The ancient coin hobby has just become one giant aggravation, insofar as acquiring coins. The tariffs, the insidious MOU's, etc. It's just too much. Like Popeye said, "I've had all I can stands, and I cant stands no more." I'm semi-retiring from active acquisition, and will only purchase for special occasions/the odd buy here and there, but only from a small cadre of trusted dealers. Basically the U.S. dealers who use U.S. mail First Class/Ground advantage, which ACTUALLY WORKS. The horrible tariffs (for those not familiar with the ancient coin situation, FedEx generally just ignores any legit tariff exemption code and just slaps on a tariff) had caused me to order far fewer coins, but another FedEx disaster (useless signature, even though I begged not to have one), and I have to drive 25 miles (and not a nice drive, either) to FedEx HQ, to supply the useless signature (on a relatively inexpensive coin). The irony, an order made from one of my favorite dealers arrived without fuss, via first class. I had insisted on Fedex to avoid Priority Mail, as I didn't want my coins (one is for Dad's Christmas, and one's for my own birthday) to be damaged/destroyed. It's the cardboard mailer. I just have horrible problems, with either it getting mauled by the post office, or the postman folding and stuffing Priority stuff (or worse, tossing it on the doorstep). So as annoying as it is to make the ridiculous drive, I'll have to take my lumps. I suppose in the long term, a horrible inconvenience is better than a destroyed coin. The P.O. had done a real number on my previous order from that dealer; the package was totally mauled, and the coin came within 3mm. of being damaged, only escaping damage by being very small and sinking to the bottom of the mailer. When I posted my frustration to NumisForums, I was surprised how many 'me too' responses there were, people who were fed up with all the hassle there is in the hobby now. I suspect most or all, started collecting when I did, in the 1990's or before, when none of this crap existed. We had no idea there would be any ridiculous import restrictions on any ancient coins. By the way, I figured out how to choose a designated dropoff for FedEx, but too late to help the first package. I chose the HQ as the dropoff for the second, so hopefully that will stop the merry-go-round of missed deliveries. If it were a sub-$100 package I'd try Walgreens, as a trial balloon. A NumisForums member also suggested a UPS Store box, which is a good idea but with me no longer ordering much, that wouldn't make much sense for me. I'm also sure those boxes aren't cheap. Anyway, 1993-now has been a good run. It's time to retire. I'm still interested in reading and learning about coins, the acquisitions will just become far more infrequent. One more annoyance to go (the 25 mile drive) and I can enter a well-deserved retirement. This particular aggravation wasn't really the dealer's fault (although Fedex packages from a European dealer sail right through, w/o a signature), but I have long been teetering on the edge of quitting. All it took was the addition of a little feather, for the pile to collapse. Let's celebrate retirement status!
I only buy from U.S. dealers and it's few and far between. Before, I would buy 6-10 coins a month, now I barely get 10 for the entire year. I too have been having headaches with USPS, Fed Ex and UPS and it's usually for packages that aren't coins, since I have many other hobbies. It's been problem after problem.
The like was more of a show of solidarity, not that I like all the problems you're also facing. I'm sorry to hear that. We're all pretty much in that boat. My first mail-order 1993 coin order came from Allen Berman; a decrepit Carausius and I think a Parthian drachm. Many of my favorite Byzantine coins came from him.
You should look into U.S. trade tokens. Maybe start with a token from your home town or a neighboring town and research all you can about it.
I specialize in selling antiquities and select Thai coinage. In August of last year, high U.S. tariffs caused a severe drop in sales among my primary American clientele. This challenge was compounded when EMS suspended mail services to the United States for the following seven months, forcing me to temporarily close my business. After a necessary hiatus, I am pleased to share that I officially reopened two months ago. But the interest in buying is not as hot as before.
Do you have any coin shops in your general vicinity? For example, I am in SoCal and I have a shop less than 10 minutes with a decent selection of ancients. And then I haven't been to them but I've been told of a couple of dealers an hour north who specialize in ancient/medieval coinage. Another possibility are coin shows. I haven't been but Long Beach Expo, next held in September, for example, is said to be pretty good.
Yes, but it's 25 miles away, and parking is a nightmare. I still have dealers whom I'm comfortable mail-ordering from, three main go-to's, and perhaps circa 8 total dealers whom I know mail via first class. There's probably a few whom I haven't ordered from yet on vcoins who would also fit that category.
I'm still struggling to get there to sign for it and end the hostage situation. With that, my retirement can begin. Worse comes to worse, I'll just let it return to sender and get a Macrinus from a more convenient dealer. I have little interest in collecting any other genre of coins. The U.S coin dealers are generally even worse; most of them (at least on vcoins) seem to send via priority mail. And I'm still 0/1 in ordering a U.S. coin through the mail. That Morgan disappeared like D.B. Cooper, via registered mail.
I have the same issues - DHL tariffs are modest - although there should not be any because ancient coins are exempt - but FEDEX is insane and I have refused to pay and will not order from anyone who uses fedex. The amount of paperwork I get from Fed Ex. on these tariffs is also insane. And of course if you paid before the S. Ct. decision and paid a tariffs your chances of getting it back are nil. Something has happened to Fed Ex - I wouldn't buy stock in the company since it appears to be in the process of being run into the ground. I have to buy from overseas dealers since they have the coins I want - but it has been something of a headache.
Yes, purchasing coins from overseas has become an ordeal, fraught with delays, expenses and an almost Alice in Wonderland labyrinth of codes, paperwork and import restrictions. All of this takes the shine off the hobby, but I won't let it deter me from collecting. As I see it, it really now a matter of adjusting purchases towards domestic dealers, coupled with purchasing overseas from sellers who know how to export correctly, with the correct code. That said, however, I am not too optimistic about future, with new complications developing in these chaotic, unpredictable times. As for carriers, I've had mixed experiences with FedEx and they are my the least of my choice for reliability. I've also had some bad experiences with international shipments through USPS as well, with shipments disappearing in transit. To be fair the problems for the overseas packages might have been with the origin postal service, though proving it at either end is impossible for me, and I don't know if anything came out in the investigations by USPS, if they bothered to do so. As noted Ground Advantage is reliable, as has been Priority Mail (domestic), through with the former the package can take the "scenic route" and delayed by pinballing from one post office to another, but eventually things usually sort themselves out without an intervention on my part. My best experience, internationally, has been with DHL Express on Demand service. I pay $20 for it, which is a lot for shipping, but recently the orders have come through in a matter of days, with very good communication. Since I am retired and home most of the time, the delivery is always dropped off at my door. For times when I am away, I instruct the delivery person to drop the envelope through the mail slot.
You are correct - when it comes to overseas transactions - it is DHL or nothing. Federal Express is the worst - if the company uses Federal Express then avoid it. The tariff charges are absurd and it is completely unresponsive to anything sent. UPS isn't much better - last December I refused a demand for $500 on a $300 c - and months later we are still waiting for the coin to be returned to the seller so it can be sent to my son in Canada.
Breaking news: Apparently tariff refunds are going to be sent from the delivery companies down to their customers. I'll believe it when I see it. https://www.dailymail.com/yourmoney/article-16058577/us-government-tariffs-refund.html
It sure is nice, to have 0 coins currently in transit. I can just enjoy the coins I have (and I collected for 30 years), and that'll make the occasional domestic buy even more enjoyable. I put in a dispute, per the one European order. I recently received another paper bill, same as the first one. I haven't heard anything back per the dispute.
