the same response as you got from the coin dealer. You going in there with some items they carry, or helping out a fellow dealer, (like the knife dealer calling a buddy and arranging a deal), is different than calling up the knife dealer and asking him, "I got a knife I am selling on Ebay, what price do you think I should start it at", or "My Dad gave me this knife, do you think I should hold it or sell it on Ebay?".

Not saying you did something horribly wrong Pilkenton, or that the dealer should not have been nicer, just saying that 20 rings to a dealer on an item that in no way can help his coin shop was a little inconsiderate. Now a really smart dealer still would have been nice to you, but things like that are better asked in person. At least in person you can make sure he is not busy, and if you are in his shop you at least COULD have made a purchase.

Chris

 

Feel free to send him this image.



Note, it clearly states 50c PENNIES 50c

 

Or wishing he'd purchased that answering maching letting folks know he was closed on Sunday's! :b8nce:

Actually, whether or not he was officially opened on Sunday, letting the phone ring 20 times is rude in anybodies book. 7 rings should be the max.

As for correcting the caller on calling them penny's, I think that was uncalled for but was more than likely the feeling after hearing the phone ring 20 times.

 

The coin dealer in Clio, MI is rude also. Reminds me of the comic book guy from The Simpsons. He was snotty to me when I went in to sell some coins to him the few times I went to his shop.

Out of curiosity, I googled him. Check this out:
http://flint.citysearch.com/profile/5291050/clio_mi/mid_michigan_coin_hobby.html